EWU policy requires that all courses delivered online go through a course review process before they are taught. Instructional Technology and Web Services (ITWS) provides this service using a faculty member’s choice between two standardized rubrics: an abbreviated, standards-only rubric, and a full rubric that includes best practices for online learning.  When completing the Course Review Request form, select the appropriate rubric for your needs. NOTE: All Accelerated Program courses must use the Full Course Review Rubric.  Abbreviated Course Review Rubric The Abbreviated Course Review Rubric is used for course reviews conducted by EWU’s Instructional Technology and Web Services (ITWS) in accordance with the U.S. Department of Education, NC-SARA, NWCCU, and EWU. Full Course Review Rubric The Full Course Review Rubric identifies 21 criteria over six categories and is used as a course development and evaluation tool. This tool identifies best practices in an understandable way and is intuitive to use as a guide in developing or redesigning courses. The six categories in the Full Rubric are: Learner Support & Resources, Regular and Substantive Interaction (Faculty), Regular and Substantive Interaction (Student and Content), Course Alignment, Course Structure and Design, and Innovative Teaching with Technology. (Note: In order to access the EWU Course Review rubrics you will need to be signed into Google Drive with your EWU account.) Request a Course Review To begin the review process, submit the Course Review Request Form. This will create a ticket to ITWS and one of our team members will work directly with you throughout the review process. After an ITWS team member has completed the course review, you will receive an email with the results; the completed rubric and any additional notes will be attached.  For a course to pass the review process, all course content (i.e., Modules, Assessments, Syllabus, etc.) must be complete in Canvas and every criteria on either the Abbreviated or Full Rubric must be marked as 'Met.'  If your course has not passed on the first review, you will want to review the notes on the associated rubric, complete any suggested modifications, and then reply to the ticket when you are ready for another look at your course. 

If you are designing a course for the first time, or switching the modality of the course, course map templates are available to help you get started. Course maps allow you to outline your course alongside your objectives, ensuring alignment and giving you a head start on building your course in Canvas. For more information about course maps, you can read this article from Wiley Education Services or join us in the ITWS Zoom session Monday - Friday from 9AM - 4PM to consult directly with our team . When you’re further along in your course development, a checklist is also available. This checklist includes helpful reminders about each categories’ contents required in order to complete the course review process. (Note: In order to access the course map templates, and checklist you will need to be signed into Google Drive with your EWU account.)

EWU Abbreviated Rubric for Online Course Requirements Guide to Passing Category 1: Learner Support & Resources 1A - Per university policy, course syllabus is accessible and includes: Student Academic Integrity, Minimum Work Expectations, Grading Information, Holidays & Religious Accommodations, and Course Participation/Attendance Policy.  Here is an example of a Sample Syllabus Language. Student Academic Integrity: Instructors must include a reference to university academic integrity standards and a clear statement that suspected violations will be handled in accordance with those standards. Example: Academic Integrity is the cornerstone of the university. Any student who attempts to gain an unfair advantage over other students by violating the Academic Integrity policy may be reported to the university and may receive a sanction up to and including XF for the course, suspension, or expulsion from the university. This policy is on the EWU website: https://inside.ewu.edu/policies/knowledge-base/wac-172-90-student-academic-integrity-3/.  Minimum Work Expectations (4-3): Instructors must provide sufficient information and detail to establish that the minimum amount of work expected of students is consistent with the assignment of credit hours to the course.  Example: As per the EWU policy for Program and Course Management, one (1) credit hour for distance or online learning is defined as three (3) hours of instruction and/or student work per week that leads to equivalent learning outcomes required for an on-campus course. This course is a four (4) credit-hour class, and students can expect to spend twelve (12) hours per week watching videos, completing assignments, quizzes, and projects (outside preparation). Example: Describe each assignment type and what is expected for each so it is evident how much work will be required each week.  Grading Information: Instructors must specify the process by which each course is graded.  Example: Assignment points or percentages are specified and final grading conversion is included.  Holidays & Religious Accommodations: Instructors must link to the Holidays & Religious Accommodations policy or provide the text of chapter four of the policy.  Example: The University will provide reasonable accommodations to students who, due to the observance of a religious holiday, expect to be absent or endure a significant hardship during certain days of a course or program. Students may be granted an excused absence for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Full policy: https://inside.ewu.edu/policies/knowledge-base/ewu-403-01-holidays/. Students may submit requests for religious accommodations other than leave for a religious holiday covered by chapters 3-4 to the Director of Equal Opportunity online at: https://inside.ewu.edu/equalopportunity/office-of-equal-opportunity/religious-accommodation/. Course Participation/Attendance Policy: Instructors must provide students with the course attendance policy. Example: Since this course is an online course utilizing asynchronous learning materials and activities, students are in charge of managing their own time. The ability to communicate through technology with peers and others is important to the development and success of the professional businessperson; therefore, communication with the instructors and peers is considered particularly important. It is the student’s responsibility to complete and submit assignments by the posted deadlines and communicate difficulties or questions in a timely manner. Watching course videos and completing assignments, tests, and quizzes is required as attendance. 1B - Course contains relevant information that orients students to the course and academic support services. Including: Online learner support: Learning Tools, Minimum Technical Requirements, and Support Contacts pages from the EWU Online Course Template. The easiest way to satisfy this requirement is to import the “Getting Started” module from the EWU Online Course Template. Here are instructions for viewing/importing the Getting Started module from the Commons. Once imported, the following pages will need to be updated or deleted: About this Course Meet Your Faculty Course Communication (required information) Getting Started Discussion: Introduce Yourself Class schedule: The syllabus page will automatically generate a schedule if using due dates in Canvas.  Instructor contact information: Include your name, primary method of communication, and any additional contact information you would like students to have. Hours of availability: Instructors must notify students of their hours of availability. These should be roughly the equivalent to face-to-face availability.  Modes/times of communication: Faculty are advised to message students in similar ways to that of face-to-face classrooms (i.e. communicating answers to common questions to the whole class at once) to mimic face-to-face classroom efficiencies. 1C - Using tools available to the university, all instructional materials are made accessible. All documents are at least 50% accessible (per the Ally Accessibility Tool): All documents, PDFs, images, etc. need to be readable by a screen reader if a student has a visual impairment.  Canvas has a tool in the navigation pane called the Ally Accessibility Report. To make your files accessible follow these steps: Click on the Ally Accessibility Report in the navigation pane (you may need to enable the tool in Navigation of Settings) Click “Content” to view all files within the course Click directly on any file that has an accessibility score of Validate Links in Content. This will run a list of all broken links in your course. If you have any pages or assignments that you are not using in your course, it is best to delete those prior to running the link validator. The link validator will also list links to other Canvas courses (like the support guides), but so long as they work when you click on them, then those are okay. 4C - Course is organized and easy to navigate. Students can clearly understand all components and structure of the course. (Instructional Technology will review and provide recommendations to enhance student engagement). We typically recommend organizing your modules by week and in order of how you would like students to work through them (readings/lectures, assignments, then quizzes, etc.). If you would like to see an example, please view our EWU Online Course Template. Instructions for viewing/importing the EWU Online Course Template.

The Instructional Technology & Web Services team offers a drop-in Zoom Support Session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Zoom Meeting Information Zoom Link: https://ewu.zoom.us/j/145106536 Meeting ID: 145 106 536 Having trouble joining? Call our MOJO line at 509.359.6656.