Distance Education
Administrative Guidelines for All Faculty

This Section

First Time Instructors

Meeting with Distance Education Staff

Before teaching a distance course, you are required to meet with —or a Distance Education manager or coordinator she designates—for a new distance education instructor orientation session. At this meeting you will learn information specific to teaching at a distance, including how to contact your students, access your permission numbers online, process administrative drops, etc. This mandatory meeting is conducted in person for those instructors living in or around Boise and via live chat or telephone for those living outside the area.

Vitae/Resume Requirement

A copy of your current vitae or resume is required to be on file in the Distance Education office. Please provide a copy to us at the time of your orientation meeting -OR- email a copy to Sandy Howell at . Please forward a current copy when changes are made.

This Section

Confirmation Process

Confirmation Form/Contact Information

Your Contact Information—Extended Studies

Before your class begins, we make every effort to ensure that your contact information is correct both on our website and in our files in the event that we or students need to communicate with you throughout the semester. We will send you a confirmation form that can be used to change your mailing address, telephone number(s), and/or email address(es). It is important that you contact us immediately with any changes. New information can be sent to Sandy Howell at .

Your Contact Information—Distance Education Website

We provide students with public contact information (office phone, email address, office location) for you unless you tell us otherwise. Please check your contact information at www.boisestate.edu/distance/offerings/instructors.shtml and notify about any corrections.

Confirmation of Course Accuracy

Distance Education Website

We want to offer the most accurate course information possible on the Distance Education website. As the instructor you are the most familiar with your class content and student requirements. Unless you are teaching a Special Topics class that requires a course description not in the Boise State Catalog or have requirements outside those typical of distance classes, your course page will contain general information about the course and its delivery method (Internet, Knowledge Network, etc.).

• Please view the Distance Education course table at www.boisestate.edu/distance/offerings/coursetable.shtml.
• Find your course in the table according to delivery method. Make sure all information in the grid is correct. For example, are the in-person requirements still accurate?
• Click on the course title to link to either an individual or general course page. Those course titles with an asterisk have specific information that is updated every semester.
• Read through the course information carefully and consider any updates you may wish to make. If you want your course to have an individual page that is updated each semester, the information will need to be sent to Distance Education during the class schedule production time. If you have suggestions for simply enhancing or clarifying the general pages, please forward those as well.
• Email or call 208.426.4223 with your changes.

Published Schedule of Classes—Current Semester

All Distance Education courses are integrated into the general body of the current Schedule of Classes for fall, spring, and summer semesters. Introductory distance delivery method paragraphs are available toward the front of the schedule. Please look at both the introductory paragraphs for your course delivery method and the individual course listing. Distance Education courses are identified by delivery method: Internet, Teleweb, Knowledge Network, Cable Television, Computer-Based Multimedia, Telecourse, Video Conferencing, or Video Streaming and have a four-digit section number in the 4000–4600 range. If you have suggestions for the introductory paragraphs or concerns about your course listing, please contact Kelley Brandt at . Though the information is already published, it can and should be changed in BroncoWeb for students registering online. Making changes in the current semester helps us ensure that subsequent schedules contain accurate information.

Schedule of Classes

• Navigate to the Schedule of Classes website and click on the appropriate semester (or look at a printed version) and scroll to the Distance Education section. Read through the introductory paragraphs for the applicable distance delivery method. If you have suggestions for changes, please contact .
• A copy of your individual course listing as it appears in BroncoWeb is sent in your confirmation packet and is available in the list below according to delivery method. Recent schedule changes may not be reflected in these class listings.
• The Distance Education Department publishes a distance education course table online. Click on the applicable delivery method, and navigate to your course listing.
• Detailed course listings are kept up to date in BroncoWeb. Login as yourself or as a guest to check the Course Catalog and Schedule.
• If any course information is incorrect, please ask your department to submit a Schedule Change Request (Summer Form or Fall-Spring Form, as appropriate)—often referred to as a pink slip— to immediately.
• Suggestions for making changes to the notes that appear in BroncoWeb are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Syllabus

It is imperative that we have a copy of your course syllabus for the official course file for each distance education class you are teaching every semester. If you need copies made for and distributed to students, please allow at least two weeks to process your request. We prefer to receive your syllabus electronically. Please email your syllabus to as soon as you have it available.

We strongly encourage you to post your syllabus and other course documents on Blackboard for all delivery methods. Students are becoming more familiar with Blackboard as more instructors use it to deliver information. Making your syllabus available in this way helps ensure that students have ready access to it whenever they need the information.

