Curriculum Online Course Guidelines

Durham Tech's Distance Learning Advisory Team created the Online Course Guidelines enumerated below, with input from faculty across curriculum departments. The guidelines are intended to summarize the essential elements of quality online instruction. The guidelines may be used in the following ways:

• To provide guidance for instructors who are new to online teaching
• To help experienced online instructors identify areas for improvement and/or professional development
• To assist supervisors with evaluating instructor performance
• To guide professional development and training efforts
• To communicate the college's expectations internally (faculty/staff) and externally (accrediting bodies)

Course expectations / Basic course information

1. The course syllabus explains clearly and specifically:

• how online attendance will be tracked
• how to contact the instructor and response time to expect
• ground rules for online communication (netiquette)
• expectations for participation (how often students should visit the course site, check email)
• any special tools or materials required
• course structure and due dates
• student learning outcomes (as provided by the academic department)

2. The course home page lists the course title and the instructor's name and contact information. (Optionally, the instructor can also add an image, course description, list of course outcomes, or other items to make the site welcoming and unique.)