Teaching a Course
Most of the criteria for being a good teacher in the classroom—knowledge,
enthusiasm for the subject, clarity of presentation, concern for students,
open lines of communication—are the same for distance education. All that
changes is the medium through which you teach and communicate—in the written
word instead of spoken, by telephone or e-mail instead of face-to-face.
As a result, tact and sensitivity in communication become even more important
in avoiding misunderstandings and wrong impressions.
You should retain official documents from IDL regarding
students or the course, including enrollment data, withdrawal notices,
and course changes. You should also retain students' "About Yourself" pages
and information about special circumstances or student requests. Of course,
you will need to keep a record of student grades, but whether you keep
copies of assignments is up to you. And, as always, student records are
confidential.
Receiving Lessons
Assigning and Reporting Grades
Student Appeals
Code "Red" and Code "Yellow"
Receiving Lessons
You will receive an information sheet and enrollment number
for each student who registers for your course. Students submit lessons
either by mail or electronically to IDL, which logs them and forwards them
to you. Likewise, you return graded lessons to IDL, and IDL logs the grade
and returns the lesson to the student.
There is a limit to how many lessons a student may submit
in one week; that number is determined by the number of lessons in a course,
so that students are able, if they choose, to complete the course in eight
weeks. Submitting more than the specified number may undermine the student's
learning. However, students may appeal this and other policies.
Because IDL tracks the submitted lessons, assignments must not
be sent back and forth directly between you and the student, except for components
such as audiotapes or specially arranged laboratory assignments. Specific instructions
for handling lessons are found on the Grading
Checklist sent to you when you begin instruction.
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Assigning and Reporting Grades
Processing lessons submitted by mail may take several
weeks. So that students can get timely feedback, please grade and return
lessons to IDL within ten days of receiving them. If temporary circumstances
such as sabbaticals, vacations, or extended illnesses prevent you from
keeping to this schedule [two weeks or longer], notify the coordinator
for student services. For extended absences from grading (three weeks or
longer), please notify your faculty liaison as far in advance as possible.
IDL will notify you if you have overdue ungraded lessons; these notices
are kept in your faculty file.
As you grade lessons, you should offer more feedback to
students than a simple "well done" or "need more information." Give reasons
for your grading and offer suggestions for how a student might perform
better on subsequent lessons or examinations.
Although you may record grades numerically in your own
files, once you have graded the lesson, mark the letter grade on
the cover sheet, sign it, and return it to IDL (do not use a signature
stamp). Graded lessons may be sent together in one large envelope. IDL
will log the grade and forward the lesson to the student.
Lessons must be given a letter grade of A through F. You
may also assign S or U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) if this accords with
the grading policy you set out in the Overview in the course guide. If
you want to give a student an opportunity to resubmit an inadequate lesson,
you may assign an I (incomplete). Grades of I must be resolved and removed
prior to the student taking the final examination. In the rare event that
a lesson is lost in the mail, IDL will assign a grade of L (lost) and request
that the student resubmit the lesson. Students who withdraw before the
midpoint of their enrollment period receive a W; students withdrawing after
the midpoint or failing to complete the course are assigned a WF. You will
be notified if a student withdraws from your course.
Overdue Lessons
IDL's database automatically issues "no-activity" letters listing
ungraded lessons and exams that are more than 10 days overdue, even when
faculty are on leave. If you have these, be sure to grade them as quickly
as possible
and return them to IDL. If you do not have them or if there are
circumstances preventing you from grading them, contact
IDL right away.
Examinations
Students are responsible for scheduling their exams.
If your course has a midterm, students must schedule a
testing date upon submitting the lesson previous to the midterm. However,
once a test date has been requested, students may continue completing lessons
even if they have not yet taken the midterm. While IDL encourages students
to take the midterm before continuing with the course, some students have
special situations that prevent them from taking the midterm at that point.
Students may schedule their final exam once they have submitted the last
lesson in the course. However, they may not take the exam as long as any
I grade remains on their record.
Students must go to an approved, proctored test site to
take the exam and must bring a photo ID. They may also bring any materials
that you specify they may use. Students must pass the final examination
in order to pass the course, regardless of the grades they have earned
on the lessons or midterm and regardless of the weight you assign to the
final. Students have only one opportunity to take the exam.
Course Grades
The course grade is based on course work and the examination(s),
according to the grading provisions given in the course overview. The course
grade is recorded by IDL, which forwards notification of the grade to the student
and to the Registrar at the University of Georgia, from whom the student may
request grade transcripts. Any change of final course grade is processed via
a University of Georgia Official Change of Grade form. You may obtain
the form from IDL. Instructors submit the Change of Grade form to IDL, providing
a letter of explanation for changes other than those resulting from recording
or computer errors. To change a grade on an individual lesson, contact the Student
Services division.
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Student Appeals
IDL students, like all students, have the right to appeal for
waiver of policy. The IDL Appeals Committee, comprising public service faculty
and the student services supervisor, reviews documentation and hears appeals.
Appeals are granted and new limitations set only when the student's circumstances
and/or documentation show cause for waiver. You will be notified if an appeal
is granted. Grade appeals begin with the instructor; if unresolved, the student
may then follow the grade appeals process at the institution where the course
originated. Though usually made aware of a pending grade question, IDL does
not adjudicate grade appeals. For more information on the appeals process,
contact the coordinator for student
services.
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Code "Red" and Code "Yellow"
IDL codes courses "red" or "yellow" when students' progress
or performance is compromised by a course management issue. The publications
specialist will notify you if your course is coded.
Code Yellow: One or more textbooks and/or instructional
materials are no longer available from the publisher/producer (materials
may be available from other sources). Code yellow is removed upon completion
of course revision that eliminates dependence on unavailable material.
Enrollment in courses coded yellow is restricted to students who indicate
they have access to the required materials.
Code Red: Courses are coded red when situations occur
that make new enrollment unfeasible, such as an overdue contracted course
revision, an instructor's resignation, or an instructor's having a large
backlog of ungraded lessons. Red courses are not open to new enrollments.
See also "Revising an Existing Course" under Developing
or Revising a Course for more information.
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