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Introduction
Quality Matters (QM) is a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses and online components. MSU purchased a campus subscription to the QM Rubric to assist faculty and instructors in creating quality courses that will improve online education and student learning. The initial pilot of using the rubric to inform course design started as an MSU partnership between the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science, College of Arts & Letters, and MSU Information Technology. Currently, MSU maintains its full subscription status on a yearly basis which provides access to the fully annotated QM Rubric and the QM Course Review Management System (CRMS). Additionally, MSU IT Academic Technology consults with faculty and instructors on applying QM standards to their courses and developing new approaches in online and blended learning.
The MSU QM Course Review Process is a faculty-driven, peer review process that emphasizes continuous quality improvement. The QM reviewers experience and review a course from a student perspective and provide feedback based on the Quality Matters Standards. See IT Instructional Technology & Development for information about course development and see IT’s Academic Technology Service Catalog to learn more about QM at MSU. 
Our course review process consists of three parts: 

a self-review done by you to get familiar with the course review process on the MyQM system. 
an internal review by a peer-reviewer to provide initial feedback on the course design. 
after any necessary changes are made and the course has run, a copy of the course can undergo an official review conducted by a team of three QM Reviewers (Master Reviewer, Subject Matter Expert and one additional Reviewer) resulting in Quality Matters Certification [cost $1,000].

Whole programs can also be QM certified whose courses have been peer-reviewed. Information on QM program certification can be found on QM’s website. 
Getting Started
Anyone at MSU can create an account through the Quality Matters website by using their msu.edu email address.
Quality Matters provides a fully annotated course standards rubric, different types of course reviews including a self-review, and discounted QM professional development through its website and MSU’s subscription.
Some of the Quality Matters resources involve added costs and official course reviews require MSU consultation first.
Course Rubric
The QM Rubric is a research-based peer review process that is widely adopted in higher education as a measure of online course quality. It offers weighted best practices in online instruction to improve course quality.
Visit the QM Higher Education Rubric, Sixth Edition to download the rubric.
The rubric is helpful as a tool to consider what elements may be missing from an online or blended course or to generate suggestions for new features.
Self-Review First
Faculty and staff can use the fully annotated, self review materials, within the MyQM CRMS (Course Review Management System). Annotations explaining each standard in greater detail can be accessed within the Self Review tool after logging in to the QM site.
This unofficial self review is a way to become more familiar with QM standards or assess a course prior to an internal or official review. You can also do pre- and post- assessments of your courses to keep a record of improvements, and a private report can be emailed once completed.
What to expect in a peer-review?
The internal and official review are almost identical. Both generally consist of the following steps:


Pre-Review Discussion


Team chair (Lead Reviewer in an internal review) contacts review members and faculty member to set up a conference call or face-to-face meeting at the beginning of the review. The purpose of the conference call/meeting is to discuss the instructor worksheet, ensure that all members have access to the course, establish the team review timeline, and answer any questions from team members before the review begins.


Review Phase


The review begins. Each team member logs into the QM Rubric website and uses the online rubric tool to record their observations about the course. Remember that you are reviewing the course from the student’s perspective. If you have questions during the review, don’t hesitate to contact your team chair.


Post-Review Discussion


Upon completion of the review, the team chair will call for the final conference. This conference will be among the review team members to discuss any discrepancies in the review and to ensure that recommendations are helpful and effective.  All individual reviews will be submitted after this meeting to compile the final report.


Post Review – Revise Course (as needed)


The team chair will submit the final review to the Campus QM Coordinator through the online QM tool. The review findings will be shared with the course instructor who then has an opportunity to respond to the review (using the course Amendment Form in the QM site). If the course does not yet meet standards, the faculty course developer/instructor works to bring the course to standards (with the assistance of an instructional designer, if desired). The review team chair then reviews the changes and determines whether or not the changes move the course to QM standards. In an internal review, revisions are made before submitting for an official review.
Steps for Internal Review
It is good practice to complete a self-review of your course before submitting for internal or official review. This is an optional step and only you see the self-review responses. For a self-review, log into the CRMS (Course Review Management System) on the QM website and use the Self Review tool to conduct a review of your own course.
When you are ready to submit a course for internal review:

Sign up for a SpartanQM Online/Blended Course Peer-Review and wait for an email response. 
Make a copy of your course to be reviewed.
Log in to MyQM at http://www.qmprogram.org/MyQM (Your login name is your email address on file with QM. If you do not have your login info choose "Forgot Username" or "Forgot Password")
Log in to the Course Review Management System (CRMS) and select “Start a Review Application” on the main screen.

