GOALS ....................................4 STUDENT SUCCESS ....................................5 eLEARNING DEPARTMENT ....................................6
MISSION..............................................6 DEFINITION..............................................6 RESPONSIBILITY..............................................6 WHO WE ARE..............................................6 eLEARNING DEPARTMENT..............................................6 SOCIAL MEDIA..............................................6 IMPORTANT LINKS..............................................6
DISTANCE EDUCATION COMMITTEE....................................7 eCAMPUS..............................8-15 BRIEF HISTORY ..............................................8 SYSTEMS..............................................8 CANVAS..............................................8 ACCOUNT..............................................9 DEPARTMENT ADMIN ROLE..........................................10 FACULTY GROUP............................................10 CANVAS MOBILE............................................11 CANVAS COMMONS.............................................11 INTEGRATIONS.............................................12 STUDIO IN CANVAS.............................................12 RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER & MONITOR.............................................12 TURNITIN PLAGIARISM CHECKER............................................13 UPSWING ONLINE TUTORING............................................13 QWICKLY ATTENDANCE............................................13 COLLEGE POLICY ON PUBLISHER PRODUCTS............................................13 PUBLISHER LINKS............................................13 CANVAS CONFERENCES/BIGBLUEBUTTON............................................14 eLEARNING DEPARTMENT WEBSITE............................................14 eCAMPUS HELP DESK............................................15 DEVELOPING AN ONLINE COURSE............................................15 EXTERNAL COURSE REVIEW - QUALITY MATTERS............................................15 COURSE DESIGN CHECKLIST............................................15 CANVAS REFRESH ............................................15 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ............................................15 PROQUEST ............................................15
FACULTY READINESS CHECKLIST............................16-19
RESPONSE TIME FOR STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS............................................16 COURSE READINESS............................................16 ON-CAMPUS COURSES............................................16 MAJOR TESTING PERIODS............................................16 COURSE WELCOME............................................16 GRADES & ATTENDANCE............................................16 DOCUMENTATION OF LAST DAY OF ATTENDANCE FOR ONLINE STUDENTS............................................17 BEST PRACTICES FOR TEACHING ONLINE............................................17
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT AT NCTC..................................18 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ..................................19
GOALS The eCampus Faculty Handbook provides instructors with the resources and information needed to develop and teach high-quality online, hybrid, and web-enhanced on-campus courses. Its fundamental goals are to help faculty become familiar with the eLearning Department's services and encourage faculty to follow proven best practices as they develop and teach online and hybrid courses. MORE SPECIFIC GOALS ARE: • To inform faculty of NCTC policy and guidelines related to online learning. • To keep faculty informed of NCTC eCampus procedures. • To provide answers to frequently asked questions. • To inform faculty of the various services and training opportunities available. • To recommend best practices for teaching in the online environment. • To support faculty to meet regular and substantive interaction criteria for distance education courses. Mindful that many instructors have on-campus and online teaching responsibilities, this handbook intends to serve as a reference document. It supplements, but does not replicate nor replace, the Faculty Handbook distributed by the Office of the Provost. This handbook was developed through the collaboration of the eLearning staff and DE Committee, and any comments/suggestions should be directed to the Provost or the eLearning Department.
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STUDENT SUCCESS North Central Texas College takes responsibility for providing the highest quality educational experiences for students very seriously. Two college core values, affordable, quality education and stimulating learning environments, reinforce the importance of student success by developing effective course design using current technology. Current statistics suggest comparable student success levels throughout all delivery modes.
*Chart 3.2 taken from Data Summit II (2022 packet)
FIGURE 1. NCTC SUCCESS RATES, FALL 2019 - FALL 2021 The findings above include all online and face-to-face courses between Fall 2019 and Fall 2021. The success scale included grades A, B, C, P (passing), and S (satisfactory). (T. D. VanHook personal communication, February 19, 2019). All online (80% or more online) and hybrid (30%-79% online) courses are delivered through NCTC eCampus. Regular students refer to all students that are NOT dual credit. Hybrid classes are included in face-to-face courses.
