Distance Education - General Standards

 The syllabus is present in web-friendly and printable formats.

• Is a current syllabus present, in a format students can view easily online and download/print?

 The course outcomes are present and current.

• Are the course objectives clearly stated? Do they match the objectives listed in the college catalog?

 A schedule of due dates and major events is provided.

• Is a course schedule of due dates and major events (holiday closures, course events such as exams) provided?

 The course contains a specific 'Getting Started' (or similarly named) area which introduces students to essential course information.

• Is it clear for students where they should click to begin the course?

 The instructor's contact information is present and easily viewable.

• Does the instructor provide an introduction and contact information outside of the syllabus?

 Required technology tools are listed and necessary skills for their use are clearly stated.

• Is it stated what technology tools and skills students will need to be successful in the course?

 Course navigation is consistent and facilitates ease of use.

• Is the course easy to navigate?

 Modules and content items are clearly and self-evidently named.

• Does the course have a consistent structure (page color, font, graphics, page layouts)?
• Are modules and elements of the course named so their purpose is clear to students?

 The course links are active, materials are current, and activities are functioning as intended.

• Do all course links work? Are the hyperlinks descriptive?
  
  For example, instead of: “to learn more about photosynthesis click here for a video” -> “here is a video explaining photosynthesis if you’d like to learn more.”

 Course provides links and/or references to college-standard learner success resources.

• Are students given information about and links to COCC student resources early in the course materials?

 Announcements about the course are posted with regularity and focus on course content, activities, or assessments.

• Does the instructor make regular announcements about course content, activities, or assessments?

 Expectations for all course interactions are clearly stated and modeled in all course interaction/communication channels.

• Are the expectations for netiquette, means of address, and formality and grammatical standards for writing communicated to students?
• If discussion boards are used, are expectations for contributions clearly stated?
• Does the instructor provide guidance on when students can expect responses to email, voicemail, or Canvas Inbox messages?

 The instructor regularly engaged with students within course activities.

• Does the instructor communicate how they will participate (examples could be: moderator, facilitator, observer, etc.)

 The course includes a variety of opportunities for community building.

• Are there multiple opportunities for students to engage with their peers throughout the term? (Recommended to provide using a variety of tools – collaborative assessments, discussions, group activities, etc.)

 The instructional materials and tools provide various means to encourage and facilitate student interactions.

• If the instructor participates in discussions do their comments encourage one or more of the following: deeper learning, exploration of the topic, further student engagement with the material or each other?

 Unit level objectives are present and written from the student perspective.

• Are unit (week, module, etc.) level objectives present, easy for students to understand, and measurable?
• Can students use the objectives to check their own knowledge and skills?

 Learning materials directly support and align with the stated unit objectives.

• Do the learning materials included align with listed learning objectives?
• Are connections between unit level objectives and course outcomes made clear to students?

 The intended purpose and use of the learning materials are clearly stated in the lesson.

• Does the instructor provide context for learning materials – what is it, why it is included, how students should use it?

 A variety of learning materials are provided.

• Are course learning materials presented in multiple formats? (Textbook readings, multimedia, web content, etc.)
• Do course learning materials include content with differing representation of ideas, perspectives, or imagery?

 The course content models expectations for academic integrity in its procurement and attribution of provided material.

• Is the original authorship of course materials clearly displayed?
• Does the instructor model attribution of materials?

 Estimated time for completing the learning material is appropriate for the class level.

• Does it feel like the amount of content/time to complete the course is roughly similar to that of an in-person version of the same course?

 The course assessment are aligned with stated unit-level objectives.

• Do course assessments align with unit level learning objectives and course outcomes?

 Expectations for successful completion of assignments are included in assignment directions.

• Are students given clear explanations of how to complete assignments and how to submit them?

 Multiple methods are used to measure students' knowledge and skills.

• Are grading rubrics or information about points possible included in the assignment instructions?
• Does the course include a variety of formative and summative assessments?

 How students may find their grades and feedback is clearly communicated.

• Has the instructor communicated to students when feedback will be given and where to find it?

 Course and individual assessment grades are available and updated regularly in the online gradebook.

• Does the instructor provide detailed and timely feedback on assignments?

 Required course technology is approved according to COCC's Digital Accessibility Standards.

• Does the course include accessibility information for external tools or technologies required to successfully complete the course? (For more information of software accessibility, see the Academic Technology Catalog)

 Directions for how to contact the Student Accessibility Services are included in the course introductory content.

• Are specific directions included to help students contact the Student Accessibility Services office?

 The course provides course materials in formats that meet the needs of diverse learners.

• Can students use assistive technologies (Panorama, Readspeaker, etc.) with the provided content?
• Are students given any options for how to interact/engage the learning material? (For example: a transcript provided alongside video content, or an audio file accompanying reading material.)

 Course documents facilitate readability.

• Are documents in the course legible? Does the course avoid scanned PDFs or images of text?

 Course content facilitates readability.

• Is the course content (content built directly in the LMS) easy to read?
• Are the fonts and colors chosen legible when viewed on different sized devices or formats?

 Course audio and video facilitate ease of use.

• Do videos in the course contain accurate captions? Can video playback be controlled by the viewer?
• Do images in the course include descriptive alternative text?

 Course navigation supports keyboard operation.

• Can the course and any required digital course material be successfully navigated using a keyboard?