Guidelines for Online Teaching
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
[Draft]
October 1, 2010
Prepared by the eLearning Advisory Board & Faculty Fellows in collboration with:
the Academic Senate, Academic Affairs and eLearning Liaisons and staff
eLearning Advisory Board members
Anne Marie Craig
Sandy Dixon
Mikhail Gershfeld
Donald St. Hilaire
Barbara Hoeling
Christy Stevens
Eileen Wallis
Wei Yu
Shawn Irvin
Christopher Mathews
Dave Lyon
Bedan Kamau
April McKettrick
Pauline Salim
Karen Brzoska
Hye Ok Park
College of Agriculture
College of Education and Integrative Studies
College of Engineering
Collins College of Hospitality Management
College of Science
University Library
College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences
College of Business
Student, ASI Representative
Graduate Student
I&IT Systems
I&IT eLearning
I&IT eLearning
I&IT eLearning
I&IT eLearning
I&IT eLearning, Chair
eLearning Faculty Fellows
John Edlund
Katherine A. Kantardjieff
Xin Liu
Shahnaz Lotfipour
David Lord
Ed Merritt
Peggy Perry
Nancy Prince‐Cohen
Anne Wohlcke
Lin Wu
College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, Editor‐in‐chief
College of Science
College of Business
College of Education and Integrative Studies
College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences
Collins College of Hospitality Management
College of Agriculture
College of Education and Integrative Studies
College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences
College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences
eLearning Liaisons and Staff
Jason Beers
Daniel Smith
Bo Soh
Erick Zelaya
II. Online or Hybrid Course Definitions ....................................................................................................... 3
Course Scheduling Standards & Definitions .......................................................................................................................... 4
III.
Process for Designating Instructional Mode........................................................................................ 5
Scheduling Principles ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Process for Designating Course Mode of Instruction ............................................................................................................ 5
Faculty ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
IV.
Faculty Development Support for Transforming Courses into Online/Hybrid Format .......................... 5
Summer/Winter Institutes for Immersive Course Building Workshop.................................................................................. 5
Faculty Institute for Online and Hybrid Course Development (Online)................................................................................. 6
Workshops............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Faculty Blackboard Interactive Tutorials ............................................................................................................................... 6
Drop‐in Support and Personal Consultation.......................................................................................................................... 6
V. Applying Sound Pedagogy and Instructional Design Principles to Online Learning (Learning‐Centered
Approaches) ................................................................................................................................................. 6
ECAR Study ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Horizon Report ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Course Redesign Rubric ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Syllabus.................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Academic Senate: AS‐2291‐089/AA Update of University Course Syllabus Policy ............................................................. 7
Faculty Center: Suggested Syllabus Format....................................................................................................................... 7
U.S. Copyright Law & Fair Use Guidelines ............................................................................................................................. 7
Cal Poly Pomona: Copyright Website ................................................................................................................................ 7
U.S. Copyright Office: Website........................................................................................................................................... 7
Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning .................................................................................................................... 8
Accessibility........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Universal Design for Learning............................................................................................................................................ 8
Resources........................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Library and Electronic Resources........................................................................................................................................... 8
eResources & Services........................................................................................................................................................ 8
Subject Librarians .............................................................................................................................................................. 8
Instructional Services ......................................................................................................................................................... 9
VI.
People Support Mechanism................................................................................................................ 9
eLearning Support for Faculty............................................................................................................10
Where do faculty go for help? ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Online............................................................................................................................................................................... 10
In‐person.......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Learning Management Systems (LMS) ................................................................................................................................ 11
Blackboard....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Media Production Support .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Video Duplication............................................................................................................................................................. 11
Video Streaming .............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Video Production ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Video Conferencing.......................................................................................................................................................... 12
Audio Recording............................................................................................................................................................... 12
Tools and Technologies ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
Self‐readiness Survey ‐ Is eTeaching for you?...................................................................................................................... 12
VIII. eLearning Support for Students .........................................................................................................13
Where do students go to get help? ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Online............................................................................................................................................................................... 13
In‐person.......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Online Course Evaluations................................................................................................................................................... 13
Student Surveys on Online Learning.................................................................................................................................... 13
Self‐readiness Surveys ‐ Is eLearning for you?..................................................................................................................... 13
IX.
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes .......................................................................................14
Assessment Strategies ......................................................................................................................................................... 14
ePortfolio............................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Student Personal ePortfolios............................................................................................................................................ 14
Faculty Research on Comparison of Student Learning Outcomes between Instruction Modes....................................... 15
X. Business/Education Continuity Plan for eLearning ................................................................................15
Business Continuity Plan for Cal Poly Pomona (2010) ......................................................................................................... 16
Educational Continuity ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
XI.
