1 Quality Matters Quality Matters Review Schedule Quality Matters reviews were initiated at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) in the winter session of 2008. Based on the data gathered since that process began, ULM proposes to review 50 courses per year, beginning with the spring 2010 semester, with a goal of reviewing all online offerings within two to three years. Once all ULM online course offerings have been reviewed using the QM rubric, a rotation will be established to begin a second round of formal reviews. With input from university administrators, a decision will be made whether to review hybrid course offerings. Courses that meet Quality Matters Standards Once an online course meets Quality Matters standards, that course will be utilized as a template course by all who subsequently teach the course, both ULM faculty and adjunct faculty. Modifications can be made to the text, assignments, assessments, resources, etc., so long as the objectives do not change and the alignment of all elements with those objectives remains intact (ULM/QM rubric, standards II.1, II.2, III.2, IV.1, V.1, and VI.1). Courses that are reviewed but do not meet Quality Matters Standards All faculty who develop courses that do not meet Quality Matters standards are encouraged to seek support to bring their courses into compliance with the QM standards. On subsequent offering and review of the courses, those faculty who have not sought design assistance for a course that still does not meet standards will not be allowed to teach the course. Courses that are not submitted for Quality Matters review Administrators of the faculty who do not submit their courses for QM review will be notified that the faculty did not participate in the review. Administrators will direct the faculty to teach the course as scheduled and make modifications to bring the course into compliance with the ULM/QM standards. At the end of the term the course should be imported (student work will not be imported) into a template course that will be submitted for review in the next review session. Courses whose review is postponed at the faculty’s request When the situation is justified (administrative approval), faculty will be permitted to request the postponement of a Quality Matters course review one time. If the postponement request is approved, the course will be taught as scheduled with the understanding that modifications will be made to bring the course into compliance with the ULM/QM standards. At the end of the term the course should be imported (student work will not be imported) into a template course that will be submitted for review in the next review session. During each semester the Division of Continuing Education offers ULM Quality Matters course design workshops and upon request provides individual assistance to faculty course developers. For additional information faculty may contact Marilyn McIntosh or Paula Thornhill at 318‐342‐1030 2 Textbook Policy ‐ Faculty All required course materials must be listed with the ULM Bookstore and submitted according to the bookstore timeline. Exceptions to this policy will be made when there is no ISBN associated with the course material or course material must be purchased directly from the vendor as in subscription services, etc. Textbook and Course Material Policy – Students As differences occur in texts and supplemental course materials, textbooks should be purchased at the campus bookstore, http://www.ulmbookstore.com/. Students are expected to have all required course materials by the close of late registration. 3 Required Course Elements: •
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Course must adhere to the standards outlined in the ULM Quality Matters rubric Course must be fully developed before delivery. Faculty developing a course for the first time should consider “working 3 to 5 months in advance of the beginning date” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009, p. 137). Follow netiquette guidelines Clearly explain your policy for late work and procedure for make‐up exam policy. Instructors are responsible for making an online course available to students no later than 7:30 a.m. on the first day of a semester. Online courses must remain open until official grades are published. Must provide detailed syllabus and due date timeline for course duration. Banner is the source for official course rosters. Course Expectation Agreement should be placed in the course stating the instructor’s expectations of the student and what students can expect from the instructor. See example. o Example of Choice Activity: Reference: Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. Boston: MA: Pearson. 4 Faculty Requirements for Communication with Students: •
Methods and forms of communication between instructor and student must be clearly posted on course site and adhere to ULM’s Email Policy located at https://webservices.ulm.edu/policies/document.php?i=91659 •
During the fall and spring semester, the instructor of the course will respond to student’s questions within 48 hours on weekdays and weekends. During the summer or interim sessions, the instructor of the course will respond to student’s question within 24 hours on weekdays. Response times may be extended due to instructor non‐availability under the following condition: an announcement is made in advance that response delays may occur during a specific time period, when there is a ULM computer system availability issue, and/or situations that could not have been predicted and for which an announcement of explanation may be posted after the fact. •
Course instructors may also conduct face‐to‐face question and answer sessions at their discretion. These sessions must be optional and not required for students to attend. In these sessions, no new material or reviews can be conducted, since this would create an unfair advantage to those who attended. •
Dates and times for required synchronous online sessions, such as an Elluminate session, must be listed in the syllabus and communicated to students in an announcement, email, or other form of communication. For all synchronous sessions, options must be made available for those students who cannot attend the sessions (examples: recordings of sessions and alternate assignments). •
Instructors must be available during office hours or by an appointment time agreed upon by an instructor and student for face‐to‐face office meetings, phone calls, and other communication. If instructor's office hours conflict with student availability due to work or other classes, a reasonable effort must be made using an alternative form of communication. 5 Grading Policy The grading scale and method of aggregation will be determined by the course instructor and will be clearly described in the course syllabus. Full Term instructor turnaround time requirements Student Action Assignment/Quizzes Questions and inquiries Exams/Major Quizzes Papers/Case Studies/Other Special Assignments and Projects Instructor Turnaround Time 5 days 2 days (including weekends)* 10 days Time frame determined by instructor and included in the syllabus Eight Week session instructor turnaround time requirements Student Action Assignment/Quizzes Questions and inquiries Exams/Major Quizzes Papers/Case Studies/Other Special Assignments and Projects Instructor Turnaround Time 3‐5 days (including weekends) 1‐3 days (including weekends)* 3‐5 days (including weekends) Time frame determined by instructor and included in the syllabus Four Week session instructor turnaround time requirements (Ex: Summer and Interim Sessions) Student Action Assignment/Quizzes Questions and inquiries Exams/Major Quizzes Papers/Case Studies/Other Special Assignments and Projects Instructor Turnaround Time 3 days (including weekends) 1 days (including weekends)* 5 days (including weekends) Time frame determined by instructor and included in the syllabus *Response times may be extended on rare instances due to instructor non‐availability. When these rare instances occur an announcement will be made in the course either before or soon after the instance. •
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All courses will follow the current assessment protocol as face‐to‐face courses. Grade appeals will be addressed as outlined in the student handbook. However students are encouraged to have regular communication with instructors regarding grading and other course issues. Proper protocol must be followed to maintain the integrity of the University and the appeals process. Deadlines for graded events must be based on Central Standard Time Zone (Daylight savings time applies). All graded events must have minimum 24 hour availability. No graded event’s submission window can end sooner than 24 hours after the close of late registration. Instructors must provide specific criteria on what constitutes “participation” in the course. 6 •
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Student work (assignments, exams, projects, etc.) are to be graded and accompanied by scores and feedback promptly on a regular basis. Online courses must remain open until official grades are published. Aggregation of the final grade is determined by the instructor as stated in the syllabus. In some cases Moodle does not have the capability to replicate the method of aggregation and will not display the accurate final grade. The official final grade will be posted in Banner. 7 Suggestion for Course/Instructor Evaluation While an online course is being taught, a peer faculty member will be assigned by the department head to conduct an evaluation using the standards listed below. Once a course/instructor receives an evaluation indicating that standards have been met, then the course/instructor will be evaluated on a three year cycle. It is recommended to the department head that a faculty member not teach the course online after receiving two unsuccessful peer evaluations for the same course. The faculty member will be provided with an option to successfully complete a training session to receive consideration for teaching the course online in a subsequent semester. Value
(Point ranges 0‐10, 0 is the lowest; 10 is the highest)
Item 1: Encourages student‐faculty contact High score: Extremely well outlined communication protocol for most common course events accompanied with specific response timelines Low score: absence of communication protocol beyond basics required in QM standard Item 2: Encourages cooperation among students High score: instructor facilitative meaningful participation in online discussions which contribute significantly to assimilation of the learning objective Low score: basic requirement for participation facilitates only basic topic discussion Item 3: Encourages active learning High score: instructor facilitates course projects and catalyzes peer discussion and evaluation Low score: absence of course projects Item 4: Gives prompt feedback High score: specifically constructive feedback given which aids overall clarity of grade awarded consistently provided as outlined in policy manual Low score: minimal acknowledgement feedback provided in untimely manner Item 5: Emphasizes time on task High score: course outlined with due dates clearly defined from beginning, regularly distributed throughout the semester providing maximum flexibility while maintaining timely progression of course Low score: deadlines poorly defined and consolidated at points during the semester Item 6: Communicates high expectations High score: students are given well thought out topic driven assignments which help incorporate new information into student working knowledge 8 Low score: absence or little significant development to topic driven assignments, primarily uses quizzing and testing for assessment Item 7: Respects diverse talents and ways of learning High score: assignments facilitate new learning by allowing for creative and diverse student voice, specifically assignments which call for integration with examples from student experience presented in any form Low score: highly rigid assignment goals which lack larger integration to course objectives and consistently predefined student voice and form Item 8: Design reflects QM standards High score: far exceeds minimum standard by excelling in all areas Low score: only minimum standards are met Item 9: Expectations are aligned with the level and course description High score: online course reflects the target level of student and accomplishes overall course learning objectives in a relatable way that matches the major elements of the catalog course description Low score: course significantly deviates (either too low or high) from what would normally be expected in a traditional classroom setting or deviates significantly from the major elements of the catalog course description Item 10: Quality of presentation materials and utilization of technology High score: materials provided are poignant to the topic while clearly presenting information in digestible units utilizing technology without cumbersome or awkward injections of flashy distractions Low score: overwhelming topical units presented in overly complex ways or utilizing overly flashy multimedia that lack poignant topic driven information Total Point Value Tool adapted from: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer72/tobin72.html 9 Final Exam Schedule Full Term (16 week spring and 16 week fall) Courses: Final exams will be administered on Monday‐Friday ending at 11:30 a.m. during the designated ULM final exam week. Instructors must list on the syllabus and post in the course the opening and closing date and time of the exam. Exams must be available at a minimum of a 24 hour period of time. “Dead Day” (Wednesday of final exam week for full‐term courses does not apply to online courses). Maymester, Summer I, Summer II, Wintersession, 1st 8 Week Courses, and 2nd Week Courses: Instructors have the option of opening a final exam 48 hours prior to the close of business on the designated ULM final exam date. Exams must be available at a minimum of a 24 hour period of time. For example, if the designated final exam date is on a Friday, the instructor has the option to open an exam as early as 11:30 a.m. on the previous Wednesday. The intent is to provide maximum access to the Helpdesk in case a student encounters a technical issue. If a student has three or more final exams scheduled within the same 24 hour period of time, then the student may request an alternate exam date by communicating with the instructors and/or making an appeal to the Dean. The request must be made at least two weeks prior to the designated final exam timeframe. 10 University Holidays and Closures Policy University Holidays Instructors for short term courses (4 and 8 week courses) will clearly indicate at the start of term if university holidays will be observed in an online course. University holidays for full term courses (16 week fall and spring) must be observed. The course will remain available to students, but assignments cannot be due during a university holiday. University Closures University closures due to inclement weather do not apply to online courses. An exception applies to students affected by severe weather that prohibits Internet access. Students must notify instructors as soon as possible if severe weather prevents course participation.