Select Michigan State University.
Select David Goodrich as the QM Coordinator.
Select yourself as the Course Representative.
Select Internal Review as the review type.
Scroll down and enter course information. Select Submit Application. You will receive an email that will prompt you to complete the worksheet once it is approved.

Log in to the Course Review Management System (CRMS) to complete the Course Worksheet.
Select My Course Reviews: Open Course Reviews

Here you will choose the "View" next to the applicable course number. 
The Actions section allows you to view, edit and then submit the Course Worksheet. Select edit to input your course information. 
When finished, click “Submit Complete Worksheet.”

Your course will automatically be assigned to a Lead Reviewer who will contact you regarding the course review.
After your review, you may make any necessary changes to your QM Review course as a result of the internal review.
This review is an unofficial course review that provides feedback on meeting the QM Standards before submitting for QM recognition.

Steps for Official Review
When the course is ready for the official review:

Sign up for a SpartanQM Online/Blended Course Peer-Review and wait for an email response. 
Faculty will use the updated copy of the course that was used in the internal review. 
Log in to MyQM at http://www.qmprogram.org/MyQM (Your login name is your email address on file with QM. If you do not have your login info choose "Forgot Username" or "Forgot Password")
Log in to the Course Review Management System (CRMS) and select “Start a Review Application” on the main screen.

Select Michigan State University.
Select David Goodrich as the QM Coordinator.
Select yourself as the Course Representative.
Select QM-Managed Review as the review type. 
Scroll down and enter course information. Select Submit Application. You will receive an email that will prompt you to complete the Course Worksheet once it is approved.

Log in to the Course Review Management System (CRMS) to complete the Course Worksheet.
Select My Course Reviews, Open Course Reviews. 

Here you will choose the "View" next to the applicable course number.
The Actions section allows you to view, edit and then submit the Course Worksheet. Select edit to input your course information.
If you completed an internal review inside the CRMS, you can copy your internal review worksheet.

MSU staff will add the QM review team to the QM Review Course. This can take up to two weeks.
The Course Representative (faculty course developer/instructor) meets virtually or by phone with the QM review team for a pre-review meeting.
A QM Review is scheduled for a 4-6 week review period, which includes approximately 3 weeks of actual review time in addition to pre- and post-review conference calls.
The QM Team Chair will submit the final report which will be sent to the Course Representative.
Once the standards are met, Quality Matters recognition is provided to the Course Representative and the course is listed in the QM Recognized Courses registry.

Recertification Review
Certified courses are reviewed and re-certified after five years.
Resource Links

QM Higher Education Rubric, Sixth Edition
QM at MSU Community: Faculty and staff at MSU can join this D2L Community site to learn more about the QM Rubric, discounted professional development, and course examples for meeting standards.
Quality Matters website: Create an account using your msu.edu email and access the self-review tools on the MyQM site.

Sometimes when we hear the word "assessment," we think of students silently completing a multiple-choice exam during class. But, there are a variety of ways to assess learning, and how we assess it depends on which skills and ideas we are interested in finding out what students can do.
Assessment Triangle
The assessment triangle helps us think about how we should assess because it connects what we want students to know and do with how we plan to observe what they know and can do. There are three points on the assessment triangle: cognition, observation, and interpretation (National Research Council, 2001).
Cognition
Which concepts and skills do students need to know and do?There are likely some concepts that students need to memorize. There might, though, also be skills that we are interested in students being able to do. For instance, maybe students need to be able to create something, such as a research question for a study and applicable methods. Maybe they need to solve problems and interpret data. What are you looking to assess?
Observation
What types of tasks will illustrate student knowledge and skills?What you have students do for the assessment will be determined by what you want them to know and do. There are a variety of ways to assess, such as (and these are just a few examples):

Multiple choice exam
Essay exam
Group exam
Project
Research investigation
Case study (real life or fictitious)
Poster
Research paper
Infographic
Presentation

Interpretation
How will the tasks determine student knowledge and skills?Once students complete the assessment, how will understanding be identified? That is, how will the assessment be scored? Scoring or grading rubrics can be a helpful start in identifying your expectations of how a student might approach an assessment and how accurate each approach is (or how many points each one is). Rubrics can either have everything graded on a single scale or can be broken down into separate criteria, culminating into one grade for the task. There are many guides available online for creating rubrics, such as from UC Berkeley's Center for Teaching and Learning.
Try it for Yourself
Draw a triangle on a piece of paper. Label each corner: cognition, observation, and interpretation. Choose a few cognitive aspects that you teach together in a single lesson or unit, identify how you might observe understanding of those cognitive aspects, and how you might interpret your observations.
Reference
National Research Council. 2001. Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10019.
Additional Resources

For assessment examples, view the Assessment Workshop videos, one on assessment options beyond the exam (which includes a description of the assessment triangle a few minutes into the video) and another on exam design.
Although designed for GTAs, this #iteachmsu article on assessment of student learning provides a nice overview, including formative and summative assessment.
This #iteachmsu article on experiential learning describes a more holistic approach to assessment.