Research on Online Teaching & Learning ...........................................................................................16
National Reports.................................................................................................................................................................. 16
ED.gov – U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (OET) ........................................................... 16
Educause Review ............................................................................................................................................................. 16
Sloan Consortium............................................................................................................................................................. 17
XII.
Resources Referenced or Cited ..........................................................................................................18
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona
I.
Introduction
In May, 1996, the Academic Senate of the California State University unanimously adopted the “Principles Regarding
Technology Mediated Instruction in the CSU” and urged campus Academic Senates to endorse these principles and
develop local policies and procedures consistent with them. It also resolved that the guidelines should address such
areas as course selection, instructional design, access to learning resources (e.g., library holdings), instructional
methodology, student‐faculty interaction, and assessment and accreditation (AS‐2321‐96).
In a presentation made to the Committee on Educational Policy of the CSU Board of Trustees in May 2009 the CSU Chief
Academic Officer acknowledged and reaffirmed the strategic importance of online education through a variety of
technology‐mediated instructional models, namely technology‐enhanced courses, hybrid courses, and fully online
courses and degree programs in the CSU.
The Draft Technology Plan 2010, entitled Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, by the
Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education, proposes a model that is “engaging and empowering
learning experiences for all learners.” It states,
Many students’ lives today are filled with technology that gives them mobile access to information and resources
24/7, enables them to create multimedia content and share it with the world, and allows them to participate in
online social networks where people from all over the world share ideas, collaborate, and learn new things.
Just as leveraging technology can help us improve learning and assessment, the model of 21st century learning
calls for using technology to help build the capacity of educators by enabling a shift to a model of connected
teaching….In connected teaching, teaching is a team activity.
This document, Guidelines for Online Teaching at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, is to serve as a
resource for faculty interested in teaching online courses, principles and strategies for successful online instruction, and
definitions and explanations of important terms and concepts. Online teaching and online courses in this document
refers to all credit‐bearing courses, course sections, and programs offered through online learning at Cal Poly Pomona.
Objectives
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II.
To guide faculty new to online, hybrid or technology‐enhanced teaching
To clearly define modes of instruction and course scheduling standards
To help departments and faculty designate their courses in the class schedule appropriately
To propose standards for quality assurance
To set expectations for students taking online and/or hybrid courses
To help faculty gain an understanding of support services available to faculty
To provide institutional support for online course development
Online or Hybrid Course Definitions
The definitions described in the 2006 ITG Online/Hybrid Course Scheduling Standards provided a framework to establish
instructional mode designation. However these definitions left room for multiple interpretations. We recommend the
following definitions be adopted as they can provide more precise guidelines.
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Course Scheduling Standards & Definitions
Proposed Course Designations
When enrolling in online or hybrid courses, students need to know:
• if they need to have access to a computer with Internet connectivity
• if the class is 100% online or not
• if they need to be available for synchronous interaction anytime during the quarter
Based on these considerations we have defined 6 categories that will assist our students in making informed enrollment
decisions. These designations have been designed to work with PeopleSoft and require minimum modifications to be
implemented.
Process for Designation
Decisions on course designations will be made at the Department level by the faculty in a process defined by the faculty
of that department based on the following table:
Face-toFace (FF):
Course meets face-to-face for all of the course contact hours prescribed by the
course type and units. Syllabus/grades may be posted online.
WebAssisted
(WA):
Course meets face-to-face for all of the course contact hours prescribed for the
course type and units. Syllabus/grades are posted online. Some course
materials/activities are online and require active student access.
Hybrid (HY):
Course uses both classroom and online instructional modes and meets face-to-face
for 25%-75% of the course contact hours prescribed by the course type and units.
Students are expected to attend face-to-face meetings at prescribed times and to
actively engage course materials/activities online.
Local
Online(OL):
100% of the course instruction is delivered online. Scheduled face-to-face
meetings may be required for orientation and student evaluation.
Online
Synchronous
(OS):
100% of the course instruction is delivered online. Students enrolled must access
some portions of course content at specific pre-arranged times to participate
interactively with others. Scheduled face-to-face meetings may be required for
orientation and student evaluation.
Fully
Online(OF):
100% of the course instruction is delivered online. Students enrolled may access
course content on a flexible schedule and do not need to be on campus for any
portion of course work or evaluation.
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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III. Process for Designating Instructional Mode
Scheduling Principles
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Courses are scheduled into instructional space only as needed for in person meetings.
Courses are scheduled so that students’ schedules are blocked only as needed for in person meetings.
Hybrid and on‐line courses are entered into PeopleSoft in a standard way for all disciplines.
