Quality guidelines

The Centre for Extended Learning (CEL), together with the Advisory Committee on Distance and Online Education and the Associate Vice-President Academic are committed to promoting the following principles of good practice in the design and delivery of University of Waterloo online courses.

General principles

• Courses strive to be academically rigorous, current, and reflective of the standards of scholarship within the discipline, as well as best practices in pedagogy.
• Courses strive for a learning experience that is equivalent for all online students, regardless of their geographic location, schedule, or disability.
• Courses encourage and exemplify the highest standards of academic integrity.
• Courses have a course outline that complies with university policy .

Intended learning outcomes

• Outcomes are measurable, achievable, relevant, concise, and clearly stated.
• Online learning activities, assessments, and content align with, and promote the achievement of the intended learning outcomes.

Learning

• The course engages students in active learning through an appropriate mix of student content, student-instructor, and student-student interaction.
• Course activities respect diverse talents, backgrounds, and ways of learning, and reflect an awareness of an international audience.
• Whenever possible learning activities should reflect activities within the discipline, and are relevant and/or applicable to real-world situations.

Assessment

• Policies pertaining to assignments and grades are clearly stated.
• Students are provided with the necessary information to complete assignments (e.g. instructions, evaluation criteria).
• Constructive feedback about performance is provided to students in a timely manner throughout the course (e.g. providing sufficient time for students to incorporate feedback into the next assignment).

Content Presentation and Media Selection

• The technology and media chosen are appropriate for the content, audience, and intended learning outcomes.
• The course follows CEL practices for ensuring accessibility.
• Media resources follow CEL’s Presentation Standards and are consistent with Waterloo’s institutional identity.
• Media used in the course complies with Canadian copyright legislation.

Pace, organization, and sequencing of the course

• Work expectations are clearly communicated to students and fall within the University of Waterloo’s guidelines (i.e. approximately 10 hours per week for undergraduate courses).
• The course includes standardized information that supports the learner’s progress (e.g. Getting Started, Technology Check, Schedule, Assignment Submission Instructions, and Final Exam Information).
• The course is well-organized and uses an evident design framework (e.g. chronological, thematic, easy-to-difficult, etc.)

Teaching and facilitation

• The instructor maintains a presence and interacts with students in a variety of ways throughout the course.
• The instructor fosters a supportive learning environment for students.
• The instructor sets and meets expectations for instructor responsiveness and availability (e.g. turn-around time for email and discussion forum postings, feedback on assignments, etc.)
• Student feedback is collected and used to continually improve course quality.

Accessibility Statement