BRIEF REFERENCE GUIDE FOR THE NEW ONLINE

INSTRUCTOR
Barbara Anderson
Ashley Tillman
Carrie Johnson

PART 1 SETTING THE STAGE/BEFORE CLASS STARTS

TIPS FOR THE NEW ONLINE INSTRUCTOR BEFORE CLASS STARTS

A. BACKGROUND
1. Good course preparation is important and requires substantial time input prior to the
start of class.
2. It is difficult to set up an online course and facilitate at the same time.
3. When students have everything needed as the course begins: will decrease amount of
student questions, increase student learning, increase student satisfaction with the
course, and decrease faculty stress.
4. Your course should be clear, easy to navigate, simple, complete, updated information
and links, friendly toward the student, some redundancy in information is ok.
B. MECHANICAL TASKS
1. COPY the course if needed from an existing shell. If LMS is Blackboard: Control
panel, Tools, Copy the Course, etc.
2. EDIT the course: correct in edit boxes UPDATES will need to continue during the
course.
3. CHECK EVERY HYPERLINK EVERY TERM. If a link cant be corrected-have
alternate links to substitute and/or contact the IT department for help.
4. UPDATE ALL DUE DATES.
5. Check and/or correct GRADEBOOK.
6. Make the course AVAILABLE to students (usually by midnight of the morning that the
class starts.) If LMS is Blackboard: Control Panel, Customize, Properties, Available.
C. ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED AND ADDRESSED
1. HOME PAGE - Roadmap to show general course organization; should encourage and
help student, but not overwhelm; include what student should do to complete week
one work.

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2. WELCOME PAGE/ANNOUNCEMENT/EMAIL - Friendly welcome to students. A

personal email to each student can also be useful. Make additional announcements to
begin class as necessary. You could repeat the directions on how to complete week
one work again.
3. SYLLABUS - You may use a long complex syllabus or use three shorter and more
simple documents. GSU prefers the use of a SYLLABUS, ORIENTATION, AND
CALENDAR. Items to be included in a syllabus and orientation are listed in the table
below.
SYLLABUS
*Traditional & Online info: STABLE, less
changeable, linked to institution
1. Traditional Info
a. Course title and number, section
number
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Course description and focus

Course objectives
Course outline
Why the course is important.
Instructor contact information, hours

g. Grading information and procedures

h. Required texts and materials

i. Attendance policy
j. Academic honesty (yours)
k. College policies (mentioned, external
links)

ORIENTATION
*DYNAMIC info that will likely change each
term.
1. What you would include as part of a
first class session
aa. Link to course/college online
orientationstudent completion,
automatically graded
bb. Faculty introduction, contact info
cc. Due dates and deadlines
dd. Extra credit policy, options, dates
ee. Communication
1 Email, asynchronous and
synchronous discussion: uses
response times, grading
2 How will students ask questions?
General info for whole class-post
to Questions Discussion
Thread (decreases student
questions by referring
students to thread)
Individual/personal questionsemail instructor
Communication builds a strong
learning community
ff. Role the instructor will play:
instructor or student centered class?
gg. Policies for late work, incompletes,
and withdrawal
2. Other items to include:
aa. Citation and writing methods, sample

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2. Online Info

a. Overview of online course structure

b. LMS general overview information

c. College orientation for online coursesprovide a link, strongly suggest that

students complete the first week,
credit for completion

papers
bb. Online tips: saving documents, cut
& paste, individual vs. group work,
course orientation, etc.
cc. Use of social media
dd. Links to tutorials and resources
Hardware requirements, compatible
Browsers, LMS like BB tips and
tutorials, tech support contacts,
Library, tutor and learning support,
college departments (Admissions,
Registration, Records, Financial Aid,
Cashier, Placement Testing, and
Counseling)
ee. College policies (Academic
Honesty, Appeals, etc)

ff. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1 How do I submit work?
2 When are assignments due? Late?
3 How soon will the instructor
respond to emails/questions?
4 How is group work done online?
5 How do I ask a question?
general for class or private me
6 How will I be graded?
7 How will we use social media?

4 CALENDAR - Can be done in the LMS. The instructor can make private entries as an active
reminder during the term, students can make private entries for their own schedule, and public
entries can be made for picking group members.
a. Due dates for assignments, progress deadlines, etc should be included. This should be a
tool for guiding/planning instructor and student work.
b. Should be printable.
5 LEARNING CONTRACT - Design a learning contract for instructor and student expectations
for the course. Attach to an announcement or an email. Each student should read, sign, and
return a copy to the instructor. Give a small amount of credit for completing and submitting the
contract by the deadline that you set.
**BE PREPARED BEFORE THE CLASS STARTS AND THEN HAVE FUN!

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PART 2 THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS

