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Call for Applications for Online Course Portfolio Reviews
The Office of Distance Education invites applications from faculty for portfolio reviews of
their online courses at George Mason University. The course reviews, conducted by the
Office of Distance Education, will provide faculty with feedback on the quality, course
design, and delivery of their online courses.
Benefits for Faculty Selected to Participate in Online Course Reviews
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Formative feedback from experts on online course design and delivery.
DE Office-sponsored registration for an Online Learning Consortium (OLC)
national conference (virtual attendance) in 2015-2016.
Registration for one online OLC workshop in 2015-2016.
Certificate of recognition from Office of Distance Education to all portfolio
participants.
Consideration for “Online Course Excellence” Award; up to two courses may be
selected by DE Review team for cash price of $500 (each).
Eligibility Criteria for Online Course Reviews
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The course must be a fully (100%) online course taught in Blackboard at least
once in the period Fall 2013-Fall 2014 at George Mason University.
Faculty member must plan to teach the online course again during the next two
years at George Mason University.
Course can be an undergraduate or graduate course at George Mason University.
Faculty member who taught and/or developed the online course must be full-time
faculty or adjunct faculty at George Mason University.
Faculty teaching multiple online courses may submit application for only ONE
online course review.
Faculty member must complete the application form and submit by April 3, 2015
deadline.
Faculty selected for online course reviews must participate in a portfolio orientation
session (prior to reviews); faculty also must submit Action Plan (following reviews).
(See timeline below for further details.)
Faculty members who have received prior funding or previous course
development support from Mason’s Office of Distance Education or Instructional
Design Unit are not eligible to participate.
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Timeline
Applicants should be aware of the following timeline for participation in the online course
reviews:
Submission Deadline for Applications
DE Office Decision Email to Faculty
Portfolio Information Webinar sessions
(participants must attend one)
Portfolio Submission Deadline
Portfolio Review Results Meeting (via Webinar)
Action Plan Submission from Faculty
Action Plan Feedback to Faculty from DE Office
April 3, 2015
April 10, 2015
April 17, 2015; April 20,
2015; April 23, 2015
May 22, 2015
June 8, 2015
June 22, 2015
June 29, 2015
Portfolio Requirement
The Office of Distance Education will select 10-15 applications for online course reviews.
The faculty selected for the course reviews will be required to create and submit a course
portfolio. The purpose of a course portfolio is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a
distance education course and, if applicable, its comparability to an equivalent face-toface course regarding student learning outcomes.
Preparation of a course portfolio typically requires 6-8 hours. Course portfolios include the
following: (a) course summary sheet; (b) faculty reflection; (c) student work samples; and
(d) syllabus. The Office of Distance Education will provide faculty with required training
and additional guidance for course portfolios. Each course portfolio will be reviewed by
the DE Review Team, using common criteria to evaluate the materials presented in the
portfolio. Complete course portfolios must be submitted by May 22, 2015. Following
the review, faculty members will consult with the DE Office to create an Action Plan.
The application deadline to be considered for an online course
portfolio review is April 3, 2015. Apply at masononlinefaculty.gmu.edu.
Please contact Dr. Darlene Smucny, Assistant Director for Quality in Online Instruction,
at dsmucny@gmu.edu or 703-993-1907 for more information.
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