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E-Learning typically entails the use or integration of
electronic resources that support teaching and learning.
Distance Education, now part of E-Learning at GCCC, is defined as the acquisition of knowledge and
skills via selected media in an environment where the
instructor and learner are geographically separated this
includes our web based, video, and two way interactive
courses. Gulf Coast Community College offers a wide
variety of E-Learning resources and an
extensive distance education program of AA, AAS, and
PSAV courses.
Students who are unable to meet the rigors of
traditional class schedules due to work, family
commitment, or other circumstances, or who simply prefer
the E-Learning/distance mode of delivery may enroll in distance
education courses.
Course Development
Faculty are
responsible for the development and/or selection of all
course content. This content should meet the same
standards as face to face instruction and require the
same outcomes. Due to the uniqueness of each course the
content must be approved by the division chair prior to
initial offering.
All faculty teaching DE courses must have access to a
computer and have e-mail. Faculty must use the GCCC
on-line course management system to communicate with
students using e-mail, chat rooms, or quizzes.
Communicating with Students
Since
distance learning students do not attend regular
classroom sessions, it is extremely important to make
them feel that someone cares about their progress.
Faculty should e-mail the students a welcome message
within the first several days of class and post an
initial announcement on ANGEL to ensure that students
are recognized as part of the class. In addition it is
suggested that you communicate at least every two weeks
via e-mail or telephone and respond to student e-mails
within one week. This will ensure that the student stays
on task and knows you are available. If you are out on
travel or otherwise unavailable please notify your
students in advance.
A course syllabus MUST be provided to the student via
your ANGEL web site. The course syllabus must include
the name, e-mail address and phone number of the
faculty, orientation dates, testing dates, and a list of
course materials such as text books, web sites, and or
DVD’s. The faculty’s expectations should be explicit as
students in these courses come with varying expectations
such as possibly doing all their work at the end of the
semester or never having to come to campus at all.
The Distance Education web site will provide a brief
course outline describing the course including
assessment techniques (i.e. tests, writing assignments,
portfolios.
Orientations
During the
first week of classes an orientation session for
students should be held. (The distance education office
will book the classroom). Information about time and
location of the orientation will be available on the
course outline and on the DE web page. Students are
encouraged to attend these sessions. At the orientation
the faculty member is responsible for describing the
course, and relating the anticipated expectations and
outcomes, the grading scale and presentation of the
complete course syllabus.
In some instances students will have two or more
orientations scheduled at the same time. It is their
responsibility to notify the instructor of the conflicts
and arrange for a private orientation either in person
or by telephone. Many of our DE students live outside
Bay County. In those cases where a student is simply not
able to come to the college or a long distance telephone
call would be required to communicate with them e-mail
should be used.
Testing
The testing
policy should be clearly stated in the course outline.
Faculty should schedule class testing according to the
course format. The DE office will reserve the primary
testing rooms. Testing times and locations will be
available on the course outline and on the DE web page.
Instructors should have at least one alternate testing
date. The alternative time and place are the
responsibility of the faculty member, and is usually an
office or small conference room.
If the student is in a remote site they may request a
proctor. The student should contact the DE office to
arrange the location and receive approval of a proctor.
The DE office will then inform the faculty member and
request copies of the exam for these students,
distribute the exams to the proctors and return the exam
to the faculty member. All proctors must be professional
staff at an educational institution or library.
Students in Gulf and Franklin Counties may take tests at
the Gulf/Franklin Center in Port St. Joe (227-9670 or
227-9671). They must contact the Distance Education
Office (850-769-1551, ext. 5807 or by e-mail:
vcampus@mail.gulfcoast.edu ) at least two weeks
prior to each exam date.
Students living in Bay County must test at the scheduled
time and place. If there is a significant reason why
this is not possible the student must first contact the
instructor for approval and the instructor will then
notify the distance education office. The GCCC library
will proctor exams for these students at the following
times:
Monday - Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 11am
Saturday 9:30am-3:00pm
(Sunday CLOSED)
Student No Shows & Withdrawals
Withdrawal
policies can be found in the current college catalog.
