Per Title 5 Guidelines, regular and substantive interaction between student and instructor is required. Syllabi must describe mandatory regular substantive interaction between students and instructors. Instructors must regularly initiate interaction with their students.
The Distance Education Committee has identified the following methods:
Regular Announcements: Faculty should make general announcements to the students in their distance education classes on a regular basis, whether by the announcement area in the Learning Management System or via e-mails to the entire class. The suggested frequency is a minimum of one announcement per week. Moreover, faculty should include a general announcement by the first day of class orienting students and including, at a minimum, course expectations and contact information.
Establishing Expectations: Faculty should include in their syllabus or course orientation a description of the frequency and timeliness of instructor-initiated contact and feedback, as well as expectations for student participation. This should include the timeframe for responding to e-mails and phone calls, the timeframe for receiving feedback on student work, the timeframe for submission of assignments, and the quantity of discussion board postings required by the student.
Faculty‐Initiated Interaction: Faculty
should regularly initiate interaction with students to determine that they have
access to the course materials, that they understand the material and what is
required of them, and that they are participating in the activities of the
course. There are various ways of accomplishing this, including but not limited
to: asynchronous discussion board forums with appropriate faculty input,
synchronous chats, video conferencing, individualized contact via phone or
e-mail, and, in the case of a hybrid course, regular face-to-face meetings.
Student-Initiated Contact with Other Students:
Opportunities for student-initiated interaction with other students are required
per Title 5 regulations and the CBA (Contract Bargaining Agreement). Regular
effective contact among students is designed and facilitated to build a sense of
community among learners. Guidelines explaining required levels of student
participation (i.e., quantity and quality of interactions) are consistently
provided.
Timely Feedback on Student Work: Faculty should grade and provide feedback on student work within a reasonable timeframe. If discussion boards are required, students should be given guidelines at the outset of the course and feedback on their participation throughout the semester.
Content Delivery: Faculty should provide content material either through online lectures (in written, video, and/or audio forms) and/or through instructor’s enhancement of materials not created by the instructor (such as publisher‐provided materials, web sites, streaming video, etc.).