PlanningThis is the fourth article in our iTeach.MSU playlist for the Spartan Studios Playkit.Teaching a Studios course requires more coordination with co-instructors and/or external partners than standard undergraduate courses. It’s important to begin planning your course early and take this planning seriously in order for your course to be successful. During the planning phase, you will be selecting a course theme, choosing the right challenges for your students, developing your syllabus and learning objectives, thinking about recruiting students, and deciding on your course structure.
▶️Course Theme: Form your class around a theme or challenge that is difficult to solve and benefits from many disciplinary perspectives. The topic or project you already have for your course might already relate to a wicked problem; you may just need to make that explicit by iteratively asking yourself why that topic matters. For example:
▶️Defining the challenge: The course topic needs to be significant enough for students to create a meaningful connection to the project (develop passion and drive outside of obtaining a grade, or the “Gravity” in our model), while still being focused enough for students to make progress on their projects within the time and resource confines of a semester course. Striking this balance is important for students to feel connected to the project while also feeling empowered to make a tangible difference. Students should have the agency to shape what their solutions to these problems look like, but you’ll need your judgement to balance between the course’s gravity and the depth of focus on these problems. Ask yourself “what project goals will matter to my students and our partners but be achievable in one semester?” Ultimately, your students’ deliverables (what they create in the course, which can range from a plan, a prototype, or a finished product) will depend on the mix of specific students and majors who show up for the class. 

Too broad:

 worldwide food waste (too intractable and disputed)

Too narrow:

students’ personal food waste is too high (not enough impact)
campus is not aware of MSU’s anaerobic digester (pre-existing solution) 

“Just right”:

food waste on MSU's campus (increase awareness and track campaign’s success)
food waste at a grocery store (partner with a local business)
food waste at the individual level within our community (partner with the municipal government)


▶️Future potential: Consider a course theme with the potential for repeat offerings. The local solutions produced by the class one semester can be built on in the following semesters, or you can emphasize different facets of the problem each semester. Think about how to maintain community partnerships for those longer-term projects (see Partnerships, our next article next in the playlist). Consider roles for students interested in continuing to participate in the course; for example, by returning as learning assistants to mentor teams of enrolled students, or encouraging local partners to create internships or job opportunities.
▶️Attracting students to the course

Recruiting students to a new course is a challenge. Incorporate and prioritize your recruitment strategies as early as possible in your course planning.
If your course will be co-listed in multiple departments, one model for a Studio is “bring your own students”: each faculty member promotes the course in their department and “brings” their own set of students (for example, 4 instructors each bring 15 students from their own discipline). This works for classes where a larger number of students still fits the scope of the project(s).
Another option is to use interdepartmental listings. Any potential to list as a general education requirement (IAH, ISB, ISS) should be taken advantage of, as you can reach a larger pool of interested students. Be aware that obtaining approval for a new gen ed requirement can take up to a year. 

🔧Advisors of participating departments/majors should be made aware of the course offering and can be valuable assets in advertising the course. A compelling course description and interesting project are important draw factors as well. Ask your advisors to share the course description with the campus-wide advisor network to reach interested students in other departments. 
▶️Create Learning Objectives. Consider whether these will be uniform or vary for students in different majors, and what goals the disciplines may share together. Learning objectives can be explicitly flexible (i.e. "gain a skill specific to your own career goals"). Other learning objectives can relate to working on interdisciplinary teams or manage relationships with community partners. Experiential courses can include content learning objectives; if these are uniform, they should be achievable by all students, regardless of their major.
🔧Bloom’s taxonomy is a well-known framework for describing educational goals. It’s a great resource for writing learning objectives. 
▶️Planning Iterative Sprints. Project-based learning benefits from phases of iterative design. One model for Studios courses, described in (Heinrich et al. 2020) is to divide the semester into a content delivery phase followed by applied project work broken up into iterative production weeks, known as sprints, with student reflections. At each completed phase of the sprint, student teams present their prototypes and receive feedback from classmates, instructors, and/or community partners.
🔧Course schedule template for Spartan Studios courses including orientation (burn-in), project training, sequential sprints, and final reflection phases.