Process for Designating Course Mode of Instruction
Faculty
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Consult the flowchart on instructional modes to determine and reflect how you plan to teach your course(s) in a
given quarter: Face‐to‐face (FF), Web‐assisted (WA), Hybrid (HY), Local Online (OL), Online Synchronous (OS),
Fully Online (OF).
Contact your Department Scheduler as early as possible and notify whether a course is being taught: Face‐to‐
face (FF), Web‐assisted (WA), Hybrid (HY), Local Online (OL), Online Synchronous (OS), Fully Online (OF).
Departments approve the faculty designation of the mode of course instruction
Identify online & hybrid courses in the Schedule of Classes in PeopleSoft ‐ Include a standard note composed of
the following elements, as applicable:
o Orientation meeting required (include date, time, and location)
o Midterm exam meeting(s) (include date, time, and location)
o Final exam meeting (include date, time, and location) or Final exam online
o Contact (dept. or name, phone) for more information
IV. Faculty Development Support for Transforming Courses into Online/Hybrid
Format
eLearning provides support to faculty for the development of and teaching with online or hybrid courses and digital
learning materials. Existing lecture notes or materials will be converted and/or redesigned into an appropriate digital
format in a collaborative production process between the faculty and the instructional design team in eLearning. Faculty
who are interested may contact eLearning to request such assistance at
http://www.csupomona.edu/~elearning/instructionaldesign.shtml.
Faculty development workshops and institutes are available to assist faculty who wish to learn more about the process
or do it themselves as follows:
Summer/Winter Institutes for Immersive Course Building Workshop
The Summer/Winter Institute takes a comprehensive and systematic approach to the integration of instructional
technologies into teaching and learning with sound pedagogy. The core of the Institute is an immersive, week‐long series
of in‐depth workshops, technology skills sessions, hands‐on course development work, and faculty group discussions.
The Institute program covers:
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Pedagogy, Learning Outcomes, and Course Redesign Rubric
Blackboard Overview, Managing Course Content, Creating and Managing Assignments, Assessing and Evaluating
Student Performance, Engaging Students through Discussion Board and Groups, Tools to Enhance Student
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Collaboration, Managing Grades Using Gradecenter, Extending Classroom Communication (Wimba), and Course
Building in Blackboard
• Accessible Technology Awareness & Training, Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines, and Integrating Digital Library
Resources
• Using other tools and technologies including, but not limited to, Adobe Connect, Echo360 Lecture Capture,
SoftChalk, etc.
• Tour of the Video Production facilities in MediaVision
• Tour of Studio6 for faculty
Faculty members receive a Certificate of Completion, signed by the University President, at the conclusion of the
Institute. Each of the faculty participants gets paired up with an Instructional Designer who works with the faculty
throughout the course development and production phase. Faculty may also receive a special stipend upon completion
of the course development work, depending on the funding availability.
Faculty Institute for Online and Hybrid Course Development (Online)
In order to accommodate faculty who are not able to attend a week‐long Summer or Winter Institute in person, an
eLearning Institute is also available in a fully online format. [http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/fiohcd.shtml]
Workshops
Other types of workshops are offered by eLearning to meet varying schedules and needs of faculty:
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Quarterly Mini Institute [Beginners and Advanced Users] – Multi‐track sessions in 1 Day
Monthly Introduction to Online/Hybrid Teaching [Beginners] – 3 hour Workshop
Blackboard Quick Start [Beginners] – 1.5 hour Workshop
Beyond the Basics – Topical discussion and learning forum [Advanced users] – 1.5 hour Workshop
Faculty Blackboard Interactive Tutorials
eLearning has interactive tutorials and how‐to guides online for Blackboard. See section VII for more information.
Drop‐in Support and Personal Consultation
Faculty may drop in to receive assistance and/or make appointments for personal consultation visits with Instructional
Designers in Studio 6 (Bldg. 98 C6‐13) anytime during the operational hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the academic year.
See section VII for more information.
V. Applying Sound Pedagogy and Instructional Design Principles to Online
Learning (Learning‐Centered Approaches)
I&IT eLearning provides instructional design services to assist faculty in redesigning existing courses or parts of courses
or designing new courses for online learning, hybrid (partially online, partially face‐to‐face) or web‐assisted courses (as
supplement to a traditional course).
The instructional designer further helps the faculty address their pedagogical challenges by employing sound teaching,
learning, and design practices; incorporating current and appropriate electronic media; and partnering with other
campus resources to enhance the project. Below is a list of resources and best practice examples that integrate both
online pedagogy and eLearning technologies to achieve student success.
