The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University. Guide to Online Teaching for Instructors

Transcription

1 The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University Guide to Online Teaching for Instructors

2 Our Mission To be a leader in innovative quality lifelong learning that empowers adults to reach their life and career goals. Our Vision To be the leading continuing education provider for adult learners and partner organizations. As leaders, we will be known for our passion for lifelong learning, the relevance and responsiveness of our programs, our ground-breaking work in quality approaches to adult education, the strength of our people, and our teamwork. Our Values Accessibility Flexibility Innovation Quality Relevance Respect Responsibility Teamwork and Collegiality

3 Contents Contents Contents...1 Introduction...2 Characteristics of Online Learning and Teaching...2 Seven Principles for Online Teaching...4 Principle 1: Maximize learner-instructor contact....4 Principle 2: Support peer-to-peer contact, teaching, and learning....5 Principle 3: Emphasize active learning and applied practice....5 Principle 4: Provide prompt feedback...6 Principle 5: Hold learners responsible for course tasks and timelines..6 Principle 6: Expect high-quality work and comprehension....7 Principle 7: Respect diverse experiences and support different learning styles...7 Technology Used in Online Courses...8 Online Course Administration Managing the Virtual Classroom Blackboard Course Shell Management Changes to Course Materials Accessibility Course Readings and Copyright Course Readings Online Third-party Materials Setting up Assessments in Online Courses Assignments Test and Exams References Used in this Guide Appendices....i Appendix A: Getting Started Online...i Appendix B: Checklists...ii Appendix C: Communication with Learners and Ryerson Services... v Appendix D: Recommended Reading...ix Appendix E: Partners in Online Course Delivery...xi Appendix F: Educational Media and Applications...xiii Appendix G: Frequently Asked Questions...xiv 1

4 Introduction Introduction The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University is a leading provider of university credit online courses in Canada, with almost 400 digital courses, 23 fully online certificates, and over 20,000 annual online enrollments. Digital Education Strategies (DES) collaborates with academic Program Areas in The Chang School to produce and manage online and hybrid courses, and to create innovative online learning tools that are designed to improve learning experiences and outcomes. Effective online teaching requires many of the same skills and practices as classroom teaching, but there are a number of skills that are specific to the online environment. It is crucial that, as an online instructor, you show mastery of your subject matter and demonstrate your ability to help learners succeed, as well as consistently employ best practices for online course management and learner engagement. Characteristics of Online Learning and Teaching The Chang School is a leader in preparing adult learners with 21st century skills that combine academic rigour with practical experience. We apply adult and online education best practices in the development and delivery of all our online courses. Online teaching is an emerging trend in higher education. As colleges and universities continue to add online offerings in response to learner needs, enhancing your skills to teach online increases your marketability, allows for more flexibility in your schedule, and provides you with more creative ways to deliver content and engage your learners. Your role as an online instructor is unique and distinct from that of a classroom instructor. As a rule, the majority of online course content is developed by Subject Matter Experts and Instructional Designers and posted online prior to your course delivery. As such, once the course begins, your focus should be on facilitating your students learning and building a solid community as they navigate through the modules. The resulting collaboration and exchange of ideas can be extremely enriching, both for your learners and for you as an instructor. One of the most prevalent misconceptions about teaching an online course is that it is a passive process for the instructor and for learners. The reality is that 2

5 Introduction teaching in a virtual community requires instructors to use methodologies and specific technical competencies that are different from a traditional classroom setting. At the same time, learners need to understand that their role in an online class is different. They need to become active participants, engaging with the learning opportunities the online environment represents. While the characteristics of online teaching are different from those of classroom instruction, the rewards are just as gratifying. We encourage you to consider online teaching as an important step in your own professional development. 3

6 Seven Principles for Online Teaching Seven Principles for Online Teaching What do you need to know to successfully facilitate the online classroom? How do you ensure learners are engaged and successful in their learning? The principles below, based on Chickering and Gamson s Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (1987) 1, offer guidelines for online teaching and learning success. Principle 1: Maximize learner-instructor contact Learners need to feel supported, while instructors need to be in touch with learner concerns. Manage learners expectations. At the beginning of the course, describe when you are available online (i.e., average number of days per week) and how you can be contacted. Follow a predictable schedule for your availability and course involvement. If a change or emergency arises, communicate it to your learners in the Announcements area. Be present. Participate in the course discussion forums and post weekly announcements to ensure that learners feel connected. Facilitate communication. Clearly describe the types of communication available to learners and when and how to use them (e.g., Messages tool, discussion forums, or ). Encourage participation. If there is little activity in the discussion forums, post an alternate question or example to stimulate responses. Avoid yes/ no or factual questions. Moreover, if you notice a learner has been absent over a long period of time, send a personal enquiring whether there are particular challenges that you can help with. Manage conflict by responding to it immediately. For example, if a learner behaves inappropriately in the discussion board, post a message to stop the behaviour, and follow up with a private message to the learner that firmly reminds him/her of the class policies. 1 Chickering, A.W., & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education, AAHE Bulletin, 39 (7),