Weeks 1-4


Week 5


Weeks 6-8


Weeks 9-11


Weeks 12-14


Week 15




Orientation, content delivery (burn-in)


How to run a project in project-based learning


Sprint 1: Project plan, execution, reflection 


Sprint 2: Apply lessons to project, execution, reflection


Sprint 3: Apply lessons to project, execution, reflection


Submit final project, reflect on course experience





▶️Setting expectations for students. Setting course expectations for students should start at the course listing/department advising and continue with the syllabus, the first few class periods, and periodically throughout the course. The experiential framework of the course and the method of assessment may be jarring for students - they have been trained in traditional education styles for nearly their entire lives. 

Mention in the course description that this is an experiential course.
Clearly explain the experiential approach and assessment style to your students.

▶️Consider an online Studios experience. Think about how these in-person, collaborative experiences can be translated into an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have supported one online Studios course so far, which included synchronous sessions and independent student work. Students can benefit from work on interdisciplinary experiential projects regardless of the modality in which the course is delivered; additional work is required to design what student-faculty and student-student engagements look like for an online course.
🔧Resources from ASPIRE, MSU’s self-paced asynchronous professional development for online teaching
🔧Online platforms can facilitate student brainstorming. Students can contribute to collaborative documents (Google Docs), slides (Google Slides) or whiteboards (i.e. Mural or Jamboard). These and other tools can support student teams’ virtual design processes and work sessions can be visible to faculty in real-time.
Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

The NavBar in D2L is the panel at the top of your course homepage that provides links to important tools and pages. When you open a new course, the NavBar includes a default set of links and drop-down menus to various D2L features. It usually looks something like the image below.

Why customize your NavBar?

You may not use all the tools included in the default NavBar; removing unused items can simplify navigation for students.
A streamlined, relevant NavBar helps students find what they need more efficiently.
You can personalize it to fit your teaching style, whether that’s clean and text-based or visual with icons.

How to customize your NavBar

On your course homepage, locate the NavBar at the top.
Click the three-dot menu icon on the right side of the NavBar.
From the dropdown, select “Customize this NavBar.”

Note: When you customize the NavBar, you're creating a new version of the MSU NavBar for your course.

Edit NavBar Links

Under the “Name” textbox, you’ll see a “Links” section listing all current NavBar buttons.
Hover over any link to delete it or drag to reorder.
Click “Add Links” to include new tools, even ones that normally appear in dropdowns, like “Class Progress,” without adding the entire “Assessments” menu.


Enable icon-based navigation (optional):
Prefer a more visual layout?Check the box labeled “Enable Icon-Based NavBar”, located just below the “Add Links” button. This will display icons instead of (or alongside) text for each link.
Preview and Save

Click “Save and Close” to preview your updated NavBar.
You can continue editing it at any time until it feels just right.
If at any time you want to see what the NavBar looks like, click "save and close." You can edit it as much as needed.

Tips:

Students don’t see all the same tools that you do (e.g., “Course Admin” and “Intelligent Agents”). Use the View as Student feature to check how the NavBar appears from their perspective.
Avoid changing the NavBar after students have access, as it may confuse them.

Example
Here’s what my instructor NavBar looks like:It includes only the tools I use, arranged in the order students need them. I’ve removed dropdown menus since I don’t use all the tools they contain. Students see a clean, focused navigation bar that matches how the course is structured.

This poster outlines approximately 20 suggestions to help students navigate online courses more successfully. Even with careful planning and development, the normalization of remote learning has not been without challenges for the students enrolled in our courses. Besides worrying about a stable internet connection, students must confront a steep learning curve and considerable frustration when it comes to completing even the most basic coursework each week. Participation in the ASPIRE and SOIREE programs notwithstanding, and despite our carefully worded syllabi, weekly course modules, project packets, assignment prompts, and the like, students nevertheless experience significant confusion and anxiety when faced with the prospect of leaving the physical classroom behind for the brave new world of the virtual. The reduction of course material by instructors to bite-sized chunks and the opportunity for online collaboration with their classmates do not necessarily mean students greet online learning with open arms. Already entrenched attitudes and habits among many young adults do little to help them as they make the shift to online learning. But there are a number of fairly simple ways that instructors can smooth this rocky road over which students must now travel. The tips I share have emerged and been developed further as part of my own ongoing process to minimize confusion, frustration, and improve levels of engagement, while simultaneously imparting more agency to the students enrolled in my IAH courses here at Michigan State University.To access a PDF of the "Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster 
Pandemic Pedagogy: Online Learning and Suggestions for Minimizing Student Storms in a Teacup 
Stokes Schwartz, Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities 
College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University 
Abstract 
The normalization of remote learning during 2020-2021 has not been without challenges for the students enrolled in our courses.  Besides worrying about stable internet connections, they must also confront a steep learning curve and considerable frustration when it comes to completing even the most basic coursework each week. Even with instructor participation in the ASPIRE and SOIREE programs, carefully worded syllabi, weekly course modules, project packets, assignment prompts, and etc., students nevertheless experience significant confusion and anxiety when faced with the prospect of leaving the physical classroom behind for the virtual. Our reduction of course material to bite-sized chunks and the opportunity for online collaboration with their classmates via Zoom or Teams do not necessarily mean students greet online learning with open arms. Already entrenched attitudes and habits among many young adults do little to help them either in the shift to online learning.  But there are a few fairly simple ways that instructors can smooth the rocky road over which students must travel. The tips and suggestions I share in this poster presentation have emerged as part of my own ongoing process to minimize student confusion, frustration, and improve engagement, while simultaneously impart greater agency and opportunity for success to the young adults populating my asynchronous online IAH courses here at MSU during the 2020-2021 academic year. 
Background 

In mid-March 2020, school pupils, university students, and educators everywhere were thrown into disarray by the mass onset of the Covid-19 virus, related lockdowns, and interruptions to normal student-instructor interactions. 
At Michigan State University, we scrambled throughout the summer to prepare for the 2020-2021AY and reconfigure existing courses for online delivery.  
Yet reasonably well developed and presented online courses alone have not enough for students to succeed.  Even in the face of MSU’s push for empathy and understanding, students have demonstrated that they require additional help making the leap from traditional face-to-face to online learning. 
Instructors are well-placed to assist students in an ongoing way as they make this challenging transition.   
Without much additional work, we can support and encourage our students with weekly reminders that exhibit kind words, cues, prompts, signposts pointing the way forward, and calls to action. 
We can foster improved student engagement, learning, and success despite the challenging, new environment in which we operate. 
We can guide students through their many weekly activities with roadmaps to help them navigate course intricacies more easily 
We can provide students with ample opportunity for new ways of learning, thinking, knowing, and the acquisition of 21st century skills. 
In short, faculty teaching online courses occupy an ideal position to prepare students to operate more efficiently and productively in the real world after graduation since remote work and collaboration online is expected to increase markedly as society speeds further along into the 21st century. 

Develop Supporting Communications 

Beside online syllabi, course modules with seem to be clear directions, etc. students need reminders to keep an asynchronous online general education course in mind, on the rails, and moving forward.   
Routine, consistent supporting communications to students from the instructor help to minimize student confusion. 
Send reminders on the same day each week for the coming week. 
Include headers in all course documents, and email signatures, listing a few ‘how to succeed in this course’ tips. 
Share same supporting communication to weekly modules in LMS.  
Students benefit from supporting communication that guide them through the activities for a given week during the semester. 
When students see supporting communications routinely and predictably, they are more likely to remember and act on it. 

Provide Weekly Guidelines 

Through supporting communication, provide additional prompts, directions, clarifications, and reminders to students.  Let’s call these weekly reminders “guidelines.”. 
Emphasize steps students can take to achieve success in the course.  
Keep guidelines fairly short and to the point to avoid information overload. 
Include the week, your name, course name, and number at top of guidelines as both an advance organizer and to help guidelines standout in students’ email inboxes. 
Provide students with concise ‘roadmaps’ in these guidelines making it easy to plan and carry out their coursework each week. 
Conclude guidelines with a call to action for students to complete course-related activities, much like a TV or online commercial, or an old fashioned print ad. 
Think of weekly guidelines as marketing communications that have a higher purpose than just promotion however.  
Share same guidelines at top of weekly online modules in LMS, so students can access them in more than one place.  

Include Key Course Policy Reminders 

Students will not remember all course policies, and expectations outlined in our syllabi.  Some might conveniently “forget.”   
Provide gentle reminders from week to week.  
Assist students by including important course information as part of the guidelines sent each week.  
Remind students of key course policies, expectations, and their responsibilities as members of the course. 
One possible segue way might be,  “For students who have chosen to remain in this course, the expectation is. . .” 
Remind students that we are in a university setting, they are adults, and to avoid letting themselves fall through the cracks. 
Invite students to seek help or clarification from the instructor if they or their student learning team need it. 

Foster Civil Interaction 

We have asked students to make a huge leap into uncharted waters.  They are frustrated and possibly fearful. 
Many are not used to online learning, self-reflection, thinking on their feet, problem solving, or working cohesively with others.  
Many already exhibit an entitled, customer service mindset. 
Make expectations for civil interaction clear with a concise statement in online syllabi, modules, and weekly guidelines.   
Model civility with polite decorum and kindness to reduce potential problems with disgruntled students. 
Be respectful and civil in your synchronous, asynchronous, or email interaction with students.  Listen without interrupting. 
Avoid terse replies, even to naïve questions! 
Use the student’s name in verbal or email replies. 
Reduce the potential for unpleasant episodes by opening all email replies with “Thank you for your email,” and conclude them with “Best/Kind Regards. . .”   
Be the adult in the room and show patience, patience, patience! 
Here are vital teachable moments that allow us to help shape students for collegial and productive working lives following graduation. 
Civil interaction is challenging given the various pressures and constraints under which all of us, faculty and students, must operate, but it is an important part of facilitating continued student engagement and success in our online courses.  