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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ECAR Study
“EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of
information technology. EDUCAUSE helps those who lead, manage, and use information resources to shape strategic
decisions at every level. A comprehensive range of resources and activities is available to all interested employees at
EDUCAUSE member organizations, with special opportunities open to designated member representatives.”
[http://www.educause.edu/ecar]
Horizon Report
“The annual Horizon Report is a series of qualitative research identifying emerging technologies and is produced as part
of a collaboration between the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), an EDUCAUSE
program.” [http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010/]
Course Redesign Rubric
In transforming a classroom‐based course into an online or hybrid format, it is critical to consider what a high quality
online course may look like. Cal Poly Pomona has adapted the course design rubric created by CSU Chico. Our adapted
version that is used to provide guidance and standards in course development can be used by individual faculty as a self‐
assessment tool and by departments as a quality assurance instrument. The rubric is available at:
http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/ip_si2010_rubric.shtml
The ROI (Rubric for Online Instruction) Website at CSU Chico provides principles and components of the course redesign
rubric:
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Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning
Innovation Teaching with Technology
Faculty Use of Student Feedback
Syllabus
Academic Senate: AS‐2291‐089/AA Update of University Course Syllabus Policy
Approved 01/21/2009
[http://www.academic.csupomona.edu/senate/docs/aa001078ref.pdf]
Faculty Center: Suggested Syllabus Format
The Faculty Center for Professional Development has provided an accessible syllabus template available for all faculty to
use.
[http://www.csupomona.edu/facultycenter/cpp3/FacultyCenter/syllabus_template.docx]
U.S. Copyright Law & Fair Use Guidelines
Cal Poly Pomona: Copyright Website
[http://www.csupomona.edu/copyright]
U.S. Copyright Office: Website
[http://www.copyright.gov]
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning
Accessibility
Accessibility is about giving equal access to everyone. "It is the policy of the CSU to make information technology
resources and services accessible to all CSU students, faculty, staff and the general public regardless of disability."
Continuing compliance with the various federal and state disability laws rests upon the assumption that current
compliance efforts are retained and periodically updated to respond to changing conditions and to address unforeseen
events as they occur. The CSU provides system wide program accessibility to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Universal Design for Learning
Universal design is an approach to designing course instruction, materials, and content to benefit people of all learning
styles without adaptation or retrofitting. Universal design provides equal access to learning, not simply equal access to
information. Universal design allows the student to control the method of accessing information while the teacher
monitors the learning process and initiates any beneficial methods.
Resources
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ADA Section 508 ‐ http://www.section508.gov/
CSU ATI Executive Order (Rev. 2010) ‐ http://www.calstate.edu/AcadAff/codedmemos/AA‐2010‐13.shtml
How to make your course materials accessible http://www.csupomona.edu/accessibility/im.shtml
Cal Poly’s Accessibility page ‐ http://www.csupomona.edu/accessibility/
CSU Accessibility Technology Initiative ‐ http://www.calstate.edu/accessibility/
Disability Resource Center – http://www.csupomona.edu/drc
Universal Design for Learning ‐ http://www.csupomona.edu/facultycenter/facultyResources_UDL.shtml
Library and Electronic Resources
eResources & Services
The University Library provides many valuable resources and services for faculty teaching in online and hybrid
environments. Resources include a wide variety of databases containing high‐quality materials such as scholarly articles,
books, reports, statistics, and other information that are not freely available on the web. Librarians can help faculty
integrate these online resources into Blackboard in a number of ways, including importing discipline specific research
portals into courses. Research portals group together materials and services that are relevant to specific disciplines or
courses and make them easily accessible to students within the Blackboard environment. Additionally, librarians can
help faculty create reading lists that link directly to articles in library databases. Alternatively, faculty who have other
reading materials that they would like to put in their Blackboard courses, but are unsure how to do so, can contact the
library’s eReserve [http://www.csupomona.edu/library/circulation/ereserve.html] staff for assistance.
Subject Librarians
Each college and/or department has a librarian who can help students, faculty, and staff with their research needs.
Subject librarians are available to work with faculty on teaching and learning projects, such as:
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Designing or revising library research assignments to ensure that they are up‐to‐date and aligned with current
library resources.
Constructing instructional course guides and tutorials that meet the research needs of students.
Integrating instruction in research skills and other information literacy competencies into courses and programs.
Assisting faculty in embedding library resources and tools into their Blackboard courses.
