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A Newsletter for Online Faculty @ Indiana Wesleyan University
August 2012Volume 1 Number 5
The LinkThe Five Stages of Grading
How many of us really can say that we enjoy the process of grading student work. An old and wise faculty member once observed “I teach for free...I get paid for grading.” Regardless of how we might feel at any given moment about a mountain of grading that lies ahead, we all need to do it...and do it well. To add a little humor to the situation and relieve any stress that you may be feeling about the rigor of grading, consider the “Five Stages of Grading” (http://notthatkindofdoctor.com/2010/10/the-five-stages-of-grading/). Fashioned after the stages of grieving, you may want to periodically do a self-evaluation as to where you find yourself on the stages of grading.
Stage One: DenialIt all begins with the belief that I really don’t have a huge volume of grading ahead and this task can be handled quickly and easily.
Stage Two: AngerNow I move to anger...thinking about all of the time and effort that I will need to actually grade all of the course assignments. This makes me angry!
Stage Three: BargainingI begin to think about possible solutions to this extreme situation. I convince myself to grade ten Discussion Board entries and then reward myself by taking a break to watch one of my favorite
television shows.
Stage Four: DepressionWow! Really? I am deeply saddened by the fact that I have all of this work to do. What was I thinking? My depression deepens as I reflect on the reality of this situation.
Stage Five: AcceptanceOK. I realize now that there is no alternative but to jump in and grade these assignments. Put on another pot of coffee... I can do this!
Which level describes today’s thoughts on grading for you?
The LinkA publication of
The Center for Learning & Innovation765.677.1821
and the Online Region 765.677.4200
Editors:Mark Alexander
([email protected])Brad Garner
Indiana Wesleyan University1900 West 50th Street
Marion, IN 46953
The Link Volume 1 Number 5 2
The IWU Quality Matters Reportwith Melanie Wachs
Center for Learning and Innovation
Indiana Wesleyan has adapted the Quality Matters™ rubric, with permission, to meet the unique expectations of IWU’s online and blended courses. The IWU Quality Matters Report has ten general standards and 48 specific standards used to evaluate the design of online and blended courses. Annotations help explain how to apply the standards and relationship among them, and a scoring system is in place to assist the Instructional Design team in evaluating the quality of the course. The ten general standards include the following:
1. Course Overview and Introduction2. Learning Outcomes3. Assessment and Measurement4. Instructional Materials5. Learner Interaction and Engagement6. Course Technology7. Learner Support8. Accessibility9. Faith Integration10. Learning Management System Setup
The Instructional Design team in the Center for Learning and Innovation recommend that course writers use this document as a guide when developing and reviewing their course materials. Essentially, an instructional designer will be using this report to assess the quality of the online or blended course, so it is important for course writers to understand the elements in it and how they are being scored. In the next several issues of The Link these quality standards will be examined more closely.
Continued on Page 5...
The Link Volume 1 Number 5 3
The Dreaded Email Message: “Too Big to Attach”with Eric Kelliher
Center for Learning and Innovation
Has this ever happened to you? You have written an email and are ready to hit the send button, save for attaching your file ….. only to find out your file is too large to attach? Frustrating, huh? Then you probably also find yourself spending valuable time trying to see if you can shrink the file size by cutting out pieces that shouldn’t be cut, compressing it, zipping it, or any other number of options. There are three reasons why this happens in Microsoft Outlook and most other email applications:
1. Outlook has a default email attachment size limit of 20 MB. This limit applies to one large attachment or several attachments whose sum total size is greater than 20 MB.
2. Outlook is often configured with a Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox, which has a default attachments file size limit of only 10 MB.
3. Information Technology (IT) departments will set limits on maximum upload usage to control costs. This will vary depending on your department budget, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) you use, and the ISP plan you have selected.
Take heart...there are some easy solutions to this problem... and even better, they are FREE!
The first, Yousendit.com , allows you to send files up to 50 MB in size for free to anyone. You can pay for an upgrade to your account and send files larger than this. You Send It files are held for up to one week, so you need to download them before they expire.
Another option is sendthisfile.com. The free version of Send This File allows transfers of up to 2 GB to be sent. Files can only be downloaded 3 times, and are only available for 3 days. Of course, upgrades are available for a fee.
Both of these options require you to create a username and password. Both provide paid upgraded memberships. But both also have limited free accounts, allowing you to easily do what you sometimes need to: send large files that your general email system won’t allow.