Book Order

Book orders may be processed through (a) your academic department administrative staff, (b) in Distance Education, or (c) online by you at the BSU Bookstore site. You must provide us a copy of your book order for the official course file.

If you do decide to have Sandy order your book, please let her know if you need a current desk copy and whether you need to have books available at other site bookstores for Knowledge Network classes.

Book order problems should be resolved through the person you placed the order with: your department, , or directly with the Bookstore.

Students may order textbooks in a number of ways: in-person at the BSU or a site bookstore, by phone at 208-426-BOOK, or by secure online ordering from the Boise State Bookstore.

Rosters

The class roster available to you through BroncoWeb is the official list of enrolled students. It is updated in real time and is accurate as of the time it is accessed. Rosters can be mailed/emailed to you by Distance Education staff upon request if you cannot access them, though it is preferred that you pull them from BroncoWeb whenever possible.

Grades

All grades are submitted online.

1. Login to BroncoWeb
2. Click on the Faculty/Staff/Advisors link
3. Click Grade My Classes, listed under Faculty

For detailed directions about how to submit your grades, click here. If you have any problems using the online grading system, please contact immediately.

Please submit all grades on or before the deadline.

Deadlines

If you are teaching a course within a shortened session (1^st 8-week, 2^nd 8-week, etc.), grades must be submitted no later than five days following the last day of the session.

If you are teaching a regular 16-week class (10 weeks in the summer), your grades are due by the date indicated in the Academic Calendar located at http://registrar.boisestate.edu/calendars.htm. Please make sure your grades are submitted on time.

Incompletes

As the instructor, you may enter a grade of I (for incomplete) if all of the following conditions are present:

• The student requests a grade of incomplete before the last day of class instruction.
• The student’s work has been satisfactory up to the last three weeks of the semester.
• Extenuating circumstances make it impossible for the student to complete the course before the end of the semester.

A contract for completing the class should be created by you in collaboration with the student.

The contract:

• will stipulate the work to be completed;
• will stipulate the time in which it must be completed for the student to receive a grade in the class;
• may not exceed one year;
• should be written out and show an acknowledgment of the agreement by you and the student;
• may be a simple email or a written form that you retain.

The final decision to assign an incomplete grade rests with the Instructor. The student must be informed that he or she cannot remove the incomplete by re-enrolling in the class during the next semester.

Enter the grade of I (for incomplete) on the grade roster in BroncoWeb as shown in the instructions www.boisestate.edu/distance/faculty/howto-grade-online.pdf (PDF document). The student will receive an email notification that he or she has “Registrar To Do Items” on BroncoWeb. This notification will say exactly what you have written on the grade roster.

Evaluations

Distance courses are evaluated the first time they are offered by an instructor and usually once per year thereafter.

Procedures

We use a standard Extended Studies evaluation unless your academic department chair requests that a specific department form be used instead. We conduct evaluations for all courses currently using Blackboard in some capacity through a separate Blackboard course site. Therefore, will need to receive any special course evaluation form early in the semester in order to convert it to an electronic format.

Using either the typical Extended Studies course evaluation or the specific one forwarded by the department, we set up a separate course site, load the evaluation, request that Blackboard support load the students into the site. Then will send out an email to notify the instructor and the students that the evaluation is available. We also ask that instructors make an announcement in the regular course site to let students know about the evaluation. Once the evaluation is closed, compiles the results.

For those site-based courses not using Blackboard, a hard copy evaluation form will be distributed to the students during the last week of classes. Again, we prefer to use Blackboard for all course evaluations.

Three copies of the evaluation will be made: (a) one copy for the instructor, (b) one copy for the academic department chair, and (c) one copy that is reviewed by the Distance Education Director and retained in the official course file.

GroupWise Email Account and Set-up

Distance Education students will often try to access instructors via email. It is best when responses to student inquiries come from a Boise State University email account. You may request a GroupWise email account through your department chair or administrative staff. When approved, your request for an account can be filled out online at http://oit.boisestate.edu/accountrequest/.

GroupWise email accounts can be accessed remotely using any Web browser at http://gw.boisestate.edu/. Sign in using your BroncoWeb user name (usually your complete first and last name with no spaces), and the same password you use to login to Blackboard.

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This Section

Important Information for All Instructors

Permission Numbers

Six-digit permission numbers are used to override class capacity, override class requisites, and validate conditional registrations. Usually, twenty each of “Y” (used to override everything, INCLUDING class capacity) and “N” (used to override everything EXCEPT class capacity) numbers are assigned to every course offered at Boise State University. Faculty members—adjunct and full-time—have access to their own permission numbers in BroncoWeb. Issuing permission numbers for any reason is at the discretion of the department chair and instructor. If you run out of numbers and need more generated for a distance education course, contact the Distance Education Coordinator, (208.426.5622).