TIPS FOR THE NEW ONLINE INSTRUCTOR THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS
A. BACKGROUND
1. The first weeks of a class is critical in helping students feel comfortable in an new
and unfamiliar learning environment.
2. A common practice for online courses is to give students an "orientation week" within
the first 6-8 days from the start date. This give students added to the course late the
opportunity to access to the class before it officially begins.
3. Maintains a Presence in the course at all times. It is very important to responds to
introductions, assignment within 48-72 hours and responds to emails and discussions
within 24-48 hours for potential problems.
4. Make an announcement within 24 hours of the start date of the class to give the
students a heads-up about the upcoming week. This would detail item they need to
complete, due date reminders, reminder to stay on task for the entire course, but
especially week 1.
B. MANAGERIAL EXPECTATIONS
1. PROVIDE AN ICE BREAKER ASSIGNMENT DURING THE FIRST WEEK - The
purpose of an Icebreaker is to help create a positive online environment and offer a
chance for students to establish a relationship each other and the professor. This initial
connection is vital to the retention of course material and the success of the students.
These activities also involve students from the beginning and support a positive
environment in which the students are expected to actively contribute.
Example: My Slogan Explain that many Universities and colleges have slogans or
mottos which reflect their principles. Ask each student to write (or borrow) a
slogan to describe him/herself and share with the class in the introduction discussion
post. For example, Governors State University uses the slogan, Are you ready for
the TRANS4MATION? This symbolize the University transformation into a 4 year
University.
2. INFORM STUDENTS ABOUT WITHDRAWAL TIMELINE AND POLICYS DURING
THE FIRST WEEK - Ensure to post announcements about the refund policy and
withdrawal deadlines which are established by your school or university.
At any point if a student inform you that he/she is unable to gain access to course
chooses that the is not the right class, provide the student information about the
deadline and how to contact the registrar.

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3. CONTACT MISSING STUDENTS AND MAINTAIN PARTICIPATION - Pay attention

to potential non-participants students during the first week of class. You may want to
send a reminder email with your contact information and simply ask if they have
login/access difficulties. If students are added during the end of your first lesson,
contact them as soon as possible with additional information about how to gain access
to course materials, login to the course management system and your contact
information again.
C. PEDAGOGICAL / INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN EXPECTATIONS
1. SET THE CLIMATE - Create a sample discussion and response behavior and tone
within the first discussion board. Use a relaxed tone that is friendly, inviting, friendly,
and encouraging. Utilize rubrics to make all expectations clear and set standards for
all grades on assignments, discussion boards, and both individual and group projects.
2. SET THE STAGE ON GROUP PROJECTS - If class or group discussions are going to
have a regular activity, it is recommended to have a class or group discussions on the
first day of the course. If you want your students working in small groups throughout
the course, it is recommended to create groups on the first day of the course. If you
want them writing regularly in the course, it is recommended to have them write
immediately during the first week of the course.

**PLEASE USE THE CHECKLIST ON PAGE 6 AS AN EXAMPLE OF ITEMS

THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF A COURSE

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Checklist for Week 1

DAY 1
Post a "welcome" announcement for your students right away.
Post orientation materials and requirements for all week 1 assignment and
discussions.
Post your introduction with email, contact and office hours in both the
announcement and introduction post.
Double check hyperlinks are active for the reading and assignments for week 1.
Ensure only week 1 of course material are open.
Check enrollment for newly added students.

DAY2-4
Check introduction discussion boards for activity.
Check the course e-mail tool for new messages from students.
Update your class schedule with any new or revised due dates if nessary.
Grade any orientation assignments submitted by students requiring a manual
grade.

DAY5-7
Contact students who have not yet accessed the course.
Check the course e-mail tool for new messages.
Consider holding online office hours to give a formal overview of the course.
Post an end-of-week announcement to wrap-up week 1.
Check for late enrollments.

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PART 3 MANAGING THE COURSE THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER

TIPS FOR THE NEW ONLINE INSTRUCTOR DURING THE COURSE
A. DISCUSSION BOARD
1. CHECK AND READ - The discussion boards should be checked and daily. By
reading them daily, it can increase productivity over the week instead of reading
everything at one time and possibly missing the opportunity to assist in understanding
of the concept.
2. ENSURE THE LEARNERS ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK - Monitor that other
learners are assisting them in getting on the right track in understanding the concept.
3. ENCOURAGE - Promote further critical thinking by participating in the discussion
by asking open ended and relevant questions.
B. COURSE QUESTIONS
1. CHECK Ensure the course questions discussion boards are checked twice daily to
check that the learners are getting prompt answers to their questions on the course.
2. CHECK - Learners may also alert you of any unexpected technical issues within the
course.
3. RESPOND - Course questions should be answered within 24-48 hours.
C. E-MAIL
1. CHECK - E-mail at least twice daily but attempt to check it three times. It is
beneficial to check e-mail in the morning, mid-day, and in the evening. This helps to
give prompt feedback to learners emails and by checking them often it also prevents
a build up of emails.
2. REMINDER - If you cannot respond immediately to an email, make a note to yourself
to answer it at a specific time.
3. RESPOND - All emails should be responed within 24 hours.
D. GRADES
1. ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE GRADED IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
a. Multiple choice tests should be graded within 5 days
b. Written papers/ short answer tests should be graded within 7-10 days
2. SCHEDULE - Make a schedule for yourself and stick to it. Also let the learners know
when they should be expecting their grades.
3. INFORMATION - Inform students if there should be a delay in the grading process.

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E. COURSE CONTENT
1. CHECK - Continuously check content to ensure links are still active.
2. CHECK- Check links to make sure they are still relevant to the material.
3. DOUBLE CHECK - Make sure discussions, assignments, and course content are
released on schedule. This is important so your learners can stay on schedule as well.
F. ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. POST - Ensure to post announcements for upcoming important dates or large
assignments.
2. POST Ensure to post an announcement with any last minute changes to the schedule
or assignment requirements.
**PRINT OUT THE TABLE ON PAGE 9 TO USE AS A CHECKLIST AND NOTE
REMINDER AS YOU WORK THROUGH EACH ELEMENT OF THE COURSE EACH
DAY. PRINT A NEW ONE FOR EACH WEEK OF THE COURSE AND KEEP IN A
BINDER.

DAY

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DISCUSSION

COURSE
QUESTIONS

EMAIL/NOTE
S FOR
RETURN

GRADES

COURSE
CONTENT

ANNOUNC

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

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