7 Seven Principles for Online Teaching Principle 2: Support peer-to-peer contact, teaching, and learning Learners need to feel connected to each other. You can help them build a strong learning community, which will allow them to learn from each other. Empower learners with peer-to-peer teaching opportunities such as learner-moderated discussion forums, learner presentations, peer evaluation, small group work, group case studies, etc. Set up a social forum for learners to discuss items unrelated to the course content (e.g., a coffee shop forum). Provide clear guidelines. Before launching a class, ensure participation guidelines are clear, including netiquette. Principle 3: Emphasize active learning and applied practice Learning is not a spectator sport (Chickering and Gamson, 1987). Regular, relevant practice utilizing the skills described in the learning objectives will help learners achieve maximum retention. Learners need to work on activities that allow them to recognize how content can be applied to the field. Inspire learners about the field they are studying. Give examples of how they can practice what they are learning. Support learners in activities and assignments that require them to practice, demonstrate, research, explore, and problem solve. Encourage connections. Guide learners in making connections with practitioners in their community or workplace. Motivate learners to learn in the course and support this learning with extra opportunities (e.g., as the course is running, bring relevant current events into the discussion). 5

8 Seven Principles for Online Teaching Principle 4: Provide prompt feedback Affirming learners achievements and knowledge will promote greater online confidence and participation. The clear promise and delivery of feedback, information, and assignment grading establishes your credibility and reliability. Learners need to know if their comprehension matches course expectations. Respond to general questions quickly so that learners can get back to learning. Know the nuts and bolts of the course: the Course Outline, your resources, and how to access support systems. Keep learners on track by actively facilitating the discussion forums during the week they are active and posting regular announcements. In your role as a facilitator, provide learners with constructive guidance and encourage exploration. Provide timely feedback. Return assignments and tests within the expected timeframe and identify areas for learner improvement. Be considerate in your criticism. Handle all criticism in a constructive, insightful, and private manner. You can share positive feedback in the Discussion area, or send it privately to a learner. Principle 5: Hold learners responsible for course tasks and timelines All home and work environments utilize deadlines. Support learners in establishing professional standards for time and project management. Enforce deadlines. Be firm but reasonable in enforcing course deadlines. Re-emphasize your late policy on a regular basis (e.g., announce upcoming due dates). Encourage engagement. Remind learners why active engagement is important; include any tips (e.g., time management) on a regular basis. Clarify student support opportunities at The Chang School, such as online help, or phone. 6

9 Seven Principles for Online Teaching Principle 6: Expect high-quality work and comprehension Adult learners will work to the standards modeled by course instructors. Provide constructive feedback. Praise high-quality work and provide constructive feedback, when needed, to allow learners to strengthen their skills. Support individual learning styles. Encourage learners to understand their individual learning style so they will know the most effective way to approach learning. Follow learning objectives. Ensure your teaching aligns with the learning objectives. Provide clear assessment criteria. If learners participation in the discussion board will be evaluated, provide details on assessment criteria. Principle 7: Respect diverse experiences and support different learning styles Find ways to encourage learners to share their experiences and talents with you and their peers. Draw on learner experiences. Openly encourage learners to reference their prior knowledge and life experience in discussion and assessments. Provide opportunities. Offer learners options for research, readings, and assessments. Adjust your teaching style to accommodate the learning styles of your class (e.g., use metaphors or analogies, offer links to relevant images or audio recordings, etc.). 7

10 Technology Used in Online Courses Technology Used in Online Courses Ryerson University uses Blackboard as its online learning management system. The online content (weekly modules) and Course Outlines at The Chang School are housed and delivered within Blackboard using Ektron, the content management system licensed and managed by Digital Education Strategies (DES). Ektron allows consistency of navigation structure and design from course to course, and provides a platform that supports the delivery of multiple course sections through the use of a master course. Content is shared among course sections (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Ektron enables multiple sections to be delivered from one master course. 8