When students call Extended Studies for permission numbers, we refer them to the instructor and/or the academic department (usually an assistant) directly. Otherwise, the Distance Education staff would require written permission from you before we can issue a permission number. If you experience a problem or need help, contact the Distance Education Coordinator, (208.426.5622).

Permission numbers are located in your BroncoWeb account. Once you have logged in, select Faculty/Staff/Advisors then Permission Numbers.

Administrative Drops

According to Boise State University Policy 4102-D, (cited in the catalog and also available online at www.boisestate.edu/policy/index.asp?section=4&policynum=4102), faculty members may administratively drop students from a course for:

• Nonattendance, including nonattendance due to course schedule conflicts.
• Failure to satisfy entrance requirements, such as:
  • unmet prerequisites
  • failure to register for a corequisite, or
  • inadequate class standing required to take the course.

Nonattendance that can lead to a faculty-initiated drop is defined as failure to attend the first class session of a class that meets once weekly, or failure to attend the first two sessions of a class that meets twice weekly. Since online classes meet asynchronously rather than at scheduled times, it is important to clarify how that policy applies to your course. Please make sure, therefore, that both your syllabus and initial email clearly state:

• how the first week's attendance will be verified—by such activities, for example, as students logging in, posting to a particular discussion forum, and confirming they have read the syllabus, etc.;
• what the consequences are for failing to attend class during the first week as you have defined it: that you may (or will) administratively withdraw them from the class.

We strongly encourage faculty to drop students who have not logged in during the first week. It is usually in the best interest of both the absent student and the class.

You may fill in a Faculty Initiated Drop Form using Adobe Acrobat Reader: (http://registrar.boisestate.edu/Forms/facdrop.pdf). This can be sent directly to the Registrar's office for processing or—for Distance Education courses only—printed and faxed to Sandy Howell in Extended Studies at 208.426.3467. The deadline to administratively drop students is usually four working days after classes begin (Friday if classes begin on a Monday, Monday if classes begin on a Tuesday, etc.). The Academic Calendar provides the exact deadline date: http://registrar.boisestate.edu/calendars.htm. If you are experiencing a problem, can help you.

Schedule Change Forms

After the course schedule has been submitted for printing, any changes to a course set-up must be approved through the normal channels. This approval is obtained through a Schedule Change Request Form (sometimes called pink slip), filled out electronically and submitted online by your department, with a copy e-mailed to or faxed to 208.426.3467. Schedule changes might include any of the following:

• Instructor change
• Course capacity change
• Time/Date/Location changes
• Class cancellations

Please Note: the Distance Education Coordinator is responsible for many aspects of the schedule setup and Schedule Change form processing. Department chairs or faculty members will be contacted directly if more information as needed. The Distance Education Coordinator is Betty Miller— or 208.426.5622.

Class Capacity

Class capacity (cap) is set with direction from the academic department chair and instructor. If you find that you would like to increase your class capacity, please request that a Schedule Change Request Form be submitted by your department chair. If this is your first time teaching a distance education class, we advise that you keep your class cap set at around 20 or 25. If you find you can handle more of a student load during the following semester, please let your chair know so that he/she can make a cap change during the course set-up process.

Knowledge Network Cap Changes

Knowledge Network classes have a slightly different process for cap changes. One cap is set by the academic department during the course set-up process for the in-person section held in SMTC 118. Another overall cap is set for the off-campus distance education receive sites (follow the Schedule Change Form process to change this overall cap). This cap is split among the receive sites based on the space available at each of the sites. Throughout the semester, distance education staff shift seats around according to which site needs a cap increase (when enrollments have filled or almost filled that section, for example). Please let us know if you become aware of a full class at any of the sites or in a cable section so that we can shift seats as needed.

