CourseShare Manual. Resources for Departments and Faculty

Transcription

1 CourseShare Manual Resources for Departments and Faculty Explanation of Contents Page 1 Overview of CourseShare Page 2 LAS Deans Guiding Principles for Sharing Courses Page 3 Steps for a Successful CourseShare Partnership Page 5 CourseShare Department Contact Responsibilities Page 6 Shared Course Checklist for Participating Departments Page 7 Frequently Asked Questions Contact: Charity Farber, cfarber@staff.cic.net September 2013

2 T he CIC Deans of Liberal Arts & Sciences launched CourseShare in 2005 as an effort to establish a voluntary, systematic method of sharing courses across the curriculum to enhance access to specialized graduate and low-enrollment offerings for all participating CIC universities and their students. In 2011, the CourseShare initiative shifted its focused primarily to Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) offerings that can be technology facilitated to eliminate barriers of time and distance. Over 90 courses have been shared since the beginning of the program with nearly 65 being Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) or cultural courses. DATABASE OF CONFIRMED & POTENTIAL COURSES Approximately 20 courses are shared each academic term. To view a list of all the confirmed courses for this year, visit the CourseShare web tool located on the CIC website. In addition, you will find a list of potential courses that are either offered by or needed by one or more CIC schools. TECHNOLOGY CourseShare does not dictate the type of technology to be used for sharing; rather, faculty determine the appropriate and most comfortable method for their own course(s). To date most courses have been delivered via live, synchronous videoconferencing (VC) though. Page 1

3 LAS Deans Guiding Principles for Sharing Courses (Oct 2007) COURSE APPROVAL PROCESS PRINCIPLE 1: Courses that have passed academic review and/or received provisional approval at the host/teaching university do not need further academic scrutiny at other universities. PRINCIPLE 2: Faculty/instructors who carry faculty or instructor status at their home institutions do not need to provide further documentation to other institutions. COURSE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS PRINCIPLE 3: The host/teaching university s policies and practices will be followed regarding course development, course assessment, course revision, intellectual property, etc. PRINCIPLE 4: The host/teaching university determines the technology to be used to deliver the course and is responsible for all course-related student services (e.g., CMS help desk, remote library resources, etc.) related to the distance delivery of the course, unless otherwise mutually agreed. PRINCIPLE 5: If more than one school agrees to co-develop or co-teach a shared course, those participating schools will come to separate agreement regarding which will serve as the host institution as well as any sharing of development costs and intellectual property rights or other such issues. COURSE DELIVERY PROCESS PRINCIPLE 6: The host/teaching university establishes the parameters by which the course will be taught (time/day(s), max/min students, grading policies, tutors/teaching assistants, etc.) unless otherwise negotiated between the participating schools. PRINCIPLE 7: To help insure a shared course s ongoing availability to participating universities, the host/teaching university agrees to teach the course to an agreed upon minimum enrollments for an agreed upon duration. If for some reason during that cycle, the host university does not have faculty available to teach the course, other schools will be recruited to serve as the host school for that term. STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN COURSES PRINCIPLE 8: Students admitted as degree seeking students at a participating CIC university and who have completed required prerequisite courses or are otherwise at an appropriate level to participate in the class will be accepted by the host/teaching university. PRINCIPLE 9: Each student participating in a shared course will follow his/her own university s deadlines, procedures, and policies used for its other degree seeking students related to enrollment, adding, dropping, withdrawing, and other enrollment-related functions. COST-SHARING There is no cost sharing for participation in CIC CourseShare. Specifically, tuition will remain at the students home campuses and the host/teaching campus will be responsible for any costs related to teaching the course. The Deans reviewed a fee system, and found the money exchange was negligible. Participating students do not pay any additional fees or tuition. The CIC office tracks student participation in shared courses by campus and report regularly to the Deans. Page 2

