1. Dr. Jillian Hartley Arkansas Northeastern College
From Course Design to Best Practices: Enhancing Instructor Presence Online
Dr. Jillian Hartley
Arkansas Northeastern College

2. Arkansas Northeastern College
We serve between students per semester.
Percentage of students who take online classes - 47% this spring
Ranked #1 “Best Online College in Arkansas for among two-year colleges.”

3. The Beginning… The Focus on Format Uniformity Wins
Does anybody remember WebCT?
Online courses and the delivery of material.
Content, assignments, and exams — it’s all there!
Uniformity or individuality?
Online faculty were expected to follow a guide when setting up a course.
The online instructor evaluation measured how well instructors followed formatting expectations.
The process worked well to make the navigation of courses consistent.

4. The First Evaluation Form

5. From Format to Learning
How different is the online class from traditional lecture courses?
Online instructors should thrive and do what they do best — engage students in passionate discussions using their expertise.
Instructors should guide students with rich and thorough grading feedback.
Instructors are responsible for providing students with weekly guidance to help them complete assignments.

6. The Transition from Format to Best Practices
Faculty Meetings
The Distance Education Advisory Committee first discussed proposing a learning-centered approach to online courses.
The faculty were invited to a meeting to discuss the expectations in undergraduate education in general. Ideas and suggestions were exchanged for how those expectations should carry over to the online classroom.
Most members of the faculty did a stellar job of engaging students already in their courses. This was a process that helped instructors collectively decide what qualities are essential for effective online learning.

7. Best Practices for Online Courses
Instructors should stay in contact with students on a regular basis throughout the term.
Instructors should encourage an active learning environment in their online courses.
Online students should be a part of a learning community.
Instructors should give detailed feedback to students in a timely manner.
Instructors should provide assignment information and resources to students at least seven days in advance.
Instructors should communicate and reinforce course requirements.
The course must meet all of the format requirements.

8. The New Online Instructor Self-Evaluation

11. Meetings and the Approval Process
The Distance Education Advisory Committee held another meeting with all online faculty to go over the form.
Both the “Best Practices” for Online Courses and the new Online Instructor Self-Evaluation Form required the approval of the Academic Affairs committee.

12. Thank you for coming. Jillian Hartley, Ph. D
Thank you for coming! Jillian Hartley, Ph.D. Professor of History Arkansas Northeastern College Feel free to connect with me at