Student BroncoMail Accounts

Each matriculated student at Boise State University is assigned a BroncoMail account upon acceptance to the University. This is a student email account used by faculty and staff to officially communicate with students. Unfortunately, many students are not fully familiar with BroncoMail and do not realize that email is the primary communication tool the University uses. As a result, students forget to log in and check their accounts for months at a time or at all. Please help us educate students on the use of their BroncoMail account by suggesting one or all of the following tips:

• Students may forward BroncoMail email messages to an account they use more frequently. They can choose to keep a copy of the message in their BroncoMail account or purge it automatically. By purging the message, they will keep their percentage of space used at a minimum.
• Students can create “Rules” that allow them to file, purge, and forward email messages with certain characteristics. These rules are easy to set up and help students keep their accounts clean.
• Since students use BroncoWeb to register for classes every semester, remind them that signing in to use their BroncoMail account is just as easy and it’s even located at the same web address: http://broncoweb.boisestate.edu. When they sign in, they have the option to purge some or all of their received messages.
• Students are allocated five (5) megabytes of space for their inbox and folders. If that space gets filled, the sender (not the student account holder) receives a message that the recipient’s mailbox is full. Students who do not access their BroncoWeb email accounts may never know when they are full unless someone tells them, and important notifications from University personnel and faculty may never reach them.

Student Code of Conduct and US Copyright Law

It is the responsibility of the instructor to inform the students in their distance classes, especially those classes with online components, of these policies. Please list the following URLs in your syllabus and in a prominent location in your Blackboard course site. The review of these policies could be an assignment.

• Student Code of Conduct: http://www.boisestate.edu/osrr/Student Code of Conduct/conduct.htm
• Statement of Shared Values: www.boisestate.edu/osrr/
• Copyright Law: http://itc.boisestate.edu/resource.htm
• Guide to Copyright Compliance: http://itc.boisestate.edu/copyright/

Student Code of Conduct

You are required to provide a link to the student code of conduct in your syllabus, whether you are teaching online or in person. If you are having a conduct problem with a student in your course, you may print and fill out a Conduct Report Form and submit it to the Office of Student Conduct.

US Copyright Law

Instructors are responsible for ensuring that their distance education classes comply with copyright law. Information about copyright law and distance education is available on the website of Academic Technologies, located at http://itc.boisestate.edu/resource.htm. Specific questions about copyright may be directed to Kevin S. Wilson, Information Design Specialist, Academic Technologies, kwilson@boisestate.edu. Please note, however, that although Academic Technologies can provide information and suggestions, they cannot give authoritative advice on the legality of any specific use of copyrighted materials. Ultimately, it is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that the use complies with copyright law.

Helpful Information for your Distance Students

Students can get information about distance education classes in three different ways:

1. Distance Education Website

Distance Education staff members have worked very hard to provide a comprehensive website for students seeking information on our courses, delivery methods, and much more. The website presence we maintain allows us to pull together information specific to distance education programs and present it in one convenient place. Below are a few areas that students might find especially helpful:

• Course Information: We maintain a comprehensive table of course information in addition to the individual course listings on BroncoWeb. This table offers students a quick glance at vital information about our courses: number of credits, type of course (university core, part of a degree program, general elective, etc.), in-person requirements, instructor, delivery method, and the semester in which the course is being offered. We do not track enrollment figures on our site, so students need to check BroncoWeb for the latest seat availability and the most up-to-date course information.
• Self-Assessment: Students have an opportunity to take a self-screening survey which will give them immediate feedback on whether distance education courses are right for them. Specifically, students are asked questions about their motivation, time commitments, time management, discipline, need for feedback, and comfort levels with technology. From this page we link to the Idaho Electronic Campus, which offers a more comprehensive self-screening survey.
• Delivery Methods: In-depth explanations of each type of delivery method utilized in Distance Education help students understand technology requirements before they sign up for a class.
• Process Flowchart: Students can follow a flowchart of information that takes them through the admission and registration process at Boise State University. The flowchart contains links to important information students will need along the way.
• BroncoWeb Search Instructions: Specific to finding and signing up for distance education courses, we provide step-by-step BroncoWeb search instructions. Please help us remind students that the most accurate and up-to-date course information can be found on BroncoWeb.
• Comprehensive FAQ: We offer the answers to many questions usually received via the telephone in our student FAQ section. If you find yourself answering the same question more than a few times, let us know—we can easily add more.
• Contact Information: We provide contact information for the Extended Studies front desk as well as direct contact information for Distance Education staff.

2. BroncoWeb

Students can search and register for distance education courses on BroncoWeb and will find helpful notes for most course listings. The notes provide information on the delivery method, student requirements, instructions, etc. Students can search for specific distance education courses by choosing the appropriate category under the “Mode of Instruction” (delivery method) drop-down menu.

3. Printed Schedule of Classes

All distance education courses are integrated into the general body of the current Schedule of Classes for all semesters. Introductory distance delivery method paragraphs are available toward the front of the schedule. Students should watch for the delivery method (Internet, Teleweb, Knowledge Network, Cable Television, Computer-Based Multimedia, Telecourse, Video Conferencing, or Video Streaming) to determine whether they are looking at a distance education section or not. Some courses also indicate "Electronic Campus" in the location field if they are not site-based.

