PURPOSE
This policy details the principles that guide delivery of online learning at Global Leadership Institute (GLI).
SCOPE
All staff and students
PRINCIPLES
GLI ensures an online learning experience that:
- is student-centererd
- takes into consideration class size;
- includes online student orientation;
- ensures ready access to learning resources and research instruction through the library system;
- ensures equal access to academic, administrative, and student services supports regardless of delivery mode or site;
- supports academic staff delivering online courses and units for effective and dynamic online instruction, including professional development, training, online course design standards, instructional design services, and technical support;
- offers alternatives if required including processes for fee reductions, refunds, or deferral if there is a significant change to the course delivery;
- provides student engagement throughout course delivery including peer to peer interaction and staff to student interaction;
- maintains high quality of delivery and learning outcomes with a focus on semester reviews and monitoring of quality and learning outcomes;
- ensures that governance obligations are met including developing, approving, and implementing changes, accurate recording, staff and student communication plans, and overviewing any risk management plans.
PROCEDURES
GLI takes a holistic approach to ensuring quality and equity across delivery sites and modes.
The Academic Dean ensures that:
- academic staff receive ongoing professional development in online and mixed mode technology enhanced learning and teaching approaches;
- online student attrition, progression, and completion rates are in the Annual Academic Report, including recommended action items as part of GLI’s continuous cycle of review and improvement;
- the Learning and Teaching Plan includes measurable goals for increasing student satisfaction rates;
- online and mixed mode learning approaches remain effective in terms of supporting student access to learning, collaboration, and assessment;
- course development review processes take into consideration online and mixed mode learning best practice models;
- Annual Performance Appraisals identify and remedy any barriers to compliance with this policy;
- infrastructure of student feedback systems, learning management system, wireless networks, and online student services support and mixed mode learning through evidence-based approaches to implementing new technologies. This includes working effectively to adapt to changes in staff and student preferences for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approaches;
- there are sufficient on campus spaces designed and equipped to maximise flexible approaches to learning and teaching.
The Registrar ensures that:
- students and prospective students receive relevant information on technology and digital literacy requirements upon course and unit enrolments for successful completion of the unit and/or course;
- prospective students, where possible, demonstrate literacy during the enrolment process;
- intervention and support strategies are in place for students to ensure the development of basic digital literacies required for learning and into professional life;
- as noted in the Diversity and Equity Policy, a student with a disability can access and participate in online and mixed mode learning;
- there are sufficient on campus spaces designed and equipped to maximise flexible approaches to learning and teaching.
Program Directors ensure that:
- online and mixed mode delivery approaches are coherently deployed across the course to support students to achieve intended course learning outcomes;
- physical and virtual learning environments support and encourage collaboration between students and between students and staff;
- Unit Coordinators and teaching staff are orientated to, and familiar with, the physical and virtual learning spaces used for online and mixed mode delivery;
- Unit Coordinators and lecturers are orientated to technology used for learning in the units they are teaching.
Unit Coordinators and lecturers across all campuses and online ensure that:
- online learning technologies used in units are appropriate and functional;
- unit content via learning technologies is presented in a timely manner for online student engagement and learning;
- students are introduced to digital technologies integral to learning in units by the end of week one of the study period;
- students receive equivalent access to resource, time, content regardless of place, mode, or approach to learning;
- flexible delivery options support increased access to learning for diverse students, taking into account the resources available;
- online responses from the Student Feedback Survey are incorporated into the regular reporting cycle.
The Librarian ensures that:
- all students have the same access to GLI’s online library catalogue and digital resources;
- orientation programs across all campuses and online include information regarding accessing GLI’s digital library services.
The IT Officer ensures that:
- a range of appropriate collaboration platforms and wireless networks are in-built and maintained in the learning management system to encourage and support staff and student collaboration in online and mixed mode environments;
- digital readiness programs are available for academic and discipline specific study, including targeted activities for students during online and on campus orientation;
- the learning management system is sufficiently resourced to support online and mixed mode delivery approaches;
- video conferencing and audio-visual services for on campus learning environments are maintained and functioning to support online and mixed mode delivery.