Remind Students of the Skills They Cultivate 

Besides the specific subject matter of the course, remind students in weekly guidelines that they are also cultivating real world expertise.   
‘21st century skills, ’ a term used by Christopher J. Dede, John Richards  and others in The 60-Year Curriculum: New Models for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Economy (2020), enable a smooth transition into the globalized digital economy after graduation.   
Remind students that they are refining relevant skills in:  
Deeper (critical) thinking  
Collaboration and collegiality  
Personal and agency and proactive engagement.  
Effective planning and organization  
Time management.   
Intellectually openness and mental agility.   
Learning from mistakes.   
Accountability and ownership 
Self-Awareness  
Attention to detail  
Timely and Frequent Communication with Your Team  
Creative problem-solving  
Development of high quality work 
Consistency  
On-time delivery of assignments and projects. 
Self-regulation 
Frequent practice of skills like these during weekly course-related activities better prepares students for long term employability through an anticipated six decades of working life in a rapidly changing world. 

Establish Consistent Guideline Format 
Below is a possible format for the weekly guidelines I propose: 

A recurring header in your weekly that lists easy steps students can take to ensure their own success in course.  
Begin with an advance organizer that identifies right away the week, semester, and dates the guidelines are for. 
Follow with a friendly greeting and focusing statement in a brief paragraph. 
Highlight any due dates in yellow below the greeting below greeting and focusing statement. 
Include two-three concise paragraphs that enumerate and outline individual assignments or team projects for the week. 
Provide brief directions for how (and when) to ask questions or seek clarification. 
Furnish technical assistance contact information for students who experience challenges uploading assignments or team projects. 
Remind students gently about the collaborative course design and expectations for students enrolled in the course. 
Mention to students of the need to keep course policies and expectations in mind as they complete their work. 
Highlight the big picture skills students practice each week besides the specific subject matter of the course, and how those skills are relevant to their lives after graduation. 
Finish with a closing salutation that is a bit less formal and includes good wishes for students’ continued safety and well-being. 

Conclusion 

The approach outlined here has emerged, crystalized, and evolved over two semesters in the interest of ensuring student success in asynchronous online IAH courses. 
While these observations are preliminary at this point, most students in the six courses taught during 2020-2021 have met the challenges facing them, completed their individual and collaborative coursework, and met or exceeded rubric expectations.  
 Anticipated student problems and drama either have not materialized, or have been minimal. 
Early impressions suggest that supporting communications like these are helpful to students when it comes to navigating online courses more easily and completing related tasks. 
Weekly supporting communications, presented as brief guidelines, might also be useful in the context in synchronous online, hybrid, and hy-flex as well as traditional face-to-face courses when it comes to helping students navigate and complete coursework in less confused, more systematic way. 
Future plans include refining the weekly guidelines further and possibly assessing their effectiveness through a small study. 

This resource is meant to put information about trauma informed practices into the hands of faculty and instructors. Please see the digital flyer for more information. The references below were used in the creation of the flyer. Special thank you to Cheryl Williamns-Hecksel, Apryl Pooley and the Mental Health Committee (JED) for support in creating this resource.
References for Trauma Informed Practice Digital Flyer 

Cusack SE, et al. (2019). Prevalence and predictors of PTSD among a college sample. J Am Coll Health. Feb-Mar;67(2):123-131. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/29652647/
Read, J. P., Ouimette, P., White, J., Colder, C., & Farrow, S. (2011). Rates of DSM–IV–TR trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among newly matriculated college students. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 3(2), 148–156. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/25621098/ 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4884.pdf 
https://istss.org/public-resources/trauma-basics/trauma-during-adulthood 
Morissette SB, et al. (2021). The effects of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms on educational functioning in student veterans. Psychol Serv. Feb;18(1):124-133. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/31192672/ 
Boyraz G et al. (2016). Posttraumatic stress, effort regulation, and academic outcomes among college students: A longitudinal study. J Couns Psychol. Jul;63(4):475-86. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/26214096/ 
https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/trauma-informed-practices-postsecondary-508.pdf 
Racine N, Killam T, Madigan S. (2020). Trauma-Informed Care as a Universal Precaution: Beyond the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. JAMA Pediatr. 174(1):5–6. https://jamanetwork-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2754104

