Take a look at the Utah State University's Checklist
Creating Content
Provide students an “estimated time to complete” on content folders and learning modules in Connect to encourage learners to schedule and manage their workload.
Include activity instructions on the same page where the activity occurs so students do not have to return to the instructions page when they enter the activity. For example, if you include a course link to a gradable discussion thread in a content area or learning module, include the instructions for the discussion within the discussion thread.
Include checklists for courses with multiple learning modules in pdf form for students to complete as they go through the course lessons.
Provide course objectives and module objectives- so students know what to expect.
Use PDFs- not Microsoft Word for standardization and assuring your content is not modifiable.
If you are going to copy and paste within Connect, use a simple text editor (e.g. TextEdit) that will not include extra code like Microsoft Word will.
When attaching files, use the "Section 2" area to attach a file, rather than embedding the file in the "Section 1" Visual Editor to make your course mobile-friendly.
Use the "Open in New Window" when adding URLS to your course so that students are not taken out of Connect. If you are creating a new test or survey, avoid using this option so that the adaptive release rules will remain.
Do not include spaces, special characters, or more than 32 characters in the file name.
Communicate and Collaborate
Break up discussions into finely-focused discussion threads for easier navigation for mobile devices.
Assessing Student Learning
To prevent unwanted student collaboration, set the test scores to "available" only after the test due date has passed.
Give students a clear picture as to what to expect by informing them they should only have Connect open- no collaboration, and tell them where the instructor can be reached if something goes wrong (i.e. If the student gets “locked out” of the quiz.)
The Force Completion option does not allow students to re-enter the test if they lose internet connection and are disconnected. If you use this option- ensure students can reach you if this situation arises to allow them re-entry to the test through number of attempts.
Create a practice test to give students a chance to check their computer and browser configuration/internet connection, before they take a test in Connect.
Avoid long tests by breaking down tests into a series of smaller tests- ideally tests should take 10-20 minutes to complete. Then, you can then use adaptive release to allow students to take the next short test in a series of tests, sequentially.
Realize that unless online tests are administered in a proctored environment, you should consider online tests to be take-home open-book examinations
Course Management
Archive course at least twice a semester or after significant changes
