CONSIDERING TEACHING ONLINE MATH?

1. Prior to deciding to teach online you are urged to take at least one online course yourself so you can determine what works and what doesn't work from a student's perspective. The more classes you are able to take the better so you can expose yourself to a variety of instructional designs.
    
2. You are invited to join COLMS, the Clark OnLine Mathematics & Science listserv which is dedicated to faculty teaching or interested in teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) classes online at Clark.
    
3. All online and hybrid classes at Clark use BlackBoard as their course management system (CMS). It is strongly recommended that you take a BlackBoard training course offered through Clark's eLearning Department. See www.clark.edu/academics/eLearning/faculty and/or contact eLearning staff for schedule.

DESIGNING YOUR FIRST ONLINE MATH CLASS? READ THESE TIPS!

1. When designing your online class, please keep in mind that the Clark Mathematics Department requires that the online sections be equivalent to and as rigorous as those taught on-campus. The department recommends that you include a strong discussion board component and that the class have a strict schedule of coverage (i.e. not be a self-paced class). Most of Clark's online classes are full online, meaning the entire class is held online even the final exam, but this is your choice not a requirement.
    
2. Some questions to think about: Will you assign homework? If so how will it be submitted? What percentage of the course will be spent in the discussion boards, e.g., 20% of the grade? How will you grade the discussion board? What types of posts would be worthy of points and how will you determine that criteria? Will you assign discussion questions or keep the discussions open? Will you allow students to create their own threads or have a more structured organization? How will you conduct tests? How much time will you provide, e.g., 1 hour for the test with a 48-hour "window of opportunity"? How will you minimize cheating?
    
3. Kathy Chatfield in eLearning would be happy to discuss online course design with you! She is a master online designer and a rich source of ideas and suggestions.
    
4. There are some aspects of online course design that is different for math online vs. more humanities-based courses. So you are encouraged to discuss online mathematics course design with experienced online mathematics instructors well before teaching your first online class. Sally Keely, Jennifer Farney, and Kari Walker are all willing to discuss their experiences with you. They may also permit you to observe a week's worth of a current online class if you would find that helpful.

AFTER ACCEPTING A CONTRACT TO TEACH AN ONLINE MATH CLASS, COMPLETE THESE STEPS:

1. Request a BlackBoard shell for your future course via www.clark.edu/eLearning/instructor.php. Some online mathematics courses have been "sold" to the college so that you can get some materials transferred into your BB course shell once your teaching assignment is confirmed. For more information about "sold" classes and to request the materials get transferred to your shell, contact Sally Keely. (Note: Math 090, 095, 103, and 111 can never be "sold" to the college and shells must be re-created by each individual instructor unless a prior instructor specifically grants you permission to use their materials.)
    
2. Most of Clark's online mathemaics classes use MyMathLab for (1) access to the online textbook, (2) online practice problems / homework, and (3) online testing. Most of Clark's online mathematics classes require MyMathLab access and have the hard copy text as "optional" only (since the full text is available online in MyMathLab). This saves students money and means that all the materials are available online from anywhere in the world at any time.
   
   Sally Keely can provide you with the course coverage sheet that lists the text used and sections covered. Please note that the text used in online sections is often different from the text used in on-campus sections.
   
   If you do not already have access to MyMathLab, you will need to obtain a MyMathLab account through the publisher. Go to www.coursecompass.com and click "How to Request Access" under "Educators". MyMathLab training is available online at http://www.mymathlab.com/training-resources.
   
   When writing your syllabus, you are welcome to use Sally Keely's directions to students for purchasing and enrolling in MyMathLab at "How do I purchase and enroll in MyMathLab?". Feel free to adjust that statement to your needs. (Note: Sally's FAQs are copyright protected so you must obtain her written permission before using any other section of this document in your own course materials.)
    
3. In the Clark quarterly class schedule students are referred to the Online Math Web at web.clark.edu/math/OL for basic class information. Please send Sally Keely any information that you would like posted on your orientation page linked there prior to publication of the quarterly class schedule online.
    
4. Feel free to link Prof. Keely's Support Sites for MathOL from your BlackBoard class or syllabus.
    
5. During the first few days of class, the Clark Mathematics Department requires that you check your prerequisite rosters and drop any students who have not met the prerequisite. You are also urged to abide by Clark's first-week no-show attendance policy. Students not meeting the prerequisite and students who neglect to attend class in Blackboard on any single day during the first week can be dropped from class by simply completing the online form at intranet.clark.edu/tools/forms/registration/non_attendance_drop.cfm. Be sure to do so by 4:30 pm on Friday of the first week of class. (Prereq rosters are not available electronically, but they are in campus mailboxes usually by the Friday prior to the first day of classes and the Mathematics Division Secretary can snail mail them to you upon request.)
    
6. The Clark Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) offers sessions that provide faculty ideas for improving your online class (such as making the discussion boards more active) throughout the year. Your online course is not likely to be static in its design but instead continually evolving. The TLC is a good resource for idea sharing.