Academic Term Activities Timeline for Online Instructors

Perspective for New Adjuncts

Prior to First Day of Class

First Day of Class

Early In Term

Late in Term

• Beginning adjuncts must complete all required paperwork with the Distance Learning Office (DLO), including Florida Community College at Jacksonville employment application, Application for Faculty Credentialing and official college transcripts. Also, new instructors need to complete training required by DLO staff which may include CREOLE and Blackboard.


• When a course is officially entered into the Florida Community College ARTEMIS system it is automatically set up in Blackboard, with the course taught from this online platform. Since new adjuncts will teach from a course shell that has already been developed for Blackboard there is no need to request and/or set up the organization and contents of the course or to order textbooks.

I. Prior to First Day of Class

Required

1. Order textbooks - Textbooks need to be selected and ordered approximately four months prior to the beginning of the term. DLO staff will contact instructors via e-mail with textbook ordering information, except for new adjuncts who will have books ordered for them.
   
   
2. Set up instructor’s Webpage.
   
   
3. Regularly update Webpage - At least two weeks prior to the first day of class, the instructor’s Webpage should be updated for contact information and a current syllabus. Providing such informs students, among other information, of the textbook they need to purchase and have ready to utilize the first day of the term. Provide a student orientation on the webpage to help students be prepared for the course.
   
   
4. Technical run through - All instructors should do a “run through” or test of the contents and links of their courses to make sure everything is up-to-date and working well. Mentors can help mentees work through many technical issues, with additional technical assistance available at the following:
   
   
   • Blackboard
   • Helpdesk

II. First Day of Class

Required

1. Open course - With Blackboard this requires specific instructor action.



2. Update course rosters -
   
   a. Print official course roster from Artemis, as per directions below:
   
   -Go to FCCJ’s website at http://www.fccj.edu
   -Click on “Online Employee Services”
   -Log on by typing your FCCJ UserID and Password
   -Click on “Instructor Schedules”
   -Select current academic term
   -Click on “Class Rolls”
   -Print class roll
   
   b. Compare official roster with online course roster. There may be discrepancies between the two rosters. When students initially register they are automatically enrolled in the online course; however, when they drop the course their names stay in the Blackboard roster for 48 hours.
   
   c. Instructors may wish to e-mail those students who are no longer officially registered and give them a couple of days to resolve the discrepancy with Enrollment Services prior to denying them access to the course. Students no longer listed in the official Artemis roster do not need to be denied access in Blackboard, as they will be automatically deleted.
   
   
3. E-mail information - Inform students of need to activate and periodically check their Florida Community College e-mail account.



4. Test proctoring information - Collect proctor testing information, if applicable.

Recommended

1. E-mail - Send out welcome e-mail.


2. Course content and links - Double-check course content and links for accuracy.


3. Supplemental software- If students are using supplemental software, be sure students are enrolled to participate in the software


4. Student introductions - Asking students to introduce themselves on the course Discussion Board promotes an atmosphere conducive to interactivity.


5. Mentors - Instructors should check in with their mentors if they have any questions


6. Feedback schedule - Establish and communicate grading and feedback schedule.

III. Early In Term

Required

Non-attendance action - By posted deadline, via Artemis, drop for non-attendance those students who have not participated in the course, as per your directions in the course syllabus. Inside the course, immediately deny access to those students who were dropped for non-attendance.

Recommended

1. Identify role model work - After the first assignment has been graded, select the best work, request the student’s permission, and post on the course homepage as a role model.


2. Discussion activities - Set up regular Discussion Board activities asking students to critically think about the subject matter and react to each others’ postings by designated due dates. After each discussion topic has been completed; summarize key points prior to moving on to the second discussion topic.

IV. Late in Term

Required

1. Input final course grades - Via Artemis, enter final course grades according to the schedule. Students who have stopped participating in the course and whose grade average is an “F” should be assigned an “FN” (Failure for Nonattendance), with the last date of participation identified.


2. Incomplete grades - If an incomplete grade is assigned, as per conditions found in the college
   catalog, the Incomplete forms need to be sent to the Distance Learning Office.

Recommended

Student review of final grade calculation - Prior to inputting final course grades into Artemis an instructor may wish to e-mail each student to communicate the final course grade, how it was calculated and request any questions or concerns be communicated back to the instructor by a specific deadline. This allows any misunderstandings and/or errors to be straightened out prior to finalization. Such misunderstandings and/or errors may result in formal grade appeals if they aren’t dealt with in a timely manner.

 

 

 

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