11 Technology Used in Online Courses Ektron supplements course management tools built into Blackboard by providing an easy-to-use text editing interface that is similar in functionality to most word processing applications, as well as customized teaching and learning tools built by DES, including a self-test tool, a poll tool, a matching tool, and others. The Blackboard and Ektron technologies are integrated and easy to use for course developers and instructors who may need to add content or make edits to existing online course content. A change to the course in Ektron is reflected in all sections. It is therefore important that any changes to your Course Outline or content be made in Ektron because this is the platform from which these elements of the course are delivered. It is expected that you have completed training and are proficient in using Blackboard and that, if you are approved to edit content by your Program Area, you have also completed training in the use of Ektron. If you require such training, please contact dehelp@ryerson.ca. 9

12 Online Course Administration Online Course Administration Managing the Virtual Classroom Engaging your learners, monitoring their progress and maintaining a consistent level of interaction are vital to successful online teaching and learning. Your communication strategies should be geared toward creating a meaningful learning experience and to cultivating a community atmosphere. Similar to traditional in-class courses, you are responsible for consistently providing high-quality guidance, feedback, and support for your learners. It is expected that you will: adhere to the start and end dates listed in the online Chang School calendar (and/or your teaching contract). Ensure that, with the exception of makeup exams, all course-related activities will be completed by the end date, and grades will be submitted by the Registrar s deadline; ensure that all aspects of your teaching and online course are in compliance with all Ryerson academic policies, including Course Management, Academic Consideration, and Appeals and Examination policies; and ensure that your learners are advised of the importance of complying with Ryerson academic policies and the Student Code of Conduct. Blackboard Course Shell Management After your teaching contract is processed and you have been linked to your course section in RAMSS by Instructor Relations, you will receive a communication from Digital Education Strategies (DES) informing you that your Blackboard course shell has been created. Prior to your first class, it is expected that you will: have demonstrable proficiency with the Blackboard LMS and with Blackboard features relevant to the mode of instruction and assessment; and maintain elements of The Chang School branding (colours, typefaces, navigation structure, artwork, etc.) in the course shell. 10

13 Online Course Administration Changes to Course Materials Only those individuals who have been contracted to develop, redevelop, or revise the online course may make changes to the master course shell. As the instructor, it is expected that you will use the course shell and course materials as they exist (with the exception of minor course maintenance, e.g., updating broken links). Your course materials have been developed in partnership with your Program Area, and are the property of Ryerson University. If you wish to make timely additions to your course content (e.g., adding a newsworthy article or uploading a good citation guide), these may be added to your Blackboard shell (provided that you have the right to republish these see Course Readings and Copyright in this Guide). Substantive changes to either the course content or the Course Outline require written authorization from your Academic Coordinator (AC); please note that it may not be possible to complete major revisions in the semester that your course is offered. Thus, any requests for such changes should be communicated to the relevant Program Area and/or AC and Digital Education Strategies (DES) as soon as possible. Whenever possible, all modifications to the course content and Course Outline will be completed one week before course start-up. Otherwise, revisions must be completed in the first week of the course and must be clearly communicated to learners both in the Discussion area and as a Blackboard announcement. If you wish to add supplementary materials to a course, you should reference these materials as a web link from your course when possible. You should check these links each semester to ensure that they remain functional. As Ektron course content may be used across semesters and/or by multiple instructors, do not add semester-specific information (such as due dates) or instructor-specific information (such as your name or contact details) to the Ektron course content. These items can be communicated through Blackboard in the Announcements area or discussion forum. This best practice means you won t need to update such content each semester. Accessibility Ryerson University is working towards ensuring we meet the standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The Chang School is committed to taking concrete steps to ensure that our website and online resources are accessible for all members of The Chang School community. If you have concerns that some parts of your course are not fully accessible, please notify us at dehelp@ryerson.ca. 11

14 Course Readings and Copyright Course Readings and Copyright All course content must be in compliance with Canadian and international copyright law, and copyright permission must be obtained before posting third-party materials in your course. This applies to electronic publications, items scanned from printed publications, as well as to text, videos, and images found on websites. Please note that the Ryerson Library secures permissions for online course readings and Digital Education Strategies (DES) secures permissions for all other online third-party materials. Course Readings All readings should already be in your Blackboard shell. If you want to modify your course readings, you will need to consult with your Academic Coordinator and obtain approval. You are strongly encouraged to use the digital Course Readings service offered by the Ryerson Library. Course Readings are electronic documents available from within your Blackboard shell, and may include journal articles, e-books, or chapters that you require or recommend for your learners. Materials that are easiest to secure permissions as course readings are articles from electronic journal databases or e-books subscribed to by the Library. Book chapters or articles from print journals, even in the Library s collection, require copyright permissions from the rights holders, often at a cost and only for the duration of the course. You can search the Ryerson Library online, or use the services of subject area librarians to identify relevant copyright-cleared Course Reserves. For more information, see: For any course readings-related inquiries, please contact reserve@ryerson.ca. Online Third-Party Materials DES will work with instructors to secure permission from the copyright holder for third-party materials to be used within your online course that do not consitute course readings (e.g., tables, figures, and images). Instructors should complete and submit the copyright permission form, available at de.ryerson. ca if they would like DES to assist in seeking permission. The process of obtaining permission can take time sometimes several months. It is important 12

