Academic Quality

trophy Online courses should not be downgraded for online. The methods may be different than in face-to-face classes but the goal is the same. Both the academic content and grading standards of online classes should be equivalent face-to-face classes.

Suggestion for Instructors:

Choose challenging materials and assignments and make student workload equitable to a face-to-face class.
Use varied methods of student assessment including quizzes, discussion, writing assignments, group work.
Grading should clearly distinguish quality and should be comparable to face-to-face classes.
Do your best to stop student cheating and "buying" of assignments or entire classes. Increase security with more written work, personalized journals, on-campus exams, timed online tests, frequent changing of assignments each semester.
Compare the grade distributions in your online classes with those in your face-to-face classes - the two should be similar.
Read Cuyamaca's Guide to Best Practices in Online Teaching
See San Diego Community College District's Online Teaching Proficiency Checklist
Research shows that "distance education is just as effective as traditional education in regard to learner outcomes." Source: "Teaching and Learning at a Distance" by Simsonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., and Zvacek, S. : Pearson, 2009 [for a great discussion of the research in online quality, read chapter 3]. Also see the No Significant Difference Phenomenon.