So the next time you receive the dreaded message indicating that your email attachment is too large to send...take heart, and try one of these options.
The LinkBlackboard Tip of the Month
with Stephen AnthonyCenter for Learning and Innovation
Do You See What I See? Using the Student View Tool
Has this ever happened to you?
Online Student 1 (working ahead): I cannot see the assignment in Blackboard. Can you help me find it? Instructor: I am looking at the course right now, and I can see it. Online Student 1: Well, it is not there and the other students cannot see it either. …Two days pass as you try to figure out the problem…
Online Students 2-10: We can’t see it either, so we cannot do the assignment. Instructor (frustrated): I wish I could see what my students see !!!
As an instructor who cares about the students’ experience in your course, you want to be able to answer their questions about the Blackboard (Bb) learning environment quickly. You need to know that the essential information and tools in Blackboard are visible to them. And you want to be able to understand how your feedback and graded work is displayed to students. In a sense, you want to “step into their shoes,” and see what they see.
View as an Instructor vs. View as a StudentWhen you log in to teach an IWU course in Bb, your view is different from the students’ view. You can see many things that students cannot: a hidden Faculty Resources button, quizzes labeled “item is not available,” the control panel and more. And there is one key item that students can view, but you cannot: the My Grades tool. If you try to select the My Grades button, you will see this message: “Users with your role do not have personal grades.” Wouldn’t it be great if you could see what students see?
Good news…You can see your course as a student! And with the new Student View tool, it is so much easier to make that happen. Here is the way to make that happen:
1. In the control panel, select Course Tools and Student View (2 clicks)2. Check the student view for problems3. In the Course Menu, select Teacher View. (1 click)4. Fix the problems5. Repeat steps 1-4 as needed
So, in two clicks, you can view your course from the student perspective. While in Student View, you are logged in as “Demo User” in the upper right.
NOTE: When you use the Student View tool, a Test Student will also appear in your Grade Center. And finally, in just one click of the Teacher View button, you can get back to managing your course.So, the next time a student tells you they cannot find some important item in your course, just flip over to “Student View” and then you can see what they see. If you need help using these or other instructional tools, contact the Center for Learning and Innovation: [email protected]
Volume 1 Number 5 4
The Link Volume 1 Number 5 5
STANDARDSTANDARD POINTSCourse
Overview and Introduction
1.1 Instructions clearly state how to get started and where to find various course components. The “Getting Started” section of most courses fulfills this requirement. Blended courses: It is clear that the course is blended and clear instructions exist that explain student expectations for both online and onsite portions of the course, including what will be completed online and what will be completed during course meetings for each workshop. A meeting schedule highlights the activities that will be completed in each face to face meeting
3
Course Overview and Introduction
1.2 A statement introduces the student to the purpose of the course and to its components; in the case of a blended course, the statement clarifies the relationship between the face-to-face and online components.
A course introduction is included in the Workshop One document that explains the purpose of the course, its components, relevance to the student, how learning will take place throughout the course, and how it will be assessed.Blended Courses: There is a clear explanation of how the course will utilize both face-to-face and online components in order to facilitate the learning process. A schedule exists for both online and face-to-face course components and lists dates, times and locations of onsite meetings.
3
Course Overview and Introduction
1.3 Etiquette expectations (sometimes called “netiquette”) for online discussions, email, and other forms of communication are stated clearly.
The “Netiquette” section of the syllabus fulfills this requirement. 2
Course Overview and Introduction
1.4 Course and/or institutional policies with which the student is expected to comply are clearly stated, or a link to current policies is provided.
The “Policies” section of the syllabus fulfills this requirement.2
Course Overview and Introduction
1.5 Prerequisite knowledge in the discipline are clearly stated.A carefully filled out “Prerequisite Knowledge” section in the syllabus should complete this requirement. 1
Course Overview and Introduction
1.6 Minimum technical skills expected of the student are clearly stated.Technical skills can be listed with the “Prerequisite Knowledge” section of the syllabus and can include but should not be limited to the following:1. Using Blackboard2. Using email with attachments 3. Using Office programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.4. Copying and pasting 5. Downloading and installing software
1
Course Overview and Introduction
1.7 The self-introduction by the faculty is appropriate and available online.The “Course Information” section of most courses fulfills this requirement. 1
Course Overview and Introduction
1.8 Students are asked to introduce themselves to the class.The “Getting Started” section of most courses fulfills this requirement. 1
Course Overview and Introduction
1.9 There is a clear guide for faculty which includes additional information for assignment delivery and assessment.
A faculty guide provides the instructors of the course with additional information about key assignments in the course, including but not limited to how assignment should be assessed, what mistakes students are likely to make, and what concepts students tend to find challenging.
