Online Faculty Guide
Faculty Guide
XXXX ### – Course Title
This guide is intended to guide you through setting up your course, preparing the syllabus for students, and accomplishing the course outcomes in the online format. It also contains resources for instructors who will be teaching this class.
Document Contents
General Information
Contacts
Getting to Know Viterbo
Viterbo University Mission
Technology
Course Assessment Data
Policies and Procedures for Students
Disability Statement/Assistance
The Academic Resource Center
Information Regarding Your Course
Course Description / Course Outcomes / Grading Scheme / Schedule
Learning Outcomes Alignment
Text and Other Required Materials
Course Assessment Data
Detailed Course Activities Outline
Course Instructional and Outside Work Time
Next Steps
Moodle Course Site
Course and Instructor Evaluations
Appendices
Appendix 1: Viterbo University Credit Hour Definition
Appendix 2: Examples of Instructional Time and Outside Work Time Activities
General Information
Contacts
Please contact your department chair, assistant dean, or dean (the person who hired you) if you have any questions about the learning outcomes or the appropriate content for this class. Any questions about the learning outcomes or contentof this course can be directed to this full-time faculty member.
Role / Name / E-mail Address / Phone NumberMoodle Help /
Technical (IT) Help /
Online Teaching Questions / Jen Sadowski (Director of Online Learning) or Cari Mathwig Ramseier (Instructional Designer) / or
Library /
Getting to Know Viterbo
We encourage all adjunct instructors to take the online tour of Viterbo, to get to know a little about our campus and our community. You will find the campus tour on our homepage:
Policies and procedures for adjunct instructors can be found in our adjunct faculty handbook, available at the following website:
Viterbo University Mission
The Viterbo University community prepares each student for faithful service and ethical leadership.
Technology
You will need to learn to utilize three systems in order to conduct your course:
- Moodle – the learning management system (
- the Viterbo e-mail system, and
- Vitnet – where you can access your class roster and post grades.
All three of these systems are available from the Viterbo homepage ( via the “MyVU” link at the top of the screen. Your same username and password works for all three of these systems.
Moodle
As an online instructor, you are expected to use Moodle to provide online presence (via video or other instructional means), materials (files, links, or videos), as well as facilitate communication between students (discussions, class work). For online courses, submissions and feedback should be done via Moodle for academic integrity. Tutorials and videos are available that will help you learn how to utilize the many features of the Moodle LMS. These instructional materials can be found from the Moodle login page, under “Moodle Help and Tutorials” or via The guides are comprehensive, covering the many features of Moodle and providing tips for using Moodle effectively. You are expected to post grades throughout the term of the course using the Moodle gradebook, so that might be one of the first tutorials to complete.
If you have questions regarding how to learn Moodle, please contact .
You are expected to use Viterbo email for all email correspondence with students, and they are expected to use their Viterbo email to correspond with you. You should not ask students to email you at another email address, as they should not ask you to do this either. For all course-related correspondence, please use your Viterbo email account.Note: Do NOT use email for student assignment submissions. Please use the tools in Moodle (Assignments, Turnitin, Discussions) for that purpose.
Vitnet
You should log in to Vitnet and spend a little time getting to know the options available to you there. From the faculty menu in Vitnet, you will find the option to get a class roster. Within the roster you can find the profile information for each student (who their advisor is, what their major is, etc.). Vitnet is also the system you will go into when you are ready to post your grades at the end of the term. Please note: all grades MUST be posted by Tuesday at noon of the week following the class session’s end date. So, for example, if an 8-week class ends on a Tuesday, as most of our online classes do, grades must be posted by the following Tuesday at noon.Grades for 7-week summer courses are due by the Tuesday after the course is finished at noon.
Course Assessment Data
We have a strong culture of assessment at Viterbo. All programs are evaluated in an outcomes-based assessment program. The course you are teaching may be expected to contribute an assessment activity to our overall program assessment. If a program assessment assignment is identified, this assessed activity MAY NOT BE ALTERED.
Policies and Procedures for Students
Policies and procedures are communicated to the students via the Viterbo Online Policies and Procedures document in Moodle, as well as in the Student Handbook, available on Viterbo’s website.
Disability Statement/Assistance
The Academic Resource Center provides services to students who have indicated that they have a disability. Students who have a diagnosed disability and require legitimate accommodations must complete an Application for Accommodations Based on Disability-Related Need and should contact the Academic Resource Center at 608-796-3190.
The Academic Resource Center
Online learning assistance is available for all students from the Academic Resource Center (live or remote), or by accessing the SmartThinking link within Moodle. SmartThinking is an online tutoring and writing assistance service.
Students may schedule online writing appointments with the Academic Resource Center by going to the ARC web page. You may also access student support services directly from your Moodle course page; go to the top bar for options.
