Online Teaching Guidelines

Transitioning to an online learning environment is a time-consuming and exacting process. The guidelines presented below were developed to assist faculty to successfully transition from in-person to online instruction and assure a high-quality learning experience for our students. They are offered as recommendations for assisting faculty in the preparation, planning, design, and delivery of online courses. These guidelines are built on evidence-based learning principles: engaging students online; providing prompt and targeted feedback; maintaining a supportive learning environment; minimizing cognitive load through the delivery of short segments of information; and clear content organization and communication.

Click the plus symbol (+) to expand each section below and explore considerations for learning-centered online teaching.

+-Preparation, Planning and Course Design

Consult the syllabus of your in-person course (if applicable) and consider how in-person course delivery might work in an online environment:
- What are the learning goals for the course?
- How is the course organized?
- How is content delivered in person?
- Are lectures utilized? Discussions? Other learning activities?
- What assessments are part of the course? Why?

Develop your syllabus for online teaching and take steps to convert your in-person courses to online courses (this video may be helpful)
Consider prioritizing activities with the most preparation time, such as video recording
You may choose between two standard customizable Blackboard templates provided by the University – one that is module-based containing a few navigation links to assist in organizing content, and one that is time-based with a template for each week of course instruction
Simply replacing every assigned class session with a synchronous (live) session can cause cognitive overload, which may be avoided by replacing some portion of class time with appropriate asynchronous activities
Think about how to balance synchronous and asynchronous work by considering the benefits of faculty and peer engagement relative to independent student work
Select a default platform to use consistently for synchronous meetings (Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate, or Microsoft Teams), with Zoom working best for large classes and portable devices
Try to avoid old technology like flash which consumes more bandwidth
Simplicity is a virtue: utilize two or three online tools or activities that support your learning objectives to give students time and practice with using these tools effectively
Online student engagement may be facilitated with instructional activities designed to reinforce foundational knowledge delivered via direct instruction, utilizing techniques like:
- Assigning short essays on concepts in podcasts
- Having students watch a recorded lecture with guided questions and discussing in a live session
- Assigning practice quizzes with follow-up activities directed towards clarification of incorrect responses
- Conducting online exercises that facilitate student interaction
- Having students record presentations and review their peers’ presentations

Aim to have essential course materials (including syllabus, activities, and assessments) ready approximately one week before classes start, so students will be able to access them (keep in mind that students can see areas under development once they have access to the course)

Consider attending individual and group consultations (as needed) with VITAL and UNIT throughout the course development process

+-Course Content

Leaning goals should drive decisions about how to deliver and structure online course content
Consider adding content which includes a variety of engaging and comprehensive sources – texts, videos recorded by faculty, videos available in the public domain, audio podcasts, etc.
Try to organize and present course content in “chunks” because small quantities of information are easier to absorb online
Consider using Open Educational Resources whenever possible to save students money and meet accessibility requirements (Falvey Library can assist with finding OER for courses)
Make use of tools with accessibility checkers (available in Word, PowerPoint, etc.) to be sure course materials are ADA compliant and accessible to all students

+-Creating Community/Building Personal Connections

Regular and substantive interaction with students (direct instruction, substantive feedback on assignments, instructor-initiated discussion of material with students) is critical in online education and will foster community
Consider posting an introductory course video and a brief personal introduction
Consider providing a space for students to introduce themselves, such as in a discussion board or video response format
Consider posting a brief (5-10 minute) weekly introductory video or video introductions to course units to highlight key learning objectives and introduce general introductory material
Schedule regular virtual live weekly office hours equal in number to the office hours you would hold on campus, and stagger the time of day to accommodate students in other time zones
Think about how you can provide multiple ways for students to participate (such as live sessions, chat, discussion boards, and in breakout rooms) with clear expectations and guidelines
Consider inviting alumni and industry leaders for class discussion where appropriate, to help students feel special and demonstrate the power of the Villanova degree
Set the Blackboard Announcements page as the landing page for your course if you are using Blackboard and use Announcements to keep students alerted to course updates and weekly work (announcements can be emailed to students as well)
Consider adding a discussion board or chat space for students to engage in informal conversation the way they might chat before or after an in-person class
Try to be available before and after live class sessions as your schedule permits, and inform your students accordingly
Keep in mind that students may be experiencing stress or trauma from their personal circumstances during a shutdown or the uncertainties of the pandemic, so check in with them frequently and be as flexible as possible

+-Recording Original Content

Record video and audio lectures in brief segments (10-15 minutes) and consider interspersing with activities/quizzes that reinforce learning and maintain student focus
Professional recording and editing services are available through Villanova studios
If using the studio is not possible, videos can be recorded on Mediasite, the University’s supported platform, with minimal background noise and a well-lit recording space.
Microsoft Stream offers screen recording, with the option of including Microsoft Forms quizzes for greater interactivity and engagement with the material
Try to avoid mentioning dates and making references to events that “just happened” to extend video life for use in subsequent courses that you are teaching
Villanova retains recordings directly in Zoom Cloud for 150 days, after which they are saved in a trash folder for an additional 30 days before being deleted unless faculty download and save them to Mediasite
If colleagues are teaching different sections of the same course, consider distributing the workload and sharing videos and other content.

