Teach a Course
Before the start of class
- Sign and return your contract to Donna Curtis at dcurtis@regent.edu. Call her at 757.352.4662 with any questions. If you have not received a contract 7 days prior to the beginning of your class, please notify Donna. Note that by signing your course contract you are agreeing to the expectations explained below and saying that you will adhere to the Teaching Timeline that lists deadlines. Write the actual dates into your teaching calendar or dayplanner. Consult the Academic Calendar for Regent Undergrad.
- Contact your Department Chair if you have not received a copy of the textbook for the course you are teaching. You should receive copies of the textbooks for a course four weeks before the start of class.
- After your paperwork has been processed by Human Resources, call the IT department at 757.352.4076 to obtain your Blackboard login and password. When access is available, call Rachel Blisson (E-Learning Specialist), at 757.352. 4638 or email her to get enrolled into the courses you are scheduled to develop/ teach. If you are experiencing problems getting into Blackboard or have other concerns with Blackboard, please see the Information Technology Support Guide: http://www.regent.edu/it/blackboard/support/ or contact Rachel Blisson (E-Learning Specialist).
- Enroll in the "Blackboard Certificate" course that is designed to train teachers and course developers so that they feel comfortable with Blackboard tools. Contact Donna Curtis at 757.352.4662 or email her at dcurtis@regent.edu to get enrolled.
- If you have questions about a task, go to the quickstart tutorials page. If you still experience problems, call Rachel, at 757.352. 4638 or email her.
- The first thing you need to do when you are in your class on Blackboard is to modify and update the syllabus. Fill in your personal information on the first page of the syllabus, inserting your "Message from a Professor" and your Bible verse. You will also need to list your policy on receiving late assignments and late Group Discussion Board posts. (Your policy needs to be more specific than ‘Late papers will suffer a grade reduction.') Read through the rest of the syllabus to make sure that it is complete. You are responsible for the completeness of the syllabus, which will be kept on file for accreditation purposes. Also, fill in the dates on the assignment schedule section of the syllabus. As soon as the Syllabus is done, put it in Blackboard and make the class available to the students (see the teaching timeline below).
- Rules of conduct for participating in the discussion board
- Rules of conduct for email content
- “Speaking style” requirements, (i.e. use of correct English required as opposed to net acronyms)
- Spelling and grammar expectations, if any
- Information on teaching philosophy
- Past experiences with teaching online classes
- Personal information such as hobbies, etc.
- A photograph
- Read the lesson plans for the course. If the developer has not provided you with the lesson plans contact your Chair.
- When you complete your personal profile in the Faculty Information area, you may need to remove a previous faculty member's information. See the tutorials below. If you still experience problems, call Rachel Blisson (E-Learning Specialist) at 757.352.4638.
- Complete a final check of your Blackboard site:
- Make sure that all the links under assignments are working
- If a course cartridge is used be sure that it is uploaded by the publisher. Contact Rachel Blisson if you have questions.
- Double-check items in the gradebook to be sure they are set up correctly and that attendance is included.
- Be sure that all the materials in the assignment area are updated.
- Assign the students to groups if necessary and set up Groups Discussion Boards.
- Write a welcome message to the students in the Announcement Section of Blackboard providing detailed instruction about where they need to start. If the course is on campus, remind students of the room location.
- Here's an example of a message: " Welcome to our class (name). I look forward to working with each of you this session. I look forward to "meeting" all of you in our online world. I look forward to meeting you in our first class in CRB # (on campus). Please post your introduction in the Discussion Board ASAP. Sign with Your Professor (name)."
- Examine the "Teaching Timeline" to see the expected deadlines.
In addition, include the following in your syllabus:
Learn More about Email Etiquette
| Netiquette expectations with regard to discussions and email communication are clearly stated. | Expectations of student conduct online are clearly stated, however brief or elaborate they may be. The expectations themselves are not evaluated.
Examples:
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Faculty Information and Self-introduction
| The self-introduction by the instructor is appropriate. | The initial introduction creates a sense of connection between the instructor and the students. It should present the instructor as professional as well as approachable, and include more than the essentials, such as the instructor's name, title, field of expertise, email address and phone. The self introduction helps students get to know the instructor. It could include: |
Details of Late Assignment Policy
| Clear standards are set for instructor response and availability (turn-around time for email, grade posting, etc.) | Information clearly indicates how quickly the instructor will respond, when feedback will be provided, and when the instructor is available to meet.
Information clearly indicates instructor response time for key events and interactions, including email turnaround time, time required for grade postings, discussion postings, etc. Standards also include instructor availability, including email response time, degree of participation in discussions, and availability via other media (phone, in-person) if applicable. This standard does not prescribe what that response time and availability ought to be. |