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eLEARNING DEPARTMENT MISSION The mission of the NCTC eLearning Department is to facilitate the continued growth and development of distance learning opportunities for a diverse and rapidly changing student population. The department strives to accommodate various online student needs and learner preferences. The eLearning Department is an Instructional Unit and reports directly to the Dean of eLearning. DEFINITION eLearning works with eCampus, but they are unique from one another. eLearning is a department within North Central Texas College supervised by the Dean of eLearning, two instructional designers, and an eLearning Program Coordinator. eCampus is the system that is maintained and utilized by the eLearning department. RESPONSIBILITIES The eLearning Department is responsible for the following at NCTC: • eCampus Systems - Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) - Publisher Apps - Studio for Canvas - Respondus Lockdown Browser & Monitor - TurnItIn Plagiarism Checker - Canvas Conferences/BigBlueButton - Qwickly Attendance • eCampus Help Desk - Technical support for all eCampus systems - Link for eCampus Help Desk • eLearning Course Design - Consult with faculty regarding best practices and various technologies for streamlined online courses • eCampus Training - Provides diverse professional development offerings for eCampus users • eLearning Campus Visits - Weekly visits to support faculty and students with eCampus systems
WHO WE ARE eLEARNING DEPARTMENT Sara Flusche
Cindy Wittrock
Axel Leos
Joshua Spradling
Dean of eLearning sflusche@nctc.edu | (940) 668-3351 Instructional Designer aleos@nctc.edu | (940) 668-4262
eLearning Program Coordinator cwittrock@nctc.edu | (940) 668-7731, ext. 4966 Instructional Designer jspradling@nctc.edu | (972) 899-9701, ext. 4511
SOCIAL MEDIA X: NCTC eLearning IMPORTANT LINKS What’s New At NCTC? | eLearning NCTC page | eCampus page | Canvas Refresh 6 | eCAMPUS FACULTY HANDBOOK
DISTANCE EDUCATION COMMITTEE The Distance Education (DE) Committee aims to enhance the quality and capacity of the college’s distance education offerings. The committee’s primary responsibility is creating and reviewing standards for distance education, including online faculty certification. The DE Committee coordinates with other committees across the college to ensure that standards for distance education courses result in high-quality instruction and, ultimately, student success. North Central Texas College recognizes that rapid developments in distance education technology require users to stay informed of changes. In between meetings, the committee conducts business via their Canvas group.
DISTANCE EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Chair: Caroline Wunder Co-Chair: Axel Leos Elizabeth Cuzco Susan Decker Sara Flusche Alex Holland Bekah Sanchez Josh Spradling Jill Swarner Cindy Wittrock Jill Yoder
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eCAMPUS BRIEF HISTORY NCTC eCampus offered its first online courses, British Literature I, American-State-Local Government, and American-National Government, in the fall of 2000. Online course enrollment and offerings have grown exponentially since the mid-2000s. In fall 2014 over 280 online sections were offered, and 32% of NCTC students took at least one online course through NCTC eCampus. In Fall 2018, 461 online courses were offered and 47.38% of NCTC students attending in that term took at least one online course through the NCTC eCampus. SYSTEMS NCTC eCampus is comprised of specialized systems and their users (e.g., students, faculty, and staff). The central platform of eCampus is the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). Other systems, each providing a specific capability, integrate into Canvas, such as Respondus Lockdown Browser and TurnItIn Plagiarism Checker. Additionally, various publisher products, like McGraw-Hill Connect, WebEx and Pearson MyLab and Mastering, integrate into Canvas. CANVAS Canvas, an Instructure, Inc. product, has been on the market since 2011. Starting in spring 2011, a group of over 20 faculty members plus the eLearning Department staff began evaluating LMS options to replace the ANGEL LMS. In May 2013, after extensive research and evaluation the group unanimously recommended Canvas. NCTC signed with Instructure, Inc. in June 2013. In the Canvas Instructor Guide, you will find everything you need to know to use Canvas as a teacher, from creating assignments to managing course settings. The Canvas Student Guide will help you learn everything from submitting assignments and quizzes to communicating with your instructor. If you have any questions or concerns about features updates in Canvas, please contact the eCampus Help Desk.
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ACCOUNT Use your OneLogin and password to login to Canvas. By clicking the Courses drop down list in Canvas, all faculty should see their Canvas Practice Course and Canvas Refresh. Any other training courses, guides, and groups (e.g., Faculty Group) are also listed under Courses.
Figure 2. Login page at https://nctc.instructure.com.