4 Steps for a Successful CourseShare Partnership Note: CourseShare agreements are made between the faculty/departments. Students do not initiate or establish agreements for a CourseShare course. If a faculty member is contacted by a student from another CIC campus, they should contact Charity Farber (cfarber@staff.cic.net) at the CIC office. 1. Faculty/departments from two or more CIC universities agree they would like to share one or more courses with each other s students. They agree on: a. Which university will host/teach and which university(s) will home/receive b. Start and end dates for the course; course meeting times if known/applicable c. Any pre-requisites for the course d. How many credits will be awarded to students e. Whether the course will be open to undergraduate and/or graduate students f. How many seats are available to students from home/receiving university(s) g. What sort of technology will be used to deliver the course h. Whether any instructional support (teaching assistant, technology aid, language practice partner, etc.) will be required at the home/receiving university(s) i. How assignments and exams will be administered (ideally via course management systems) 2. Each participating department identifies a department contact that will be responsible for the course s campus logistics: 3. The host/teaching department contacts the CIC office to initiate course sharing process and provides details (1.a-i.) about the course and the home/receiving department contact information. 4. CIC staff confirms interest with home/receiving department and creates entry in CourseShare web tool with details about course requirements.* 5. The host/teaching and home/receiving departments reserve classrooms, videoconferencing equipment, or other necessary technology resources and provide these details to the CIC staff. 6. The home/receiving department establishes a course number, lists the course in the timetable for eligible students, and invites students to enroll. 7. CIC staff engages the Registrar Contacts. The home/receiving institution Registrar Contact sends enrollment information to the host/teaching institution Registrar Contact where it is entered into the host/teaching institution s information system. 8. The host/teaching department works with the host/teaching institution Registrar Contact to ensure home/receiving students have access to the course management system, e-reserves, the library, and other appropriate resources. Page 3

5 9. The host/teaching department initiates a technology test with the home/receiving department at least one week before the first class session (if appropriate). 10. The home/receiving department reports any adds, drops, or other changes to the home/receiving institution Registrar Contact who provides the updated information to the host/teaching institution Registrar Contact. 11. At the end of the course, the host/teaching institution Registrar Contact reports the home/receiving students grades to the home/receiving institution Registrar Contact who translates them and enters them into the home/receiving institution information system. * CIC staff guides host/teaching and home/receiving Institutions through the course sharing process. Staff provides next steps, encourages communication, offers information resources and best practices, and responds to questions or concerns from the time the CIC partner institutions contact the CIC office through the end of the term of instruction. Page 4

6 CourseShare Department Contact Responsibilities Successful CourseShare partnerships result when the host/teaching and home/receiving departments each identify a designated Department Contact responsible for CourseShare planning efforts. When the department is participating in any CourseShare course, either as a host/teaching institution or as a home/receiving institution, Department Contacts will: Serve as the department s primary point of interaction with CIC staff, Department Contacts at other participating institutions, local students, and local faculty Facilitate discussion with department chair and confirm department approval for participating in CIC CourseShare Inform the CIC office of the CourseShare partnership well in advance of the course Reserve videoconference rooms, lab space, or other resources as needed Answer student and faculty questions about the course Invite students to enroll in the course (i.e. listing the course in the appropriate catalog, listing on department web sites, ing students in discipline, etc.) Resolve logistical and/or technical challenges that may emerge throughout the term of instruction When the department is teaching a course (host institution), Department Contacts will also: Contact the CIC office to initiate a course sharing process, providing details about the course and Home Institutions* Work with the host/teaching institution Registrar Contact to ensure home/receiving students have access to the course management system, e-reserves, the library, and other appropriate resources Initiate a technology test with the home/receiving department at least one week before the first class session (if appropriate) When the department is receiving a course (home institution), Department Contacts will also: Work with Registrar Contact and/or Dean s office to assign a course number for local students to enroll Report any adds, drops, or other changes to the home/receiving institution Registrar Contact who provides the updated information to the host/teaching institution Registrar Contact * CIC staff guides host/teaching and home/receiving institutions through the course sharing process. Staff provides next steps, encourages communication among participating departments, offers course sharing information resources and best practices, and responds to questions or concerns during lifespan of shared course. Page 5

7 Shared Course Checklist for Participating Departments RECEIVING A COURSE EARLY TASKS: Inform LAS Dean and Department Head about possible shared course Assign course number to course Reserve technology classroom Inform CIC office of CourseShare Partnership Check in with Registrar Contact Maintain contact with Department Contact at host/teaching site Promote course to students CLOSER TO BEGINNING OF TERM: Conduct technology test for all participating campuses Check in with Registrar Contact to verify student enrollment Recruit language partner if necessary DURING TERM OF INSTRUCTION: Maintain contact with Department Contact at host/teaching site Check in with Registrar Contact during and at the end of the term to ensure enrollment and grade information are reported Inform CIC Contact of any changes to enrollment or course arrangements Alert CIC Contact, LAS Dean, and Department Head to any problems during the course TEACHING A COURSE EARLY TASKS: Inform LAS Dean and Department Head about possible shared course Report course to CIC to be entered into the database and shared with Coordinator listserv Assign course number to course Reserve technology classroom Promote course to department and students Check in with Registrar Contact Maintain contact with Department Contact at receiving site(s) CLOSER TO BEGINNING OF TERM: Ensure that instructor is trained/prepared to present course material via technology Conduct technology test for all participating campuses Check in with Registrar Contact to verify student enrollment DURING TERM OF INSTRUCTION: Maintain contact with Department Contact at home/receiving site Check in with Registrar Contact during and at the end of the term to ensure enrollment and grade information are reported Inform CIC Contact of any changes to enrollment or course arrangements Alert CIC Contact, LAS Dean, and Department Head to any problems Page 6

