Quality Online Course Checklist

❏ Describe how to navigate the course space

• Where to find critical information
• Where to find critical information (e.g., syllabus, grade book, calendar, policies, etc.)
• Where to find obtain, sign-up for, use, and/or seek support for the tech tools needed for class
• How to contact UCSD student support services
• How to communicate with the instructor & IAs (e.g., email addresses, canvas inbox, etc.)

❏ Indicate how to begin working on course tasks

• Communicate where to go and what learning activity to do first

❏ Instructors' self-introductions are professional, but also “humanizing”

• Include your name, title, photo (or other visual representation), a field of expertise
• Include a hobby or a piece of "colorful" information
• Demonstrate receptivity by encouraging student questions/concerns

❏ Students have the opportunity to introduce and share information about themselves

• Asynchronous or synchronous discussions are typical

❏ Describe what students should expect from the course 

• Prior knowledge/competencies needed and prerequisite course required for successful course completion
• Importance of course content to student’s programs of study and/or general knowledgebase
• Identification of common “pain points” and potential solutions/reassurances of support
• Description of a typical week’s activities (e.g., synchronous/asynchronous, group activities, reading, multimedia)

❏ Describe what students should expect from the instructor

• Timelines for assessment feedback, responses to emails, and other forms of class communication (e.g., announcements, forum participation, etc.)
• Instructors and IAs/TAs have developed a student engagement/communication plan
• Course’s grading policies are clearly presented and explained ( e.g., grade weights, late policy, etc.)

❏ Describe the instructor’s expectations for students

• Appropriately/professionally communicate with the instructor and fellow students
• Timely submission of assignments
• Requests of absence or late submissions made before, not after, classes/ due dates
• Academic integrity policies are followed

❏ Course-level outcomes are clearly delineated and measurable

• Are easy for students to find and review (i.e., positioned prominently) 
• Are stated clearly and written from the student’s perspective. Avoid technical jargon.
• Measurable (i.e., progress toward these learning outcomes can be measured with specificity).

❏ Module/Week-level outcomes, or competencies, are clearly delineated and measurable

• Are easy for students to find and review (i.e., positioned prominently)
• Are stated clearly and written from the student’s perspective - avoid technical jargon
• Measurable (i.e., progress toward these learning outcomes can be measured with specificity)
• Module/week-level outcomes are consistent with and help students meet, course level outcomes

❏ Describe how (and why) assessments, instructional materials, and interactions enable students to master learning outcomes

❏ Learning outcomes measure cognitive skills to a degree appropriate to students’ programs of study or levels of experience (e.g., introductory, developmental, mastery)

• As appropriate, module-level outcomes exhibit cognitive leveling, increasing in complexity throughout the term.

❏ Students will demonstrate their mastering course/module level outcomes through the successful completion of course assessments.

❏ Assessments are sequenced logically and progressively, allowing students to develop skills before demonstrating mastery (e.g., feedback is received on section drafts before the full paper is submitted)

• An assessment schedule should be presented early in the course, allowing students to complete work in a timely and thoughtful manner

❏ A variety of assessment types are employed, allowing students to demonstrate progress and mastery in multiple ways (e.g., quizzes, case studies, discussions, group presentations, research papers, etc)

• It may not be possible to measure the mastery of all outcomes with the same assessment type. Choose types of assignments/activities that will assist you in gauging student progress towards all goals
• Strive to craft assessments that can accommodate diverse students

❏ Assessments are rigorous enough to allow students to demonstrate mastery of learning outcomes at degrees appropriate to students’ programs of study or levels of experience

❏ Prior to each assessment, students are provided with the criteria that will be used to evaluate their performance (e.g., rubrics, checklists, or other evaluative tools)

• Evaluative criteria need to help students understand the instructor’s assessments and participation expectations
• Assessment descriptions explain the relationship between evaluative criteria and a student’s final course grade

❏ The grade book is structured logically, allowing students to accurately calculate their current grades

❏ Students can expect to receive regular, timely, and actionable feedback

• Feedback is timely, allowing students the space to incorporate suggestions into future assignments
• Feedback is “actionable”, highlighting areas that need improvement and suggesting remedial steps

❏ Instructional materials provide students with the contextual information, procedural tools, and the skill demonstrations needed to complete assessments successfully, and by extension, demonstrate their mastery of learning outcomes

❏ The relationships between instructional materials and learning outcomes are clearly articulated

❏ Instructional materials are sequenced logically and progressively, allowing students to integrate new information into prior schemas 

• When possible, content should be "chunked" into shorter units. This segmentation gives students time to assimilate new information without overwhelming their short-term memories

❏ Instructional materials come in various formats (e.g., textbooks, videos, podcasts, articles, etc)

• Varying the forms of employed media helps maximize student attention and support the preferences of individual students

❏ Instructional materials are up-to-date, and where appropriate, represent up-to-date trends in their discipline (e.g., current research, clinical recommendations, theoretical frameworks, analytical techniques, etc)

❏ Learning activities employ various interactive strategies to promote outcome mastery by providing students with opportunities to actively and directly engage with course content 

• Students are invited to “engage by doing” (e.g., discovering, processing, or applying information), and to take increasing levels of responsibility for their own learning
• Activities can come in a variety of formats (e.g., presentations, group work, case studies, discussions, debates, role-play, etc)

❏ Students have the opportunity to actively interact with the course content, with other students, and with the instructor

❏ Contact the Digital Learning Hub to schedule a short Usability Checkup

❏ Contact the Digital Learning Hub to schedule a short Accessibility Checkup (e.g., Image descriptions, video captioning, document headers)

❏ Contact the Digital Learning Hub to schedule a short Academic Integrity Checkup (e.g., plagiarism tools, exam proctoring, canvas quiz setup, academic integrity pledges, etc)

❏ Contact the Academic Integrity Office for additional support

❏ For each external tech tool used, students are provided with tool-specific support contact information (e.g., support contact information for publisher tools, Zoom, Canvas, etc)

❏ The syllabus includes an accommodation statement

Sample Language:

• “Students requesting accommodations for this course due to a disability must provide a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter (paper or electronic) issued by the Office for Students with Disabilities ( https://osd.ucsd.edu/students/ ) Students are required to discuss accommodation arrangements with instructors and OSD liaisons in the department in advance of any exams or assignments.”

❏ Students are made aware of UCSD support services

• Basic Needs: The Hub
• Technical Support: IT Service Desk
• Mental Health and Wellbeing: CAPS
• Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs: student success resources
• Teaching + Learning Commons: services for students
• UC San Diego Libraries: services and resources
• TritonLink: find student services and support

❏ If you would like to make the course available to students across the UC system, notify the Digital Learning Hub approximately a quarter in advance

❏ An “Are you ready for online learning?” tool is available to students when the course is published - contact the Digital Learning Hub for more about this tool