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This Section

Requirements/Information for Internet (Online) and Teleweb Instructors Only

Internet & Teleweb—GroupWise Email Accounts

If you are teaching an Internet or Teleweb course, you are required to have a Boise State GroupWise email account. You may request a GroupWise email account through your department chair or administrative staff. When it is approved, you or department administrative staff can fill out the account request online at http://oit.boisestate.edu/accountrequest/.

You can access your GroupWise email account remotely at https://gw.boisestate.edu. You will sign in using the same user name (usually your complete first and last name with no spaces), and password you use to access Blackboard and BroncoWeb.

Internet (Online) & Teleweb—Initial Class Email

Download in PDF format

Faculty Responsibility

Faculty members are to initiate contact with students by sending out a “class start-up email.” This initial contact provides you and the University with assurance that students have the correct information to access and start the class.

Procedures

Retrieve your class roster from either BroncoWeb or Blackboard. If you have not yet accessed your class roster through BroncoWeb or are experiencing difficulty with this, please call the BroncoWeb Helpline for support at 208.426.2932.

Please send the start-up email to the students’ BroncoMail email accounts listed on the class roster no later than the start date for the session in which your class is listed. When students contact us with questions we will refer them to this email in their BroncoMail account.

Purpose

The initial email contact, which can include a copy of the syllabus, serves many purposes.

• The email is the first contact between the instructor and the student for the semester. It serves as the entrance to the class in lieu the first class meeting. It is the general introduction, sets the tone for the class, and conveys essential information.
• The email needs to be an orientation to the course and the course site.
• The email and syllabus often are viewed by students as a contract between the instructor and students. As such, they are most effective if they are carefully planned for the online environment, providing thorough and detailed information.
• These documents provide an avenue to manage student expectations as well as to convey instructor expectations. Students wonder how this class will be different from an in-person class. Unfortunately, many students think that the class will be easier and take less time since they do not have to be present in a classroom. Now is the time to convey reality.
• These documents provide both the procedural and geographical map to the class, letting students know how to proceed and where everything is located. For a student who has not taken an online class before, the email must provide sufficient directions to the online classroom in Blackboard to enable the student to locate the class and to find what is needed to get started.
• These documents also need to provide technical information and support options.

Content Areas

The following content areas are recommended (at a minimum). Below each recommendation is an example of what you might include in that section. Information specific to Teleweb courses are indicated by braces: { }. Information that is specific to your course and that will need to be changed before going out to students is contained within parentheses: ( ).

• Welcome & basic information
  Welcome to Boise State University! You are enrolled in a (semester) (Teleweb or Internet) class, which is conducted {with an} online {component}. The class you are registered for is (Class #, Subject, Catalog, and Section). The session begins (date) and ends (date).
• Course availability
  This course is being conducted with Boise State’s web-based course management system, Blackboard. The course will be available on (date).
• Faculty-intiated student withdrawal information
  IMPORTANT: DROP POLICY: To avoid being dropped for non-attendance in the first week of the term (DAY, DATE) - (DAY, DATE), you must do ALL of the following:
  • Login to the (CLASS NAME) course site in Blackboard.
  • (SECOND REQUIREMENT, SUCH AS POSTING TO A DISCUSSION BOARD)
  • (THIRD REQUIREMENT, IF ANY)
  • (FOURTH REQUIREMENT, IF ANY)

  These tasks must be completed no later than (DAY, DATE), by (TIME).

  (CLASS NAME) is a (NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS)-credit course, and these tasks are equivalent to the first week’s attendance in a traditional (NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS)-credit lecture class.

• Instructor information
  My name is (Instructor Name). You may contact me in the following ways. My preference is (email, phone). [Note: List email, office phone, or other contact information.] My (virtual) office hours are generally from (time) to (time) on (days), or you may contact me by email anytime. [Note: Now is the time to be clear about your expectations.] Please be aware that even though email is available in the middle of the night, I am generally not. I will do my best to respond to your inquiry within 24 hours. ([-OR-] I respond to email within 24 hours Monday through Friday.)
• Expectations
  [Note: It is better for students to immediately drop a class that does not match their expectations than to continue if they are not prepared.]