Please request students to request a tutor or writing assistance early in the course to obtain the most benefit from the supplemental instruction.
Information Regarding Your Course
XXXX ### – Course Title
Course Description / Course Outcomes / Grading Scheme / Schedule
All information pertaining to the course and how the student’s performance will be evaluated can be found in the syllabus.
Learning Outcomes Alignment
[Course Designer: Provide a summary regarding how learning outcomes for the course align with the outcomes for the major, program, or core curriculum requirements.
See the course syllabus for learning outcomes alignment details.
Text and Other Required Materials
All sections of the course are required to use the same textbook. The textbook that has been selected for this class is as follows:
Ordering an Instructor’s Copy of the Text
All instructors should contact the textbook publisher to obtain a copy of the textbook, and to get access to all of their instructor’s materials, including any online instructor materials. To get a copy of the text, and to request access to all instructor materials, please contact:
[Name and contact information for textbook rep]
Course Assessment Data
[Course Designer: Copy or delete this section as appropriate.]
One of the assignments in this course has been designated as the assignment we are currently using to collect program assessment data. For this course, the assignment we will assess is the ______. Please require the students to complete this assignment precisely as it is detailed in the syllabus for this class. Use the prescribed rubric exactly as it is provided to grade this assignment. Then, compile the results and prepare a report of the students’ scores on this assignment. Send the report within two weeks of the course end date to ______, the Assessment Coordinator for the ______program, via e-mail at ______. This two-week timeframe is very important to ensure that we are able to collect and assess the data in a timely fashion. We appreciate your participation in this very important quality management task!
DetailedCourse Activities Outline
[Course Designer: Put in a rough outline of activities. Indicate options for instructors and identify mandatory/program assessments. An example has been provided for Week 1.]
[Instructor: The following is a detailed course outline provided by the course designer. Please review the following activities and make appropriate and needed adjustments in Moodle. If desired, the following information may be copied into the syllabus.]
Week 1 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
- Identify the primary goals of financial management, and understand the role of the financial manager.
- Analyze an organization’s financial statements, and calculate and interpret common ratios to monitor an organization’s performance over time, compare the company’s performance to industry leaders, and report results to investors.
Reading Assignments and Preparation Activities
- Read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the textbook
- Review power point presentations and other resources in the Week 1 Materials folder on Moodle
- Review Online Student Resources for Ch’s 1, 2, and 3
Homework
Assigned problems: Submit these problems into the Week 1 Assignment link on Moodle by Sunday, _____ at midnight.
Ch. 1: Critical Thinking 1.1 and 1.10; McGee Co. Case Study-p. 21
Ch. 2: Critical Thinking 2.2; Problems 1, 2, 6*, 8, 10* and 18
Ch. 3: Problems 1, 2*, 3, 4, 5, and 6
*Note: Problems marked with “*” have Excel templates available – see the weekly materials folder.
Discussion Forum: See this week’s discussion question on Moodle.
Participation expectations: You must submit your initial response to the discussion questions by Wednesday of Week 1 at midnight. Be sure to answer all parts of the question, and support your answer with something you have read, citing your sources. Then, read through the other learners’ responses, and reply to at least two of them by adding something from your own experience, something you have read, or something you are questioning. If they reply back to you, go ahead and carry on an online conversation. Your reply to at least two other learners must be posted by Sunday of Week 1 at midnight.
Assessments
Quiz #1 (Ch’s 1-3): Complete Quiz #1 on Moodle by Sunday, _____ at midnight.
Projects: Begin working on the Financial Statement Analysis paper – due _____. See details following the weekly outlines in this syllabus.
Week 2 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
Reading Assignment and Preparation Activities
Homework
Assessments
Week 3 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
Reading Assignment and Preparation Activities
Homework
Assessments
Week 4 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
Reading Assignment and Preparation Activities
Homework
Assessments
Week 5 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
Reading Assignment and Preparation Activities
Homework
Assessments
Week 6 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
Reading Assignment and Preparation Activities
Homework
Assessments
Week 7 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
Reading Assignment and Preparation Activities
Homework
Assessments
Week 8 Outline
Course Level Outcomes for the Week
Reading Assignment and Preparation Activities
Homework
Assessments
Course Instructional and Outside Work Time
The following schedule demonstrates how instructional time and outside work time may be met in the course as it is designed, specifically for the correct number of credits and number of weeks the course will run. Note: Activities may be replaced by the instructor, however, please be cognizant of credit hour requirements.