11 Online Attendance Policy The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) believes that students must attend class if they are to be well prepared for the workplace. Online courses are no different from traditional classroom courses in this regard. Online students are subject to the same attendance policy and procedures as traditional students. However, participation is defined in a different manner. Student attendance in online courses is defined as active participation in the course as described in the individual course syllabus. Online courses will, at a minimum, have weekly mechanisms for student participation no more frequently than daily, which can be documented by any or all of the following methods: • Completion of tests or quizzes • Discussion forums • Submission/completion of assignments • Communication with the instructor • Or other course participation Having these weekly mechanisms in place requires that students attend class each week or as specified in the syllabus. Students are required to log in to each online course by the second day during the week in which the course officially begins, or the day enrolled during late registration to complete the initial introductory postings required in the course. Students must log in at least one additional day during the first week of the course. Students must log in on two separate days each subsequent week of the course to meet attendance requirements or as specified in the syllabus. As a component of attendance email announcements and course news forum(s) should be checked frequently (daily is recommended). The student is solely responsible for checking updates related to the course. Note: Nonattendance may affect financial aid. If a student fails to meet these attendance requirements for one week of the course, he or she will be given an absence for that week. Students are required attendance of at least 75% in a course as stated in the Student Policy Manual. If a student fails to meet the attendance requirements, he or she may be recommended for withdrawal from the course. In the case of an anticipated absence, such as military deployment, a student should contact the instructor in advance and make arrangements to complete the required assignments. In case of an emergency (illness/accident or death in family), a student should contact the instructor as soon as possible providing documentation supporting the need for any late submission of a graded event. 12 Helpdesk Information Helpdesk Contact Information: Campus Location: ULM Library Room 116 Help Ticket Submission: http://computersos.ulm.edu/index2.php?department=10&customerid= Phone: 318‐342‐3333 Web site: http://www.ulm.edu/computingcenter/helpdesk How to contact the Helpdesk for assistance with myULM and Moodle: • During business hours (M‐Th 7:30‐5:00 and Fri 7:30‐11:30) faculty and students may call the Helpdesk at 318‐342‐3333 or submit a ticket to the online help system located at http://computersos.ulm.edu/index2.php?department=10&customerid= • Extended Helpdesk hours vary according to semester and holiday schedules. Please refer to the After Hours for Helpdesk link on the Moodle homepage (http://moodle.ulm.edu). During after hours, you may contact the Helpdesk at 318‐342‐5047 or by submitting a ticket to the online help system located at http://computersos.ulm.edu/index2.php?department=10&customerid= • You may access Moodle, myULM Portal, and Warhawk Email help resources at any time on the Moodle homepage (http://moodle.ulm.edu). The ULM Helpdesk strives to respond to requests for help within four hours upon receiving a call or help ticket. However there may be times, especially at the beginning of a semester, when the response time may exceed the four hour time period. Technical Issues Policy In the case of a documented ULM system outage: 1. Non‐timed Event (Ex: Discussion Forum, Wiki, and Assignment Upload): If interruption occurs within the last hour of submission window, then the non‐timed event due date must be extended no less than 24 hours. 2. Timed Event (Ex: Quiz and Exam): If the interruption occurs with 24 hours of the timed event’s due date, then the due date must be extended no less than 24 hours. 13 Minimum Computer Requirements As a student taking an online course, you must have access to a computer (including weekends). Our online courses require the following: Computer Processor PC 300 MHz processor Macintosh Intel x86 or (Pentium recommended) PowerPC G5 processor Operating System Windows XP, Vista, or later Mac OS/X v10.4 or later RAM 1 Gb Internet Connection 56 Kb or higher (broadband recommended Required Browsers Firefox 3.5 or higher Browser Configuration Pop‐Up Blocking Disabled JavaScript Enabled Java Runtime Environment Display Required Software Adobe Flash installed 1.4 or higher Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution monitor with at least 256 colors QuickTime, DIVX, Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat, and MS Office or Open Office; Individual instructors may require additional software; A list of free software downloads is available at http://moodle.ulm.edu/mod/book/view.php?id=483&chapterid=512
