Best Practices for Online Teaching
The online learning environment presents a unique set of challenges that require clear definition of instructor performance. The following Instructor Performance Expectations are considered best practices. They identify the minimum level of interaction and management needed between students and instructors to maintain a quality online learning environment.
As a course instructor, it is anticipated that you will…
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Follow the established course start and end dates. When students register for your course, they expect that it will start and end as stated in the Schedule of Courses. Schedule adjustments may, however, be needed to meet deadlines for graduating students and others with special circumstances.
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Follow our guidelines for managing your course throughout the semester. That document outlines things that should be done on a daily, weekly, or semester basis.
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Monitor assignment submissions and communicate and remind students of missed and/or upcoming deadlines. You can help insure a successful learning experience by practicing proactive course management strategies. We suggest posting a note to your class at least once a week, telling students what you will be covering in the coming week and reminding them of any due dates.
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Establish and communicate to students, early in the course, a regular schedule for when you will be logging in to the course. Normally this is once per business day. Some of the students are adult learners who have work and family responsibilities. These students tend to be more active in courses on weekends, so you may wish to also include in your schedule time to monitor courses at least once on weekends.
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Give prior notice to your students and to the administrative unit overseeing your course in the event that you will be unable to log into the course for several days or more (e.g., during professional travel). This will help to forestall many student inquiries! You also should consider finding coverage for your online course if you are going to be out of contact with students for more than a couple of days, especially if they are to be working on assignments while you are gone. In cases of personal emergency, you are asked to notify students and the administrative unit overseeing your course as soon as possible if you will be away from the course.
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Provide feedback to student inquiries within one business day. Because online learners must manage their time carefully, timely instructor feedback is especially important to them. If you cannot provide a detailed response within one business day, we suggest that you respond to the student within one business day to simply let them know when a more detailed response will be provided.
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Provide meaningful feedback on student work using clear and concise language. When providing feedback on student work, you have an ideal "teachable moment"! Simply telling a student "good job" or "needs work" doesn't give them the information they need to succeed. They need (and want!) more specifics. What was it that made the work good? (So they can do it again!) What needs work and how can they improve? (Specifically!)
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Communicate to your students, in advance, when you will grade and return all assignments and exams. If you don't tell them this information, you will definitely be asked!
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Provide a teaching and learning environment that supports academic freedom. UL Lafayette faculty are entitled to freedom in the online classroom in discussing their subjects. Students must also be free to express their opinions without fear of ridicule, intimidation, or retaliation by any instructor. Faculty should be mindful of their relationship to students, as well as their peers, and avoid political or philosophical statements or appearances that may be interpreted by students as biases or proselytizing.
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Make sure you have immediate and predicable access to the same technology that is required for students in your course. Your course syllabus is an excellent place to communicate to your students the technology they must have in place to effectively participate in your online courses. You will want to make sure you are using a computer system and network that can meet those technology requirements, too!
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Post final course grades in accordance with University policy.
- Encourage your students to complete your end-of-course survey (SEI). UL Lafayette uses an online version of the SEI. Students access their SEIs through Moodle. Research has shown that the biggest influence on whether a student completes an end-of-course survey is you, the instructor! Please send your students a note encouraging them to complete the survey and assuring them that the information that will be used to improve the course is important.
This information was adopted from "Online Instructor Performance Best Practices and Expectations," Penn State World Campus, as displayed here.