8 CourseShare Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How do I know if my course would be a good candidate for sharing? Successful CourseShare courses often meet the following criteria: The course is a less commonly taught language or specialized cultural seminar not available at all CIC institutions. There is room to accommodate 3 or more additional enrollments from another CIC institution. The course can be delivered by technology such as live videoconference, asynchronous/online, Breeze, Skype, or other internet solutions and does not require in-person contact between students and the instructor. Do I need permission to share my course or for my students to receive a course from another CIC institution? Both the host/teaching department and the home/receiving departments must seek permission from their own department chairs prior to agreeing to participate in a CourseShare course. The department chairs are advised to also seek approval from their college deans prior to the announcement of course sharing arrangements. CIC staff can share examples of course sharing agreements and are happy to host conference calls to bring together faculty and administrators interested in exploring new CourseShare collaborations. Some of the tools developed by the Arts & Science Deans may also be informative (Guiding Principles for Sharing Courses, Checklist for Participating Departments, etc.). My specialized seminar would appeal to students at another CIC institution, and my department chair has encouraged me to make it available through CourseShare. What do I do next? First, you will need to determine a Department Contact. This could be you as the instructor, or an assistant in your department. The Department Contact should the CIC Contact and share the following details for the course: Course number and name of course Course start and end dates Course meeting times (0f relevant) Method of course delivery (online, videoconference, Breeze, etc.) Professor name and address 1-2 paragraph course description Course pre-requisites Target student audience (relevant disciplines, undergraduate and/or graduate) Syllabus, if available Number of seats available, if known CIC staff will alert deans and faculty contacts at the CIC institutions and ask them to promote the potential CourseShare course. The instructor and/or Department Contact should also send an with these details to his/her peers at other CIC institutions, inviting them to recruit interested students. This peer to peer promotion is the most likely to result in a course sharing partnership. Page 7

9 I would like to give my students access to a specialized course offered by another CIC institution. What do I do next? First, you will need to confirm that: The instructor is willing to share the course with your students. The course does not duplicate courses already available at your institution. Your department chair will approve your participation in a CourseShare arrangement. Next, you will identify a Department Contact and inform the CIC staff of your interest in collaboration. The Department Contact will need to assign a course number, identify classroom needs and reserve rooms (if appropriate), and recruit student enrollments. How do CIC students find out about CourseShare courses? CIC staff, the Instructor, and Department Contacts promote potential CourseShare courses via s, distribution lists, flyers, departmental newsletters, etc. Interested students are advised to connect with the Department Contacts and/or the CIC staff. Is CourseShare limited to CIC institutions? CourseShare courses are shared between two or more CIC institutions. Additional non-cic schools may become involved in a CourseShare course but CIC staff only provides guidance to faculty and coordinate enrollment for students at participating CIC institutions. How do students at the home/receiving institution enroll? The home/receiving Department Contact will assign a local course number for the course. The students will enroll in the course as they would enroll in any local course, using the student registration system at their own institution. The Registrar Contacts will share enrollment information via a secure online site to enroll the students at the host/teaching campus. The home/receiving students will show up in the host/teaching instructor's course roster as local students, and they will be given access to requested course technologies and resources such as the library, online course management system, e-reserves, etc. How are CourseShare courses evaluated? In many cases, host/teaching instructors administer their routine course evaluation forms (electronically or on paper) as they ordinarily would. These can also be administered to remote students, if desired. Home/receiving departments may also elect to administer their own course evaluation forms with their local students. In addition, the CIC office routinely surveys all participating CourseShare students and instructors regarding their satisfaction with their CourseShare experience and seeking feedback about improving the program and processes. Page 8