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
A list of subject librarians can be found at: https://www.csupomona.edu/library/about/specialistsbydepartment.html
9
Instructional Services
The Library's Instruction Program consists of a team of library faculty and staff with teaching expertise who not only help
students learn how to navigate the University Library’s physical and virtual spaces but also collaborate with classroom
faculty to foster students’ information literacy competencies. Librarians design face‐to‐face instruction sessions and
online tutorials and guides that are tailored to specific courses, research assignments, and stages in the research
process. For example, librarians are available to teach students how to:
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Select and refine a topic
Develop search strategies and use
advanced searching techniques
Find books
Find articles
Find statistics
Find government information
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Use specific databases
Find and use the best web resources
Find and distinguish between primary and
secondary sources
Distinguish between scholarly and popular
materials
Use sources ethically, avoiding plagiarism
Sign‐up for a face‐to‐face library instruction session for your class by filling out the library’s instruction request form
(http://www.csupomona.edu/library/reference/libinst.html) or contacting the subject librarian
(http://www.csupomona.edu/library/about/subjectspecialists.html) for your department. Also, browse the library’s
collection of self‐paced online tutorials, video tours, and subject guides, which provide 24/7 research help to students
(http://www.csupomona.edu/library/tutorials/). Faculty can link to them from their webpages, their syllabi, or from
Blackboard. Many of the tutorials contain quizzes and certificates of completion, making it possible to incorporate them
into classes as homework assignments, extra credit, or part of students' class participation grade.
VI. People Support Mechanism
eLearning has implemented a three‐pronged approach designed to align our services with Academic Colleges by
establishing:
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eLearning Advisory Board
eLearning Faculty Fellows Program
eLearning Liaisons to Colleges Program
eLearning Advisory Board
The eLearning Advisory Board is comprised of faculty representatives from each college elected through the Senate,
academic administrators, department chairs, student representatives, and eLearning members, and serves in an
advisory role to bridge the gap between the I&IT division and the academic side of the university. Similar committees
convened at other 4‐year institutions have proven invaluable according to a Sloan Online Commission report:
Repeatedly, institutional participants described the benefits of forming a task force or advisory committee to
prepare their campus for online learning. They stressed that the most productive composition of this cross‐
cutting group would include: representatives from academic affairs, faculty—particularly those already
experienced in online learning, deans and department chairs, representatives from faculty and student support
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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units, information technology specialists, and representatives from other areas of the university that would be
directly or indirectly impacted by online learning (Online Learning as a Strategic Asset, p. 14).
eLearning Faculty Fellows
Faculty eLearning Fellows, recognized for their outstanding practices in online teaching and learning, represent
academic colleges and provide a range of training opportunities to their faculty peers. Faculty Fellows participate in the
monthly meetings of the eLearning Advisory Board and eLearning Liaisons.
The eLearning Advisory Board and Faculty Fellows work in collaboration with each other to foster:
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Recognition for faculty who are actively engaged in online and hybrid teaching
Positive consideration of their contributions into the faculty’s Retention, Tenure and Promotion evaluation
Opportunity to connect with their peers and share discipline‐specific design and teaching strategies
Increased online and hybrid course offering
Growing community of faculty mentors and peer trainers
eLearning Liaisons
eLearning Liaisons are Instructional Designers in the eLearning Department, who are assigned to individual colleges.
They are available for consultation in a designated space at designated weekly times located within each college to
facilitate:
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Easy faculty access to eLearning Liaisons for consultation and course development support
Focused approach to identifying GE courses, large‐enrollment, multi‐section, bottle‐neck courses, and program‐
based courses within colleges that can be transitioned to the online environment
VII. eLearning Support for Faculty
Where do faculty go for help?
Online
eHelp
[http://www.csupomona.edu/ehelp/index.html]
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Studio 6
[http://www.csupomona.edu/studio6]
Faculty Center: Teaching and Learning Resources
[http://www.csupomona.edu/facultycenter/cpp3/FacultyCenter/teachingAndLearningResources.html]
University Library: Create Linked Reading Lists
[http://www.csupomona.edu/library/blackboard/readinglists.html]
University Library: Add Research Portal into Blackboard
[http://www.csupomona.edu/library/blackboard/ResearchPortal.html]
In‐person
Helpdesk
•
Questions about login or enrollment issues for Blackboard
o For hours, location, phone number, email address information, please visit:
http://www.csupomona.edu/ehelp/
Playback issues with streaming videos in an online course, Video Production (classroom, studio and field)
o For hours, location, phone number, email address information, please visit:
http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/mediavision.shtml
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
Blackboard
Cal Poly Pomona's e‐learning environment provides students with the opportunity to stay connected with their
instructors and classmates.
For more information on the features of Blackboard, please visit:
http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/blackboard_environment.shtml
Media Production Support
Media production support for the creation of instructional materials is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Requests for support can be made online at: http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/requestforms.shtml
Video Duplication
Our video duplication service allows for the duplication of videos that can be digitized as a DVD or streamed online.
