DE Instructor Contact
Instructor initiated regular effective student contact
In online and hybrid courses, ensuring regular effective instructor contact guarantees that the student receives the benefit of the instructor’s presence in the learning environment both as a
provider of instructional information and as a facilitator of student learning. In a face-to-face course the instructor is present at each class meeting and interacts via all class announcements, lectures, activities and discussions that take a variety of forms. The same qualities of regular effective contact described above for face-to-face class also is applied to the distance education
class.
Instructors make certain that there are measures for instructor-initiated regular effective contact incorporated into their online and/or hybrid course design and delivery. Regular effective instructor contact means that instructors must keep in contact with students on a consistent and timely basis to both ensure the quality of instruction and verify their performance and participation In addition to the requirements in Title 5 section 55376, East Los Angeles College ensures that all approved courses offered as distance education include regular effective contact between instructor and students through group or individual contact, orientation either online or face-to-face, telephone contact, e mail contact, announcements, online office hours, online chats, voice mail, online lectures, pod cast, discussions or other activities. All distance education courses at LAVC, whether online or hybrid will include weekly effective instructor contact as described below:
1. Initiated interaction and frequency of contact: Instructors will regularly initiate interaction with their students to determine that they are accessing and comprehending course material and that they are participating regularly in the activities of the course. Distance education courses are considered the equivalent to face-to-face courses. Therefore, the frequency of the contact will be at least the same as would be established in a regular, face-to-facer course. At the very least, the number of instructor contact hours per week that would be available for face-to-face students, will also be available, in asynchronous and/or synchronous mode, with students in the distant education format. Contact shall be distributed in a manner that will ensure that regular contact is maintained, given the nature of asynchronous instructional methodologies, over the course of a week and should occur as often as is appropriate for the course.
2. Title 5 – 55376 Instructor Contact
The district governing board shall ensure that:
• All approved courses offered as distance education shall include regular effective contact between instructor and students.
• Regular effective contact is an academic and professional matter pursuant to Title 5 – 53200.
Regular effective weekly contact includes, but is not limited to the following examples:
• Participating in discussions
• Scheduled chat room
• Course announcements
• Grading assignments and providing feedback
• Web conferences
• On campus meeting, informal or formal
• Field trip events
• Participate in online group projects
• Instructor podcast
• Voice enabled messages
• Synchronous virtual meeting
• Study sessions
• Scheduled Skype sessions
• Responding to emails, private messages, phone calls and posted questions
The above effective instructor contact resources maintains student-instructor relationship conducive to learning as well as motivates students, encourages students to participate in class, and encourages individual critical thinking.
Absentee Policy
For Student:
Instructors need to provide students with the policy on absenteeism, such as the following:
Absence of regular meaningful contact can be considered an “absence”. If a student does not maintain being active in the class, the instructor can drop him/her from the class.
For Faculty:
Los Angeles Community College District has a policy of weekly interaction on the part of instructors. If you are unable to interact for more than one week of the semester, you must take that time as sick or vacation leave. Forms for reporting those absences are available online
1. Title V - 55376. Instructor Contact.
. . . district governing boards shall ensure that:
(a) All approved courses offered as distance education shall include regular effective contact between instructor and students, through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, correspondence, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities.