We interviewed Northern Kentucky University lecturer and course director, Jeff Fox, about best practices for planning your communication course with Connect and your Quality in Online Learning Certification.

How would you recommend a new faculty member get started?

“I recommend starting at the end and working backward. What are the end goals for the students, and what assignments/assessments are needed to accomplish that? Work backward to find lecture materials and resources (from McGraw Hill Connect) that complement the end goals while at the same time making sure the course-level and module-level (if applicable) objectives are still met. Think in terms of: Do the course objectives match the module-level objectives? Do those objectives match the lecture materials and resources provided to students in the module? Do those materials lead to the end result through the assignment/assessment?”

What are some of the standards you need to keep in mind?

“Not everyone learns the same. Provide a variety of materials and resources that could work with a variety of learners – e.g. visual learners versus hands-on or applied learners. Also, just because a course looks good to you, does not mean it will work for someone who has a disability. Work with your university to ensure your course meets standards for accessibility and is inclusive of all types of people regardless of learning type and disability.”

What specific Connect tools would you recommend using?

“For Communication, SmartBook 2.0 is a must. This is a truly adaptive experience to help guide students through course content. As an instructor, you can pull a plethora of reports to measure progress and tailor the learning experience. The variety of practice items in the question bank, as well as the Application-Based Activities, are also great tools to help students practice content. The test bank provides a great way to access for unit tests or exams. Finally, if speeches are involved (with or without self/peer review), video capture powered by GoReact is an all-in-one tool.”

How would you make the speech process as seamless as possible in an online environment?

“Video capture powered by GoReact is an all-in-one solution for speech assignments. Students can upload or record live, upload a slide deck, and screen capture if recording live. Video files are automatically compressed, and tutorials are provided to teach students how to use the system. As an instructor, you can customize rubrics for grading, leave time-stamped feedback, and create a custom set of markers – for commonly used feedback. Additionally, you can set up peer and self-reviews, and pull reports to check student engagement in the process.”