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Video Streaming
Offering both mid (300k) and low (56k) bandwidth stream rates, video streaming ensures universal access. Digital media
material are archived and streamed for both live and on‐demand viewing over the internet or linked to a LMS such as
Blackboard.
Video Production
Our facilities include a state of the art digital video and audio production studio. From scripting assistance to videotaping
and editing, we can produce videos and encode programs for streaming over the internet and for conventional
broadcasting or DVD.
Video Conferencing
Two classroom studios allow for two‐way video conferencing or Distance Learning by Satellite or the internet. Classes
can also be encoded for on‐demand viewing.
Audio Recording
Our professional audio booth allows faculty to record high‐quality audio for lectures or other multimedia components.
Tools and Technologies
eLearning provides assistance with the following tools and technologies for creating a learning‐centered engaging
opportunity for students.
These tools and technologies include:
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interactive learning objects using Adobe Flash and Softchalk
video‐produced lectures and labs using streaming video,
videoconferencing and Echo360
student assessment tools such as iClicker
classroom interaction tools such as MediaWiki, Blackboard Blogs and
Journals, Adobe Connect and Wimba
web 2.0 productivity tools such as Google Docs
student/instructor authored content using iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, iTunesU, YouTube and Google Sites
These tools and technologies provide both faculty and students to successfully teach and learn a variety of topics
through a universal design approach.
Supported Tools/Technologies
A complete list of tools/technologies that are supported by the campus for the purpose of eLearning with accessibility in
mind can be found at: http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/toolsandtech.shtml.
Self‐readiness Survey ‐ Is eTeaching for you?
I&IT eLearning has created two eLearning Self‐Assessment surveys for both faculty and students interested in eLearning
and teaching. [http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/ready_faculty.shtml]
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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VIII. eLearning Support for Students
Where do students go to get help?
Online
eHelp
[http://www.csupomona.edu/ehelp/index.html]
Student How‐To Guides for Blackboard
[http://www.csupomona.edu/ehelp/blackboard/student/stepbystep.shtml]
Questions about login issues for Blackboard
o For hours, location, phone number, email address information, please visit:
http://www.csupomona.edu/ehelp/
MediaVision
•
Playback issues with streaming videos in an online course, Video Production (classroom, studio and field)
o For hours, location, phone number, email address information, please visit:
http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/mediavision.shtml
Online Course Evaluations
Students enrolled in “Online (OL)” courses are sent a link to course evaluation questionnaire page for official university
course evaluation at the end of the quarter and the evaluation process is administered by Academic Affairs and the
Academic Senate. Faculty who teach in hybrid or web‐assisted mode and wish to collect student feedback on their own
may use the following examples of course assessment surveys and administer them with Blackboard. Cal Poly Pomona
faculty have created course assessment surveys and graciously shared them with all faculty.
[http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/course_assess_example.shtml]
Student Surveys on Online Learning
Each quarter I&IT eLearning surveys Cal Poly Pomona students to assess their online learning experience. The results are
compiled from the Student Experience in Online/Hybrid Course survey administered through Survey Monkey. A link is
made available in Blackboard to all Cal Poly Pomona students during each quarter since Fall 2009. A summary of the
survey results can be viewed at: http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/bbstudentsurvey.shtml.
Self‐readiness Surveys ‐ Is eLearning for you?
I&IT eLearning has created two eLearning Self‐Assessment surveys for both students and faculty interested in eLearning
and teaching. [http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/ready_student.shtml]
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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IX. Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Strategies
One of the first questions that faculty new to online teaching ask is “How do I do online exams?” This question is
premised on the notion that online assessment must necessarily follow the methods of on‐campus classes. However,
the faculty role in the online environment is increasingly one of mentor, rather than deliverer of information, and the
function of assessment and its corresponding techniques must necessarily change, too. Viewing online assessment as an
opportunity for interactive mentoring allows faculty to use assessment as a teaching tool, not just as an evaluation
mechanism.
The key points in online assessment:
1. Student evaluation strategies in online classes, as in any other instructional format, need to be consistent with
course goals and objectives, representative of the scope of the course.
[http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/facultyresources.shtml]
2. Assessment strategies need to be clearly stated for students to understand exactly what is expected of them.
3. The course structure needs to include adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’
mastery of the content. Including a variety of assessment strategies will
(a) allow students to continuously evaluate their own progress throughout the course beyond letter grades, and
(b) provide the instructor with continuous information about student progress as well the effectiveness of the
course materials.
4. Detailed grading rubrics help students understand the instructor expectations. You may also want to consider
including sample assignments to demonstrate expected competencies.
