BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE

 

DISTANCE LEARNING HANDBOOK

 

Prepared by Benjamin Worth, <ben.worth@kctcs.edu>

 

1.      INTRODUCTION

1.1.   General Overview

1.2.   Is Distance Ed for You?

1.3.   Why Teach Online?

1.4.   Acknowledgements

2.      OVERVIEW OF THE CMS

2.1.   Files and Folders

2.2.   Discussion Boards

2.3.   Dropboxes

2.4.   Email

2.5.   Chatrooms

2.6.   Tests and Exams

2.7.   Gradebooks

2.8.   Miscellaneous Features

3.      ORIENTING STUDENTS TO ONLINE CLASSES

3.1.   Course Overview

3.2.   Course Orientation

 

4.      DELIVERING CONTENT

4.1.   Textbooks

4.2.   Publisher Resources

4.3.   Text Files

4.4.   PowerPoint

4.5.   Multimedia

4.6.   Chatrooms

 

5.      LEARNING CONTENT (Learning Facts)

5.1.   Using Discussion Boards to Discuss Content

5.2.   Using Quizzes to Check Learning

5.3.   Using Chatrooms to Discuss Content

5.4.   Sample Assignments

6.      APPLYING CONTENT (Critical Thinking)

6.1.   Using Drop Boxes for Critical Thinking

6.2.   Using Threaded Discussion Boards for Critical Thinking

6.3.   Group Work

6.4.   Sample Assignments

 

7.      CONTENT ASSESSMENT (Tests and Exams)

7.1.   Objective Tests

7.2.   Subjective Tests

7.3.   Recommended Policies

 

8.      FOSTERING STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

8.1.   Welcoming Students (Ice-Breakers)

8.2.   Encouraging Student Interaction (Groups)

8.3.   Communicating with Students (Making them feel welcome)

9.      USING LIBRARIES

9.1.   Databases

9.2.   Electronic Course Reserves

9.3.   Interlibrary Loan

9.4.   Plagiarism Resources

10.  COURSE MANAGEMENT

10.1.                    Communicating with Students

10.2.                    Organizing the CMS

10.3.                    Recommended Policies

10.4.                    Recommended Practices

11.  APPENDIX

11.1.                    CMS Primer for Students

11.2.                    Class Screenshots

11.3.                    Sample Course Overview

11.4.                    Sample Instructor Contact File

11.5.                    Sample Course Orientation

11.6.                    Microsoft Word Shortcuts

11.7.                    Index to Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers (5th ed.)

11.8.                    Glossary

11.9.                    Annotated Bibliography