DE Teaching Resources
Orienting Yourself
Instructors' Guide
http://olt.ubc.ca/distance-learning/instructors-guide/
Key Contacts
Key Contacts for DE Instructors
Orientation to Teaching Online
- In WebCT Vista: A self-paced orientation site for instructors new to teaching in DE
- Look for: OLT - Orientation to Teaching Online (DE) on your list of courses. If you don't see it, send a message to The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology requesting access.
- Online Teaching Modules: Modular orientation content that is part of the orientation site in Vista (above), but can also be accessed directly through the UBCwiki:
Teaching at a Distance Blog
If you are teaching a DE course, you may want to keep tabs on the Teaching at a Distance Blog. You'll find resources for new online instructors and "old hats" alike.
Get the RSS feed to add to your feed reader. Or bookmark it.
Post a comment on the blog or suggest a resource for your colleagues by posting a comment or sending a message to the blog's author at:The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Changing a Grade
Occassionally, instructors may need to change a final grade for a student. You can do this directly from the Faculty Service Centre (FSC) using the Change of Grade form.
These Instructions for how to change a grade are available to you from the Faculty Service Centre once you are logged in.
Any questions about submitting a change of grade for distance education student can be referred to Enrolment Services: DE Exams Coordinator
Supporting Tools
There are a variety of tools and approaches that can support your online teaching. These include:
- Clickers
- Portfolios
- Clickers
- Podcasting
- Social Web Tools
- TurnItIn
- WebCTVista
- Wikis
- Blogs
- Open Education
For resources, examples and tips for getting started, check out the Toolkit on the eLearning site.
Effective Practices
7 Principles for Good Practice
7 Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education were originally published in 1987 by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson. These are widely accepted principles and they have been applied in various contexts. For your review (or if you haven't seen the original) the link to the original article (reprinted with permission by the Wingspread Journal: Johnson Foundation) is below for download: Seven Principles for Good Practice PDF
Further adaptations have included considerations around technology and LMS features (such as those used in WebCT Vista):
- Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever by Chickering and Ehrmann
- Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses
- The Seven Principles and WebCT
- 7 Principles and Vista PDF
The TLT Group (Teaching and Learning with Technology) has a public library of ideas that employ technology to support the 7 principles.
Online Course Quality Rubrics
There are a number of good rubrics to help you assess the quality of your course. These rubrics can help you define where your course is in relation to where you might want it to be. Your instructional designer can assist you in making adjustments and improvements to your course each time you offer it.
For your reference, here are some useful rubrics to start with:
- Rubric for Online Instruction from California State University: Chico
This rubric is useful in that it offers three levels of practice: Baseline, Effective and Exemplary - which suggests a progression and can be helpful in considering what needs to be done to move to the next level.
- Quality Matters Rubric MarylandOnline Inc. (developed under a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Education. The fully annotated version is available to subscribers only, however, the standards are publicly available and provide a useful guideline.
Online Discussion
Following are some useful resources pertaining to online discussion.
Some resources for planning and thinking about online discussion:
- Frey and Wojnar's Discussion Planning Framework
- UBCWiki: Online Discussion
- Blooms' Taxonomy and Course Objectives from San Diego State University's Encylopedia of Educational Technology.
Some examples of *rubrics* for evaluating online discussions:
Dealing with Challenges
Difficult Behavior
Posts inflammatory remarks. Doesn't respond to specific questions or requests. Avoids or disrupts collaborative projects. Demands attention. Insists on special considerations.
These are a few of the behaviors that cause concern and angst among many a caring instructor.
Handling these situations with care and concern for all of the learners involved takes considerable time and patience. It may help to learn about the strategies that others have found effective.
Here are a couple of resources you may be interested in:
- How to Manage Difficult Students Online (Butler, 2003)
- Managing Difficult Students in the Online Classroom (Ko, 2004)
Learners may also need strategies for managing conflict. They might find Managing Conflict on the Learning Commons site helpful.
Learners in Crisis
Instructors are often the first to become aware of a learner in crisis. This make take the form of a disclosure in an email, disturbing remarks online or in the context of an assignment.
Counselling Services are available for distance learners. UBC counsellors prefer to work directly with the instructor (or staff member) who is in contact with the student - to facilitate the referral. If you are concerned about a student's behavior, contact Counselling Services for advice and support: 604.822.3811 or in an emergency, contact: 604.822.9260.
Plagiarism
Most often, plagiarism arises out of misinformation, lack of good judgement or complete lack of awareness about what it is. For this reason, students need information and resources as much as they need information about policies and consequences related to academic misconduct.
If you suspect a student of plagiarism, you will want to know about:
- the resources available to you.
- the resources available for students.
- UBC's policy and process for dealing with plagiarism
Your Resources
Guidelines, links to policy docs, and reference material for faculty. Also the site for information about Turn-It-In, the online plagiarism detection system adopted by UBC.
- Plagiarism Resource Centre for Faculty UBC Library.
- Faculty of Arts: Academic Integrity
- Faculty of Science Guidelines
Resources for Students
- Plagiarism Resource Centre for Students UBC Library.
- UBC's Learning Commons
- Academic Integrity: Online Tutorial UBC's Chapman Learning Commons
UBC Policy
- UBC Regulation on Plagiarism
- UBC Calendar Explains what is required of the instructor in cases of suspected plagiarism. Also includes extensive information about policies, processes and appeals).
TurnitIn
Instructors of distance education courses, as in on campus courses, may want to use the plagiarism detection service, subscribed to by UBC, called TurnItIn
Guidelines for Instructors are posted on the UBC site for the Provost and VP Academic. However, here are a few commonly asked questions about the set up that can help you avoid problems:
- Q: How do I get started?
- A: You will need at create a profile for your course and section. Follow the instructions for UBC Faculty
- Q: Do I need to set up a different profile each time the course is offered?
- A: Yes. You will need to Add A Class for each course section.
- Q: What does it mean to "Join an Account"?
- A: Each Faculty or School will have it's own account. If you don't know what yours is, contact the Turnitin Administrator by e-mail turnitinsupport@exchange.ubc.ca or phone: 604-827-5183.