5. Grading policy and practices need to be clear and easy to understand.
An overall assessment strategy is at the core of an online course. It includes four basic levels of development:
1. Administering pre‐assessment to understand an individual student’s conceptual framework of a learning
outcome and to provide guidance in the development of learning strategies
2. Developing the online learning strategy: delivery of critical content through interactive instructional concepts
and activities
3. Incorporating short assessments to punctuate major concepts and provide feedback on student understanding
of these concepts; opportunities for relearning and reassessment should be available for students throughout
4. Developing a post‐assessment to indicate student learning and mastery of the content
A list of features in Blackboard can be found at: http://www.csupomona.edu/elearning/blackboard_environment.shtml
ePortfolio
Student Personal ePortfolios
Blackboard offers the Student Personal ePortfolios option which provides a powerful tool for users to efficiently collect
and organize artifacts representative of work completed over time. It can be used by students to demonstrate formative
and/or summative progress and achievement through their course work, guided by faculty. ePortfolio authors are
empowered with tools to effectively present their information in a cohesive, personalized format, using various digital
formats.
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Files: .doc, .exe, .html, .htm, .pdf, .ppt, .rtf,
•
MPEG/AVI: .asf, .avi, .mpg, .mpeg, .wmv
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
Faculty interested in using Student ePortfolios can contact eLearning for more information.
Faculty Research on Comparison of Student Learning Outcomes between Instruction Modes
Faculty at Cal Poly Pomona have engaged in research to investigate the efficacy of online teaching. For example, Dr.
Carsten Lange’s comparative analysis of students’ study behavior and success of students enrolled in a Principles of
Economics (EC 201) course indicated that, although there was no significant difference in teaching efficiency, there
existed room for improvement in the manner in which the instructor utilized peer‐to‐peer communication tools.
Likewise, Dr. James J. Kim’s comparison of online and face‐to‐face options for the course, Government and Politics of the
World (PLS 202), offered during the 2008‐09 academic year, “has shown that there is relatively little difference in
student performance.” Kim suggests that one factor that may contribute to the success of the online course is the
“explicit articulation of the design and grading criteria for the course.” Kim notes that an important lesson gleaned from
the study is “while these are integral aspects of a well‐designed online course, they need not be exclusive to online
options. That is, these characteristics are aspects of course organization that an instructor can also adopt in his/her face‐
to‐face courses as well.” This comment reflects the need for sound pedagogy applied to a range of teaching modes.
As a third example of a direct comparison between a traditional and a hybrid online version of the same course, Dr.
Barbara Hoeling reports on the two sections of PHY 131 (first quarter of general physics for engineers) she taught in
spring quarter 2009. The analysis of the Force‐Concept‐Inventory test (a standard exam on Newtonian Mechanics), given
at the beginning of the course and again at the end, confirms that student learning in the hybrid online section was
comparable to that of the traditional section. The face‐to‐face section improved in the percentage of correct answers
from 32% (pre‐test) to 52% (post test), the hybrid online section from 40% (pre‐test) to 56% (post test). The class
average in the final exam was 37/70 for the face‐to‐face section, and 40/70 for the hybrid‐online section.
The findings articulated in the research studies conducted at Cal Poly Pomona drive the efforts of the eLearning team
when designing our training and consultation programs. We also use data collected from our own research, part of
which includes faculty surveys. For example, the results of a recent survey in which 179 CPP faculty members
participated provided information on faculty experiences teaching online/hybrid courses. While 44% of the respondents
indicated that online courses are consistent with Cal Poly Pomona's polytechnic 'Learn by Doing' philosophy, our goal is
to move beyond this mark by supporting the development of courses that engage students in activities that promote the
attainment of intended learning outcomes.
X.
Business/Education Continuity Plan for eLearning
Many higher education institutions are preparing for potential disruptions in the flow of education brought about by
possible catastrophic events, pandemics, reduced budgets, and furlough schedules. For example, in September of 2009,
13,000 students and 253 colleges reported cases of swine flu. According to Kathleen Sebelius, Human Services Secretary,
schools should consider "online learning opportunities in the event the disease continues to transmit and schools have
to look at closing” (Fox News Report, paragraph 7).
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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Business Continuity Plan for Cal Poly Pomona (2010)
According to the 2010 Business Continuity Plan for Cal Poly Pomona, the eLearning environment, such as Blackboard,
Adobe Connect, and Echo360, is expected to be recovered with full data restore within 30 days or sooner after a disaster
strikes and shuts down the campus.
Educational Continuity
Cal Poly Pomona’s Instructional & Information Technology (I&IT) Division plays a key role in providing services in event
of a disruption in the flow of education.
