Rubric for Online Instruction

Rationale
California State University, Chico's first strategic priority is to create
and enhance high quality learning environments. Academic
technologies, especially online or web-enhanced courses, have a
significant role in the creation of those learning environments. The
University's Strategic Priorities challenge faculty and staff to use
academic technologies to create and enhance high quality learning
environments in a demonstrable manner.

What should a quality online course look like?

Chicos Rubric for Online Instruction offers a framework for addressing
this question. Use of this rubric represents a developmental process for
online course design and delivery, and provides a means for an
instructor to self-assess course(s) based on University expectations.
Furthermore, the rubric provides a means for supporting and
recognizing a faculty member's effort in developing expertise in online
instruction as part of our commitment to high quality learning
environments.

The Rubric for Online Instruction can be used in three ways.

1. As a course "self-evaluation" tool - advising instructors how to

revise an existing course to the Rubric for Online Instruction.
2. As a way to design a new course for the online environment,
following the rubric as a road map.
3. As a means for getting recognition for exemplary online
instruction - going through a nomination/recognition process on
campus. Faculty can receive recognition to go in their RTP file.

Historical Perspective
The process by which faculty and staff came together to write this rubric
is available for your review. This describes the history and work of a
dedicated committee.

The Rubric for Online Instruction initiated the Exemplary Online

Instruction Awards, a recognition made public at the annual CELT
Conference at CSU, Chico. The website demonstrates examples of
exemplary online instruction and is available for viewing.

License
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United
States License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/ or send a letter to
Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco,
California, 94105, USA.
 Category 1 Baseline Effective Exemplary

Learner A. Course contains limited A. Course contains adequate A. Course contains extensive
Support information for online information for online information about being
& Resources learner support and links learner support and links an online learner and links
to campus resources. to campus resources. to campus resources.

B. Course provides limited B. Course provides adequate B. Course provides a

course-specific resources, course-specific resources, variety of course-specific
limited contact information some contact information resources, contact
for instructor, department, for instructor, department, information for instructor,
and/or program. and program. department, and program.

C. Course offers limited C. Course offers access to C. Course offers access to

resources supporting adequate resources sup- a wide range of resources
course content and porting course content and supporting course content
different learning abilities. different learning abilities. and different learning
abilities.

Rubric for Online Instruction, CSU, Chico, Copyright 2003 / Revised 2009 Rev. 4/2/09
 Category 2 Baseline Effective Exemplary

Online A. Much of the course is under A. Course is organized and A. Course is well-organized
Organization & construction, with some key navigable. Students can and easy to navigate.
Design components identified such understand the key compo- Students can clearly under-
as the syllabus. nents and structure of the stand all components and
course. structure of the course.

B. Course syllabus is unclear B. Course syllabus identifies B. Course syllabus identifies

about what is expected of and delineates the role the and clearly delineates the
students. online environment will play role the online environment
in the course. will play in the total course.

C. Aesthetic design does not C. Aesthetic design presents C. Aesthetic design presents
present and communicate and communicates course and communicates course
course information clearly. information clearly. information clearly through-
out the course.

D. Web pages are inconsis- D. Most web pages are D. All web pages are visually
tent both visually and visually and functionally and functionally consistent
functionally. consistent. throughout the course.

E. Accessibility issues are E. Accessibility issues are E. Accessibility issues are

not addressed. (Including: briefly addressed. (Includ- addressed throughout the
sight, mobility, hearing, ing: sight, mobility, hearing, course. (Including: sight,
cognition, ESL, and cognition, ESL, and techni- mobility, hearing, cognition,
technical.) cal.) ESL, and technical.)

Rubric for Online Instruction, CSU, Chico, Copyright 2003 / Revised 2009 Rev. 4/2/09
 Category 3 Baseline Effective Exemplary

