Examples of Academic Activities
| Description | Rate of Equivalency | ||
| 1. | Online videos and podcasts | Videos and podcasts from both publisher sites as well as open sites such as Youtube and Itunes University. | Length of video or podcast = same amount of instructional time. |
| 2. | Discussion board (Forum) | Threaded discussion posts relating to a reading, video, podcast, or class activity. Discussion posts tend to be thoughtful articulations or principled arguments for a particular position. Reply comments should be constructive, meaningful, and express an understanding of the original post and the learning outcomes of the assignment. | Each student post = ½ hour of instructional time. |
| 3. | Wiki entry | A summary, in the student’s own words, of a concept, construct, problem, point of view, or other content which reflects significant thought and integration of ideas. | Each student wiki entry = ½ hour of instructional time. |
| 4. | Glossary entry | Short responses that indicate that the student understands a term or concept. A glossary entry is always expected to be in the student’s own words. | Each student-posted definition = ½ hour of instructional time. |
| 5. | Synchronous online chat or webinar | A real-time conversation using either chat, video, or some combination of both. | Length of synchronous online chat or webinar = same amount of instructional time. |
| 6. | Faculty or Publisher- created PowerPoint presentation (with or without Voiceovers) | A lecture, set of notes, or detailed discussion of a topic generated by faculty member or publisher using a format that lends itself to online sharing (e.g., PowerPoint). | 2 minutes of instructional time per slide without Voiceovers 5 minutes of instructional time per slide with Voiceovers If additional activities (i.e., a quiz or discussion) are added to review of the slides, add that instructional time to total. |
| 7. | Student-created online PowerPoint presentation | A lecture, set of notes, or detailed discussion of a topic generated by a student or group of students using a format that lends itself to online sharing (e.g., PowerPoint). | 1 - 4 hours depending on number of slides created and presented at the equivalency rate of 15 minutes per slide |
| 8. | Student-created audio/video presentation | A lecture or presentation that is recorded and uploaded by a student or group of students. | Each 15 minutes of video (includes research, planning, and presentation) = 2 hours of instructional time. |
| 9. | Reflection paper (writing and posting) | A short paper, usually 2-3 pages, where the learner is asked to respond to something that he or she has been exposed to. Typically, it does not involve integrating external material. | 1 hour of instructional time |
| 10. | Online quizzes/tests (multiple choice) | An online quiz or exam in multiple-choice format. | 1 minute of instructional time per question |
| 11. | Online quizzes/tests (short answer) | An online quiz or exam that uses short-answer format (typically, 4-10 sentences). | 5 minutes of instructional time per question |
| 12. | Online quizzes/tests (essay) | An online quiz or exam which requires more in-depth narrative answers (typically 1-2 pages per question). | 20 minutes of instructional time per question |
| 13. | Field trips or virtual tours | An out-of-class educational activity attended by the student. The activity may be an actual or virtual tour (e.g., museum, talk, play). 1 hour of field trips/tours = 1 hour of instructional time | |
| 14. | Library research | A research paper integrating concepts obtained from a range of primary and secondary sources to address a specific learning goal. | 3-5 page paper = 1-2 hours of instructional time |
| 15. | Evaluation of posted peer work | A qualitative and/or quantitative evaluation of peer work which may use a formal rubric. | Posting of rubric and/or written response = ½ hour of instructional time |
| 16. | Service learning projects | A project that requires the student to apply concepts from the classroom to address real-world problems. | 1 hour of service learning = 1 hour of instructional time |
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