Hello – as an instructor of a summer and/or fall online/hybrid class at MiraCosta, the following information and action items are especially for you.
1. Update Online Class Schedule
It’s time to update the MiraCosta Online Course Schedule. It is VERY important that you complete this. Students use this information during registration and after enrolling to find out more about your class(es). Students have been learning about this resource during the Student Orientation to Online Learning and appreciate having more details about online and hybrid classes.
Providing clear, detailed information helps students (a) determine if your class is right for them, and (b) get ready for success in your course. For fully online classes, students may be anxious about how they are expected to get started. For hybrid classes, students want to know what the expectations are for in-person meetings and/or proctoring. Please add this information! Some instructors include details such as how much time students should expect to commit, what days work will be due for online classes, and/or what course materials are required.
Directions to update your class details on the schedule:
- Go to the Online Course Schedule
- Click the Faculty Login link at the top right, and log in with your MCC username and password
3. In the left menu, click on the + symbol to the left of Faculty Preferences (if the + symbol is displaying)
4. In the left menu, click on Set Preferences (be patient, may take a few moments)
5. Select the Term if necessary, and then select your class.
6. If you have information from previous classes, you may copy it to the current class, or provide new information.
7. Click the Set/Update Preferences button at bottom. A message appears toward the top, “Your preferences have been set for this course.”
8. You may close the window, or choose a new class to update.
2. Incorporate Online Student Services, and consider tutoring options
Please make your students aware in your syllabus and online environment of online tutoring, online writing center, and the 24×7 online ask-a-librarian service (at upper right). These services are open to all MiraCosta students in any class! Also, the OEI has made its set of student online learning readiness modules open and available to anyone – feel free to link to any that you like.
A new online tutoring option for MiraCosta distance education classes is NetTutor, which is available to MiraCosta as a CCC Online Education Initiative pilot college. NetTutor provides 24×7 coverage of just about any academic subject, and is available via a link embedded within your class course management system environment (Blackboard or Moodle). The link would take students directly to the subject-specific tutoring area with no additional login required. Also with NetTutor, each instructor may specify “Rules of Engagement” that inform tutors about the approach and resources you would like them to use when working with your students. Contact me if you’re interested in NetTutor for your summer or fall class(es).
3. Refer your students to the Student Orientation to Online Learning
Over 1200 MiraCosta students have attended one of these sessions over the last two years. I will offer two online learning orientation sessions this summer and ten in the fall. Please share the schedule with your online/hybrid students and encourage their attendance. You can use SURF to find out which of your students have attended. When you scroll to the bottom of the Class Roster page, and click the “Student Orientation to Online Learning Roster” link, a PDF should open in a new browser tab or window with a roster showing which students attended an orientation, and on what date.
4. Consider the new MiraCosta Online Class Quality Guidelines
In March, the Academic Senate approved online class quality guidelines developed by the MiraCosta Online Educators committee. The document has two parts – (I) Essential elements for all distance education classes as already required in department and college policies and practices, and (II) Good practices featuring principles and examples commonly recommended for consideration in online education. Please take a look at these guidelines and put them to use!