  This class is not a self-study or online correspondence course. Though you may access Blackboard anytime and complete most of the work asynchronously, this course has (weekly, bi-weekly, ongoing) deadlines and regular participation is mandatory. Each student must complete assignments, tests, quizzes, and all other course requirements by the posted deadlines. (You will also be required to participate at a specified time two times during the course.) If you encounter an unexpected problem not related to coursework, please contact me immediately. Late and/or incomplete assignments or projects are only accepted when prior arrangements have been made.

  This course is not easier or less time-consuming than its on-campus equivalent. In fact, because (most, all) of the content for this course must be read, you will likely spend more time than you would in a face-to-face class. It is generally recommended that you set aside 3-4 hours per week per credit hour (9-12 hours for a 3-credit class, for example) for class time and homework. Likewise, learning online takes a different skill set than does learning in a classroom. If you are unsure about your ability to learn online, consider taking the self-assessment survey located at www.boisestate.edu/distance/students/selfscreen.shtml.

• Technical & skill information
  This online class will not teach you how to use the computer, navigate the web, or manage your electronic files. At a minimum, you should be able to: (navigate the Internet using a browser; navigate among and between multiple open windows; open, close, and save files and attachments; and send and receive email attachments).
  You must have (daily) access to a computer with the following minimum requirements:
  • Pentium PC or Apple Macintosh Computer
  • 56K modem or better (recommended)
  • Network connection or a dial-up Internet Service Provider (ISP)
  • Windows 95 or higher OR a Macintosh running system 9.x or higher
  • 64MB RAM minimum (recommended)
  • Web browser—Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (recommended).
• Blackboard LOGIN instructions
  This course is being conducted with Boise State’s web-based course management system, Blackboard. The login page is located at http://blackboard.boisestate.edu.
  [Note: You can easily cut and paste these instructions from the Academic Technologies Blackboard page: http://itc.boisestate.edu. Or consider the following abbreviated version.]
  If this is your first time signing into Blackboard, please follow this process:
  1. Use your BroncoWeb login and password to sign into Blackboard.
  2. If you wish to change your password, go to Tools/Personal Information.
  3. Consider creating a Homepage to introduce yourself to others in the class.
• Directions for the course site
  When you are active in Blackboard, please click on the (class title) link and review class features and requirements: (you will find the syllabus under the link, assignments under the link __, and announcements under the link __.) To locate help and reference information for Blackboard, see the information listed under “Manual” and “Tools.” [Note: You may want to assign students a participation exercise to show that they know how to access Bb and to complete a basic function.]
• Information on the student “Introduction to E-Learning” course
  If you would like to develop more knowledge and skills necessary for success in an online class, you may either register through BroncoWeb for the 1-credit “Introduction to E-Learning” course, facilitated by an instructor, or take the free non-facilitated option by following these instructions:
  • Go to http://blackboard.boisestate.edu/.
  • Click the Course Catalog button.
  • Enter “self study” in the text box and click Go.
  • Click on “Introduction to E-Learning at Boise State—Self-Study”.
• Support Information (include tutorial or other support as appropriate)
  The following support is available to you as an online student:

Blackboard Help
Hours: 8AM-6PM M-Th & 8AM-5PM F
Email: blackboard@boisestate.edu
Phone: 208-426-2583

BroncoWeb Help
Hours: 8AM-6PM M-Th & 8AM-5PM F
Email: bweb@boisestate.edu
Phone: 208-426-BWEB (2932)

BroncoMail Help
Help Desk Hours: 8AM-5PM M-F
Email: helpdesk@boisestate.edu
Phone: 208-426-4357
Website with instructions and FAQ available 24/7: http://helpdesk.boisestate.edu/students/broncomail/faq.shtml

Distance Education Help
Sandy Howell
Hours 8AM-5PM M-F
Email: showell@boisestate.edu
208-426-4216

Internet & Teleweb—Online Privacy Notice

As well as a link to the Student Code of Conduct, you are also required to provide a link in your syllabus and/or course site to the Student Online Privacy Notice: http://itc.boisestate.edu/BbSupport/BbDocs/general/PrivacyNotice.htm.

Internet & Teleweb—Proctored Tests or Final Exams for Remote BSU Students

(PDF of this section)

In general, students who request testing in areas outside of BSU must do their own research to locate an acceptable proctor. There are qualifications that a proctor must meet and when one is located, the instructor has the discretion to approve or disapprove the proctor and/or the testing environment. Below are guidelines for students when locating an acceptable proctor and testing site.

Note: University academic dishonesty policies apply to all remote proctoring arrangements for BSU students.

