Getting Started

If you are considering designing, developing, and delivering an online/hybrid course at John Jay College, you are required to fulfill the following John Jay requirements:  

• Demonstrate successful completion of one of the following:
• John Jay’s Effective Online Teaching, Self-Paced Workshop
• Previous offering of Online Teaching Essentials: A Foundational Workshop for CUNY Faculty previously offered by the School of Professional Studies,  

The Hybrid and Online Teaching (HOT) Workshop or Effective Practices in Online Teaching (EPOT) Workshop 

• Have a current John Jay email address.
• Ability to log in to Brightspace with a CUNY login & know the basics such as constructing course navigation, uploading syllabus and faculty information, creating modules and content items, creating discussion forums, quizzes and assignments, making the course available/unavailable. See Brightspace Tutorials for assistance.  

You are also encouraged to participate in ongoing professional development offered by the Office of Digital Learning and the Teaching and Learning Center. 

The following information provides you with an overview of the major steps that are a part of the course design and development process. 

There are important differences between Traditional learning and Hybrid learning. We have outlined some of the important roles that the various components play in a traditional learning setting vs. a hybrid learning setting. 

Hybrid-vs-TraditionalDownload 

OSCQR_Version_4.0-1Download 

  Step 1 – Know your learners 

Having a good sense of who your learners are will help you as you develop your online learning experience. Think about the following 

• Who are they ? What do they know? What do they value? What life experience do they bring to the classroom? What life responsibilities do they have?
• What could be challenging for them
• What do you want them know/master? What are their resources?
• What learning theory and teaching strategy will you use with them? 

Step 2 – Identify learning objectives 

Learning objectives are statements that articulate the knowledge and skills you want the student to acquire and demonstrate by the end of the course. Writing clear, measurable, and concise learning objectives for each week/ module will provide a clear path in designing and developing your course. 

Step 3 – Select the course content 

It is important to consider that the content (such as readings, videos, tutorials, websites, etc.) is information a student must master to meet course learning objectives and module learning outcomes and leads the learner to success in related course assessments. 
Content can be summarized as: 

• Syllabus
• Text-based materials (textbook, articles, journals, etc.)
• Video (instructor-created, news footage, documentaries, interviews, etc.)
• Audio/Podcast
• Student-created content (Wiki, Blog, presentations, etc.)
• Diagrams, charts, photographs, checklists, rubrics, etc. 

You should provide a variety of content types where possible as this can help with learner engagement and different learning techniques. 

Step 4 – Determine the learning activities 

Planning required student-to-student and instructor-to-student interactions and collaborations can be used to develop student-created content, build connections in content, or develop community relationships. 
Here is a list of learning activities: 

• Discussions
• Assignments (consider including rubrics)
• Group work
• Case Study Analysis
• Project based learning
• Student presentations
• Research activities
• Papers (research, reaction, etc.)
• Quizzes
• One-minute Feedback
• High stake exams 

Step 5 – Assess student learning 

There are direct, indirect, and self-assessment types – formative and summative assessments – and each measures success in a different way and adds value in the online environment. There are many ways to assess student knowledge you can include both low-stakes and high-stakes assessments online: 

Step 6 – Develop a plan of action 

Determine a plan of action and fill out a course map or matrix that outlines each week/module of the course. The course map 

Alignment tableDownload 

 Alignment table This helps to spotlight the relationship between the learning objectives, instructional materials, assignment/assessment/activities and the technology required. Storyboarding has been shown to be an effective way to generate holistic thinking to help the instructor determine how teaching and learning will be accomplished. It also provides a way for the instructor to demonstrate an understanding of the relationships of course elements and the application of learning theory, as well as raising awareness about how the student will journey through the course and the content.  

Step 7 – Design your course 

You are now ready to design your course in Brightspace. Please consult:

 Brigthtspace resources as needed and don’t forget to focus on accessibility considerations. 

Step 8 – Evaluate your course  

Once you have designed of course we recommend using the The SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric (OSCQR) to evaluate your course. 