14 Technology Self‐Assessment for Students Certain technology skill sets are required to take an online course at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Carefully read over the technology skill self‐assessment questions below. Computer Operations/Concepts: 1. Can you start up, restart, and shut down a computer? 2. Do you know how to click, double‐click, and right‐click the mouse? 3. Can you open, close, minimize, and move windows and menus on your computer's desktop? 4. Do you know how to create folders and navigate a directory to locate files? 5. Can you save and retrieve files from storage devices such as a USB flash drive or external drive? Basic Document Skills: 1. Do you have MS Office or Open Office installed on your computer? 2. Can you create, save, delete, and print a document? Example: .doc, .docx file 3. Do you know how to cut, copy, and paste text in a document? 4. Can you change text formatting such as font style and size, paragraph alignment, etc.? 5. Do you know how to use the spell‐check feature of your word processing program? 6. Can you rename, copy, save, or burn a document to a CD, flash, hard drive, etc.? Internet/World Wide Web: 1. Can you distinguish between a website URL and an email address? 2. Given a URL, can you access the Internet and go to that website? 3. Do you know how to use the "Bookmark" or "Favorites" feature of your browser? 4. Are you familiar with using Internet search engines such as Google or Bing.com? 5. Can you download, install, and update browser plug‐ins for common software applications such as Adobe Reader, Windows Media Player, Real Player, etc.? 6. Do you know how to work in multiple browser windows, pop‐ups, or tabs? 7. Do you know how to access, login, and navigate the MyULM Portal? 8. Do you know how to navigate (or know how to find help on navigating) Moodle? Email Basics: 1. Do you know how to send, receive, and reply to email messages in your ULM email account? 2. Can you save and delete email messages? 3. Do you know how to attach a file to an email message, and open an incoming email attachment? 4. Can you use the "address book" feature of your email to create and send "group" mailings? Austin Community College created this self‐assessment instrument (modified by ULM). 15 Netiquette Internet etiquette or netiquette guides us in proper behavior on the Internet. There are widely accepted rules of behavior to follow when you're online. It is very important to learn and follow these rules. Sometimes the online world can feel "pretend" because you cannot see the person with whom you are communicating. So, it is very important to remember that you are dealing with "real" people online and you should use your very best manners ‐ just as you would at home or at school. As a newbie (someone new to the Internet) you do not want to venture into cyberspace until you are familiar with the acceptable rules of Internet behavior. There are a few tips that can help you feel more comfortable with the new situations cyberspace will throw at you. Here are some things to remember anytime you are online: Do unto others, as you'd have others do unto you. Be polite and courteous at all times. Remember that you're not communicating with a computer screen, but with a human being who has thoughts and feelings just like you. So, always think of the person on the receiving end of your messages. Do not TYPE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS for emphasis. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING. If you need to emphasize a word, use asterisks, like *this* or lines, like _this_. Remember that the written word is hard to interpret. When you speak to someone, that person can hear the tone of your voice. If they can see you, they can take visual clues from your face and body to better understand your meaning. All of this is lost in text, and sometimes responses can come across as mean or rude, even when you did not intend them this way. This is the reason some people use emoticons (visual clues) in their e‐mails, it saves a lot of confusion. Be careful not to use rude or bad language online. Many providers will terminate your account. Don't break any laws. When you are on the Internet, follow the same rules of behavior that you would in real life. Remember, if it is against the law in the real world, it is against the law in cyberspace. Be universal. Other users have different Web browsers, different online services, different email programs, etc. So don't, for example, send out email with text formatting ‐‐ boldface, italics, indentations, etc. ‐‐ because many other programs will not be able to read the formatting and the recipients will receive your email filled with muddled codes. Your ULM student email account must be used to communicate with your instructor. Be brief whenever possible. No one wants to read through a lot of unnecessary information. If you are replying to an email, try editing out unimportant information and anything that is repeated. Don't flame. Do not send rude or offensive e‐mails or postings. It is bad manners and can get seriously out of hand (flame wars). So do not flame others and if you are flamed, do not respond: you will never win. If you are flamed in a forum or chat room, or if you receive hateful email, let your instructor know. 16 Always identify yourself. Never send email without including your name at the bottom of the email. Similarly, don't post forum messages without identifying yourself, this is seen as rude. Make a good impression. Remember that the written word is the only way you can represent yourself online, so spelling and grammar count. If you are going to be writing a large amount of text for other people to see, make sure you break it up using paragraphs, it will make it easier on the eye for those that will read it. Be patient with newcomers. Once you have become an Internet expert, it is easy to forget that you started out as a newbie too. Learning the rules of cyberspace is much like learning a new language; it takes practice, and includes making mistakes. So if you come across someone else's mistakes on the net, don't put them down, just politely point them in the right direction for guidance. http://www.kidsdomain.com/brain/computer/surfing/netiquette_kids.html (modified to fit our needs)