15 Course Readings and Copyright to submit permission forms to DES as early as possible (at least eight weeks before course start-up is recommended). If there are any issues in obtaining permission, or if the copyright holder will not grant permission, you will be notified and asked to provide alternative material. If you intend to secure copyright permissions for third-party materials yourself, please ensure: copyright permission is given to Ryerson University and not to you; written consent from the copyright holder includes the item title, the name of the author/copyright holder, the terms of use (e.g., for online use, for x number of years, etc.), and any fees involved; the written consent and any hard copies of third-party material is sent to DES at dehelp@ryerson.ca or faxed to ; and DES is provided with an electronic copy of such third-party material. For more information on copyright, go to de.ryerson.ca, select Instructor Resources in the top navigation menu, and read the Copyright FAQs and Tips document. 13

16 Setting up Assessments in Online Courses Setting up Assessments in Online Courses Your online course includes a pre-established marking scheme that defines the different methods through which your learners will be assessed for their final course grade. Use Blackboard to post student marks during the term. There are many different types of assessments that you could use in your course. They are discussed in more detail in the DES Guide to Online Course Development. Below are some guidelines related to setting up assignments, tests, and exams in your course. Assignments The most frequently used assessments for assignments are: Discussion board Essays Journals Media projects (audio, video, images, concept maps, etc.) E-Portfolios Simulations, role-plays, and case studies Blogs and wikis If your course includes any of these assignments, please adhere to the following practices. Pedagogy In order to ensure your assignments are well implemented, please consider the following: All online assignments should be tied to course learning objectives and follow adult learning theory best practices. Ensure your assignments include clear guidelines and expectations, e.g., what, when, where, and how to submit. Furthermore, you should provide a reasonable amount of time for students to work on the assignment. All instructions should be posted in both your Course Outline and the Blackboard Assignments area. 14

17 Setting up Assessments in Online Courses If you are concerned about academic integrity in your course, you should: Use performance-based or real-world-based assessments; it is difficult to plagiarize or purchase an assignment based on real-life situations known only to the learner. Encourage progressive testing. Ask learners to submit a series of shorter assignments or sections of their work as it is developed if the final assignment is an essay or large project. This will help both your learners to manage their time on the final project and you to become more familiar with their writing style. Use the Turnitin tool for written assignment submissions. If you need assistance in setting this up in your course, please contact us at dehelp@ryerson.ca. Ensure all graded online assignments comply with academic integrity principles for online assignments. Make sure that your students are aware of Ryerson s Student Code of Academic Conduct and Academic Integrity, which can be found at ryerson.ca/ai. Administration While managing your assignments, please keep in mind the following: Your Program Director and/or Academic Coordinator (AC) must approve all changes to the marking scheme for a course. Changes made after a course has started must also be communicated clearly to learners in the Announcements area. Use the Blackboard Assignments drop box, rather than a personal or Ryerson address, for the submission of your students assignments, term papers, projects, etc. See our online help guide at de.ryerson.ca/help/instructor for instructions on setting up the drop box. We recommend against mandating that students use third-party websites in the completion of assignments. This is to avoid issues involving student privacy and backing up student work. Moreover, based on a recent government memorandum, required use of any third-party website that involves an identifiable cost to the student for formal assessment purposes is explicitly disallowed. For further clarification, contact us at dehelp@ryerson.ca. 15

18 Setting up Assessments in Online Courses Test and Exams There are a number of test and exam types that you can use in your online course. These include: Multiple Choice True and False Short Answer Fill in the Blanks Essay-type Other than short answer or essay-type questions, some of the test and exam question types can be automatically graded by Blackboard. Your test or exam may already have been authored by the course developer, course lead, or Program Area. However, if you are also authoring your course test or exam, please adhere to the following practices. Pedagogy In order to ensure your tests and exams are well implemented, please consider the following: All online tests and exams should be tied to course learning objectives and follow adult learning theory best practices. Ensure test and exam instructions are clear, the time limits are reasonable and realistic, and the vocabulary is consistent with course materials. Consider including short activities in the course, like practice tests/selfquizzes, to promote a review of the materials as well as familiarize your learners with the types of questions and terminology that will be used in the test or exam. If you are concerned about academic integrity in your online test or exam, you should: View online tests or exams as take home tests. By writing effective questions that test learner understanding at a higher cognitive level, you can effectively make collaboration, online searching or an open textbook of little value to learners during an exam. Build the test or exam using pools of randomly chosen questions, to address the potential for collaboration or exam-sharing. 16