Prior to early registration, course shells are batch generated in Canvas. Course shells are generated based upon the schedule of classes at the start of early registration and updated regularly until late registration closes. Student and instructor enrollments are also updated in Canvas regularly. All course enrollments are updated in Canvas 4 times a day. This is a shared process between the eLearning and ITS Departments. All courses, online, hybrid, and face-to-face, start on the first day of the semester. It is the responsibility of the online instructors to have online courses published before the first day of the semester. Every instructor in Canvas has his or her own personal Canvas Practice Course. Install, edit, and copy over content from your Practice Course to any course or group in Canvas where you have Teacher rights.
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eCAMPUS DEPARTMENT ADMIN ROLE All instructional deans, division chairs, and program coordinators are assigned the DEPT-ADMIN role in Canvas. The DEPT-ADMIN can access all courses, statistics, outcomes, rubrics, and reports in his or her Instructional Unit. The DEPT-ADMIN can also send communications to students and faculty at the individual, group, and course levels. Contact the eCampus Help Desk for DEPT-ADMIN technical support FACULTY GROUP The Faculty Group course is the resource center for all full-time and adjunct faculty at NCTC regarding eCampus systems. More specifically, Faculty Group provides detailed information and instructions on various eCampus systems along with weekly webinars showcasing various parts of these systems.
Figure 3. Faculty Group in Canvas.
All eCampus full-time faculty and adjuncts should see the Faculty Group course listed among their Courses dropdown list in Canvas. Contact the eCampus Help Desk for Faculty Group technical support.
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CANVAS MOBILE The Canvas Mobile app is available for free on iOS and Android devices. Communications, grades, modules, quizzes (limited) and files are all available to students via the Canvas Mobile app. The Canvas Teacher app is also available for free on iOS and Android devices. The Teacher app is specifically made for faculty and allows the user to grade and communicate from their mobile device. Canvas Mobile and Teacher apps are available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. CANVAS COMMONS Canvas Commons is a Learning Object Repository (LOR) that enables instructors to find, import, and share resources with one another. Use Commons to build courses and lesson plans. With Commons, instructors can find courses, modules, assignments, and quizzes to import into their own course(s). To introduce faculty to Canvas Commons, the NCTC eLearning Department offers Intro to Commons. Intro to Commons is a module in the Canvas Refresh course that details a few important aspects of Commons and how users can get started using Commons. More information, like how to access and navigate Commons, is available in the Canvas Guides.
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eCAMPUS INTEGRATIONS There are multiple specialized systems integrated into Canvas. Integrated means that the system is available for use within Canvas. There are too many available to list here and the list is ever changing. To see currently available applications within Canvas go to the settings menu within a course, then click on the Apps tab at the top. The following is information about a few of the most commonly used tools. STUDIO IN CANVAS Our video platform is Studio, by Instructure. Studio functions as a media repository that allows all eCampus users to record videos, upload videos, capture screen recordings and much more. Studio functions similarly to social media in that comments are integrated seamlessly for user interaction and feedback. For admin and instructors, analytics are available to monitor student activity. Studio quizzes are also available to test students while viewing media. Questions can be placed at certain timestamps to provide a rich quiz experience while engaging with media. Quizzes are automatically graded and can be integrated with Canvas grades seamlessly. Captions are also a feature within Studio that should be utilized. Captions can be generated for any video in Studio and provide up to an 85% accuracy rate. There are a few language choices that can be automatically generated by Canvas, and Studio accepts caption uploads as well if a typed-up transcript is available for the media file. Lastly, generated captions provide the user with a caption file that can be edited in various ways before the captions are published to the media. Studio should be used extensively as opposed to uploading media files directly to course or account files in Canvas. Studio videos currently do not have a file limit and do not count against your course file storage limit. RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER & MONITOR To prevent students from opening additional tabs, windows, applications, or