BEST ONLINE FACULTY TEACHING PRACTICESTexas A & M School of Law

OVERVIEW OF MODULE 2

• Outlining Expectations for Students• Writing Objectives• Student Engagement• Assessments• Crafting Discussion Board Questions• Syllabus• Rubrics

OUTLINING EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS

• EMAIL – When can students can expect to hear back from you after emailing? A good rule of thumb is 24 hours.

• NETIQUETTE – Netiquette, or network etiquette, is concerned with the "proper" way to communicate in an online environment. Visit the eLearning Industry blog to read 10 Netiquette Tips.

• RUBRICS - Rubrics outline criteria required for students to achieve certain grades and ensure objective and consistent assessment.

OUTLINING EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS

• FAQ DISCUSSON BOARD - Post responses to frequent questions in a discussion board for all learners to view.

• TIME REQUIREMENTS - Communicate up front how much time is required weekly to complete the course modules.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE BEST PRACTICES

• Do courses need them? Why are they important?

• Objectives ensure learning is focused so that students have a sense of purpose and know what is expected.

• Create measurable learning objectives based on skills your students need upon completing your course.

MORE ON LEARNING OBJECTIVE BEST PRACTICES

• Use action verbs to define objectives (e.g., list, define, analyze, create, and design).

• Example: Identify 3 characteristics of public goods and how they differ from private goods.

• Use this Bloom's Taxonomy Reference Page for more action verbs: http://bit.ly/2d9x6fW

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES

In the asynchronous classroom, it can be challenging to gauge student reaction to lessons. Here are a few ways to check …

• Are your students informed about their course requirements and always know what will be happening next?

• Do students know who you are? Do they feel that you are knowledgeable and approachable?

• Do students expect constructive criticism on their work, but also positive reinforcement when they do well?

MORE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES

• Are students regularly engaging with their classmates through discussions and other coursework, which allows them to develop relationships with one another?

• Are you, the instructor, providing regular and timely feedback on assignments?

• Are you regularly engaging in discussions?

STUDENT ASSESSMENTS

• Blackboard (eCollege) provides many ways to assess student learning online. Here are just a few testing options:

Essay Fill in the BlankHot SpotJumbled SentenceOpinion ScaleMatching

Multiple ChoiceOrderingShort AnswerTrue/FalseSurvey

ASSESSMENT BEST PRACTICES

Balanced feedback goes far in setting expectations for students, especially with papers and projects. A few best practices:

• Offer praise. By commending students, we show respect for their efforts and allow them to recognize the good aspects of their papers.

• Provide specific feedback and a way for the student to correct the problem. This helps prevent the same errors in the future. 

DISCUSSION BOARDS• Discussion boards are one of the most commonly

used tools in online learning.

• The use of discussion boards helps to build community and promotes engagement through student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction.

• Furthermore, frequent participation in discussion board activities helps in the development of critical thinking and writing skills.

DISCUSSION BOARD BEST PRACTICES

• Model Socratic-type probing and follow-up questions.

• Why do you think that? • What is your reasoning? • Is there an alternative strategy?

• Ask clarifying questions that encourage students to think about what they know and don't know.

• For adult learners, link discussions to their work experiences and needs

SYLLABUS• A standard TAMU Law School Syllabus has been

provided for you.• Personalize your syllabus according to your course.• A few key areas to consider modifying:

• Your contact information

• A course description• Student learning

outcomes• Textbooks• Additional course

readings• Exams, projects,

discussions, assignments, etc.) 

• Late work policy• Instructor expectations• Course and

institutional policies• Prerequisite

knowledge • Modules and course

schedule

RUBRICS

• Rubrics are a set of criteria that are used to define various levels of student performance.

• A rubric may be used to score an assessment, a paper, or grade a project.

• Rubrics are especially valuable in helping to grade subjective types of testing.

RUBRIC BEST PRACTICES

• For instructors, using rubrics keeps the grading process consistent.

• Rubrics also help to reduce the subjectivity inherent in grading subjective assessments.

• Rubrics can also help to speed up the grading process by keeping the grader on task.

RUBRIC RESOURCES• The following links provide rubric examples. 

• Law Case Study Rubric• APA Style Grading Rubric• Case Brief Rubric• Rubric for Creating Rubrics