The rubric will guide you to use research-based effective practices and standards to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of your online course design. 

For more information 

• John Jay Handbook of Online Teaching
• Library Online Teaching Toolbox 

Suggestions on how to gets started with your online course 

• Welcome students to the course. Instructors can introduce themselves either in Announcement or discussion board. Instructors are encouraged to submit a photo or a video of themselves.
• Give an overview of the course and describe its context within the discipline.
• Create specific office hours and share availability to the students. Students should have a way to contact the Instructor as needed.
• Provide a short list of specific next steps to get started. 

The Role of the Instructor 

There are three major elements for facilitating learner interaction when teaching online: 
1. Faculty need to be socially present in the learning environment 
2. Students need to form a learning community 
3. Students need to  be actively engaged in learning activities. 

Creating a sense of presence 

One of the most important factors in online student success is the instructor’s presence. Knowing the instructor is present provides a natural motivation and sense of student confidence.  Instructors can create a presence by introducing themselves, communicating with students frequently, and providing detailed and timely feedback to students. Timely feedback is considered responding to students within two working days.  

Create opportunities for student engagement 

Students learning online can feel isolated if not involved and engaged. Engagement means having students interact, communicate with one another, and work on assignments together This creates a sense of community between students. Here are some tips to promote student engagement: 

• Use student (self) introductions: Just as instructors would introduce themselves, it’s a good idea to have students introduce each other through a video or discussion board. 
• Make Discussions Meaningful: Discussion boards (or forums) are  a great way to have students interact and think through course material together. Faculty should be mindful of connecting discussion to the content to keep the discussion moving. Instructors do not need to reply to every post online, but synthesize the comments and add something for the  students to reflect further.
• Design interactive assignments, either group assignments or project-based. If possible, use experiential learning techniques so they can feel connected to the content, the students, and you, the instructor, through real-life examples and activities.
• Be responsive! Frequently respond online. Log into the Blackboard course no fewer than three different days during the week.
• Get creative! Use multimedia to engage students  

Use of Media 

Videos, multimedia and graphics (images, diagrams, charts,  etc.) can be powerful tools in an  online course. In addition to providing aesthetic appeal, these elements provide a visual component to the instructional material that can compliment or even enhance the written content.  Use media in a way that supports, rather than distract from, written course content. Research shows that videos should be no more than 5-7 minutes long. Link to Media  

Make the course accessible: 

Creating courses that are accessible to all students is required by federal law. Instructors should have their media captioned or transcribed and upload documents that follow accessibility best practices [More on Accessibility] 

Provide support for students and enforce academic integrity 

All courses should have a clear section about the support systems for students offered by the university. For online classes, resources for technology support are especially important. 

Include clear instructions about the academic integrity policy and if you will be using Turnitin within Brightspace for assignments. 

For more detailed information refer to the John Jay_Handbook of Online_Teaching 

Encourage your Students to be Successful Learners 

At John Jay, all students are encouraged to complete the Are You Ready? course, whether they are taking an online course or not. This course covers expectations required for students to be successful online learners. Students are automatically enrolled into this course and can find the Are You Ready? course by selecting Organizations from the “My Courses” widget on the Brightspace homepage. 

Building a learning community is essential to avoid the feelings of isolation that could occur in 
an online class. Online teaching also requires that focus is taken off the faculty member and placed on the learner. The instructor online acts as a learning 
facilitator, allowing students to take charge of their own learning process. 

Moreover, online learning takes place at all times of the day, therefore student communication with each other and with the instructor can occur throughout the week. Learning may occur in small chunks of time throughout a students’ day, Online teaching also requires that the instructors remain aware of diversity in the students’ learning styles, computer skills, online search skills, and their likeliness to utilize mobile learning devices. 

Tips for a better start to the Semester 

Tips for a better start t the Semester – PDF ADA compliant 

Click on the icon to see the PDF 

For more information consult the John Jay_Handbook_of Online_Teaching