Course Description and Objectives s2

Term Year

Course Description and Objectives

Term Year

Provide a general description of the course including the kinds of things students will learn and any other course related descriptive materials.

QM 1.2 – A statement introduces the student to the purpose of the course and to its components; in the case of a hybrid course, the statement clarifies the relationship between the face-to-face and online components.

Course Requirements

List any prerequisites, any skills students will need to do well in this course (i.e. computer skills, basic library and research skills, etc.), and how much time the student is expect to spend on the course materials.

QM 1.6 – Minimum student preparation, and, if applicable, prerequisite knowledge in the discipline are clearly stated.

QM 1.7 – Minimum technical skills expected of the student are clearly stated.

Prerequisites: list all prerequisites here or none.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

· List measurable student oriented objective statements here

QM 2.1 – The course learning objectives describe outcomes that are measurable.

QM 2.3 – All learning objectives are stated clearly and written from the students’ perspective.

QM 2.4 – Instructions to students on how to meet the learning objectives are adequate and stated clearly.

QM 2.5 – The learning objectives are appropriately designed for the level of the course.

Term Year

Course Activities

Explain what types of general activities the course will involve (i.e. reading, writing and how much, group discussion, etc.). Also, briefly explain how these activities relate to the course materials. You will want to outline the overarching patterns when listing the course activities below.

QM 4.2 – The relationship between the instructional materials and the learning activities is clearly explained to the student.

Orientation

Provide guidance that students may need to get started with the course. For example, what they can expect from the first week or two of class; where students will find specific course tools for each week, unit, module, etc.; and an explanation of the getting started/orientation activities.

QM 1.1 – Instructions make clear how to get started and where to find various course components.

Course Materials

Talk about the types of readings, lecture materials, presentations, etc. students will be expected to complete during the course.

Interactive Activities (Discussions, Group Work, etc.)

Explain the types of interactive activities the students will be expected to engage within. Such interactions can include discussions, collaborate meetings, group projects, etc.

QM 5.4 – The requirements for student interaction are clearly articulated.

Self-check, Practice, Reflection

Students have multiple opportunities to measure their own learning progress and are provided with meaningful and timely feedback.

QM 3.5 – “Self-check” or practice assignments are provided, with timely feedback to students.

Assessments (Exams, Projects, Papers, etc.)

List any assessments/assignments that will be used to evaluate student performance. Multiple assessment strategies are used in both online and face-to-face settings, and they are appropriate to the content being measured and the format in which they are used.

QM 3.4 – The assessment instruments selected are sequenced, varied, and appropriate to the content being assessed.

Note: See the assignment details in the units/modules/weeks for more information and requirements.

Grading Policy

A clear, written statement fully explains how the course grades are computed. The points, percentages, and weights for each component of the course grade are clearly stated. The relationship(s) between points, percentages, weights, and letter grades are explained.

QM 3.2 –The course grading policy is stated clearly.

Evaluating Student Work (Rubrics)

Provide students with a clear and meaningful description of the criteria that will be used to evaluate their work and participate in the course. The description and/or statement of criteria provide students with clear guidance on the expectations and required components of work and participation.

QM 3.3 – Specific and descriptive criteria are provided for the evaluation of students’ work and participation.

Late and Make-up Work

Explain your policy regarding late and make-up work including time period, grading penalties, etc.

QM 3.2 –The course grading policy is stated clearly.

Extra Credit

Explain your policy regarding extra credit opportunities, including if you do not do extra credit.

Feedback

Provide a clear statement regarding the timeframe for letting students know when they will receive feedback on assignments and when grades will be posted.

QM 5.3 – Clear standards are set for instructor responsiveness and availability (turnaround time for emails, grade postings, etc.).

Term Year

Course Policies

Term Year

Outline the course policies in the following section. You may want to include a statement informing students that these policies are in addition to University Policies.

Attendance and Participation

Your expectations with regard to student participation in require course interactions (frequency, length, timeliness, etc.). Such interactions can include discussions, collaborate meetings, group projects, etc.

QM 5.4 – The requirements for student interaction are clearly articulated

Communication Policy

State your timeframe for responding to student emails and other student correspondences.