As outlined from I&IT’s Pandemic Plan and Business Continuity Plan, there is a need for User/Helpdesk Support and the
continuation of teaching. These needs require the use of several tools, technologies and guidance provided by
eLearning.
A. Blackboard: Blackboard, the campus learning management system, is vital for the continuation of education
since it would be used as a one‐stop place to house most eLearning content and also administrative or business
content.
B. Adobe Connect: Adobe Connect can be used as a tool to help faculty develop online course lectures as well as
hold virtual classroom meetings. This tool can also be used administratively for user support or virtual meetings
by all departments on campus.
C. Video Streaming Services: eLearning provides video streaming services that can be used to deliver course
lectures via Silverlight video.
D. Echo 360: Echo 360 can be used to pre‐record lectures that can be viewed off‐campus during the disruption of
on‐campus learning.
E. Other Tools and Technologies: Other tools and technologies can be used to support eLearning such as SoftChalk.
XI. Research on Online Teaching & Learning
National Reports
ED.gov – U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (OET)
“ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED's mission is to promote student
achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”
[http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/index.html?src=oc]
The Department of Education also released a report titled “Evidence‐Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta‐Analysis
and Review of Online Learning Studies.” [http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence‐based‐
practices/finalreport.pdf]
Educause Review
“EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of
information technology. EDUCAUSE helps those who lead, manage, and use information resources to shape strategic
decisions at every level. A comprehensive range of resources and activities is available to all interested employees at
Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
EDUCAUSE member organizations, with special opportunities open to designated member representatives.”
[http://www.educause.edu/er]
Sloan Consortium
In 2009, the Sloan Consortium released a report titled Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States
[http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/learningondemand.pdf]
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Guidelines for Online Teaching at Cal Poly Pomona [DRAFT]
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XII. Resources Referenced or Cited
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Best Practice Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity on online Education, Version 2.0, June 2009, produced by
WCET, UT Telecampus of the University of Texas System, and Instructional Technology Council. Retrieved August
16, 2010, from
http://www.wascsenior.org/findit/files/forms/Best_Practices_for_Academic_Integrity_in_Online_Education.pdf
CSU Long Beach Policy on Academic Technology and the Mode of Instruction, recommended by the Academic
Senate on May 1, 2003 and approved by the President on June 17, 2003. Retrieved August 16, 2010, from
http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/grad_undergrad/senate/documents/policy/2003/11/
CSU Sacramento eLearning Policy. Retrieved August 16, 2010, from
http://www.csus.edu/acse/archive/0910/fsa10_jan_28_B.htm
CSU San Bernadino. Distributed Learning Policy. Retrieved August 16, 2010, from
http://odl.csusb.edu/about/policy.html
CSU San Jose. Senate. Policy Recommendation – Technology Mediated Instruction. Retrieved August 16, 2010,
from http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/s97‐6.htm
Florida State University. Alternative Modes of Instruction Form. Retrieved August 16, 2010, from
http://facsenate.fsu.edu/content/download/29361/182995
Glendale Community College, Maricopa Community College District. Frequently Asked Questions about Hybrid
Courses. Retrieved August 16, 2010, from http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/english/hybridfaq.html
North American Council for Online Learning. National Standards of Quality for Online Course. Retrieved August
16, 2010, from
http://www.inacol.org/research/nationalstandards/NACOL%20Standards%20Quality%20Online%20Courses%20
2007.pdf
Pennsylvania State University. Faculty Self Assessment for Online Teaching, 2009. Retrieved August 16, 2010,
from http://weblearning.psu.edu/news/faculty‐self‐assessment
Pennsylvania State University. Student Self Assessment for Online Learning Readiness. Retrieved August 16,
2010, from https://esurvey.tlt.psu.edu/Survey.aspx?s=246aa3a5c4b64bb386543eab834f8e75
Queensborough Community College Suitability Self Test. Retrieved August 16, 2010 from,
http://www9.qcc.cuny.edu/QCCOnline/SelfTest/
Sloan‐C Consortium, Online Nation: Five Years of Online Learning, 2009. Retrieved from
http://www.sloan‐c.org/publications/survey/online_nation
State University of New York ‐ Delhi, DOE Guidelines for New Course Development and Evaluation. Retrieved
August 16, 2010, from
https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/DOE+Guidelines+for+New+Course+Development+and+Evaluation
Texas State University, San Marcos. Instructional Technologies Support. Online Course Development. Retried
August 16, 2010, from http://www.its.txstate.edu/departments/instructional_design/online‐course‐
development.html
U.S. Department of Education. Office of Educational Technology. Transforming American Education: Learning
Powered by Technology. Draft Technology Plan 2010: Executive Summary. March 5, 2010. Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/netp‐executive‐summary.pdf