1) Definition: An Internet/web-based course is any course in which students may complete more than 50% of the requirements through Internet access to the course web site. (Note: The more than 50% rule is the same as that used by the Southern Regional Educational Board.)

2) Classification: All Internet/Web-based courses are Distance Education courses.

3) Policy on Equivalence: courses taught in the web-based format must be equivalent to the same courses taught in the traditional format, in accordance with SACS criteria 4.2.4 for Undergraduate Courses and 4.3.5 for Graduate Courses.

a) Courses developed specifically for web-based delivery must be approved through the curriculum process in the same way as new traditional courses.

b) The processes and procedures for offering web-based courses are the same as all other distance education courses. [See http://de.etsu.edu/handbook/handbook.htm.]

c) Departments offering courses in web-based format should be prepared to document that the courses have student-learning outcomes that are equivalent to those for courses taught in the traditional format.

4) Statement on Copyright: Faculty teaching web-based courses are expected to be familiar with and abide by all applicable or relevant copyright laws. Information about copyright laws may be found at http://de.etsu.edu/tbr.htm

5) Intellectual Property Rights – The Tennessee Board of Regents has adopted a Policy on Intellectual Property Rights for faculty developing instructional materials for Distance Education courses (see http://de.etsu.edu/tbr.htm). This Policy defines ownership of instructional materials for Distance Education courses under varying circumstances. In some cases the university assumes ownership unless otherwise arranged by prior written agreement. If the faculty member wants to clearly establish intellectual property rights, s/he should, prior to the development of an Internet course, obtain a written agreement with the university that addresses areas such as ownership of materials, use of any or all of the materials by other faculty, who can authorize access to the materials, who can modify or add to the materials, use of the materials if the faculty member leaves the university, and issues related to selling the course materials to an entity outside the university. The committee recommends that the Provost establish guidelines and procedures for faculty to follow if they wish to obtain Intellectual Property Rights that differ from the standard TBR Policy.

6) Standard Components for Web-based Courses: The following components should be included in every web-based course:

a) A course syllabus

b) Course outcomes

c) A detailed description of how to submit assignments

d) A technical help page – when students have technical problems with the course, they should be directed to resources for assistance

e) A student resources page – a page containing hyperlinks to university resources designed for students who are seeking help or support. An example would be a web page that contains hyperlinks to the Library, important semester dates (Registrar), Adult Programs & Services, Advisement Resources Center, Career Placement and Internship Services, Counseling Center, and Disability Services. Distance Education should develop such a page to be used in every course.

f) Instructor Contact Information: Students must be provided reasonable opportunity for private contact and communication with the course instructor. Contact information should include office hours, telephone number, email address, fax number (if available), and mailing address. Regularly scheduled synchronous chat sessions could also be included, provided that the chat sessions allow for private sessions between the student and the instructor.

g) Each Internet course must provide for the interaction among students and faculty and students. An online discussion forum would be an asynchronous example of this.

h) Each Internet course should provide the student with a calendar for assignment completion to help pace the student through the course. Due to the nature of asynchronous learning, students need a guide and calendar for completion of assignments.

i) All Internet courses will be password protected and each student enrolled in the course shall be given a username and password to the course.

j) Each course shall have a public page to allow prospective students to view the course objectives, calendar, prerequisites, and technology required to access the course modules.

k) Distance Education will perform a student assessment for the delivery methods for all Internet courses.

l) Each course must have a student release form due to the discussion forum posting of student comments. Distance Education will place such a form in each course web and collect student submissions into a database.

m) A standard ETSU logo should be on the public page and the home page of the course web to clearly identify the course with ETSU. This logo used should be the same on all courses.

7) Policy on Faculty Training: In accordance with TBR policy, all faculty developing and teaching Internet courses must demonstrate competence in the use of the technology for instruction and course development. It is the responsibility of the office of Distance Education to ensure and document this competence prior to the offering of the Internet course.

a) Supported Software: The Office of Distance Education will specify a limited list of software to be used in developing and offering Internet courses and that will be supported fully by Distance Education personnel, as well as the Academic Technology Lab and the Teaching and Learning Center. Any exceptions will be made by the Office of Distance Education on a case-by-case basis, based on their best judgment on what can be adequately supported. The decision on what software to use, or to change software, will be made by Distance Education in consultation with faculty users and technical consultants. If a decision is taken to change the software to be supported and faculty must migrate to a new format, faculty will be notified well in advance and assisted in making the transition.

b) Teaching and Learning Center: The TLC will provide workshops and training for faculty on the pedagogical and managerial aspects of Internet instruction.

c) Academic Technology Support and Distance Education: The offices of Academic Technology Support and Distance Education will provide workshops and training for the faculty on the software applications adopted for Internet course creation.

d) Each faculty member developing an Internet course will be given a training and support guide sheet that specifies the appropriate contacts for available support resources.

 

8) Student Lab support: All open student computer labs, such as the Culp Center lab, will be configured and managed to support student access to the content of Internet courses developed by ETSU faculty.

9) Evaluation of Internet courses: Internet based courses are to be evaluated by the same standards as traditional courses and the areas assessed must be equivalent to traditional courses. The SAI for the Internet will be distributed to enrolled students either through regular mail or as a printable PDF file within the course web. In the longer term, secure web based SAI procedures will be implemented.

10) Evaluation of the Medium of Instruction: The evaluation of courses delivered by Internet also must include questions designed to assess the effective use of the medium for instruction. The office of Distance Education will conduct this assessment and receive the results.

11) Faculty Workload: The committee recommends that developing and offering an Internet course be classified as a major activity, equivalent to significant traditional activities in teaching, research, and service. Developing an Internet course should be reflected in the faculty member’s workload with an appropriate modification of assigned duties and/or through the provision of significant additional resources to support the faculty member during the development period and initial offering term.

The finished product, that is, the resulting Internet course, should be considered as equivalent to a traditional major achievement. A department would have the option of conducting a peer review process, either within the department or by external reviewers. The department chair will determine this process and apply criteria appropriate to the discipline and to Internet pedagogy.

12. Hardware and Software Support - The university will provide the necessary support, hardware and/or supported software, for faculty members who have specific feasible plans to develop and offer Internet based courses in a reasonable time frame. The necessary hardware and software includes an acceptable computer, any supported client software needed for content development, appropriate network access and server space on the Distance Education server, and on-going support from Distance Education and OIT. The Office of Distance Education will consult with faculty and departments to determine if a particular faculty member has, or can acquire, the necessary technical skills, if the faculty member either has or can develop a realistic and feasible plan for developing the Internet course, and if the particular course is suitable for delivery through the Internet. Distance Education and ATS will work together to develop a suitable training plan for the faculty member developing the course. If resources are limited Distance Education will consult with faculty, departments, and OIT, to set priorities based on factors such as the number of students to be served, programmatic and organizational needs, and estimated time for completing the task.