Online Course Review Form

Online Course Review Tool1

This tool includes review items in three major areas: Course Implementation, Interactions, and
Assessment. The items are based on best practices for the implementation of online courses.

Review Guidelines:

As a reviewer, you should search for evidence of the actions listed in each major area.

VE EM ES NE
Very evident Evident in most Evident in some Not evident in the
throughout the aspects of the course aspects of the course course
course

Course Implementation
Score
The instructor contacts students at the beginning of the term to provide information on VE
how students are to access the course and begin the first unit (evidence may be found in a
welcome announcement).

Comments: This was indicated in the check-in and textbook access videos posted in early
announcements.

The instructor tracks student progress (evidence may be found in timely grading, VE
communicating with students in the discussion boards, and/or frequent logins).

Comments: There was some discussion in discussion boards, but mostly students were
kept up to date with progress through Prairie’s reminders.

Instructor contacts students who are at risk at midterm/periodically (evidence may be ES

found in a gradebook record/spreadsheet/forwarded emails of reaching out/asking
instructor for a description of outreach methods)

Comments: I didn’t see immediate evidence of this but having previously worked with
Prairie she maintains regular contact with students over their progress, especially those
who are at risk of failing. It could be useful to post a mid-semester general announcement
reminder about submitting work pre-hectic end-of-term deadlines.

The instructor uses announcements to keep the class current and build community, and VE
keeps the online calendar current to remind students of upcoming deadlines.

Comments: For example, DD8 addresses confusion over some content, as evidenced by

1 This form was adapted from the Arizona Board of Regents Online Course Review Tool.
 the announcement and Watch Me video for that assignment.

The instructor includes supplemental instructional materials (evidence may be found in VE

the altering/adding to assignments, making announcements with materials, a course
module with supplemental videos).

Comments: Lots of evidence for this as noted in Prairie’s response. The focus on
intralinguistic translation allows students to paraphrase and revise content for a variety
of target audiences.

Supplemental instructional materials have sufficient depth in content and are sufficiently VE
comprehensive for students to meet the learning outcomes. Materials are in formats
appropriate for the online environment.

Comments: Materials are evidenced through translingual scholarship. Students are

exposed to accessible course material (i.e, written in their language and composed of
multimedia such as interactive Google Docs and TED Talks.)

The instructor provides a clear review of instructions on how to utilize course components VE
and/or complete each course assignment.

Comments: The Watch Me videos embedded at the start of each Due Date are useful in
allowing students to interface with the assignments due for that portion.

Interactions
Score
Instructor interactions encourage students to initiate communication with the instructor VE
and/or other students to attain learning objectives (via announcements, discussion board
posts, and/or grade feedback).

Comments: This was especially built into the cultural/global communications research
report (Module 2). In one video Prairie notes that they don’t need to know their group
members yet, which serves the function of previewing the group work aspect of the
project.

The instructor clearly conveys expectations for appropriate interactions and models a VE
positive communication style (may be evident in syllabus and all instructor posts).

Comments: Evidenced in the Watch Me videos in which Prairie explicitly provides a tour
of the assignment and encourages students to ask for assistance. These videos provide a
means for students to connect with their instructor as a real person.

The instructor monitors collaboration activities for respectfulness based on online EM

communication standards and University behavior policies.

Comments: I didn’t see immediate evidence of this but having previously worked with
Prairie she facilitates team communication quite well. Reminding students of the
university’s discussion etiquette might be helpful...this is built into the pre-made UA
Online materials.
 The instructor responds to student questions promptly, consistent with the timeline for VE
responses stated in syllabus (may be evident in Course Questions discussion forum and
comments on Course syllabus and major project handouts).

The instructor is logging into the course and participating (providing feedback, grading, VE
posting announcements, posting to discussions, etc.) frequently.

The instructor uses a variety of media to communicate with students (may be evident in VE
syllabus communication policy, in the variety of methods providing feedback and
information about the course).

Comments on Interactions: See comments above.

Assessment

Score
Instructor provides timely feedback on assignments within the deadlines stated in the VE
syllabus.

The instructor provides constructive and thorough feedback on assignments and EM

assessments.

The instructor provides students with a clear assessment method for homework and major ES
assignments.

Comments on Assessment: Assignment have been graded on time. Currently items up through DD7 has
been graded. DD8 was due last Sunday. I didn’t see lot of instructor feedback in the d2L assignment
feedback areas, but often students get feedback from instructor through Voicethread videos (which as an
observer I didn’t have access to). It might be useful to present feedback in a select number of DD
submissions (not everything, just a few, and these boxes can collectively comment on work that was
submitted for the week). It would be helpful to provide a clear assessment method (even P/F on quick
assignments) and let students know what is being looked for as evidence of a Pass.

Reviewing Instructor Post-Review Reflection

Reflect on the instructor’s work in the class as a whole, specifically addressing the strengths and
areas for improvement that the instructor indicated in the pre-review reflection.
Dear Prairie,
Thanks so much for the opportunity to observe your class. It is great to see the Watch Me videos
as a means to allow students an overview of the content due for that assignment. What’s
especially compelling about these videos is the placement: consistently they appear at the top of
each Due Date, which allows the Announcements tool to strictly be used for submissions,
feedback, and other in-process stuff.
I also really enjoyed the focus on translingualism and am hopeful that students will provide
feedback on how this focus, pedagogically speaking, allows for revision of texts for various
target audiences. The set-up was helpful for the applied nature of the job search project, and
should make even more sense as they are completing the global communications project. It
might be helpful to ask students to reflect on what they learn--about this topic--throughout the
Module 2.
I made some notes on assessment as well above.
Thanks again, and let me know if you have any questions or would like me to observe again.
All best,
Dev