19 Setting up Assessments in Online Courses Configure the test or exam to not release correct answers that could be communicated to other learners. Include The Chang School s Academic Honesty Agreement in your test or exam. This agreement is similar to an End User License Agreement. It presents learners who will be taking part in online tests or exams with an abbreviated version of the Ryerson Learner Code of Academic Conduct. Learners can be asked to electronically sign their agreement to comply with this code before they proceed to their actual assessment. If you would like to include this feature in your test or exam, please contact dehelp@ryerson.ca. Ensure all graded online tests and exams comply with academic integrity principles for online test and exams. Make sure that your students are aware of Ryerson s Student Code of Academic Conduct and Academic Integrity. Administration While managing your tests and exams, please keep in mind the following: With the exception of on-campus final exams, all tests should be held online using the Tests and Exams functionality in Blackboard. Check the Tests and Exams section of your course to ensure that the link to Important Exam Information is in place. If not, please contact us at dehelp@ryerson.ca. Your Program Director and/or AC must approve all changes to the marking scheme for a course. Changes made after a course has started must also be communicated clearly to learners in the Announcements area. If you require help from Digital Education Strategies (DES) to create, configure, or edit an online test or exam, this assistance must be requested no later than two weeks prior to the test or exam. We recommend against mandating that students use third-party websites in the completion of tests or exams. This is to avoid issues involving student privacy and backing up student work. Moreover, based on a recent government memorandum, required use of any third-party website that involves an identifiable cost to the student for formal assessment purposes is explicitly disallowed. For further clarification, contact us at dehelp@ryerson.ca. If your final exam is on campus, you are required to invigilate it. For offcampus exams, students must find a local invigilator who will be paid in your place. If your course includes an online test or exam, it is expected 17

20 Setting up Assessments in Online Courses that your students can reach you during the period when the online test or exam is available to them. If you are not available via the normal communication means that have been established for your course (e.g., ), you should let your students know how you can be reached (e.g., a cell phone number) in case of emergencies. The Chang School facilitates proctored examinations at remote locations outside of the GTA. Students will find information on how to arrange proctoring, including links to the online request form, on The Chang School s website. Technical Considerations The majority of learner technical problems during online tests or exams are the result of preventable problems such as poorly configured software, known technical issues, or unfamiliarity with online examinations on the part of the learner. The following are recommendations that will help your learners to complete the test or exam without requiring Instructor or Learner Support intervention, thereby avoiding the need to re-expose the test or exam questions with a makeup test or exam. What you can do: Ensure your test or exam is formatted and configured to display correctly (e.g., release dates, timer, etc.). Ensure your course contains a Sample Test in the Test and Exam section that contains similar question types to your actual test or exam. The Sample Test allows learners to familiarize themselves with the form and function of online examinations and to verify that their computer and browser are properly configured for online tests or exams. It is a good idea to remind your learners to attempt the Sample Test. If this tool doesn t appear in your shell or you would like assistance in adding question types that are found in your course test or exam, please contact dehelp@ryerson.ca. What your learners can do: Ensure that their network connection is stable (not wireless). Save their answers as they work. Track their time. Verify that they have answered all questions. Notify The Chang School of any problems they encounter. Identify any technical incompatibilities before their actual test or exam by attempting a Sample Test. 18

21 Setting up Assessments in Online Courses Please note that recommendations geared toward students for online tests and exams are found in the Blackboard Help section. For more on instructor test or exam authoring strategies, please see de.ryerson.ca. If you are looking for more administrative processes to help ensure that your online and on-campus exam planning and preparation is timely and accurate, you may also visit the Exam FAQ page in the online DE Instructor s Guide. Finally, if you would like any assistance or training in setting up tests or exams, please contact us at dehelp@ryerson.ca. 19

22 References Used in this Guide References Used in this Guide Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: AU Press, Athabasca University. California State University, Chico. (n.d.). Rubric for Online Instruction. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from Cleveland-Innes, M.F., & Garrison, D.R. (Eds.). (2010). An introduction to distance education: Understanding teaching and learning in a new era. New York: Routledge. Finkelstein, J.E. (2006). Learning in real time: Synchronous teaching and learning online. San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2 (2-3), Hanna, D.E., & Associates. (2000). Higher education in an era of digital competition: Choices and challenges. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing. Henry, J., & Meadows, J. (2008). An absolutely riveting online course: Nine principles for excellence in web-based teaching. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 34 (1), Rochefort, B., & Richmond, N. (2011). Connecting instruction to connected technologies - why bother? An instructional designer s perspective. Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento, 8 (1), Sloan Consortium. (2011). The five pillars: Sloan-C quality framework. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from Varvel, V.E. (2007). Master online teacher competencies. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 10 (1). Retrieved June 18, 2012, from 20

