Goals- Enhance student learning
- Maximize student understanding of OIS components
- Maximize student ability to access course content
- Save faculty time
- Avoid technical problems
General
For the beginning, as well as the veteran online student, being able to successfully complete an online course depends greatly on the ability of the instructor to organize a web that is easily navigated, course materials that are clear and easily accessed, assignments that are clearly explained and purposeful, and staying engaged with students through prompt feedback and grading as well as regular interaction. It is the same with a F2F course, except online requires more clarity and organizational effort. It is with this in mind that these OIS best practices have been developed.
- Always have a file named "index.htm" or "index.asp" in your class folder. This file is the class "splash" page and usually contains links to the other areas of the class, including OIS modules. The index page can also be used to place "announcements" or "what's new" items (see below).
- Maintain an active "connection" with the students. One way this can be done is to have a dynamic "announcements" page. While this may seem to duplicate other informational sources, try to make it like you would do it in a F2F course. For example: tell them what progress you have made on grading, changes in assignments or extended due dates, things that keep them connected to you. You can also link directly to OIS modules so they can complete assignments, check grades, etc.
- Provide opportunities to practice using the OIS components prior to giving them required assignments.
- Tip All OIS modules have an "internal browser" which allows you, the class instructor, to log on to the class web site as a student. This can help you troubleshoot student problems, but since this action changes the "last login date" property, you should use it carefully. You can use this feature any time to log on as a dummy student.
- Make files available as HTML or PDF (Portable Document Format). If students must be able to read formats (such as Microsoft Word or Excel), then make sure you include links to free "readers" from your web page.
- Give students explicit instructions about the number/type/style of communications they can expect from instructor (e-mail, announcements, feedback in Forum and DropBox, etc)
- Maintain accuracy of your web by logging on through the browser to see what the students see.
- Use a variety of assessment measures. Use Forum and DropBox as well as Utest.
- Several smaller assignments rather than a midterm and final.
- Balance the weight given to online tests so the temptation to cheat is lessened.
Manager
- When creating a new class, name its folder in such a way that it can be reused. For example, "ui100" instead of "ui100-03" (the section number in the folder name may change in the future).
- Keep all supporting materials (pictures, presentations, etc.) within the class folder. This will make it easier to copy the class to another location if needed.
- Add yourself to the class as a user with administrative privileges. You will use this account to post responses in Forum, for example.
- Add a "fictitious" (phony) user to the roster (with username and password), without administrative privileges. Use this phony account to test links, tests, topics, etc. to make sure everything is working fine.
- Do not add real students to roster. The class roster comes from the administrative system and is updated daily. You can add fake or guest students manually. Assign "guest" privileges to users who only needs to "see" your materials, but not post etc.
- Once the class starts, do not delete any student who has already logged on to the web site. If the student drops, he/she will be marked as inactive. You may be asked for the last day of attendance later.
- Unlock your class on or before the first day of classes.
- Tip Archive your old classes before starting a new one. This way, you will have a permanent copy of old gradebooks, posts, tests, etc. that you can always refer to.
- Tip Click on the data columns to sort the students. Last login gives the last day of attendance of a particular student. Detailed student activity will be given upon request (contact the CSTL).
GradeA
- Update the gradebook as frequently as possible. Students tend to check their grades online more often than in the past.
- Use GradeA as the only mechanism for delivering grades to students.
- Use descriptive titles for gradebook entries.
- Make sure the server area has only the information which the instructor wants shown to the students.
- Tip Use the "import grades automatically" feature to save time entering scores. You can import grades from UTest, Forum and DropBox.
- Tip You can use variable rows and templates as a way to give feedback.
- Tip You can change the text of the user's column from "Your Grades" to any other text by going to the Format menu and clicking on "Change header for the users column".
DropBox
- Familiarize yourself with the 3 levels of organization: top level, categories and drop boxes. Files can only be submitted to the lowest level (drop box).
- Set global (inherited) options at the top level.
- Give all categories and drop boxes meaningful names.
- Use a different Category for each grading criteria.
- Make sure you understand the "inherited" properties. Tip If you plan to accept different file types in different drop boxes, keep the top level blank.
- Display grading criteria to students (Edit Category | Grading).
- Tip Make sure you have an up to date antivirus program on your computer.
- Set the maximum number of files to 1 to prevent students from uploading duplicates.
- If you expect students to exchange files in proprietary formats (such as *.doc, *.xls, *.ppt., etc) then add a statement to your main web page listing software requirements to take your class.
- "Inline" feedback can be given by editing (typing comments in) the file itself. "External" feedback can be given by using the feedback pane within the DropBox client.
- Limit the allowed file types to formats your computer can read.
- Tip Allow standard, general-purpose formats such as Rich Text Format (*.RTF) instead of proprietary formats like Microsoft Word (*.DOC). Many students do not have Microsoft Office installed on their home machines. Most text-editing applications can read and write RTF files. As an added benefit, it does not carry viruses.
- If the text of an assignment is lengthy, place it on a new web page and link to it from the DropBox description text.
- Tip Use quick feedback for frequently used text notes.
Calendar
- Link calendar items to assignments, tests and other supporting materials.
- Put only the beginning and ending dates for each event. Do not post the event every day it is available.
Forum
- Familiarize yourself with the 3 levels of organization: top level, discussions and topics. Messages can only be posted to the lowest level (topic).
- Set global (inherited) options at the top level.
- Give all discussions and topics meaningful names.
- Turn off "Show email addresses of authors" (Edit Forum | Options) to prevent students from finding each-other's addresses.
- When you delete or move messages, run "Recalculate Counters" (Edit Forum | Advanced).
- If the text of an assignment is lengthy, place it on a new web page and link to it from the Forum description text.
- Make topics "read-only" after due dates (preventing both new posts and editing of existing posts).
- Make topics "write-only" if confidentiality of information is necessary.
- Tip Use quick feedback for frequently used text notes.
- Use "reverse scoring": assign the total score to all posts, then change only the ones that shouldn't get the max score (as opposed to changing every post score manually).
- Grade posts anonymously. Click on the "Show/hide students names" button on the toolbar.
- Do not forget to check the "Show Scores" and "Show Feedback" after grading posts. Tip Use "Process Multiple Messages" to change checkboxes on all messages at once.
- Tip Use quick feedback for frequently used text notes.
UTest
- If you want to minimize printing or copying of your tests by students, require the use of the Secure Browser.
- Do not provide immediate feedback if the test is being used for assessment. Instead, publish feedback after the test is no longer available.
- Use question banks for multiple choice, true-false, matching or fill-in-the-blank whenever possible.
- Review the publisher's question bank before using it in UTest.
- Question banks should have at least 3 times as many questions as the test itself. Have many questions matching each rule for best results.
- Randomize questions and multiple choice answers.
- Log on and "take" your test, or review it very carefully, to see that all questions are in desired format and have the correct answer(s).
- If you randomize answers, do not use "all of the above" as a possible choice.
- Tell students to save their answers frequently.
- Tests should be available for a minimum of 24 hours.
- Make sure the test length is appropriate.
- Grade text answers anonymously. Check the "Anonymous Grading" box in the "Assign Grades to Text Answers" dialog.
- Check with the CSTL staff when a student claims the computer crashed or a power outage happened during a test. Do not give the same questions to the student.
- Allow UTest to notify the student when he/she finishes the test.
- Use multiple assessment tools. This spreads the grade over several assignments and minimizes the impact of a student who might cheat on a multiple choice, true/false test.
Useful Links
Online Instructor Suite Download & Manuals Page