monitors during an online quiz, test, or exam, NCTC eCampus uses Respondus LockDown Browser. To require students to use Respondus LockDown Browser, select the LockDown Browser link in the Course Navigation menu. For more information on LockDown Browser settings, please review the Updated Integration for Canvas webpage. Installation is a one-time process per computer. The installation will only work with assessments delivered via NCTC eCampus. If a student tries to access a quiz that requires Respondus Lockdown Browser by using another browser, such as Firefox or Google Chrome, Canvas will not launch the quiz and instead prompts the student to go to the URL referenced below. If you intend to use Respondus LockDown Browser in your course, include the URL referenced below in the Syllabus and in the first module in your Canvas course. Respondus LockDown Browser is also available in most NCTC computer labs and faculty offices. Use Student View via Course Settings to preview Respondus Lockdown Browser on a specific quiz, test, or exam. Please note that in order to preview your assessment via Respondus LockDown Browser, it must be installed on your computer. See the Faculty Group in Canvas or Canvas Refresh for support with Respondus LockDown Browser. Students and faculty use the same download URL. Installation instructions are also available on the Respondus LockDown Browser website. Respondus Monitor is a companion product for LockDown Browser. Use Respondus Monitor to protect the integrity of your non-proctored, online exams. When enabled by the instructor, Respondus Monitor requires students to use their own computer and a webcam to record assessment sessions. Instructors can quickly review details of the assessment, including the recorded video. Access the Respondus Monitor settings through the LockDown Browser Dashboard in Canvas. Instructors that use Respondus Monitor need to include a notification statement in their Syllabus so that students are aware from the onset that a webcam is required. Additional resources and best practices, including a sample syllabus statement, are available on the Respondus Monitor webpage. 12 | eCAMPUS FACULTY HANDBOOK
TURNITIN PLAGIARISM CHECKER TurnItIn is a plagiarism detection service that identifies potentially plagiarized or improperly cited text. TurnItIn is most commonly used within a learning management system to scan student submissions. The service automatically checks submitted work against an ever- increasing index of online sources. View the Quick Start Guide here. For TurnItIn technical support please contact the eCampus Help Desk. UPSWING ONLINE TUTORING Upswing is a 24/7, one-on-one online tutoring service available to all currently enrolled NCTC students through Canvas. Students login to Upswing using their NCTC email and student ID as the password. Student are eligible for up to 5 hours of online tutoring in an academic year. For information about Upswing, visit: https://www.nctc.edu/online-tutoring The Student Success Center offers this service and also provides in-person tutoring at select campuses as well. Online students can take advantage of online and in person tutoring. For more information, call 940-668-4209 or visit: https://www.nctc.edu/tutoring QWICKLY ATTENDANCE Qwickly attendance is a robust attendance solution integrated into Canvas to provide data to measure student engagement. Qwickly allows instructors to easily take attendance for their in-person and online courses. Please refer to the Canvas Refresh module for more information. COLLEGE POLICY ON PUBLISHER PRODUCTS All NCTC online and hybrid courses using Web-based publisher products, such as Pearson MyLabsPlus and McGraw-Hill Campus, must reside in the board approved Learning Management System (LMS), i.e., Canvas. The NCTC Catalog states, “NCTC uses the Canvas Learning Management System for all online courses.” Students are notified extensively via the Web, as well as flyers, posters and other means that online courses are delivered via Canvas. At a minimum, course announcements, course mail, course syllabus, and a link to the outside resource or service must be in Canvas. Graded course content must also be accessible though Canvas. PUBLISHER LINKS The following publisher products are integrated into Canvas, meaning NCTC faculty that use any of these products need to also use the associated Canvas Navigation Link: McGraw-Hill Campus - McGraw-Hill Connect - McGraw-Hill LearnSmart Cengage MindTap - Portal for Cengage Learning products Pearson MyLabs Products - Other Pearson Products Students and faculty should access these products via Canvas exclusively, rather than direct URL. Accessing via Canvas exclusively is optimal for students and faculty, as these publisher products are Single Sign-On (SSO). SSO allows users to login to Canvas then click on the publisher link in their course and automatically log into the publisher system. This also is best for syncing grades to Canvas. All online and hybrid courses should use Canvas as their access portal to all third-party curriculum.