23 Appendices Appendices Appendix A: Getting Started Online These appendices provide a summary of some previously highlighted recommendations, policies and guidelines to help ensure that your course starts, runs, and finishes smoothly. Here is a quick overview of the steps occurring prior to your course being offered at The Chang School: 1. Online or hybrid course content is developed (as a new course, redevelopment or revision) and approved by the Academic Coordinator (AC) and/or Program Area. 2. The AC orders course materials from the Bookstore using The Chang School s online application a month prior to semester start-up to ensure the availability of correct textbooks, course readers, and materials for online learners. Based on the orders, the Ryerson Bookstore procures sufficient materials for each course enrollment. Learners may access online order forms through the link found on the Course Information and Materials page of the DE section of The Chang School website or in the Course Outline of their online course. Learners may be able to order textbooks from other sources on their own; however, course readers specifically prepared by the Bookstore are only available from that source. 3. Instructors receive a Chang School teaching contract. 4. A course shell is created in Blackboard by Digital Education Strategies (DES) for course delivery. Note: you do not need to request this. 5. You are sent a welcome regarding your course one to two weeks prior to semester start-up. 6. You must ensure that you are able to access your course in Blackboard. You must also carry out semester start-up activities (listed below). If you require assistance during the semester, including training and technical issues with Blackboard or Ektron, contact the DES Instructor Support Specialist at dehelp@ryerson.ca. i

24 Appendices Appendix B: Checklists Before Your Course Begins Activity Check your Course Outline Make final revisions Obtain copyright clearance before posting new materials Remove all unnecessary assessments Welcome your students Make introductions in the Discussion area Check your Ryerson and use it to communicate with us Description Your Course Outline will be available to students approximately one week prior to the official start date. Required readings and text for your course are approved and ordered by your Program Area, so you do not need to change these. Ensure that there are no spelling mistakes, broken links, missing images, or old dates in your course before students see them. If you re collecting and posting third-party resources for your students, be sure you have proper permission to use these resources online. Rules governing your use of copyrighted materials in the classroom do not apply online. Clear out any clutter in your Tests and Exams, Assignments, and Gradebook areas. Disable access to assessments until the weeks they are due. Create an announcement that welcomes students, suggests any introductory activities, and informs them of expectations regarding your availability and your participation in the course. You should also add your bio to the Instructor Info area. You and your students can introduce yourselves in the course Discussion area during the week prior to your first class. Ensure that you can receive messages from The Chang School and from your students. Please read this regularly, so that you don t miss crucial announcements and other course-related information. ii

25 Appendices While Your Course is Running Activity Be present at the start of class Use the Announcements area Use the Messages tool or your Ryerson to communicate with students Use the Assignments tool to collect assignments Prepare your online assessments Do not delete students from Blackboard Avoid posting important materials in the Discussion area Know the date for the on-campus final exam Be present throughout the course Description The first few weeks of an online course are the most crucial for engaging and retaining students. This is an area that students will typically see first. Make students aware of any changes to the course schedule or the content as early as possible. Sharing additional information will help learners feel connected, e.g., assessment due dates, current events in your field, etc. Use these tools for confidential correspondence. If everyone in the class can benefit from your response, use the Discussion or Announcements area. Once you setup your assignment drop box, it will be automatically linked to the Gradebook in Blackboard, and it can be configured with start and end dates. If you would like us to upload your online tests or exams, please submit these in the correct format within two weeks of the test/exam date. The system will automatically disable access for students who have withdrawn. If you delete these students, then you will be permanently deleting all of their records, which cannot be retrieved. Use the Assignments area or the Course Materials area instead. This date is chosen by your Program Area. Your students need to know this date in advance, in case they need to request alternate exam dates. Monitor and facilitate the course discussion forums and post weekly announcements to ensure that learners feel connected. iii

26 Appendices After Your Course is Complete Activity Thank the students Submit your final grades on time Description Post a brief announcement acknowledging their contributions to your course, and thanking them for choosing Ryerson University and The Chang School. The deadline for final grades submission varies by term; check your Chang School Instructor Handbook for the current term. Failure to submit grades by the deadline can have serious repercussions for students who intend to graduate or apply to other programs. Students who wish to know their official final grade must view their grades online through RAMSS. Any Time Activity Don t hesitate to ask for training, advice, or assistance Please send us any suggestions Description You can contact us via at dehelp@ryerson.ca. You may also check our Instructor Guide at for answers to any Blackboard or Ektron issues. We re always looking for new ways to improve the teaching and learning experience for you and your students. We look forward to hearing from you! iv

