Addendum to Appendix K: Online Learning Policy

Best Practices Guidelines

  1. Student Orientation
    1. To the College’s online education platform and policies
    2. Information about various administrative offices including financial aid, the registrar, student accounts, and their advisor (if so assigned)
    3. How to get support if there is a problem
    4. Where to complain
  2. Course Coding
    1. Student Information System (Banner) – Code courses as “In seat”, Hybrid, Fully Online, Etc. so that they may be easily identified with their “in seat” version for comparison purposes
    2. Learning Management System (Canvas/Blackboard) carry coding as above
  3. Faculty Preparation
    1. Demonstrate proficiency in using the Learning Management system and its communication options for both video and audio. Be prepared to help students achieve success in an online learning environment
  4. Identifying the Student
    1. To ensure that the online student is the one who is getting credit at the end, there needs to be a procedure to verify the identity of the online student – especially if they never come to campus.
      1. For an exam: Use a program such as the Pace/NACTEL Proctoring Program that verifies the student’s identity and can proctor the exam
      2. Secure login to the LMS will meet the federal requirement but may not ensure the student identity on the other end
      3. Provide instructors with student photos (from the ID card system) allowing validation of a student who is a current Mount student. The learning management system can provide video of the student participating in the class
  5. Course Design
    1. Must design with the mission of the College in mind that include assessable elements for content knowledge acquisition, analytical thinking, communications skills development, and ethical thought and development (like all other courses)
    2. Particular attention should be placed on the design of faculty student interactions, as well as student to student interactions especially if the course is not a hybrid
    3. Lectures should be broken into short (e.g. 20 minute segments) with an assessment of student knowledge at the end of each segment. This allows the professor to assess the particular segment of the video and allows the student to replay sections where they might have less of an understanding
  6. Assessment
    1. As with other courses – evaluations to the syllabus, the professor, the course content, and the course delivery
    2. Retention/success evaluation of students over time
    3. Departmental review of the course in each semester of the first three semesters it is offered
  7. Planning and Budgeting
    1. The institution’s strategic plan will define the expectations for the use of technical infrastructure
    2. The institution will budget for the development of facilities, personnel, and training as necessary to support the anticipated demand

Please note: NYS Distance Education Program information and requirements http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/ded/reviewoptions.html

NYS Principles of good practice http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/ded/practice.html

Distance Education Programs Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education (Online Learning), Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 2/2011

Approved August 15, 2018