Questions & Answers [super drafty]

Questions

Answers

  • Where do I begin?

Check out The Start Here! section in this guide!

  • What is an online course?

An online course is a form of distance learning that takes place via the internet. The course can be taken from any location without the requirement to come to campus. All course content, assessments, and interactions occur online.

See also Online Learning.

  • What is the difference between online/hybrid?

See Course Modalities.

  • Who can teach an online course?

Approved faculty can teach an online course. Check out the Readiness Self-Assessment to find out how prepared you are to teach online.

  • Why would I want to teach an online course?

Do you want to experiment? Do you want to travel during the academic year, have scheduling complications, or want the convenience of working from home? Are you interested in reaching students whom you might not otherwise have a

chance to teach? These are some of the reasons why instructors choose to teach online.

  • How do I learn to teach an online course?

One way to start learning how to teach online is by reviewing this guide. You can also get started by contacting the eLearning department and by reaching out to your colleagues. You can gain experience with online learning environments by developing a course homepage in the LMS for your own classroom-based courses. Certain organizations, such as the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), offer excellent courses on online teaching.

  • How is an online classroom typically structured?

This varies. But generally, online students regularly log in to Canvas to view their syllabus and grades, to contact instructors, classmates and support services, to access course materials, and to monitor their learning progress. A chronological structure works well, and it can be organized by week or content chunk. See sample courses in the Canvas Guides. Contact eLearning for more ideas.

  • Where do I go for help if I am assigned to teach an online class?

eLearning!

  • Are online classes self-paced?

While online courses allow more flexibility for  when and where students participate in class, regular course due dates and expectations for participation are also part of the course. It’s important to address this early on. Remember, too, that online courses require regular and substantive interaction between teacher and students. See Correspondence Course.

  • Do students need to attend classes at specific times?

Online courses typically (but not always) are asynchronous. Students complete coursework on their own time but still need to meet regular deadlines. Some online classes may also have a synchronous component, where students participate in class sessions online in real time.

essential to establish and maintain teacher presence in an online or hybrid course, although that does not necessarily require synchronous sessions or meetings.

  • Are there legal policies for attendance and financial aid?

Yes! See Attendance and Financial Aid.

  • How does BTC define attendance for online/hybrid courses?

Students must participate in an academically related activity in an online or hybrid course by the end of the second day of the quarter. Be sure the academic activity is connected to a learning objective in the course (sample introductory assignments are available in Canvas Commons). The last day of attendance in a class is the last day the student participated in a course activity. See also Attendance.

  • What should I do to make sure my online course has enough “Regular and Substantive Interaction” as required by the US Department of Education?

While there is always some subjectivity, courses should meet  four key criteria in order to have sufficient “Regular and Substantive Interaction”:

  • Academic — Interaction should help move students toward accomplishing the outcomes or objectives of the course and engage them in the content. Questions about technology challenges, registration or campus events do not count as “substantive” interaction unless they relate clearly and explicitly to the course outcomes.
  • Initiated by the Instructor — Questions raised by students do not count toward the DOE requirements; interactions must be initiated by the instructor. This can include an assignment prompt that you will then provide feedback on, a quiz with at least some questions that are not auto-graded, or posting a discussion or announcement relating to course topics or outcomes.
  • Regular and frequent — Weekly interaction will probably meet the frequency requirement, and the feedback or interactions should be regular and routine enough to become predictable by students. The
    • Announcements feature in Canvas could be an effective tool for building regular and frequent interaction into your course.
    • Qualified Instructor — Interaction with TAs or other academic personnel that do not meet accreditation requirements do not count toward the “regular and substantive interaction” benchmark.

    • What is the typical workload for an online class?

    Just like in traditional face-to-face classes, this varies. Online classes often require a lot of reading and writing and generally take more time and effort than students (and teachers) expect. Take a look at Rice University’s Course Workload Estimator for an interesting look at determining workload.

    • What are typical assignments in online courses?

    Depending on the discipline, students should expect assignments that are similar to those in face-to-face programs, such as quizzes, papers, and exams. Online discussion boards and group and peer-reviewed projects are also very common.

    See also Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI).

    • Will an online course echo a course I have already prepared?

    Face-to-face courses can be adapted to suit the online environment. Courses with a hands-on component (e.g. labs) may be better suited for hybrid delivery, unless the labs can be done by the student remotely (e.g. with simulation software or a home lab kit with all the materials).

    • Where are online courses taught?

    Anywhere. Students and instructors communicate and work via the internet and never or only rarely meet face-to-face.

    • When are online courses taught at BTC?

    During regular academic quarters.

    • Who decides whether my class is face-to-face, online, or hybrid?

    It depends. You may be hired to teach a course in a specific format, or you may work with your Dean to determine which format is best.

    • Are stipends available for developing or converting a course to online/hybrid?

    Yes! Check with your dean for the information and paperwork you’ll need to apply for a stipend.

    • What if I want to use a publisher’s LMS and/or digital content?

    Publishers often contact faculty to promote the purchase of their external online platforms. Review the BTC Ed Tech Checklist: [Word Doc] [Fillable PDF],

    which is a guide to help you select educational technologies for teaching and learning. It covers seven categories to consider before adopting external products for your courses:

    • Accessibility
    • Cost
    • EDI
    • Implementation
    • Privacy & Security
    • Training & Support
    • Usability

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(test) BTC Online Teaching Guide Copyright © 2022 by bellingham and bchae is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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