Locations that could be acceptable

• Other state or private universities, colleges, or K-12 schools.
• State or city public libraries.
• State, county, or city offices, like: DMV; City Hall; City Clerk; Chamber of Commerce; Board of Education, etc.
• Private business licensed to operate in a building open to the public during typical business hours.

Proctors that could be acceptable within the above locations

• Human Resource or administration official at any public educational facility; a current instructor or faculty member.
• Administrative staff or Librarian at any public library.
• A public official of state, county, or local government, at their business location during business hours.
• The owner or manager of an established business who operates a facility open to the community, where testing would be on-site at their office location during usual business hours.

Unacceptable proctors and test locations

• Any person related to the student, their family, or who has family ties.
• A friend or close acquaintance; an office or job site peer; any person the student closely associates with.
• The student’s personal workplace area or an area recognized for use by the student as an employee.
• Locations that are not recognized as conventional business sites, or are not licensed to operate.

Suggested steps for the student

1. The student should discuss the need for remote proctoring and receive approval from the instructor to have the test administered by a proctor. The instructor will inform the student of any specific requirements regarding the proctor and the location.
2. The student must find an acceptable local volunteer proctor and will need to provide them with written requirements. The requirements might include: what an appropriate proctor is; the need for a quiet testing location; the ability of the proctor to receive and send back a written test in a secure and confidential manner, if appropriate; access to the Internet using a PC that has the recommended browser if needed; and clear instructions that the proctor will be present during the test. If the instructor requires that the test be taken at a specific time, this information should also be included. (The proctor should be able to perform office tasks at the time they are proctoring a test, but they must be physically present at all times.)
3. The student should visit the prospective location and proctor in person. The student must be certain the person who volunteers has the authority and permission to provide arrangements for individual testing.
4. The student must clarify that this is a BSU distance education course, and will be required to show BSU student identification. Questions can be referred to at 208.426.4216, BSU Extended Studies.
5. The student will confirm with their instructor the acceptability of both the proctor and location. In many cases the instructor will require independent contact with the prospective proctor as well as written confirmation of the ability to proctor the test at the given time.

Proctor confirmation

If a proctor has agreed to volunteer, that person must be able and willing to furnish certain credentials:

• A faxed memo with official business letterhead, including business phone and address
• The proctor’s job title, including name and contact office phone number
• The date and time that will be arranged for the test or final exam

Instructor approval required

Each instructor has full discretion to allow or refuse any testing arrangement. In some cases the student may need to search for another volunteer and/or location if the instructor is not satisfied.

Internet & Teleweb—E-Learning Resources (PDF format)

Two resources are available to prepare students for online, hybrid, or web-enhanced classes: an online skill building course with two participation options and an e-learning orientation. Both resources help students develop required skills. You may benefit from these resources as well because you won’t have to devote instructional or personal time to unprepared students who are in need of online learning skills.

Process

When a student is registered in your online course without the necessary computer and Internet literacy skills, first determine if they are completely unprepared or struggling with one aspect of your course. A student struggling with one or two skills may benefit by referral to the self-study option. If a student is completely unprepared to learn online you can recommend/insist that the student drops your class and takes the Introduction to E-Learning course in the semester prior to taking your course. If a student does not comply, you can drop them by faculty initiated drop deadline.

Course: Introduction to E-Learning

The CoreOnline grant supported the development of a student orientation course. The course developer and initial instructor was Kerry Rice, a Department of Educational Technology faculty member. The course is designed to develop knowledge and skills required for success in Web-enhanced courses including computer literacy, Internet literacy, technology management, organization, and time management. Students can access the course in two versions.

• Credit Option
  The five-week long course titled "Introduction to E-Learning" is a GENED 197 Pass/Fail offering. Students may register via BroncoWeb for the 1-credit online course. This option includes assignments, interaction, and deadlines to be completed for credit. The course is offered in all three 5-week sessions during fall and spring semesters and in both 5-week sessions for summer.
• Self-Study Option
  Self-study students may work through all or part of the modules in a non-facilitated Blackboard site to brush up on or build new skills. This option does not include access to an instructor, interactivity with other students, or assignments. Students (or faculty) may sign in at anytime and review any or all of the material. Students will not receive credit for their activity in the self-study site. Please follow these directions for the self-study option. Go to:
  • Blackboard Free e-Learning class site: http://blackboard.boisestate.edu/.
  • Click the User Login button.
  • Click the User Preview button.
  • Click the Course tab.
  • Do a search for “self study” (enter “self study” in the text box and click Go)
  • Click on “Introduction to e-Learning at Boise State – Self-Study”
• Online Orientation
  Students may assess their potential for online learning success and discover tips for successful completion of online courses through this resource: http://itc.boisestate.edu/orient.