1
Quality Matters... ContinuedA quality course overview and introduction should provide the student with a clear picture of the course design at the beginning of the course. The criteria used to determine a quality course overview and introduction are as follows (found in the IWU QM Report):Instructions: Any criteria that are worth 3 points are required to pass the evaluation. Courses either receive all points for criteria or no points.
3 = Required 2 = Strongly Recommended 1 = Recommended
The IWU QM Report can be located in its entirety in the CLI Organization on Blackboard.
More Information on Quality Matters ™The QM™ Rubric is unique in that its focus is on alignment; critical course components such as learning objectives, materials, learner engagement, and technology should all work together to ensure the learner achieves the desired outcomes of the course.
Download the QM™ Rubric Standards here.
Additional information on Quality Matters™ can be found on their web site at www.qmprogram.org. The information above related to the QM™ Program and the QM™ Rubric was adapted from The Quality Matters™ program.
The Link
Join Us on Facebook!Engage in additional conversations with your colleagues by joining us
on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/343127659080792
Volume 1 Number 5 6
We Need to Know What You Think...
The Center for Learning and Innovation is planning to offer live consultation sessions for CAPS/SON/Seminary faculty. These sessions are primarily designed to provide assistance related to the tools and operations of Blackboard. The idea is that if you have a Blackboard-related need, you can contact the Center for Learning and Innovation, identify your question, and reserve a spot in the next available consultation session. We are planning to offer two, one-hour sessions per week.
To help us plan effectively and offer these services that are most compatible with the schedules of online faculty, we are asking you to participate in a survey.
Follow this link to reach the survey:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform formkey=dE9pMHdQQlFoUUdoOERsMDVIcG5QbFE6MQ#gid=0
The Link Volume 1 Number 5 7
Discussion Forum Grading and FeedbackBy Mark Alexander, Online Regional Dean
In the July 2012 issue of The Link, we covered expectations of faculty. One of those items was to provide workshop grades/feedback within seven days. That feedback is critical to students’ learning and can take many forms. Let’s review one of those areas: Discussions!
Discussion feedback is very helpful to students. It allows them to know what they are doing correctly, what they may be missing, and it reinforces your involvement in the conversation.
There are several ways to grade discussions. Yes, you could enter the values like a spreadsheet (if you had graded them individually on paper and needed to transfer them) but that does not allow you to review the postings or add comments.
A better way is to navigate to the Discussion Board. Hover over the Forum name and then click the down arrow to bring up the sub-menu. Choose “Grade” from this list. See Figure 1.
You will now be presented with a roster listing each student’s number of posts, their current grade for this forum (should be “--”), and a button. Click on “Grade” to see the individual details for a particular student. You can also navigate to this portion by choosing the drop-down arrow in the Grade Center for a particular student. Click the “Grade User Activity” option from the sub-menu. See Figure 2.
At this point you can now see your student’s initial posting, replies, dates of posting, dates of modifications (if allowed and if applicable), and general stats about this person’s attempts. This is a great way to ensure that this student has met timeframe guidelines and quantify their scoring per your course’s rubric. Note the option on the right side entitled “Forum Grade.” See Figure 3.
Now, just click and enter your comments to the student on their performance and their overall score. See Figure 4.
Click “Save Grade” and move on to the next student in the list!
This is a great way for you to provide both general and specific information with regard to their grade. It is also a good way to encourage their activity and participation in a private and meaningful way. Students appreciate the encouragement and involvement that you are taking in improving their discussions and their overall grade. It also underscores the educational aspects and learning objectives that are achieved in the discussions.
Do you have suggestions on how you grade discussions? Do you have a better way that resounds with students? What did I miss? Share your thoughts and feedback on Discussion Grading in our Facebook group at http://on.fb.me/IYSc9s.
Thank you for your continued quest for excellence in the online classrooms at Indiana Wesleyan University. Let us interact, encourage one another, and share tips!
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure3
Figure 4