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eCAMPUS WEBEX EDUCATION CONNECTOR FOR CANVAS Cisco WebEx is managed by the ITS department. However, the eLearning department supports the WebEx Education Connector for Canvas. This is a seamless integration that offers three different features to utilize Webex in Canvas: Classroom Collaboration, Virtual Office Hours, and Virtual Meetings. For more information on the WebEx Education Connector for Canvas, please refer to the Canvas Refresh modules or please contact the eCampus Help Desk. For technical support, reach out to the ITS department, or submit a ticket here. CANVAS CONFERENCES/BIGBLUEBUTTON Canvas Conferences, powered by BigBlueButton, is the Web conferencing application available to eCampus users via the Conferences tool within Canvas courses and groups. SMARTERMEASURE SmarterMeasure is a diagnostic tool that measures a student’s preparedness for online courses. It asks questions based on time management, motivation, technology experience and other important measurements needed in an online course environment. Visit https://smarterservices.com/smartermeasure/ for more detailed information. The NCTC specific SmarterMeasure link can be found here: https://nctc.smartermeasure.com/ ELEARNING DEPARTMENT WEBSITE The eLearning Department maintains a department website at http://nctc.readi.info/. It is also available from the college homepage at www.nctc.edu. The department website offers resources for both faculty and students, including links to technologies and services for teaching and learning, important downloadable documents, and other useful information for eCampus users. ECAMPUS HELP DESK Students, faculty, and staff in need of technical support with any of the systems administered by the eLearning Department should use the eCampus Help Desk. If you are experiencing a technical issue with one of these systems that requires immediate support, such as an exam not functioning properly in Canvas, please call the eCampus Help Desk at (940) 668-4243. eCampus Help Desk phone support is unavailable after regular business hours and on weekends. Before submitting a request, please search the eCampus Help Desk Knowledge Base. If you are unable to find an answer in our Knowledge Base, please submit a request. For technology support with systems outside eLeaning Department responsibilities, like OneLogin assistance, GoPrint, Shoretel/Mitel, campus hardware, MyNCTC and other network systems, please visit the ITS Department helppage. DEVELOPING AN ONLINE COURSE Each Division Chair is responsible for approving the online or hybrid courses to be developed within his or her division. Division Chairs, with consultation from the eLearning Department, also approve the instructors who will develop them. Once a course is developed and instructors are chosen, the instructor may contact Instructional Designers for course design or the eLearning department for technical support. The time it takes to develop an online/hybrid course will depend on many factors. First, an instructor who has used supplemental well-developed content in a face-to-face course will have less to create than an instructor who has not used online content previously. An instructor who has taught a course for a long time may have a better knowledge of what videos and interactive content is available than an instructor who is newer to that particular course. Instructors who have more time during the day may need less time than those who have very little extra time during the day, etc. All instructors should strive to develop a course that has well thought-out activities and quizzes, interactive components, and content that takes the place of what an online student would receive in a face-to-face course. Simply uploading quizzes and PowerPoints does not produce a quality online course. All online courses should include a video introduction of the instructor and meet regular and substantive interaction criteria. 14 | eCAMPUS FACULTY HANDBOOK
EXTERNAL COURSE REVIEW - QUALITY MATTERS In 2015, NCTC implemented QM standards into course development and review, which was previously managed by a QM coordinator. At this time, Division Chairs are responsible for approving and/or developing their online courses within their division. Instructional Designers are available to assist with course design, technical support, and informal course review. However, Division Chairs who still want an official QM course review can submit the request to the eLearning Program Coordinator. The Coordinator will then assist with the course review application process. Course review fees may apply. INTRODUCTION TO CANVAS Instructor completes Intro to Canvas, located in Canvas Refresh. This module is a clear and concise intro to Canvas for users that have never been exposed to the Canvas LMS. It covers tools and features in Canvas, as well as course setup and a look at some of our favorite courses that have been created. Instructors are automatically enrolled in Canvas Refresh. It is available under the Courses list in Canvas. If you do not see this course under your Courses list, please contact the eCampus Help Desk. Introduction to Canvas trainings can also be offered throughout the year per request; however, faculty must still complete the Intro to Canvas module in Canvas Refresh to receive a badge and training credit. CANVAS REFRESH The Canvas Refresh course is a Canvas resource and training group designed for NCTC administrators, faculty, adjuncts, and support staff who use the Canvas learning management system. Canvas Refresh is meant to refresh and deepen skills, knowledge, and competencies with Canvas and our instructional technologies. This course is composed of 6 units that correspond with a course readiness checklist. All faculty are enrolled in the Canvas Refresh course automatically when hired. Instructors complete modules located in Canvas Refresh. Each module will provide training on various topics, such as course design, engaging online learners, and meeting Regular & Substantive Interaction criteria for effective online instruction. Digital badges are awarded per module completion. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The eLearning Department offers many training opportunities throughout the academic year. Professional Development is offered by eLearning at every In-Service. Event topics cover a wide range of technical and pedagogical areas important to faculty. Faculty and adjuncts can connect with the eLearning department weekly by participating in the virtual Canvas Workshop Series hosted in the Faculty Group. Topics include, but are not limited to: • • • •
Canvas Basics for New Instructors Advanced Topics in Canvas Using Studio in Canvas Using Canvas New Quizzes
• • •
