Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to specify competencies that DSCC faculty and staff must demonstrate before being assigned an online or hybrid course in Banner.
Scope:
This policy applies to all faculty and staff who teach an online or hybrid course for DSCC.
Policy:
Anyone who teaches an online or hybrid course for DSCC must complete and pass the Course Management System (CMS) Competency Test before being assigned to an online or hybrid course section. The passing score for the CMS Competency Test is 75% or better. This competency test is designed to ensure that a faculty member will be able to efficiently and effectively utilize the CMS technology to communicate with students and to use the teaching tools available in the CMS (quizzes, discussions, news, content, dropbox, and gradebook). The sample CMS grading rubric is available on the Instructional Development Center’s website. It is recommended that faculty members participate in CMS training before attempting the Competency test. DSCC provides this training both on-ground and online. Participants must either be a current employee of DSCC (adjunct faculty, faculty, or staff) or submit an application, transcripts, and three letters of reference to DSCC’s Human Resource department prior to being granted access to training resources.
Compliance:
DSCC requires that the competency test be taken and passed no later than three weeks prior to the beginning of the official first day of class for that semester. In addition, the competency test can be taken only twice per semester. If a faculty member fails to pass the competency test within the first two attempts, he/she is required to complete one-on-one training in the Instructional Development Center (IDC) before retaking the competency test a third or subsequent time during the following semester. Once passed, the competency test does not have to be repeated, but faculty may be required to attend training sessions if there are changes or upgrades to the CMS that warrant additional training. It is the responsibility of the Division Deans or Academic Coordinators to verify with the Director of Distance Education that faculty have passed the Competency Test before an online or hybrid teaching assignment is made in Banner. Online or hybrid course assignments are to be made only in Banner once an instructor has passed the CMS Competency Test. An exception may be made for an instructor who has not passed the CMS Competency test. He/She may be assigned as co-instructor to an online or hybrid course section for one semester, as long as the course is assigned to another co-instructor who has passed the CMS Competency test and is credentialed in the course. Exceptions must be approved by the College President prior to the course being added to the schedule.
Definitions:
Course Management System (CMS): The course management system is the system that the institution has adopted to deliver online content to students. The CMS may be used by face-to-face instructors to post lecture notes, host quizzes, host discussion boards, post assignments, or post any other supplemental instruction for students online.
Desire2Learn (D2L): DSCC’s current Course Management System provider.
Instructional Development Center (IDC) – The IDC is a physical location on the Dyersburg Campus in the Learning Resource Center room 123 that provides instructional support to faculty and staff. The IDC website is located at http://idc.dscc.edu.
Revision History:
Policy approved by Administrative Council on 09/19/2014. IDC website Address changed and exception paragraph added, revision approved by Administrative Council on 3/30/2017.