General Information

Course Templates

Online faculty members will have access to online course templates that they can copy into their iCollege teaching section. Timothy Brown or Allison Williams will email instructors when the template is available to copy. 

These templates will include:

• Instructor resource folder (includes suggested pacing, common course outline, teaching guide, and other important information on how to use the template)
• Start Here (Welcome) Module (Syllabus, Calendar, Introductory Material, Syllabus Quiz, etc.)
• Learning materials (e.g., videos, instructor notes, etc.)
• Some assessments  (i.e., quizzes, tests, and homework assignments)
• A start-list of discussion questions

Please note: Assessments provided in the template should serve as a guide. Instructors should modify and update these assessments each semester for test security.  

Instructors should be proactive in providing support to students. Instructors are responsible for creating additional materials for students as they would in a face-to-face course. Additionally, the instructor’s role includes that of a facilitator – answering student questions, providing additional learning aids, monitoring student progress, providing feedback, and encouraging student participation in the course.  It should be clear to the students that they are not participating in an independent study course.

Communication

The faculty should have robust communication with their students.  Below are the minimum communication expectations for faculty.

• Instructors must reply to students’ emails and discussion questions within 24 hours, Monday through Friday not including holidays.
• Instructors should interact with their students via the discussion board, announcements, and online classroom (WebEx), as well as iCollege email.
• Instructors should provide timely feedback to assignments.
• Instructors should provide updates to students on their progress and grades. 

iCollege Email

All email communication between instructors and students should be done within iCollege.

• Instructors are expected to check iCollege email daily, Monday through Friday. 
• Instructors are expected to respond to email inquiries sent to their iCollege email account within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. Please try to respond sooner. 
• Use iCollege to distribute and discuss grades.

Course Content

All instructors are required to review the Teaching Guide and Common Course Outline for their assigned courses. Here instructors can find textbook and software information as well as course objectives and teaching recommendations from the committees. These documents, along with supplemental materials, are located in the MCSE Forum in iCollege.   

Course Template – Required Additions

Instructors should identify the areas where students need additional support. All instructors will add additional resources for their students such as test reviews, learning documents or videos for chosen topics, weblinks, additional examples, solutions to tests and quizzes, etc. It is important that instructors review homework, quizzes, and tests throughout the semester to see where students are struggling and provide support accordingly.

Deadlines

There are important deadlines that require action each semester (i.e. course prep, roll verification period, Midterm Exam, Final Exam, Grade submission).  Instructors will be emailed about these deadlines each semester.  Therefore, instructors should check their GSU email to make sure they meet the deadlines set by their department.

Faculty Resources

Instructors new to teaching online may be assigned a mentor who will review courses prior to the semester and who will provide support throughout the semester. 

Semester Schedule  

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This is a rough idea of what can be expected this semester. Each department will send out email reminders for all items.

Course Prep & Mentor Check

Instructors will have access to the summer iCollege templates. You should make changes to your course before the start of classes and with sufficient time for your mentor (if assigned) to review your course. 

Roll Verification/Attendance Verification Period

Each semester faculty must report those students who are on the class roll but have NEVER ATTENDED their online class during the Attendance Verification period. Students who do not complete the syllabus quiz should be considered NEVER ATTENDED and marked accordingly during roll verification. This procedure is very important in order to keep the college in compliance with the laws regarding federal financial aid. The Attendance Verification period for students that have never attended is during the first week of classes.  All reporting is done within the PAWS Portal, http://paws.portal.gsu.edu. 

Even if there are no students to report, an instructor still must log in to PAWS and “verify” their class roll for each course by the last date of the reporting period.

Students reported as Never Attended will remain on the iCollege Classlist until the end of the roll verification period. 

Aside from the Start Here Module (Entry to the Course), all course content should be blocked from students who do not complete the Syllabus Quiz during the Attendance Verification period (the first week).  Mentors can help with these settings. 

Office Hours

The syllabus MUST include two hours of office hours per course per week. Faculty are encouraged to devote some of this time in their WebEx room. Please spread your office hours over at least two nonconsecutive days from Monday through Thursday. Remember that you should be accessible to students even though you are not in the classroom.

Class Rolls

Check PAWS rolls frequently, specifically before the midpoint of the semester and before final exams.  If a student has been dropped from the roster but plans to continue in the course, inform the student to call Enrollment & Registration Services at 404-413-2900 or visit paws.gsu.edu and submit a Panther Answer ticket.

Teaching the Course

You will devote a significant amount of your time monitoring weekly discussion questions, reviewing homework, and preparing/reviewing quizzes, tests, finals, etc. 

Instructors must respond to every email question and questions posted to their Instructor’s Office or Ask My Instructor Discussion Board. Additionally, instructors must be involved in weekly discussions – reading and responding as necessary. Students must see that instructors are visible in the course; they must see instructor participation. 

Instructors must keep the grade book up-to-date. Grades should be posted as soon as possible after a deadline has passed. Averages should be updated after each test or major assignment. Please note that the final course average is not visible to the students automatically. 

Keep a record of any student issues that develop – cheating, questioning grades, and so on.