Creating Home Pages and Course Design Developing Rubrics & Outcomes WebEx Meetings Attendance Grading in Canvas
PROQUEST All Dallas Digital Resource Repository videos are available in the ProQuest database. This database is accessible via NCTC Libraries. The database features a vast library of videos to help faculty develop courses. There are over 2,500 video clips, exercises, and activities across multiple disciplines. The repository is designed for ease-of-use in online, hybrid, and on-campus courses. Learning objects can be easily integrated into course content in Canvas. More detailed information is available in the Faculty Group in Canvas. eCAMPUS FACULTY HANDBOOK | 15
FACULTY READINESS CHECKLIST RESPONSE TIME FOR STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS Instructors are expected to respond to Canvas Discussions and Inbox Conversations within 24 hours Monday through Friday and within 48 hours on the weekend. Discussion forums referred to here are general help forums, not lesson interactions. Response time should be clearly stated in the course syllabus on the first day of the semester. COURSE READINESS Term begin and end dates are handled entirely by the eLearning Department. This ensures student access is uniform across the college. However, please remember that the instructor must Publish his or her course prior to the semester start date, otherwise students will not be able to access the course. Publishing can be done at any point between when the instructor is granted access and the semester start date. Instructors have full access to a course for two weeks after the semester end date. During this time, they can access all course content, including Grades. Student access defaults to read-only at the end of the semester. An instructor may need to provide a student extended access (i.e., over two weeks past the semester end date) to a course in the case of an Incomplete. Please contact the eCampus Help Desk to request extended student access for an Incomplete. Note that after two weeks the instructor will see the course under his or her Past Enrollments in Canvas. At this point the course is in a read-only state for the instructor as well. A concluded course can be imported into any future course shell, if needed, by using the Import Content into this Course feature in the new course shell. Content can also be shared via Commons. ON-CAMPUS COURSES For on-campus courses, the instructor must publish the associated course in Canvas on the first day of the semester. Students increasingly expect to access ALL of their courses in Canvas. They see Canvas as a tool to assist in their learning, regardless of the designated course delivery method. Providing on-campus students access to the course in Canvas allows the instructor to share content, communicate, and even deliver assessments beyond the physical classroom. Using Canvas in this way flips the classroom so that class time can focus on addressing student questions, expanding student abilities, and ultimately problem solving at a conceptual level. Additional information about enhancing on-campus courses in Canvas is available in the eCampus Help Desk Knowledge Base. Please note that grades and attendance data for ALL courses, regardless of delivery method, must be kept in Canvas (see Grades & Attendance). MAJOR TESTING PERIODS Faculty are expected to provide students with a policy on what to do when an assessment performs unexpectedly in Canvas. Instructors are also expected to monitor Canvas communications with increased frequency during testing periods. COURSE WELCOME Faculty should include a course welcome video or audio file in each section. The quickest method for creating an audio or video file is to use Studio. With Studio, instructors are able to create web cam recordings, screen recordings or a combination of both. Faculty may also use their iOS or Android device to record, upload, and post video and/ or audio files to Canvas. GRADES & ATTENDANCE For archival purposes, every semester, instructors need to maintain grade and attendance data in Canvas. This includes online, hybrid, and on-campus, i.e., face-to-face, courses. For more information on how to use the gradebook or taking attendance in Canvas, please review the guides from Canvas Community and/or review their respective modules in Canvas Refresh. You can also utilize the Qwickly Attendance integration in Canvas which allows you to track attendance for in-person and online courses. 16 | eCAMPUS FACULTY HANDBOOK
DOCUMENTATION OF LAST DAY OF ATTENDANCE FOR ONLINE STUDENTS When a student receiving Title IV funds withdraws from an on-campus or online program, the institution must determine the student’s withdrawal date to calculate the amount of financial aid that must be returned to the Department of Education or the lender (known as the Return to Title IV, or R2T4, calculation). NCTC Attendance Regulations state, “Simply logging into an online course does not constitute attendance. The Department of Education calculates the last date of attendance by the last time a student participated in an online discussion or made contact (interacted) with a faculty member and this standard is applied to online courses.” (https://www.nctc.edu/catalog/) REGULAR AND SUBSTANTIVE INTERACTION In 2020, the Department of Education (DoE) reshaped federal regulations and definitions on distance education that went into effect on July 1, 2021. This new federal definition includes clarification of regular and substantive interaction. Regular and substantive interaction is the distinguishing feature of distance education versus correspondence education. Institutions risk losing access to student financial aid if more than 50 percent of their courses are classified as correspondence courses or more than 50 percent of their students are enrolled in correspondence courses. Therefore, North Central Texas College (NCTC) must ensure that its distance education courses have regular and substantive interaction as a component of its online courses. REGULAR AND SUBSTANTIVE INTERACTIONS MUST BE: With an instructor Initiated by the instructor Scheduled and predictable Academic in nature and relevant to course Ensure that instructors are promptly and proactively engaging students in substantive interaction Include at least 2 of the following: - Direct instruction - Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework - Providing information or responding to questions about the course content - Facilitating a group discussion regarding the course content - Other instructional methods approved by the institution’s accreditor For more information on how to meet regular and substantive interaction criteria in your courses, please refer to the module in Canvas Refresh and/or make an appointment with an Instructional Designer.
