QOLT 4 (Student Interaction and Community) and QM 5 (Course Activities and Learner Interaction) are very similar. QOLT 5 is titled "Facilitation and Instruction." QM is only about the course design, and not how the course is being run.
QOLT 4.1 At the beginning of the course, instructor provides an opportunity for students to introduce themselves to develop the sense of community (simiar to QM 1.9)
QOLT 4.2: Instructor provides information about being a successful online learner
How to be a Successful Online Student:
We are a totally online course and it is not self-paced: we will move forward week by week, with assignments due at regular intervals. A hard part of an online class is that you must make sure to leave yourself time to read, watch the lectures, do your assignments, and interact with your fellow classmates. A rule of thumb is that for every credit you take, you should spend 3 hours of work outside of class. You must set aside time to think about the course material, analyze it, and be creative with your discussions. We have assignments due every week, so you must plan ahead. There are only ten weeks, and these will go by very quickly!
You can take the Online Readiness Assessment (designed by another campus) (http://teachonline.csustan.edu/selfassessment.php ) to see how ready you are to take an online course. While you can still take this course if you do not score well, it means you might have to spend a bit more time becoming familiar with online technology. Of course you can (and should!) contact me if you have any difficulties.
QOLT 4.4 states: Learninging activities facilitate and support active learning that encourages frequent and ongoing peer-‐engagement (Similar to QM 5.2)
I provide support for active learning by helping students to engage in a variety of activities that foster learning:
1. Collaborative activities such as group discussions, small-group projects, and peer-evaluation.
2. I encourage my students to express their preferences regarding the content of the course. Students are asked for suggestions regarding assignments and activities that will help improve their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills.
3. I also ask them to evaluate the work I assign: On completing an assignment, students examine the strengths and weaknesses of that assignment, and how the assignment fits into the overall content and objectives of the class as it has evolved. At that point I talk to them about their responses, and how I intend to deal with their feedback. This kind of reflection on their course work helps students to become aware of the process of which they are a part, the extent and quality of their skills, and the extent to which they can and should take credit for the learning they are doing.
QOLT 4.5 The modes and outcomes for student interaction are clearly communicated.
While this is an online course, you are expected to be in contact with your fellow classmates and in many cases, you will be working directly with them on team projects. Therefore you cannot just ‘disappear’ in this course. It is expected that you take an active role in all discussions and team projects. Please see the Rubric tab for the rubrics on these interactions. You must login at least three times during each week, on three separate days (so you can’t just log in three times on a Friday). Blackboard allows me to see who logs in and when so I will be keeping track.
QOLT 4.6 states: "Instructor clearly explains his or her role regarding participation in the online environment. Instructor participates and manages, yet lets students take reasonableownership" (Similar to QM 5.3)
I will provide you will all the lecture materials; do the grading and give you feedback in an acceptable period of time (usually within a week); respond to emails in an acceptable period of time (24 hours, or slightly longer on the weekends); and to interact with you in the Discussion Board and of course in your assignments.