Online Course Readiness Checklist
Done? (Y or N)
Course Updates
Syllabus
Make sure your course syllabus includes all University required information
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP32.06.pdf
Make sure the dates in the syllabus are for the current semester
Make sure syllabus contains all policies from syllabus template
Make sure the syllabus for the current semester is uploaded in the class.
Check to make sure the due dates in the syllabus are the same as those in
the online classroom
Include information on what your response time to emails will be
(recommendation is 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends)
State the turn-around time for grading assignments (one or two weeks
max)
Communicate to students what role you will play in online discussion (e.g.,
“I respond to a few students each week”, I play the role of ‘devil’s
advocate;” etc.)
State the technology requirements for the online course.
Class Communication/Announcements
Make sure there is some kind of text on the course homepage listing the
course code and name so that students know they are logged into the
correct class.
Post a Welcome Announcement
Post other “housekeeping” announcements. Suggested housekeeping
announcements include: your preferred contact method and virtual office
hours; how to contact technical support for the course; the class late policy;
and netiquette information
Consider posting an announcement informing students with disabilities how
they can contact Disabled Student Services to request reasonable
accommodations, hints for reading assignments (if any), expectations for
discussion posts
Make sure an ungraded “Course Q and A” discussion link is available on
the course homepage.
Consider adding an “email your professor” link in the course menu so that
students can easily contact you rather than looking up your email address.
Course Organization/Management
If you are updating a class from a previous semester, make sure you
update ALL dates (gradebook, dropboxes, exams, discussions
announcements, etc.).
Make sure all due dates match due dates listed in syllabus
Clearly state in the syllabus and course calendar when assignments and
discussions are due. It is recommended that due dates are consistent
throughout the semester (e.g., Sunday nights at 11:59 PM in CST).
Make sure students know when class weeks start and end (e.g., Monday –
Sunday, etc.)
Make sure there are navigation hints in the first types of assignments. For
example, tell students how to respond to discussion questions, how to
upload documents in the dropboxes, how to access exams, etc.).
Hide any content that you don’t want student to see until later in the course.
Assignment Dropboxes
Make sure all dropboxes are set up to be open/available to students at
least two weeks ahead of the due date.
Set the due date to reflect the due date for the current semester
Set the dropbox to “close” (be hidden from student view) two weeks after
the original due date. This is because we only accept assignments for up
to two weeks past the original due date.
Make sure dropbox and test links are available
Make sure assignments are linked to the appropriate rubrics and set for
appropriate point values as described in the syllabus
Discussion Boards
Make sure that all discussion questions will be available to students when
needed. It is helpful to make all discussion questions available from the first
day of class. Many online students like the security of seeing what they will
need to do each week.
Post your personal message/introduction in the Student
Introductions/Welcome discussion area
Grading Rubrics
If you have changed the directions for an assignment(s) in the syllabus
remember to make related changes in the rubric(s)
Check to make sure the point total in all grading rubrics matches the
syllabus.
Attach grading rubrics to related assignments.
If updating a course, make sure rubrics are updated to reflect any updated
assignment instructions and point values stated in the syllabus
Make sure rubrics are posted in pdf version in the Course Homepage
Make sure rubrics are set to be visible to students.
Gradebook
Set up the gradebook with all graded assignments
Double check the point total to make sure the assignments correctly add up
to the total amount of points available in the class (should be 1000)
Organize the gradebook columns in a manner that makes sense (e.g., all
discussion grades in chronological order and together; exams together,
papers together, etc.)
Course Maintenance
Delete any messages posted by TTU Worldwide E-Learning that are
unnecessary for the course
Review all course hyperlinks to readings and supplemental resources and
update broken links and remove dead links.
Delete the Test of the Respondus system and the Fun Type Question Quiz
from the gradebook (or the entire class) if you do not use them
Make sure that all references sources are cited correctly in APA style
Check your computer’s virus protection because you will be accepting a lot
of files from students.