Course Preparation and Start-up:

This section provides guidance on how to meet or exceed each standard for course preparation and start – up. Students will be given access to a fully online course one week prior to the start of the term.

Standard: A clearly written, well-organized syllabus is posted in the appropriate Canvas section one week before the first day of the semester.

• Use the Syllabus Template page provided in the course.
  • • Complete all sections of the syllabus
    • Attaching  PDF version of the syllabus is optional
    • The syllabus is accessible to the student through the Syllabus link in the Navigation menu

Standard: A welcome message or announcement to students is posted in the appropriate Canvas section one week before the first day of the semester.  This message describes what students should do to prepare for class.

• A course announcement is an important tool because it provides immediate communication with all students. Students value the announcements, and it helps to show that a faculty member is engaged in the course.
• Best practice is to provide up to two announcements per week or unit; one at the start of the unit and another at the end recapping the learning
• Announcements can also be used to alert students on grading related issues.
• Do not remove any announcements after you have posted them, so that they remain visible to your students throughout the term as a permanent record.

Standard: An icebreaker or introductory discussion is ready on day one of the semester.

• Use an Introduction Discussion in the initial unit. Ask students to provide name, what they intend to learn from the course, their career or education plan, and other information they wish to share with the class.
• Respond to each student’s introduction post.

Standard: The course is ready to be taught: content, learning activities, and assessments are present and organized.

• Review the full course and assure all content is ready at least one week before the term begins even if future units are not accessible. 
• Elements to review may include but not be limited to the following;
  • Title: a heading of the material covered for each unit.
  • Description: a summary of the material presented in each unit.
  • Lectures
  • Readings
  • Resources:
  • Discussion Questions
  • Assignments
  • Content Assessments (typically quizzes)
  • Rubric(s)

When a course is scheduled for fully online for the first time the faculty member works in collaboration with the Instructional Systems group in the Teaching and Learning Center Department. They can be contacted at isc@chesapeake.edu.