E-Learning Certification Policies and Certification Guidelines

Course Site Certification Criteria

The course site certification review evaluates the following online course site design and content delivery pedagogical principles (assessed by specific measurable components of the Course Site Certification Rubric):

• Component Course Sites - Course dashboard design must meet the current College standards (e-Learning department will apply the design) and content must clearly demonstrate instructional benefits. Providing handouts, links to resources, practice assessments, discussions, dedicated email, video -- any combination of three or more instructional components satisfies the Component site certification criteria.
• Hybrid and Online Course Sites - Must use approved standard course dashboard design (e-Learning department will apply the design) and must satisfy the following four online learning pedagogical principles:
  1. Contact Time and Content Organization
     1. For every instructional hour removed from the classroom, an equal one hour of online instructional activities must be provided.
     2. Instructional content must be organized into a set of 'Learning Modules/Content Folders' (titled as lessons, units, chapters, etc.), with each LM/CF presenting a series of related activities (presentations, discussions, assignments, assessments, etc.).

        The time it takes to complete all LMs/CFs (lessons, units, etc.) needs to equal traditional 'in-class' contact time. Traditional 'homework' (reading a chapter, etc.) does not count for online instructional activity time.

  2. Periodic Assessments
     1. Students must receive continuous/periodic feedback to let them know how well they are doing.
     2. Faculty need to assess whether students are completing assigned instructional material, and assess students’ comprehension/achievement of the learning outcomes.

        Assessments can be applied in a variety of formats. It is recommended to provide this assessment/feedback in every LM/CF (lesson, unit, etc.). In an online environment, the need to provide periodic assessments is much greater than in a traditional classroom -- a 'midterm and a final' is not enough to ensure an effective assessment schedule. Since faculty do not see if the students are attending class and paying attention, more frequent assessments are required.

  3. Interactive (critical-thinking-skill) Exercises
     1. Online Instructional Activities need to include faculty and student interaction.

        This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, students need to interact with faculty and be given the opportunity to discuss concepts and theories to stimulate conceptual thinking and provide an additional learning modality. In the online course environment faculty need to initiate these interactions -- since students are not in a controlled environment (classroom), 'class time' competes with many external stimuli, and thus the majority of students are not likely to initiate the discussions on their own account.

  4. Present Personal Expertise
     1. The course must be enhanced with instructor's personal expertise to provide instructional material comparable to the traditional in-classroom lecture presentations and/or demonstrations.

        This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as voiceover presentations, video, text based material, scripted discussions, feedback on assignments, etc. The e-Learning Department will assist faculty with development of this material upon request.

Course Site Certification Rubrics

Measurable components of the above listed certification principles. Course sites must meet ‘Yes’ and ‘MS’ levels in order to be certified.

BS = Below Standards

MS = Meets Standards

Course sites must meet ‘Yes’ and ‘MS’ levels in order to be certified.

BS = Below Standards

MS = Meets Standards