27 Appendices Appendix C: Communication with Learners and Ryerson Services As a Chang School instructor teaching an online course, it is expected that: Within the first week of an online course, you will use the Discussion or Announcements areas to clarify learners expectations regarding the frequency of your online participation, communication modes, etc. You will activate and maintain your my.ryerson account and Ryerson (typically firstname.lastname@ryerson.ca) and use this account for all official communication between yourself and Ryerson University, The Chang School, and your learners (if you choose not to use the Messages tool in Blackboard). You should regularly review this . You will make regular use of the Discussion area and Announcements tool in your course to communicate with all learners as a class. As in the classroom, you will spend a minimum of three hours per week actively engaged with your online class through discussion boards, online activities, etc. You will also require additional time for preparing and managing course and student resources, grading student work, and meeting your administrative obligations. You will consider and respect learner privacy and confidentiality in all communications. For learners, online learning may be a new experience. Communicating with these learners requires a completely different approach than talking with them in person. As an instructor, here are some things to consider: In an online environment, when a learner becomes non-communicative and withdrawn from collective activities and participation, determine his or her needs through ongoing, confidential communication and offers of support. You may discover that the learner needs some guidance on how to succeed in the online learning environment, e.g., they may have specific questions or challenges with the materials, assignments, schedule, technology, and so on. It is important that they receive support at the right time. Since non-verbal communication such as facial expression, voice tone, and eye contact are missing in the online environment, it is possible for misunderstandings to arise in learner-to-learner or learner-to-instructor communication. It is helpful to remind your learners to use conversational yet clear, plain language as much as possible throughout the duration of the course. You can set guidelines for effective communication (netiquette). v

28 Appendices Effective online communication is clear and concise. Make a special effort to avoid anything that might be misunderstood. Here are some guidelines that we encourage you to adopt: Make a welcome post in the Discussion area at the beginning of the course. This is a great ice-breaker and encourages a strong communication network from the start. Include something about yourself in this message and encourage each learner to share something about him or herself as well. Because humour, colloquialisms, sarcasm, and certain terms and expressions can be misinterpreted, use a diplomatic tone in your communications. Keep your responses unbiased, non-political, nonreligious, and focused on positive reinforcement. Send a friendly message to learners who have been disengaged for a while. This is a great way to clarify problems, revive their enthusiasm, and get them on track again. Do not take a learner s comment or inactivity personally. Responses that are flat or sarcastic might present a good moment to send a confidential encouraging or to make a phone call. Never discuss a learner s academic progress or challenges with another learner. The only time you should refer learners to each other is during group work or collective communication mediums such as the discussion board. On the following pages, you will find two sample messages that you may use to communicate with learners. vi

29 Appendices Sample Welcome Message Note: Customize the sections highlighted in colour. Dear Learner, Welcome to Course 101. I am honoured to have you in my online distance education course offered through Ryerson University s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. I m looking forward to an enriching and successful academic term. My name is Sarah and I will be your distance education instructor. I have been teaching Course 101 for three years and find each term just as rewarding as the first. I am actually a former Ryerson University learner, having completed my baccalaureate degree in I currently reside in Peterborough, a city just 90 minutes from Toronto, near the Kawartha Lakes. If this is your first time learning online or if you have any questions about the course design or delivery, please feel free to ask me. I will certainly do my best to assist you. The distance education help team is also equipped to handle any technical issues you might encounter. You may contact them at distance@ryerson.ca or So, let s get started! We ll be covering Module 01 this week, with chapters 1 and 2 as the assigned readings in the course textbook. I will be monitoring your progress and participation in the discussion as the term progresses and I ll advise you of any additional resources that might be beneficial. In the meantime, log in and have fun! I m looking forward to the next several weeks! Regards, Instructor Name vii

30 Appendices Sample Message: Checking in with Inactive Learners Note: Customize the sections highlighted in colour. Dear Learner, We have been out of touch for a while and I am wondering whether you have encountered any questions or problems I could help you with. I understand that learning online can be challenging. If you have simply been busy and need more time to work in a particular area, please contact me and we can discuss some options. If you have decided to drop out of the course, please let me know. Regards, Instructor Name viii