Instructional A. Course offers limited A. Course offers adequate A. Course offers ample oppor-
Design & opportunity for interaction opportunities for interac- tunities for interaction and
Delivery and communication tion and communication communication student to
student to student, student student to student, student student, student to instructor
to instructor and student to instructor and student to and student to content.
to content. content.
B. Course goals are clearly
B. Course goals are not clearly B. Course goals are adequate- defined and aligned to
defined and do not align to ly defined but may not align learning objectives.
learning objectives. to learning objectives.
C. Learning objectives are
C. Learning objectives are C. Learning objectives are identified and learning
vague or incomplete and identified and learning activities are clearly
learning activities are activities are implied. integrated.
absent or unclear.
D. Course provides multiple
D. Course provides limited D. Course provides adequate visual, textual, kinesthetic
visual, textual, kinesthetic visual, textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory activities to
and/or auditory activities to and/or auditory activities to enhance student learning
enhance student learning enhance student learning and accessibility.
and accessibility. and accessibility.
E. Course provides multiple
E. Course provides limited E. Course provides adequate activities that help students
activities to help students activities to help students develop critical thinking and
develop critical thinking and/ develop critical thinking problem-solving skills.
or problem-solving skills. and/or problem-solving
skills.

Rubric for Online Instruction, CSU, Chico, Copyright 2003 / Revised 2009 Rev. 4/2/09
 Category 4 Baseline Effective Exemplary

Assessment & A. Course has limited activities A. Course has adequate A. Course has multiple timely
Evaluation of to assess student readiness activities to assess student and appropriate activities
Student Learning for course content and mode readiness for course content to assess student readiness
of delivery. and mode of delivery. for course content and
mode of delivery.

B. Learning objectives, instruc- B. Learning objectives, instruc- B. Learning objectives, instruc-

tional and assessment tional and assessment tional and assessment
activities are not aligned. activities are adequately activities are closely aligned.
aligned.
C. Assessment strategies are C. Ongoing multiple assess-
limited in use to measure C. Ongoing strategies are ment strategies are used
content knowledge, atti- used to measure content to measure content know-
tudes, and skills. knowledge, attitudes, and ledge, attitudes, and skills.
skills.
D. Opportunities for students D. Regular feedback about
to receive feedback about D. Opportunities for students student performance is
their own performance are to receive feedback about provided in a timely manner
infrequent and sporadic. their own performance are throughout the course.
provided.
E. Students self-assessments E. Students self-assessments
and/or peer feedback E. Students self-assessments and peer feedback oppor-
opportunities are limited. and/or peer feedback tunities exist throughout the
opportunities exist. course.

Rubric for Online Instruction, CSU, Chico, Copyright 2003 / Revised 2009 Rev. 4/2/09
 Category 5 Baseline Effective Exemplary

Innovative A. Course uses limited tech- A. Course uses adequate A. Course uses a variety
Teaching with nology tools to facilitate technology tools to facilitate of technology tools to appro-
Technology communication and learning. communication and learning. priately facilitate communi-
cation and learning.

B. New teaching methods B. New teaching methods B. New teaching methods

applied to enhance student are adequately applied to are applied and innovatively
learning are limited. innovatively enhance enhance student learning,
student learning. and interactively engage
students.

C. There are limited multimedia C. Multimedia elements and/ C. A variety of multimedia

elements and/or learning or learning objects are elements and/or learning
objects for accommodating used and are relevant to objects are used and are
different learning styles. accommodate different relevant to accommodate
learning styles. different learning styles
throughout the course.

D. Course uses Internet access D. Course optimizes Internet D. Course optimizes Internet
and engages students in the access and effectively access and effectively
learning process in a very engages students in the engages students in the
limited way. learning process. learning process in a
variety of ways throughout
the course.

Rubric for Online Instruction, CSU, Chico, Copyright 2003 / Revised 2009 Rev. 4/2/09
 Category 6 Baseline Effective Exemplary

Faculty Use of A. Instructor offers limited A. Instructor offers adequate A. Instructor offers multiple
Student Feedback opportunity for students to opportunities for students opportunities for students
give feedback to faculty on to give feedback on course to give feedback on course
course content. content. content.

B. Instructor offers limited B. Instructor offers adequate B. Instructor offers multiple

opportunity for students opportunities for students opportunities for students
to give feedback on ease to give feedback on ease to give feedback on ease
of online technologyand of online technology and of online technology and
accessibility of course. accessibility of course. accessibility of course.

C. Instructor uses student C. Instructor requests and C. Instructor uses formal and
feedback to help plan uses student feedback a informal student feedback
instruction and assessment couple times during the in an ongoing basis to help
of student learning for the semester to help plan plan instruction and assess-
next semester in a limited instruction and assessment ment of student learning
way. of student learning for the throughout the semester.
rest of the semester.

Rubric for Online Instruction, CSU, Chico, Copyright 2003 / Revised 2009 Rev. 4/2/09