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FACULTY READINESS CHECKLIST BEST PRACTICES FOR TEACHING ONLINE In addition to the following, related information is also available on the eLearning Department Faculty Resources page: Carefully review the course syllabus every semester. Update all necessary information such as college-wide dates, textbook and supporting materials, assignments and assignment due dates. Review all course materials every semester. Test and confirm that all links are active. Utilize the Link Validator tool via Canvas. Update due dates and assignments. Update textbook references and testing materials when a new textbook or edition is used. Publish your course in Canvas prior to the first day of the semester. Post a welcome video or audio announcement in Canvas. The announcement should welcome students to the class and encourage their success in the course. Give students a little biographical information about yourself so they can get to know you. This helps establish instructor-student rapport. Have students introduce themselves on a discussion board during the first week of class. This helps to establish student-student rapport. Monitor and respond to general class discussion questions, Canvas Inbox, etc., within 24 hours. This builds the students’ confidence in you as an instructor. It also gives you the opportunity to acknowledge excellent posts, express concerns about inadequate posts, and provide additional sources of information about a topic that students may want to explore. Post a course announcement weekly. This is another way to establish your presence in the course and strengthen the instructor-student relationship. Post grades in Canvas as soon as possible after an assignment is completed. Reinforcement is most effective when provided in a timely manner. Send personal messages via the Canvas Inbox to students about grades or when a student does not follow instructions. Send personal messages to encourage students throughout the semester. Interact with students to let them know you care about their success in the course, by commenting on student responses to discussion questions. Respond to possible embarrassing discussion threads (or any incident) offline, never publicly or on discussion boards. Grades should also never be posted on discussion boards. Leave the People tab available to all students, do not hide it. Students will be able to see each other for assistance and this will also help create a sense of community.
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TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT AT NCTC See below to locate the appropriate support contact for a specific system: ELEARNING DEPARTMENT Contact eCampus Help Desk http://ecampushelpdesk.nctc.edu/hc/en-us System Canvas Studio Respondus LockDown Browser Respondus Monitor TurnItIn Plagiarism Checker Canvas Conferences/BigBlueButton Qwickly Attendance Publisher integrations (Limited support) SmarterMeasure eCampus Help Desk Cisco WebEx Education Connector for Canvas ITS DEPARTMENT Contact ITS Help Desk https://nctcitsupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us System MyNCTC OneLogin accounts Hardware (Labs, classrooms, offices) Software (Labs, classrooms, offices) Jenzabar GoPrint Scanners and Printers Phones ShoreTel/Mitel Lion Alert Barracuda email filter Faculty, staff email accounts
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Student email accounts Network security and access Wireless network access (On-campus) Network file management VPN Estudias Docubase Adastra ITV Classrooms (Maintenance, Setup, Training) SIM labs Security cameras ITS Help Desk
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES eLEARNING DEPARTMENT
NCTC eCAMPUS (LIVE)
NCTC eCAMPUS HELP DESK
CANVAS INSTRUCTOR GUIDE
CANVAS MOBILE GUIDES
STUDIO GUIDE
RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER, INSTRUCTOR QUICK START GUIDE (CANVAS EDITION)
RESPONDUS MONITOR
TURNITIN PLAGIARISM CHECKER
SPEEDGRADER™
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