31 Appendices Appendix D: Recommended Reading In recent years, many useful articles and books have been published regarding the development of online educational materials. Below are a few recommendations from DES: Adult Learning Theory Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Folinsbee, S. (2008) Online learning for adults: Factors that contribute to success: A literature review. College Sector Committee for Adult Upgrading. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from collegeupgradingon.ca/ace/litreview/litreview.pdf Jarvis, P. (2004). Adult education and lifelong learning: Theory and practice (4th ed.). New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Kasworm, C.E., Rose, A.D., & Ross-Gordon, J.M. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of adult and continuing education (2010 Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Knowles, M.S., Holton, E.F., & Swanson, R.A. (2011). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resources development (7th ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. Online Teaching Finkelstein, J.E. (2006). Learning in real time: Synchronous teaching and learning online. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Palloff, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2003). The virtual student: A profile and guide to working with online learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Palloff, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2010). Collaborating online: Learning together in community [E-Book]. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Salmon, G. (2004). E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online (2nd ed.). London: RoutledgeFalmer. Trentin, G. (2010). Networked collaborative learning: Social interaction and active learning. Oxford, United Kingdom: Chandos Publishing. ix

32 Appendices E-Journals The Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology The American Journal of Distance Education Asian Journal of Distance Education Distance Education Distance Education Report International Journal of Distance Education Technologies Journal of Distance Education Quarterly Review of Distance Education The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education General Online Teaching and Learning Educause: Sloan Consortium: x

33 Appendices Appendix E: Partners in Online Course Delivery DES operates within The Chang School and works with the following partners within Ryerson University to develop and deliver online and hybrid courses. Instructors, who are either Ryerson faculty or practicing professionals in their field, are hired by one of the six Program Areas in The Chang School. (For a description of the main instructor responsibilities at The Chang School, please see the Instructor Handbook.) Academic Coordinators (ACs) are the liaisons between degree schools at Ryerson and The Chang School. ACs help ensure that courses in their relevant certificate meet the academic standards of their Program Area and School. Some of their responsibilities regarding online courses may include: in accordance with departmentally approved assessment techniques, assessing the performance of Chang School online instructors; providing formative feedback to online instructors, particularly with regard to Chang School policies, expectations, and best practices for online teaching; providing academic guidance and mentorship to online instructors; approving textbooks and other readings for the course. Program Directors are our liaisons with the faculties and departments in the larger Ryerson community. They serve as representatives of The Chang School in 6 Program Areas (Arts; Business; Communication and Design; Community Services; Engineering, Architecture, and Science; and Gateway) and work with ACs in their Program Area to manage the academic and business affairs for their Area. All online courses are developed based on requests from the Program Directors. Student Support at The Chang School consists of staff in three areas: Rapid Response, Client Support and Logistics. Rapid Response staff members answer learner inquiries via telephone, , and in person. When a learner issue requires a more in-depth solution, it may be escalated to staff in Client Support. Logistics staff are responsible for scheduling exams, assigning classroom space, and managing enrollments and course sections. Instructor Relations manages all aspects of an instructor s relationship with The Chang School and Ryerson University, including: coordinating instructor hiring for courses delivered through The Chang School; managing communications to instructors; and responding to questions regarding administrative or contract issues. xi

34 Appendices Ryerson Bookstore supplies textbooks, course readers, and other paper-based teaching resources for Ryerson learners, faculty, and staff. Ryerson Library manages copyright for online course readings (see more on page 12). Computing & Communications Services (CCS) sets up all new my.ryerson accounts. Note: CCS also has a division called The Digital Media Projects Office (DMP), which offers assistance in the production and use of multimedia, web, and other digital technologies to Ryerson faculty and staff outside of The Chang School (primarily day courses). The DMP is also responsible for the creation and support of Blackboard shells for classroombased courses. Enrollment Services and Student Records provide comprehensive records, enrollment, and faculty services to the Ryerson University community. These include course enrollments, changes or withdrawals, grade submissions, and issuing transcripts. The DES Team is dedicated to helping instructors develop and implement intuitive and pedagogically sound solutions for their online courses. Our staff has a number of different specialties that allow us to design, develop, and deliver exceptional educational courses, media, and applications for a variety of learning platforms, including online and hybrid courses. Our areas of expertise include: Instructional design consulting services are available by request. Instructional Designers specialize in teaching and learning theory and practice. They provide Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and instructors with pedagogic strategies and best practices tailored to the challenges of the online environment and will work with SMEs to implement these strategies and best practices into their course development and delivery. Instructor support is available to provide one-on-one and group training in the effective use of Ektron and Blackboard to teach online courses. Copyright services will help you in negotiating rights-of-use for copyrighted materials to be used in online courses offered through The Chang School. Copy editing services are available for Program Areas, as well as consultation on academic content citation (i.e., APA). xii