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Faculty Guidelines

Distance Education

Daytona State College uses technology to enable access to a wide range of courses and student support services from a student’s home, their place of employment, area high schools and from the nearest DSC campus. There are a sufficient number of courses so a student can earn an AA, a Bachelor’s degree, or an AS degree through distance education. However, most students use distance education to accelerate their progress to getting a degree, combining these courses with those they take on campus. Distance education provides convenient and flexible scheduling options for students balancing work, family and other obligations.

All courses offered at the College have a web‐enhanced component. Thus, it is essential that all faculty, full‐time or adjunct, make use of the learning management system (LMS) to post their syllabi, use the announcements feature, use the gradebook, and provide access to course materials.

  • Online courses are delivered entirely using computer technology and the College’s LMS, titled “Falcon Online,” licensed from Desire2Learn (D2) Brightspace. Students and faculty interact using a variety of tools including email, assignments, web‐conferencing, discussion boards, virtual groups, and other tools. All assignments are exchanged electronically using the assignments area in the LMS. Tests, quizzes, and orientations are completed online. Faculty are encouraged to use alternative assessment practices such as writing assignments, discussions, group projects, and portfolios instead of relying completely on quizzes or tests.
  • Partially Online courses (also called hybrid) are presented in a format where some of the course materials/resources are available only through accessing the College’s LMS. For more information on web‐enhancing or placing your course online, visit the Online Studies webpages.

Falcon Online (LMS) Training

All faculty members at Daytona State College must receive adequate training to use our learning management system (LMS) named Falcon Online. The LMS training courses provides an overview of both technical and pedagogical best practices. Faculty who in any modality must take Falcon Online Training (FOT), which is a 9-hour fully online asynchronous course and is required for all full-time and part-time faculty members. Faculty who teach hybrid classes must complete 12 hours of LMS training, which includes the Falcon Online Training (FOT) and Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI). All faculty members who teach in the fully online modality must complete the full 45-Hour online faculty training series, which includes the initial 12 hours of LMS training. Scroll further down this page for additional details about the 45 hour online faculty training series, as well as more information about the LMS training classes.  


(a) Falcon Online Training (FOT)

The Falcon Online Training (FOT) course provides basic learning management system instruction. This course is offered fully online and may be completed in approximately nine hours. Additionally, faculty may request an instructor-led face-to-face component, to complement this training.

All online assignments and assessments for this workshop must be verified as successful before a certificate of completion will be issued.

All faculty are required to complete this course. New full-time faculty are enrolled in the Falcon Online Training course and a workshop will be presented during the New Faculty Orientation. New adjuncts should schedule a workshop through their department contact or with the Faculty Innovation Center (386) 506-3485.


(b) Regular & Substantive Interaction

This training defines the federal guidelines for substantive interaction and demonstrates ways to include substantive interaction in online and hybrid courses using various tools in Falcon Online. This fully online training is available in Falcon Online and is estimated to take 3 hours to complete. Faculty who do not assess anything in Falcon Online, nor maintain a syllabi, are exempt from this course.

All hybrid and online faculty are required to complete Substantive Interaction within the first semester they are enrolled. Visit the Training page to register for a session or contact the Faculty Innovation Center to request a session (386) 506-3485.


(c) Additional Training

Other workshops and training on a variety of topics are available throughout the year. Go to the Training page to search for current offerings of all workshops and training. Faculty who teach in different modalities are required to take additional workshops through the Division of Online Studies and the Department of Instructional Resources. Visit the Training page from the Division of Online Studies website to view these requirements. 

Faculty Innovation Center

The Faculty Innovation Center, originally developed as the Faculty Technology Resource Center, by a US Department of Education Title III grant, is located on the second floor of Nunamann Hall, building 200.

The Faculty Innovation Center assists faculty with developing and procuring digital learning materials, online/hybrid course design/redesign and development, and Falcon Online training. Faculty can use some of the latest equipment and applications available, including tablets, scanners, etc.

Faculty may receive technical assistance by calling the Helpdesk at (386) 506‐3950 or for instructional assistance they may call the Faculty Innovation Center at (386) 506‐3485 or stop by to meet with a knowledgeable and helpful member of the support staff. Typical hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. Other faculty members who have extensive experience teaching online serve as eMentors within many academic departments and on each campus. Visit the eMentor site to find the nearest eMentor.  

Video and multimedia production services are also available through the Center for Interactive Media. To submit a production request visit the Service Desk portal, login, and select the Submit a Request button. Then select the Video Production category. A consultation will be scheduled with the production team to discuss the work to be completed and the best method of achieving the desired outcome.

