09 February 2001

Best Practices for the Teachers of Courses Offered Through the E-Learn A. A.

Faculty Committee Members: J. Kirkpatrick, V. Linares, K. Porter, C. Foreman, R. Brill, F. McCoy, B. Robison

 

These best practices reflect what the system-wide A. A. online committee believe to be essential guidelines for teachers of any course offered through the E-learn A. A. and are to be followed for all courses incorporated into the collaborative effort.

 

 

PREPARING FOR THE COURSE

• Distance Learning Coordinators on campuses will assure that a system-wide common page for each course provides current, accurate information, including faculty name, phone, link to email, home campus, course name, link to syllabus, link to faculty web page (if any).
• E-learn faculty obtain program and institutional support to develop course with an agreed upon starting date.
• E-learn faculty, in consultation with the campus distance learning coordinator, will plan the course for availability to all students in the University of Hawai'i system, assuring library and learning resources for all sites.
• E-learn faculty will consult with appropriate academic support services personnel to provide orientation and assessments as follows:
  • System-wide (online) and campus-based distance learning orientation.
  • System-wide UHDE pre and post assessments. All instruments will be administered through the UHDE e-learn project.
    • Pre Distance Learning Assessment of Needs After Enrolling in a Distance Learning Course
      • E-learn faculty will receive timely online course specific results from these surveys such as class demographics, student email addresses, and other information garnered from this survey.
    • Post Distance Learning Assessment of Student Perceptions of the Technology
      • E-learn faculty will receive information on students' evaluation of learning support and academic support services in the e-learn A. A. course.

 

TEACHING THE COURSE

• Evolving technologies provide for innovation in teaching and communication and are essential for success.
• E-learn faculty will design activities that provide for student to faculty and student to student opportunities for discussion and sharing of knowledge in an interactive community.
• E-learn faculty will provide constructive, timely feedback on student work.
• E-learn faculty will provide class email lists, and/or voicemail options for students to work with each other and with their instructor.
• E-learn faculty will develop course materials that encourage collaboration through discussion, feedback and interaction.
• E-learn faculty will take pro-active approaches to contact with students.
• E-learn faculty will guide students in the use of appropriate academic resources used to enhance course content.
• E-learn faculty will conduct learning assessment techniques as part of ongoing critical self-assessment of the distance pedagogy being employed.
• E-learn faculty will be evaluated by peers who have a basic understanding of distance delivery methods.

Culled from:

The NEA's QUALITY ON THE LINE--BENCHMARKS FOR SUCCESS IN INTERNET-BASED DISTANCE EDUCATION. April 2000

 

STATEMENT OF THE REGIONAL ACCREDITING COMMISSIONS ON THE EVALUATION OF ELECTRONICALLY OFFERED DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS AND GUIDELINES FOR THE EVALUATION OF ELECTRONICALLY OFFERED DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS. September 2000. Developed by eight regional accrediting commissions.