Reading time: 2 min.
Video time: Up to 5 hours

The MiraCosta Online Class Quality Guidelines were originally developed in 2016 by the MiraCosta Online Educators, with a substantial revision completed in 2021. Most of the document describes recommended practices and principles for equity-minded online instruction (as described later in the handbook), but the first section outlines requirements that every instructor must follow for any MiraCosta class which includes distance education. These requirements also form the basis for the self-certification checklist which is a requirement in the 2022-25 faculty collective bargaining agreements for all faculty assigned to teach online.

In January 2022, Online Education coordinated 5 workshops to explore the 10 items on the checklist. Each workshop was one hour and the recordings are linked below, along with brief summaries of the checklist items they explore. These recorded workshops are a great way to learn more about these core requirements for online teaching at MiraCosta.

Meeting Basic Requirements of MiraCosta’s Online Class Quality Guidelines and the Self-Certification Checklist (Jim Julius)
- Item 1: Abide by any departmental directives in the course outline of record.
- Item 2: Abide by the MiraCosta syllabus checklist. (which includes some items specifically required for distance education classes)
- Item 6: Uphold institutional procedures to authenticate students.
- Item 8: Teach distance education in accordance with any department and college procedures, and negotiated agreements.
- Item 9: Help students in a DE course section to be aware of MiraCosta College support services and resources, especially those available online.
Ensuring Regular Effective Contact Between Instructor and Students Online (Nadia Khan, Angela Beltran-Aguilar, Roland Estrella, Joanne Carrubba)
- Item 3: Ensure regular effective contact between instructor and students.
- NOTE: While the regulatory language has since been updated to "Regular and Substantive Interaction," and the statutory definition includes particular requirements for "regular" and "substantive," this workshop is still practical and relevant for fulfilling this requirement.
Ensuring Regular Effective Contact Among Students Online (Lisa M. Lane, curry mitchell, Emiko Kiyochi)
- Item 4: Ensure regular effective contact among students.
- NOTE: While this requirement was removed from Title 5 in 2022, "Regular and Substantive Interaction among students" is still an option that departments may require at a course-by-course level in the curricular DE Addendum on the Course Outline of Record. So this may or may not be an absolute requirement for every course at MiraCosta, but the practices described in this video remain excellent practices for most any online class.
Facilitating Equity, Success, and Academic Integrity by Proactively Supporting Students Online (Laura Paciorek, curry mitchell, Roland Estrella, Angela Beltran-Aguilar)
- Item 5: Create an environment of academic integrity, monitor progress, and track attendance and participation.
- Item 10: Monitor students’ engagement and success, and promptly and proactively initiate substantive interaction with students when needed on the basis of such monitoring and upon request by a student.
Meeting Accessibility Requirements for Online Classes (Tanessa Sanchez, Lisa M. Lane, curry mitchell)
- Item 7: Meet the accessibility requirements in state and federal regulations.

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