QM 5.3 – Clear standards are set for instructor responsiveness and availability (turnaround time for emails, grade postings, etc.).

Netiquette

Clearly outline expectations for student conduct online including guidelines for how to conduct themselves in online discussions, email correspondences, spelling and grammar, tone and civility when speaking with instructor and peers, etc.

QM 1.3 – Etiquette expectations (sometimes called “netiquette”) for online discussions, email, and other forms of communication are stated clearly.

Expectations for Written Assignments

Provide clear instructions for text citations and writing style guidelines. Include information on grammar, spelling, tone, etc. and briefly address any research methodologies you might want them to employ.

QM 7.4 – Course instructions answer basic questions related to research, writing, technology, etc., or link to tutorials or other resources that provide that information.

Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty

University regulations regarding academic dishonesty, as set forth in the UALR student handbook and other university documents and publications will be strictly enforced in this class. Any student who submits work that he/she did not produce for the given assignment will be assigned a grade of zero points (F) for the assignment in question, and may possibly fail the class. In accordance with Section VI: Statement of Student Behavior, under the code of student rights, responsibilities, and behavior, the university defines academic dishonesty under the classifications of cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and duplicity. Cheating and blatant plagiarism in this class can result in disciplinary sanction.

Blackboard/Network Availability

Provide clear instruction for what students should expect during network maintenance periods, including planned and unplanned outages. You might also include where students can find information regarding outages (i.e. IT Services website, Blackboard Support website and social media feeds, etc.)

QM 7.1 –The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered.

Students with Disabilities

Your success in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and need an accommodation, please contact me privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process among you, your instructor(s) and the DRC. Thus, if you have a disability, please contact me and/or the DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information, please visit the DRC website at www.ualr.edu/disability.

Web Accessibility

It is the policy and practice of UALR to make all web information accessible to students with disabilities. If you, as a student with a disability, have difficulty accessing any part of the electronic course materials for this class, please notify me immediately.

Term Year

Student Resources

Term Year

Explain the types of technical and academic support available to students and how these can assist the student with reaching their educational goals.

QM 7.1 – The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered.

QM 7.2 – Course instructions articulate or link to an explanation of how the institution’s academic support system can assist the student in effectively using the resources provided.

QM 7.3 –Course instructions articulate or link to an explanation of how the institution’s student support services can help students reach their educational goals.

Blackboard Support

The Blackboard Support website was designed to assist students with information about the Blackboard system including tutorials, helpful resources, downloads, and answers to their frequently asked questions. In addition to the website, students can also find help within the Blackboard system using the Help tab or through their social media outlets on Facebook and Twitter.

For assistance with Blackboard, please visit ualr.edu/blackboard.

IT Services

For technical support with other UALR systems, including logging into Blackboard, BOSS, or your UALR email, please contact the IT Help Desk at ualr.edu/itservices or by calling 501.916.3011.

Their business hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, and on Fridays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Disabilities Resource Center

The Disability Resource Center recognizes disability as an aspect of diversity that is integral to society and to the campus community. To this end, the DRC collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create usable, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments. The DRC also promotes and facilitates awareness and access through training, partnerships, innovative programs and accommodations.

Visit UALR’s Disability Resource Center website for more information about their mission and services.

Textbooks and Campus Bookstore

UALR’s Bookstore can help you order the books for this course. Tell them what course you have and they will find the books you need. If you need to search for a particular book by title, author, or publisher, please visit UALR’s bookstore website.

Textbooks must be ordered and received prior to the beginning of the class.

Ottenheimer Library

Ottenheimer Library collects, organizes, and provides access to information resources and library services that enrich and support the University’s research and teaching mission, foster intellectual development, and promote academic excellence.

Visit the Ottenheimer Library website for information about the library and its collections, and view available services.

Online Writing Lab

You can submit a paper electronically to the OWL (Online Writing Lab). Make sure that the document is saved as a .doc and not any other formats such as .docx or .rtf. Then e-mail the document as an attachment to .

Visit the Online Writing Lab for more information about the services they provide, their online submission guidelines, and virtual writing conferences.