• I create mechanisms to provide students with transparent, ongoing updates on their current course grade
• I make grades available to students in BbLearn throughout the semester for most/all assignments
• I ensure that grade column names match assignment names in the syllabus and throughout the course
• I have cleared out old/revised assignments in the gradebook in both teacher and student views

• I provide samples of students’ completed and graded papers and assignments available in order to allow for critical self-evaluation and effective modeling, especially for repeating and/or high-stakes assignments
• I provide explicit grading criteria/rubrics for each assignment are provided and the criteria are consistently applied when grading
• I purposefully include graded learning activities early in the term in order to give students detailed feedback on performance and to promote engagement
• I create multiple ways for students to access frequent comments and support on their progress throughout the course (e.g., virtual office hours, regular announcements, F2S or a discussion board dedicated to course logistics and questions)

• I provide students with information about how and when to communicate with me, including my updated contact information and preferred channels of communication (email, course messages, phone, etc.)
• I include appropriate channels of communication within the class (e.g., email for questions about individual grades, course discussion boards for general questions)
• I provide clear and detailed written expectations to students throughout the course that include point values and due dates for all assessments/assignments
• I set expectations for communications including how quickly and how frequently I will respond to email and discussion postings and when I will post grades for assignments and exams
• I encourage help-seeking behaviors by mentioning academic support resources throughout the course and suggesting ways to use these resources
• I set expectations for the amount of time students should anticipate spending on course activities (assignments, studying, reading and preparing for and participating in class)

• I organize or “chunk” course materials for easy navigation (by week, module, or topic)
• I organize the course materials, gradebook, and course tools so that I can use my own time more efficiently (eg., use of re-usable announcements and/or embedded rubrics to streamline the grading process)
• I provide a list or calendar/schedule that shows all course milestones and deadlines in a single location so that students do not have to hunt for the information
• I organize course materials within the folder structure so that it takes fewer than four “clicks” to access most information from the course landing page
• I provide a course menu (left-hand navigation bar) that allows direct access to some of the most-used features, but is still concise
• I use clean, uncluttered design, fonts, and colors, so as not to distract from the content

• I explain to students how the course readings, activities, assignments, and assessments will help them apply their learning
• I tie the relevant course-level learning objective(s) to each assignment/assessment’s instructions/overview
• I provide learning objectives for each unit, module, or week

• I use a more personal tone in course communications and expectations (use “you” instead of “the student”)
• I facilitate student interaction in a variety of ways, e.g., group work, online discussion, peer review, online journaling/blogs with classmate comments
• I provide opportunities for students to discuss and interact with the course material
• I use guiding questions about the course content to give students an opportunity to discuss the questions, propose answers, and defend their thinking
• I assign learning activities to students in order to provide them with opportunities to present work to the class in a variety of ways, such as discussion board postings, chat, presentations, podcasts, or multimedia projects

• I verify that all web pages and media components function correctly on major operating systems and different browsers supported by ITS
• I ensure that all necessary plug-ins or software to run video, animation, audio, presentations, and / or course content files are easily accessible and usable on all student computer systems supported by ITS
• I double-check that all links to external URL’s outside of the course connect to the intended pages without errors and open in a new window
• I upload legible, easy-to-read documents into my courses
• I have used graphics and video that are compressed and/or sized for optimum web delivery and images are not stretched and distorted

• I provide alternative text (titles and descriptions) for all images in the course
• I use images to complement text, rather than to replace it
• I use alternative text (titles and descriptions) to describe graphs and charts
• I have verified that line by line reading of a table/chart/graph makes sense to students using screen reader software
• I have used foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having vision difficulties or when viewed on a black and white screen
• If I am not familiar with accessibility issues, I am working with the Usable Materials Center (and/or Disability Resources) to ensure that my course complies with minimum ADA requirements

Accessibility Support Resources

Disability Resources
Usable Materials Center
e-Learning

• Copyright clearance was obtained for all materials inside the course that do not fall under the TEACH Act or Educational Fair Use

• I use course banners and custom graphic design – (these services can be requested from e-Learning)
• I use Collaborate Ultra to host online office hours with video chat for students who can’t make physical office hours
• I use plagiarism-detection features embedded in BbLearn (SafeAssign)
• I use available security options for online exams and assignments to support students in making choices with integrity (randomized question pools, order of question appearance, answer choices for multiple choice/matching questions)
• At the beginning of the course, I include an introduction activity that helps students get to know each other and gives students practice in using online tools such as discussions, email, and attachments
• I provide extra material or exercises for students who lack essential background knowledge or skills
• When team projects are integral to the course experience and assessments, I provide direct instruction and guidance on how to work as a team, explaining group members’ roles, and establishing guidelines for group interaction
• I make the first few reading assignments available online to allow students time to order and receive the textbook at the best possible price
• I include a picture or introductory video of myself along with brief biographical information
• I use built-in feedback for individual questions in BbLearn exams
• I describe how students should ideally participate in the course in a way that goes beyond minimum expectations
• I provide transcripts and/or captions for any media (video/audio recordings) created for or linked within the course. (Contact the Useable Materials Center for support with transcripts and captioning, if needed).
• Implement the five suggestions from the First Generation Working Group, View suggestions. And, check out their website with an extensive list of articles with more information for faculty.