[Course Designer: Please complete the following table below to identify the amount of instructional time and outside work time designed for this course. The following begins an example of a schedule for a 3-credit, undergraduate, 8-week online course:]
Week# / Instructional Time / Hours estimated / Outside Work Time / Hours estimated1 / Discussion board assignment #1
Voice narrated powerpoint #1
Short video with discussion board posting / 3 hours
1 hour
1.1 hours / Assigned reading: Chapters 1-3
Article readings & critiques
Homework assignment #1 / 2.4 hours
4 hours
6 hours
2 / Discussion board assignment #2
Voice narrated powerpoint #2
Computer simulation with discussion board posting #1 / 3 hours
1 hour
1.1 hours / Assigned reading: Chapters 4-6
Homework assignment #2
Short position paper #1 / 2.4 hours
6 hours
4 hours
3 / 5.1 hours / 12.4 hours
4 / 5.1 hours / 12.4 hours
5 / 5.1 hours / 12.4 hours
6 / 5.1 hours / 12.4 hours
7 / 5.1 hours / 12.4 hours
8 / Culminating final activities / 1.7 hours / Reading, studying for finals activities / 3.3 hours
Next Steps
Moodle Course Site
For the Instructor
Your Moodle course site for this class has been pre-loaded with a syllabus template along with this faculty guide, and many other tools and resources you will need to teach this course. You will need to go into the Moodle site and explore the materials available to you.
Checklist:
Open the syllabus template posted on the site and personalize it with your contact information and any additional information and content you wish to include.Update any highlighted items and please remove any remaining highlighted text when finished.
- Assessment: You may not alter the assessment activity, but you do have the flexibility to take out activities you don’t want to use, and enter other activities instead. It is only the assessed activity that cannot be altered.
- Modifying course activities: All other materials that have been pre-loaded into Moodle are provided for your use, as you see fit. Your activities must meet the minimum instructional hours and outside work time required of an online course as listed in Appendixes 1 and 2.
Review the Moodle course site thoroughly. Make any adjustments based on the syllabus.
Modify any date-specific information in the Moodle site, including the availability dates for all quizzes and all assignment folders. Be sure to do this before the course begins.
If you prefer to use Turnitin assignments for student-submitted work, replace any assignment placeholders with Turnitin assignments. Note: Be sure to create new Turnitin assignments. Do not duplicate or use Turnitin assignments already placed in your course.
Add your own voice. Prepare and post any materials (narrated presentations, discussion prompts) that you will need to add your own instructor presence to the course. This includes providing introductory and/or content-specific videos/presentations, posting your picture in the Course Information area, and communicating regularly via the Announcements or Quickmail function. For assistance on this, please email .
You can also “hide” activities that you don’t want students to see until later. The “eye” button next to the item in Moodle is open when the item is visible to students and is closed when it is hidden. The text of the item is also dark black when it is visible to students, or gray when it is hidden. To see the “eye” button, you must be in the editing mode (click on “Turn Editing On” in the upper corner of your Moodle site).
To avoid excessive scrolling during the course, move the current week to the top of the list. Click “Turn editing on” in the upper right-hand corner of your course page, then click the up/down arrow ( ) for that week and drag it to the desired location.
Once the syllabus has been personalized and updated with homework due dates, etc., then the course site on Moodle needs to be made available to the students.This must be done at least one week prior to the day the course begins, to give students time to read through the syllabus, purchase their books, get their first reading assignment, etc.
Information about how to accomplish the above tasks and use the instructional tools in Moodle is available via (from the Moodle login page, under “Moodle Help and Tutorials”).
Notes from the Course Developer:
[Course Developer: Please put any notes for instructors in this area.]
For Students
Students are expected to be familiar with the Moodlecourse management software. All required materials, announcements, and assignments should be posted on Moodle, as that is where students will be looking for these items.
Grades must also be posted on Moodle, so students can frequently check them and know where they stand.
More information for students regarding how to use Moodle is available via (from the Moodle login page, under “Moodle Help and Tutorials”).
Note: If you ask students to use tools outside of Moodle, typical Office applications, or software specific to the course, please make sure that you can provide support or that support is available to use those tools.
Course and Instructor Evaluations
Every course that is taught by our adjunct and non-tenured faculty at Viterbo must be evaluated. All evaluations are sent to students automatically via email (accessible via Moodle as well), during the last two weeks of the course. Please support our efforts to collect evaluations by encouraging the students to complete them in this timeframe. We’ve found we experience a much higher response rate when faculty are reminding students to complete the evaluations, and emphasizing the importance of their feedback in making improvements in the course and in your own development as an instructor.
Appendices
Appendix 1: Viterbo University Credit Hour Definition
Regardless of format, all courses are required to meet the required credit hour standards by a combination of instructional time and outside work. Outside work could include additional outside reading, group work, service projects, field work, clinical rotations, among other learning activities. Viterbo defines one credit hour as 750 minutes over 15 weeks. In addition, for a 15-week course, each credit requires that students spend two hours of work outside of class per week (Note: Graduate courses require that students spend three hours of work outside of class per week). Minimum class and outside work time are calculated according to this formula: