First Week

The following items should be completed for your assigned group.

Prepare and send an introductory email to your group

If applicable, the instructional design team will set up groups in the course by the first day of class. Once groups are complete, each group facilitator should make contact with his or her group. The text below provides an example of an email that you may modify or customize as needed to send to the group of students you will be working with in the course.

Example welcome note:

Please keep a copy of all communications you send to your group and students in case they are needed later to respond to a student inquiry.

Check Virtual Office (daily)

Throughout the course, students may post questions for you in the Virtual Office area assigned to your group. Please monitor the Virtual Office on a daily basis and reply to student questions. It is highly recommended that you subscribe to the Virtual Office forum so as to receive email notification about student posts in this forum.

If a student posts a comment or question that may be inappropriate or unsuitable for the forum, please contact your lead instructor for information on how to proceed.

Monitor Student Community (optional)

Throughout the course, students may post in the Student Community. Students are notified that their instructor/co-instructor is not required to monitor the Student Community so if they have course-specific questions they should post them to the Virtual Office. However, you can read and optionally respond to the comments in that area if you would like. You may choose to "Subscribe" to this forum as well.

Monitor group assignments

If a student adds the course late, the instructional design team will add the student to the appropriate group and email you to notify you of the late addition. If a student contacts you to say that they have added the class late and wants to know what group they are in, forward the email to the lead instructor and instructional design team to have the student assigned to the appropriate group.

Monitor/Respond to student introductions

The class you are facilitating may have a graded or ungraded discussion in the first lesson/module that asks students to introduce themselves. Please monitor and respond to these student posts throughout the first lesson/module. This is a chance for you to become familiar with the students in your group and learn about their personal and professional lives.

Monitor/Respond to student discussion

Please check with your lead instructor regarding the level of participation that is expected in the lesson/module discussions. Using the discussion rubric, provide feedback to students about their discussion throughout the first lesson/module.

Respond to any student emails within 24 hours

At a minimum, all co-instructors should respond to student inquiries within 24 hours and schedule a phone conference, online chat or video conference with a student if necessary to follow up on questions or issues that cannot be addressed via email or online discussion.

Although scheduled weekly office hours are not mandatory, co-instructors must be available to communicate with online students live and by remote methods between 3-6 hours each week. Per ACD 305-05: "Every instructor who teaches courses is expected to be available to students outside of class on a reasonable and regular basis." In addition, ACD 304-10 stipulates that all instructors should provide a statement indicating "how to contact the faculty member for an appointment outside office hours."

Attend any scheduled co-instructor meeting with your lead instructor

On an ongoing basis during the class, your lead instructor may schedule a virtual meeting via phone or video conference. In these sessions, you will discuss grading criteria and policies, how to address late work, and other questions or issues that you have.

Monitor and follow up with non- and under-participating students in your group

Identify students who haven’t logged on by Day 3 or Day 4 or who have not submitted work by the end of the first lesson/module. Send the student an email as follows and copy the lead instructor:

• • If all their work has been a zero or no work submitted, then please contact the student to inquire how you might be of assistance.

  • If other work has been completed but the quality raises concerns, then contact the student to inquire how you might be of assistance. In addition, notify the lead instructor about your concerns regarding the student's performance.

  • If other work has been completed and grades improved, then compliment the student or just move forward without correspondence.

To discuss options regarding a student's progress in a degree program (for example, dropping or withdrawing from the course), please contact the academic advising team for the program with which the course is affiliated. For the Ed Studies degree program, please contact the academic advisor listed on the team introduction email sent to you prior to the class start.