Online Teaching Guidelines

Categories

1.	Information on Course Ambience with Learner Analysis & Support

2.	Content/Course Organization

3.	Active Learning Design

4.	Learning Assessment

5.	Communication and Collaboration

6.	Class Management

7.	Course Evaluation

8.	Online Resources, Legal and Ethical Use

9.	Optimized Use of Multi-Media, Graphics

10.	Editorial Checking

Category 1: Course Ambience Basic Information Learner Analysis Support

PRINCIPLE: A welcoming course ambience and basic course information are necessary to "get off on the right foot." Careful analysis of the target student population lays the groundwork for building an effective distance-learning course. Areas worth considering are (a) demographics, (b) previous experience and coursework, (c) technological skill and access, (d) learning preferences, and (e) possible special needs.

Baseline Expectation

Indicators: (Do you find the following items on the Blackboard course site?)

1. Welcome message in the announcement section (Preferably set to "Permanent")

2. Course information

a. Syllabus (complete relevance to the course and in UF syllabus template format including but not limited to:

Catalogue information
• Course ID
• Semester hours
• Prerequisites

Instructor information

Course description

Relationship to conceptual framework

Specific course objectives/expected learner outcomes

Course materials (including purchasing information for distance learners)

Course schedule/Course organization

Knowledge base

Instructional strategies

Methods of assessment

Grading policy (fitting for the distance learning environment & easy to comprehend)

Disabilities statement

b. Preparation for online learning

Clear set of instructor expectations for student responses or performance
• E.g. All online students must use the UF e-mail system
• Late penalties

Assignment submission procedures

Contingencies plan (Describes what the students should do if the university server/network is down.)

3.
Complete staff information
Title
Full name
E-mail address
Office location
Office hours
Photograph (optional but recommended)

Effective

Indicators: (In addition to the suggested items listed under Baseline, do you find the following items on the Blackboard course site?)

Course information

Learner analysis survey

Preparation for online learning

	A preparation activity (email, homepage creation, discussion forum, student auto biography, etc)
	Clear set of instructor expectations for student responses or performance • Plagiarism statement • Grading rubric
	Netiquette/Protocols for • Online chats • Asynchronous postings and • E-mail
	List of required software applications

User support

	Atomic Learning
	Writing Center
	Disabilities Services
	Expected turn around times for instructor responses

Complete staff information

Thumbnail of hobbies or other information related to “getting to know you”