Teleweb ONLY -Broadcast Schedule

The broadcast schedule is determined by the Idaho Public Broadcast station. We will notify you of the broadcast times as soon as the station informs us of the schedule.

Teleweb ONLY—Broadcast Errors

Occasionally there may be a broadcast error. If you or your students become aware of a problem, please notify at 208.426.4216 immediately. If we know about the error shortly after the problem, rebroadcasts may be arranged. When rebroadcasting is not possible, other arrangements will be made. We will notify students about broadcast errors and how we plan to resolve the problem—by phone and by email.

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Requirements/Information for Knowledge Network and Videoconferencing Faculty Only

Knowledge Network and Videoconferencing—Test Dates

Ted Eisele in Academic Technologies compiles the Knowledge Network and Videoconferencing testing schedules each semester. Test dates and other information are provided on the Instructor Expectations for Site Facilitators form and returned to Ted Eisele at least one week prior to the beginning of the semester. Any changes to test dates must be submitted to Ted as soon as they are known. Otherwise, proctors may be arranged only to find an empty classroom when they arrive.

Knowledge Network ONLY—Cable Student Testing Locations

works with cable students to determine where they will be taking tests (main BSU Campus, West Campus, or Gowen Field). Once a test site is selected by a student, it is final unless you approve a change. Please let and the site coordinators know immediately of any changes to a student’s testing location.

Knowledge Network ONLY—Cable Student Mailing Supplies Request

Each semester, you have the option of filling out a request for mailing supplies for your cable students. Sandy Howell will prepare enough envelopes and labels to supply the entire semester. To request mailing supplies, please fill out the Cable Student Mailing Supplies Request form and return it to one week prior to the semester start. You will receive your supplies after the 10^th day.

Knowledge Network and Videoconferencing—Who to Call About What

The Who to Call about What (PDF) document is a list of contact information for issues surrounding Knowledge Network and Videoconferencing courses: class/exam cancellations due to illness or otherwise; courier pick-up or delivery; live classroom assistance; receive site/broadcast difficulties; site coordinators; and emergency processes. This document is updated each semester.

Knowledge Network ONLY—Site Information

The Knowledge Network Site Information (PDF) document includes detailed information about each receive site, including cable television. This document is updated each semester.

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Requirements/Information for Telecourse Faculty Only

Broadcast Schedule

The broadcast schedule is determined by the Idaho Public Broadcast station. We will notify you of the broadcast times as soon as the station informs us of the schedule.

Broadcast Errors

Occasionally there may be a broadcast error. If you or your students become aware of a problem, please notify at 208.426.4216 immediately. If we know about the error shortly after the problem, rebroadcasts may be arranged. When rebroadcasting is not possible, other arrangements will be made. We will notify students about broadcast errors and how we plan to resolve the problem—by phone and by email.

First Meeting

You will be meeting with students prior to the first broadcast time. As such, YOU will announce the broadcast time at the first class and in your syllabus. Students will receive your syllabus from you at the first class meeting. Remember that your class does not meet during the first week of classes!

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Official Course File

The following five documents are kept in each course file in Extended Studies for accreditation purposes. Not all documents are required to be returned by you, so please read through the information carefully.

1. Course Proof and Schedule Change Requests
   A final approved copy of your course proof is signed by your department chair and sent to Extended Studies toward the end of the production schedule. This is not a document that you need to submit.
2. Course Syllabus
   Please submit your syllabus to at least the week prior to the start of your class. For accreditation purposes, your syllabus should state learning outcomes for students. If you are teaching an Interent/Online or Teleweb course, please submit your syllabus electronically. Otherwise, you may submit it either electronically or in hard copy format.
3. Signed Contract
   You will receive a contract in the mail approximately three weeks before the start of the semester in which you are teaching. Please look this contract over carefully. If you think something doesn’t look right, please contact immediately. Your signed contract must be in the official course file for accreditation purposes. Timely return of the signed contract is very important.
4. Evaluation Summary
   Distance courses are evaluated the first time they are offered by an instructor and usually once per year thereafter. If this is the first time you’ve taught for distance education, your course will be evaluated and the summary retained within the official course file.
5. Final Grades
   Your final grade sheet must be submitted to the Registrar’s office online. We will download a copy for the official course file.

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Credential File

For accreditation purposes, Extended Studies must have a credential file on all instructors with their most current vitae or resume. Please send a copy to whenever you update your vitae or resume.

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