With COVID19 pandemic most, if not all, research activities placed on hold in 2020. The need for remote teaching and working was obvious. The increase number of older adults in the US and world wide place geriatric medicine as a priority in addressing health need in the near future. According to Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC] there is increasing number of medical graduates who do not match to any residency program in the US. We started a virtual research fellowship in geriatric medicine as a tool to empower some of those unmatched medical graduates in Michigan state and other areas using funds provided by The Pearl J. Aldrich Endowment in Gerontology/Michigan State University. One of the goals of this fellowship is to train these graduates to know the basic steps of any research work and how to use the tools available in any research environment. We hope that these students understand the methodology of identifying a problem that faces older adults, and then carry the required steps to address and solve such problem in a systematic way. Currently we have four teams, who are involved in different research projects. We have submitted 10 abstracts to 2 different meetings, and so far 6 were accepted for oral presentation. We targeted The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Some of the topics address include COVID19 and its impact on the elderly. During this session our team will share our experience.
To access a PDF of the "Virtual Research Geriatric Fellowship for Unmatched Medical Graduates" poster, click here.Description of the PosterTitle: Virtual Geriatric Research Fellowship 
Author: Nadir Abdelrahman, MD, CMD 
Geriatric Division,  Dept of Family Medicine, MSU 
Introduction:
Between 2020 and 2030, the number of older adults is projected to increase by almost 18 million 1. 
The Association of American Medical Colleges expects that an additional 42,600 to 121,300 doctors will be needed by 2030 2.  
There is a huge need for geriatric-trained health care providers 3. 
Each year, there are more than 8 thousand Unmatched medical graduates [UMGs] in the US. Most of them are international medical graduates.  
Aim: 
The aim of this fellowship is to empower UMGs by improving their knowledge, skills, and experiences in geriatric medicine.  
Curriculum Development: 
This curriculum was developed based on Entering Research course.  
The primary goals of this fellowship are to create a supportive learning environment to introduce UMGs to the culture of research and to teach them valuable skills needed to become effective researchers. 
The fellowship was designed to help medical graduates find a research mentor, explore the culture of research, write a research project proposal, and begin doing research.  
They informally share their research experiences and learn about the diversity of experiences available through their peers. 
Through virtual meetings, research basics, communication skills and common geriatric principles were reviewed.  
Early discussions included current pandemic topics ranging from COVID19 incidence, hospitalization and mortality to prevention and vaccination. 
The content of these discussions came from the students, and their engagement in the weekly, 2-hour-long meetings.  
The course facilitator provided a framework for the discussions, relevant background reading materials, and structured assignments designed to help students develop positive relationships with their research mentors, define themselves as a member of the research community, and understand and communicate their research.  
Description of Curriculum 
The following tasks were identified for this program 

Recognize the research ethics principles.
Select a research topic.
Identify research question(s).
Describe various types of study designs.
Select appropriate study design.
Define study population.
Take an appropriate study sample.
Enumerate various study variables.
Discern various types of errors, including bias.
Identify confounding factors.
Select and use appropriate measurement tools.
Prepare for data management.
Set a work plan with time, budget, and a plan for dissemination. 

Results of Implementation 
A total of 6 Virtual posters were accepted in 2 national conferences:  American Medical Director Association/The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC21: 2 virtual posters) and American Geriatrics Society (AGS21: 4 virtual posters). 
Eight of the fellows were matched into residency programs starting July 2021. 
Discussion 
This virtual research fellowship in geriatric medicine is considered unique and innovative as there is an immediate need for geriatric-trained health care providers.  
The conceptual framework allows training program directors to identify and select appropriate activities to use with their trainees based on need and career stage. 
Activities were designed to teach UMGs principles of research, research design, and critical evaluation of results while also giving them practice with the real-world experience of creating and presenting posters in virtual environment.  
This fellowship achieved its goals using online tools. 
In the coming year, we hope to expand this concept, and establish it as a model for implementation at other institutions. 
 Figure 1. 
The four-box model 
 Disclosure 
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose. 
This fellowship is supported by:  
The Pearl J. Aldrich Endowment in Aging  
Demographic Changes and Aging Population – RHIhub Aging https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/aging/1/demographics 
Healthcare Suers When Medical School Graduates Don’t Match https://www.insightintodiversity.com/healthcare-suffers-when-medical-school-graduates-dont-match/  
Record number of unmatched medical graduates. CMAJ 2017 May 29;189:E758-9. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1095432 
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. (1969). Management of organizational behaviour: Utilizing human resources. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 
 Tasks and Team approach 
Fellows were grouped into teams. 
Different tasks were assigned to each fellow. 
Teams leaders encouraged individual fellows 
Projects identified and project leaders assured completion of each Poster.  
 Fellows learned the basics of literature review, statistical analysis (using SPSS) and reference management (e.g EndNote) 
 Situational leadership skills and teams were incorporated using the four-box model 4 (See Figure 1) 
 References 
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=nursingposters 
https://slideplayer.com/slide/6319238/ 
https://www.mghihp.edu/poster-presentations-age-zoom 