+-Lab Courses

Virtual instruction cannot replace the entire educational laboratory experience, notably observation and practice, so learning goals should focus on teaching students to:
- Propose and design research experiments
- Analyze experimental data
- Learn by teaching others (perhaps including critical analysis of the scientific literature)
- Participate virtually in experiential learning to achieve course objectives
Be attuned to how to adjust learning goals for online lab courses
Additional guidance will be provided by each college regarding laboratory and clinical courses

+-Clear and Consistent Communication

Remember to communicate with your students early and often
When in doubt, err on the side of more communication
When teaching online, more repetition than usual is necessary
Remember to communicate your expectations clearly and transparently in the syllabus to help students learn effectively on their own
It is advisable to select one communication channel (Blackboard announcements, email) to avoid confusion and be sure to make students aware of how you plan to communicate and how you expect them to communicate
Responding to individual student inquiries can be time-consuming, but try to respond in a timely manner (ideally within 24 hours) and adhere to the expectations you set
Check in with students on a regular basis to see how they are managing in social isolation – remember students may feel overwhelmed working online and/or may lack confidence in their ability to succeed in an online environment

+-Assignments, Testing and Evaluations

Leave sufficient time to set up online assessments prior to the start of the course
Remember to communicate deadlines consistently and clearly
Consider creating a course calendar separate from the syllabus as a means of reinforcing due dates/assignments
For consistency purposes it is recommended to have assignments due on the same day of the week, perhaps with an automatic extension (i.e.: due Friday with an automatic extension to Sunday if needed)
When announcing due dates, remember to specify Eastern Time to avoid confusion
Providing students with a series of ongoing small assignments, or a series of small assignments that build into a big assignment (e.g., research question, literature review, methodology, term paper), can help prevent overload and burnout
Varying assignment modes (such as giving students the choice to respond in writing or with audio/video) can deepen student learning and cater to a variety of learning styles
Consider including ungraded assignments or practice quizzes to assess how effectively you are communicating course material while providing students with practice assessments in a low-stakes setting
If colleagues are teaching different sections of the same course, consider sharing test content to provide a broader variety of questions
To minimize the possibility of cheating, consider assignments and assessments that are open book and reflective in nature (such as short answer original essays) or randomized short answer questions from test banks when applicable
Be attuned to best practices for online testing and maintaining academic integrity
Please consult supported tools and resources for assignments, assessments and grading

+-Legal and Policy Requirements

External audio and video sources appropriate for conveying subject matter (Ted Talks, content generated by professional associations, news stories, audio podcasts, “.gov” websites) may be used if they are in the public domain or appropriate permission has been attained
Be cognizant of the ratio of third-party video content (YouTube, Ted Talks) to faculty created content
In planning synchronous and asynchronous instruction, review the credit hour policy and consult with your department chair or college for guidelines, keeping in mind that all courses must meet the required instructional hours through a combination of live virtual sessions and instructional equivalent activities
Regular and substantive interaction with students in online courses is required by federal law and can be achieved through the use of a variety of different technologies (Zoom/Blackboard Collaborate, chat features, email, blogging), by providing substantive comments on assignments, and by engaging with students to exchange ideas about course topics through regular communication
To meet federal requirements, student attendance and participation can be documented on live, virtual sessions (available tools include Blackboard analytics, Zoom participant lists, and Microsoft Teams Insights and meeting attendance lists); while student consent is not needed to record classes in which they are enrolled, faculty should provide students with notice when classes are being recorded (e.g., Zoom provides an on-screen notification to participants when a session is being recorded); faculty should send the Registrar (registrar@villanova.edu) the names of students who stop attending class, their last date of attendance, course number and title
Faculty are required to make key instructional materials available to students if they cannot participate in live online sessions; this may include recorded Zoom sessions, recorded video with summaries of key information/concepts, comprehensive slides/handouts, and all supplementary instructional materials
To comply with federal law on student identity verification in online courses and to protect student privacy, course content must be accessible only by students with a unique login and password, which is provided by Blackboard; students should be reminded not to share their login credentials or links to online course sessions with others; faculty who have built personal online course websites should ensure that content is protected by a unique login and password
All course content must meet web accessibility standards, and faculty must continue to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities pursuant to university policies and procedures.
Creators of reusable teaching and classroom materials shall continue to own those materials unless they are subject to a prior agreement governing their ownership and/or are specifically funded as a University Sponsored Work, as further detailed in the Intellectual Property Policy

The task force members who developed these guidelines are listed below. Deans and Faculty Congress submitted feedback for the final document.

Gabriele Bauer, Director, VITAL
Valentina DeNardis, Director of Classical Studies
Kevin Donahue, Assistant Vice President, Instructional Technologies
Kristy Irwin, Assistant Vice Provost, Online Programs
Matthew Kerbel, Interim Associate Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning (chair)
Crystal Lucky, Associate Dean of Baccalaureate Studies, CLAS
Bette Mariani, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, FCN
Christine Palus, Dean, College of Professional Studies
Julie Pirsch, Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, VSB
Barry Selinsky, Associate Dean for Research, CLAS
Andrea Welker, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, COE
Emory Woodard, Dean of Graduate Studies, CLAS