Standards

The Online Class Peer Review Process ensures quality design in online classes at Daytona State College, with oversight from the Division of Online Studies and 18 full-time faculty members who serve on the DSC Peer Reviewer Committee. In SP22, the members of the Peer Reviewer Committee made the recommendation to begin using the Quality Matters (QM) Higher Education Rubric, 6th ed, as the central document to guide the DSC peer review process. This recommendation supports the Florida Board of Governors 2025 SUS Strategic Plan for Online Education, which outlines a goal of identifying quality and high-quality online courses noted in the FloridaShines catalog. A Quality or High-Quality designation is a significant accomplishment that means an online course has met rigorous, research-based standards of course design in the following areas: Course Overview and Introduction Learning Objectives (Competencies) Assessment and Measurement Instructional Materials Learning Activities and Learner Interaction Course Technology Learner Support Accessibility and Usability.


(a) Review Process

Eighteen Peer Reviewers representing twelve Schools/Colleges have been selected and trained to apply the rubric to assist the Dean of Online Studies in conducting peer reviews of online classes.

Each major semester (Fall and Spring), faculty who teach at least one online class are identified by the Director of Online Studies to be reviewed. Notifications are sent to these chosen faculty by email during the major semester before they are to be reviewed.

Each class is observed during a three-week time period by two Peer Reviewers. Peer Reviewers are never faculty members within the same School/College of the faculty member being reviewed. At the end of the review period, each reviewed faculty member and/or direct supervisor (if necessary) will meet with the Director of Online Studies to go over the score report for the review and make any necessary changes to their class.


(b) Rubric for Online Class Delivery

To prepare for the review, faculty members are encouraged to examine the rubric and make any necessary changes to ensure that the class being reviewed meets the standards in the rubric. The Faculty Innovation Center and eMentors can assist in making any necessary changes.

Please visit the Online Class Peer Review Process webpage for links to the most current rubric for online course design and more information about this process. 


(c) Rubric Scoring Guidelines

Each class will be categorized as Developing, Quality, or High Quality.

(1) High Quality Class

A class that scores at 85 or above with no "Not Met" in essential standards will be identified as High Quality. High Quality classes will be recognized for having exceeded the best practice standards and the faculty member will receive a certificate of recognition. The faculty member, department chair, AVP, and Vice President of Academic Affairs/College Provost will be notified of this recognition.

(2) Quality Class

A class that scores at 69 or above with no "Not Met" in essential standards will be identified as Quality. Quality classes will be recognized for having met the best practice standards. The faculty member, department chair, AVP, and Vice President of Academic Affairs/College Provost may be notified of this recognition.

(3) Developing Class

Using the Rubric for Online Class Delivery, a class that scores at 68 or below will be identified as Developing. Developing classes will be recognized as a class that does not meet best practice standards. The faculty member, department chair, AVP, and Vice President of Academic Affairs/College Provost will be provided feedback as to the necessary changes that must be made.

Class revisions must meet or exceed the Competent standard and be confirmed by the Dean of Online Studies before the start of the next semester the class is taught. A class that does not meet Quality standards may not be able to be offered.

Exam Proctoring

(a) Face to Face Proctored Exams

For professors who wish to require a face-to-face proctored exam in a distance education course, a statement should be placed in the syllabus indicating this requirement. For example: “This class requires a face-to-face proctored exam to be taken at Daytona State College. Students outside of the Daytona Beach area (i.e., outside Volusia and Flagler counties) are responsible for finding a suitable outside proctor and will incur any fees associated with this service. Upon arrival to your exam, you should be prepared to provide your Daytona State ID or other approved government issued identification.”

A statement should also be added to the comments section of the class before the schedule is rolled out. The professor is solely responsible for developing their own testing scenarios, i.e., for arranging the use of a classroom and acting as the proctor for the exam. The specific campus classroom location, as well as the date and time period in which the exam will be given should be conveyed clearly to all students well before the exam date, preferably no later than the first day of the class. The Academic Support Center and Assessment Services should not be used as either the location or as the proctor.

Daytona State College is a member of the National College Testing Association (NCTA). The NCTA has a consortium of colleges it recommends for proctoring services.  Students can go to the NCTA website to find a recommended site.  As an alternative, students can also contact other local postsecondary institutions near their location as potential testing sites.

(b) Virtually Proctored Exams

Virtual proctoring services are available to all academic departments, though these virtual proctoring services will only be offered on a course by course basis as agreed to by faculty, departmental chairperson, and AVP of the same department. Students must be notified prior to or at the time of course registration if virtual proctoring will be required for the course. At this time, only fully online classes should utilize virtual proctoring services, until otherwise discussed with Dr. Cheryl Kohen, Dean for the Division of Online Studies.

Virtual exam proctoring may be required in specific college courses contingent upon instructor recommendations and academic department approval. Proctoring services are offered to ensure authentication and academic integrity. The type of proctoring services including face-to-face or virtual options, or the use of these services as a contingency plan in the event of a natural disaster, pandemic, or similar occurrence will be specific to the course as determined by the instructor(s) and the Department Chair. The proctoring information will be published in the course syllabus and under the class notes section during course registration.