Online Faculty FAQs

  1. What kind of course is eligible to be developed as an online course?
    • The course exists in the Fitchburg State catalog as an approved course.
    • If it is a new course, it is approved through the established processes for approving any new course.
  2. What are the steps needed before beginning development of the course?
    • Complete the Distance Learning Course Development Proposal form.
  3. What is the remuneration for developing a Distance Education class?
    • The Office of Graduate and Continuing Education will make funds available to support the development of distance education courses. Awards of up to $500 will be given through a proposal process. Proposals will be accepted throughout the academic year. The Director of Distance Education, Department Chair, Program Manager and the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education will review the proposals.
  4. What is the remuneration for teaching a Distance Education class?
  5. What kind of support will be available for developing Distance Education courses?
  6. What are the steps needed before offering the course?
    • The course will be scheduled and advertised in the same way as traditional courses.
    • The completed Distance Education course must, at a minimum, be reviewed and approved by the Course Developer, the Program Chair and/or Department Chair and the Dean.
  7. Who “owns” the completed course?
    • All intellectual property is owned by the developer.
    • The course structure/template less your intellectual property, remains the property of the University.
  8. Are there any special expectations for faculty teaching online courses?
    • The online environment does require active participation and response for both students and faculty. When you teach a face to face course, you may meet once a week, and students know that's the expectation. But an online course requires regular feedback and input from both faculty and students, and is not limited to weekly meetings.
    • The asynchronous nature of online learning calls for regular and frequent communication, so students remain engaged and know that the teacher is "in the room." The best thing is to establish ground rules for communication so that the students know what they can expect regarding faculty responses to questions or discussions, and then stick to that plan.
  9. Is there an optimum number of meetings for hybrid courses?
    • Determining the right number of meetings for hybrid courses may be a departmental or individual decision, depending on the situation, but in general, fewer meetings provide the greatest benefit to students for convenience and time management.