Final Exam

All finals will be given using proctoring software that requires students to have a webcam and mic while testing. Final exams should be available for at least 3 days, including one weekend day. 

Final Grades

You should enter final grades in PAWS by the deadline. If a student does not complete the course and does not withdraw, the instructor must assign a grade of F.  (An I, incomplete, is rarely given and must have prior approval by the department chair.)  Date of Last Attendance must be entered for students with grades of F. Use the last day of classes for students who attend the entire course and take the final. For other students, the date of Last Attendance is the date that a student last submitted work in either iCollege or the 3rd party software.              

Release of Information

Faculty should not discuss or give information about a student’s progress, attendance, or grades to anyone other than the student without written permission from the student. This includes and is not limited to spouses, parents, guardians, lawyers, or medical professionals.

 

Guidelines for Online Classroom Observation

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The following is a list of ways that instructors can demonstrate the criteria for classroom observations in an online class. 

1. 1.   Presents material appropriate to course objectives
      • • Introduction to each learning module/unit – templates should provide this information  
        • Goals correspond to course content standards
        • Follows Teaching Guide with covering the appropriate sections and emphasizing/de-emphasizing specific topics
   2.   Presents material appropriate to student knowledge
      • • Uses approved textbook
        • Ties concepts together/reviews appropriate topics (email, announcement, discussion board, video, document)
        • Basic & specialized terms explained as needed
   3.   Includes examples or illustrations to clarify concepts
      • • Teaching materials (videos, handouts, web meetings) provide examples and illustrations of concepts
        • Examples provided through good publisher-produced materials (Edited to include only required content)
        • Reviews homework/quizzes/tests and provides solutions to most missed questions and frequently asked questions (handout, discussion board, video)
        • Provides solutions for tests/quizzes
        • Provides clarification on confusing topics
   4.   Uses instructional aids where appropriate (What the instructor uses)
      • • Uses videos, audio, glossaries, activities to accommodate different learning preferences
        • Evidence of WebEx – announcements with posted times or recordings, screenshots, exported notes from WebEx, insights (average one a week)
        • Direct students to sessions to LTC (Supplemental Instruction)
        • Collaborates with other instructors to hold review sessions
        • Creates new videos for topics
        • Embeds or links to Desmos activities, Geogebra, or other interactive technology tools
        • Provides calculator instruction – videos, handouts, or links to other resources
        • Creates flashcards or uses Study Mate
        • Play Posit, Voice Thread (increase engagement)
   5.   Uses instructional time efficiently
      • • The schedule is provided in syllabus/calendar
        • Adds due dates to iCollege calendar
        • Materials are well distributed throughout the course
        • Keeps discussions on track
        • Responds to weekly discussion posts in the appropriate response time
        • Responds to Ask My Instructor questions posted on discussion board or sent via email within 24 hours during a normal workweek
   6.   Delivers lesson in a logical manner (Should be provided in the template)
      • • Material is divided into appropriate units/learning modules
        • Division of material corresponds to the Teaching Guide for the course
   7.   Summarizes major concepts and checks for understanding
      • • Learning modules have a summary and/or practice quiz
        • Posts a summary post for major discussion boards
        • Helps students understand most important information presented in a module by posting an announcement/discussion board, sending an email, or creating a video/document with key takeaways
   8.   Provides up-to-date goals/objectives
      • • Posts announcements or sends emails to remind students of upcoming assignments, important dates, tasks they need to complete, etc. (If emails are sent, must provide a sample to the observer.)
   9.   Uses instructional methods effectively (How instructor uses materials: well-designed, alignment
      • • Provides appropriate assignments and opportunities for students to interact with materials either in the 3^rd party software and/or in iCollege
        • Assignments are manageable and spread throughout the course with appropriate due dates
        • Activities advance student learning, are easy to navigate, and have clear instructions
   10.   Communicates the material with a sense of enthusiasm
       • • Evident in syllabus, welcome letter, announcements, emails from beginning of course
         • Updates template documents with instruction information
         • Responds to discussion board posts with an appropriate response (clear that students’ work was read)
   11.   Communicates about content with authority
       • • Evident in the syllabus, guidance in discussions, assignments.
         • Evident in videos and/or screenshots of the online classroom
   12.   Communicates clearly
       • • Clearly-written syllabus, announcements, communications, discussion post responses
         • Evident in videos, class notes, and other materials
   13.   Encourages student involvement
       • • The instructor is consistently present in course – evidenced by communication via emails, announcements
         • Use Intelligent agents to connect with students who fail to log in to iCollege, miss assignments in iCollege, or to provide positive feedback for those who are completing work and performing well in the course
         • Evidence of following up with students who are behind or have missed work
   14.   Demonstrates respect for students
       • • Evident in tone in emails and discussions
         • Promptly replies to emails/discussions
         • Uses intelligent agents
         • Replace strings – announcements/email messages
   15.   Clarifies content when students fail to understand
       • • Provides feedback on graded work
         • Follows up with students who perform poorly on assignments
         • Provides test solutions, solutions to most missed questions, or ask my instructor questions
   16.   Responds constructively to students
       • • Guides discussions
         • Responds to emails and Ask My Instructor Discussion posts within 24 hours of a normal workweek.