You can access the catalog online at
http://www.gulfcoast.edu/catalogs
(Student Information Section, under Academic Policies)
Course
Evaluations
Each fall
semester all DE courses will be evaluated. This
evaluation is on-line and the URL will be sent to you
the week before the evaluation window. Instructors
should send an e-mail containing the URL or place it on
the ANGEL page. Responses to the evaluations will be
sent to
vcampus@gulfcoast.edu and forwarded to the
appropriate chair.
Grades
Grades may
be mailed to the students or posted on ANGEL. If mailing
the grades you may use the grade forms of your own
choice. When written work is required graded papers are
returned by mail. The DE office has envelopes for this
purpose and will supply them upon request.
The Distance Education office will NOT discuss grades
with students.
Office Hours
If a distance education course is part of the regular
workload for a full-time faculty member, the faculty
member should schedule three hours for the class during
the 35 hour work week. If the distance education course
is an overload for full-time faculty or taught by
adjunct faculty the hours may be completed in the
faculty office or at home. This will allow overload
distance education course office hours and adjunct
distance education course office hours to be completed
at home via e-mail and ANGEL options rather than
requiring the instructor to be on campus.
Honesty
Policy:
As a participant in this course you are required to
adhere to the following Academic Honesty Policy:
*You will at all times do your own work.
*You will not use any unauthorized materials such as the
course textbook, notebook, formula lists, notes or crib
sheets, including those stored in a calculator, during
an exam other than those materials specified by your
Professor. [This excludes quizzes - you are allowed to
refer to your textbook and notes during the taking of
any "quiz".]
*You will not use the results of another students quiz
or exam to assist on your own quiz/exam.
*You will not collaborate with any other person by
giving or receiving information during an exam. [Note:
You are permitted to help one another on any particular
quiz as long as that help is not simply supplying
answers but is more collaborative in nature.]
Having read this brief Academic Honesty Policy you are
to select from the two choices below.
If found to violate this policy you can and will receive
a grade of 'F' for this course and not be permitted to
repeat this course via the Internet.
Student
Responsibilities:
As a
student in this Internet course you have your share of
responsibilities.
(1) Always
adhere to the Academic Honesty Policy for this course.
You are being entrusted with a huge responsibility and
being asked to make your own guarantee that the
integrity of this course, as well as your own personal
integrity, is not compromised.
(2) You are
responsible for giving yourself ample time with the
course material and to be prepared to take the practice
tests for the purpose of testing your strength of
knowledge of that material. These practice tests have
been designed to help you before you have to take the
actual test.
(3) You are
responsible for taking your tests as scheduled. You are
given a large window of opportunity in which to take
your tests plus the luxury of taking them online.
Failure to take a test as scheduled results in a grade
of zero for that test.
(4) You are
responsible for completing your quizzes with passing
scores by their assigned due dates. Failure to complete
the quiz sets by their due dates will result in a grade
of zero for each undone quiz, plus you will have 10%
deducted from the associated chapter test. Note it is
expected that you achieve a passing score on each quiz
(minimum 3 out of 5). Scores of 0, 1, or 2 will be
treated as if you did not complete that quiz. All
described penalties above will then apply.
(5) You are
responsible for making sure your quiz scores are
accurately recorded on ANGEL. It is suggested you print
completed quizzes just in case ANGEL fails to show the
proper score. These can used to replace a 'locked'
symbol with your properly earned score.
(6) You are
responsible to make sure your computer meets the minimum
requirements for using GCCC's ANGEL system. These
requirements can be viewed on ANGEL or by following the
link
http://cms.gulfcoast.edu/systemrequirements.htm
(7) You are
responsible for putting yourself in a secure testing
environment. That is, in a place where you don't get
"knocked off line" or distracted in any way. If you do
not have such an environment at home you are welcome to
come to main campus and use the computers in our
Library. [Note: A student is only permitted one reset of
a test for the entire semester.]
(8) You are
responsible for beginning your test with ample time to
spare. Starting the test 1 or 2 hours before the
deadline can be a grievous mistake. If you happen to get
knocked off line or somehow disconnected you may not
have enough time for you to email me to reset your test.
It is highly recommended you do not wait until the last
few hours to take your test.
(9) You are
responsible for withdrawing yourself from this course. I
am not in the habit of withdrawing students who decide
they no longer wish to participate in this course. If
you need to withdraw, or simply desire to withdraw, that
is fine, but you are responsible for doing the paperwork
on that.
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