EGR 193: Introduction to Engineering Research was piloted in Fall 2020 as a fully online, entirely asynchronous course to introduce first-year, first-semester undergraduates to engineering research. All of the course materials for the entire semester were available on the first day of class, and students could “choose their own course” by selecting activities and assignments that matched their own experiences and goals. The design and content of this course were evaluated using anonymous feedback and a review of reflective discussion posts in order to determine whether the course supported the stated learning goals. Results indicated that students found the course helpful in understanding their role as undergraduate research assistants and in learning the professional skills (communications, teamwork, organization, etc.) necessary for success. While most students opted to follow the suggested schedule, about 15% of students chose to delay participation until later in the semester. This varying pace of engagement had an unexpected impact on some of the most dedicated students, who found it difficult to engage in productive discussions online when not all of their classmates were working as quickly through the materials. A number of other interesting themes emerged from the discussion boards, which offer areas for future study.To access a PDF of the "Entering Research Online: Developing a Virtual Course to Support Undergraduate Research Assistants" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster 
Background Image Description: 
A light green background with an imprint of the Spartan helmet logo; the words Michigan State University College of Engineering appear in the top right. 
Poster Title: 
Entering Research Online: Developing a Virtual Course to Support Undergraduate Research Assistants 
Authors: 
Katy Luchini Colbry, Candyce Hill 
Learning Goals: 
By participating in this course, students will: 

Learn about research mentoring styles and build skills for communicating about goals and expectations with research mentors 
Examine and apply time management skills for balancing academic, research and personal goals during college 
Gain an understanding of the structure of research literature and develop skills for identifying and organizing appropriate references within their field of research 
Explore methods for documenting and disseminating research results in engineering 
Learn about ethical practices for research, and be able to articulate key principles for conducting research responsibly within engineering domains 
Gain experience in working in research teams and communicating with individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and research disciplines 
Reflect on their initial research experience and develop goals for the remainder of their undergraduate research appointment 

Suggested Timeline for Course Activities: 




Week 


Topic 


Assignments 




1 


Welcome 


Introduction Survey 




2 


Introduction to Research 


Mentoring Styles Worksheet 




3 


Establishing Goals and Expectations with your Mentor 


Mentor-Mentee Contract 




4 


Time Management 


Time Log / Timeline 




5 


Library Resources & Citation Management Systems 


Install Citation Management 




6 


Tools and Techniques for Literature Reviews 


Article Review Worksheet 




7 


Developing Research Abstracts and Posters 


Poster Review Worksheet 




8 


Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) 


CITI Module 1 (RCR Training) 




9 


Understanding Graduate School 


CITI Module 2 (RCR Training) 




10 


Academic Resumes 


CITI Module 3 (RCR Training) 




11 


Planning the Rest of Your Research Experience 


CITI Module 4 (RCR Training) 




12 


Nothing. Happy Thanksgiving! 




13-15 


Wrap Up / Catch Up: Final deadline to submit assignments and/or earn points is 5:00pm Eastern (GMT -5) on Friday of exam week 




Lessons Learned: 

Overall, student feedback and review of discussion posts indicate that the design and implementation of the course was effective in meeting the established learning goals 
Online, asynchronous delivery and “choose your own course” structure allowed students to focus on activities that were of most benefit to them 
Students who kept pace with the suggested timeline experienced frustration with later discussion boards, when fewer students were posting in a timely manner 
Asynchronous discussion boards can be good places for reflection and synthesis, but real-time feedback and encouragement is important for activities where students might feel vulnerable, such as self-assessments of their skills and abilities 

Future Work: 

Students expressed preference for email communications so as not to “interrupt” their advisors, entirely missing the idea that many research questions are more effectively asked in real time; this may be an artifact of the all-virtual experience in Fall 2020, and would be interesting to compare with experiences of future cohorts 
Students demonstrated an understanding of authorship as important academic “currency” and that different levels of research input merited different types of authorship or acknowledgement; what was missing was any discussion of paid compensation as sufficient remuneration for research in at least some contexts 

Acknowledgments: 
We are grateful for support from the MSU HUB Faculty Fellowship Program, the MSU College of Engineering, The Center for Spartan Engineering, and the MSU Honors College.