As the instructor of an online course, you'll need to develop resources and lessons prior to the start of the course.  There are a several different types of delivery models you can use to teach online:

• Continuous-Intake (Open-Entry): Our most common course model. Your students can start the online course at any time, and can apply to you for an extension, if needed.
• Scheduled: Your online course has specific start and end dates, with the course delivered for a group of students at a time (minimum number required).
• Term-Based: Your online course runs in a defined term as outlined by the academic calendar. 
• Hybrid (Blended): You can combine face-to-face and online components in the same course to offer 'flipped' learning or more flexible scheduling. Current examples include the on-campus versions of Acadia's TESOL Certificate courses.

Additionally, your traditional Face-to-Face courses can take advantage of the Acadia University Learning Management System (Moodle, also called ACORN) for supportive or pre-course work.

Academic Requirements
Academic responsibilities are outlined in Article 17 of the AUFA Collective Agreement.

Academic Calendar
Current and previous academic calendars are found on the Registrar's website.

ACORN
Acadia uses a Learning Management System (LMS) called Moodle. This LMS is hosted on a server called ACORN (Acadia Courseware Online Resource Network), which is located at https://acorn.acadiau.ca. It is important that your Acadia network access has been set up as you will require the same username and password to access your course(s) on ACORN. Help resources for many functions of Moodle can be found at http://acornhelp.acadiau.ca. If you require assistance please do not hesitate to contact us at acornhelp@acadiau.ca.

Assignments
Assignments are typically submitted and returned using ACORN's assignment dropbox. You should respond to student inquiries (by mail, fax, phone, or email) and return assignments within 7 working days.

Colleague Self Service
Colleague Self Service is a personalized administrative and academic portal that provides access to Acadia’s Colleague Information System. As a course instructor, you have access to your individual courses and to the student information associated with those courses. Colleague Self Service is the system you will use to enter final grades.

You can access Colleague Self Service via MyAcadia. For more information, watch the brief overview video or read our guide to Colleague Student.

Communicating with Your Students
You may never meet your online students face to face, but communication is still critical. Not only are students physically isolated from you, they are often isolated from other students. You will be notified by email when a new student registers. We recommend that you send  an introductory email, welcoming the student, introducing yourself, and providing any information that is relevant but not contained in your course materials.

Course Materials
Your will work closely with our Course Development Unit to prepare your course materials. Once course development is complete and approved, students may be enrolled. 

Examinations
If your course has a final examination please note the following:

• Students must apply to write examinations.
• All examinations in continuous-intake online courses are written with an approved proctor.
• Instructors will be contacted to grant approval for a student to write the examination.
• Examinations will be delivered to you for marking.
• Final exams are not to be returned to students and should be kept by you for at least a year.

Evaluations
Students are encouraged to complete the course evaluation at the end of their online course. The results are accumulated and delivered to your department head.

Grading and Submitting Marks

• Scheduled Courses
  Final Grades are due no later than 10 days after the last class. Grades should be entered at Acadia Central as rounded numeric values (no decimals) and will be released to students as letter grades. The ‘marks input’ link is on the left side of the page.
• Online Continuous Intake (open-entry) Courses, effective November 2017
  Log in to the Hub using your Acadia username and password. Select Request Service on the right, fill in the Student Number, Student's FIRST and LAST Name, Course Discipline and Number, and Final Numeric Grade fields, and then click on the Request button. You will receive an email confirmation.
  
  

Acadia's Grading Scale

Remuneration
Remuneration rates are established in the AUFA Collective Agreement.

Vacation and Sabbatical Leaves
We understand there may be periods during your contract that you will be away. It is important that you advise us when you will be unavailable to your students for more than 7 days.

Vaughan Memorial Library
More information about setting up your library access can be found here. Library services are available to online students. Should your students require library assistance please direct them to the library services for online students.