[Note for Instructors: Review the page in its entirety, and update for your course. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note and any other notes when finished.]
The Instructor Guide provides critical guidance for any instructor teaching this course—whether for the first time or as a returning facilitator. In the events of illnesses, emergencies, onboarding and training, and reassignment, instructor guides support instructor handoffs and collaboration.
We use the term "modules" instead of "weeks" to be consistent with Canvas nomenclature. Modules also provide flexibility for variables such as the number of topics a course covers, the amount of time required to cover each topic, and session start and end dates.
All course materials are organized in modules so students access them in a purposeful order. For example, students are guided to read and watch learning content before navigating to the associated assignments.
This course is divided into seven (7) modules because ASU Online courses are typically about seven (7) weeks, but you may add or remove modules according to your desired course structure or topical sequence needs. Your modules may cover more or less than a week.
If you need to condense the course into six (6) weeks, consider combining content topically and balancing student workload.
[Instructor: If there are special notes about the course structure, add them here. You may organize the information into a bulleted or ordered list if you wish. You are encouraged to be descriptive and detailed enough that someone who has never seen this course before will know how the course structure corresponds to the course schedule. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
Understanding how an assessment is designed allows other instructors to give effective guidance and meaningful, timely feedback. Sharing this helps other instructors replicate successful approaches instead of reinventing the wheel or missing important steps. Assessment design is not just grades—it is a reflection of what the course values, how learning is measured, and how students are guided toward success. Communicating assessment design promotes clarity, consistency, and continuous improvement across instructors and course sections and helps uphold academic integrity and fairness.
[Instructor: Explain the assessment design here. You may organize the information into a bulleted or ordered list if you wish. You are encouraged to be descriptive and detailed enough that someone who has never seen this course before will understand what assessment design choices were made and why. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
A well-documented sequence shows how topics build upon one another. It helps instructors understand why specific content appears where it does, so they do not unintentionally disrupt scaffolding by moving or removing items. It reveals the pedagogical logic, such as introducing concepts before applying them in labs or projects.
[Instructor: Explain the course sequence here. You may organize the information into a bulleted or ordered list if you wish. You are encouraged to be descriptive and detailed enough that someone who has never seen this course before will understand what course sequence design choices were made and why. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
Sharing how a course is set up online is essential for maintaining quality, consistency, and a positive student experience. This guidance enables other instructors to replicate effective practices, avoid common pitfalls, and provide a seamless learning experience for students. In short, providing online course setup is not just a technical task, but an act of instructional stewardship that contributes to student success and strengthens the overall learning environment.
Many students enter online courses without fully developed study strategies suited for independent or collaborative digital learning. Unlike traditional classroom environments, online courses often require greater self-discipline, time management, and active engagement with course materials. Instructors play a crucial role in helping students bridge that gap. By explicitly building studying tips and practice assessments and teaching or modeling effective study habits, instructors empower students to take ownership of their learning. These skills not only improve performance in the current course but also contribute to long-term academic success.
[Instructor: Provide guidance here regarding how the course was designed to promote tailored study support and how to teach or model study habits. You may organize the information into a bulleted or ordered list if you wish. You are encouraged to be descriptive and detailed enough that someone who has never seen this course before will be able to effectively guide and empower students. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
Providing timely feedback is one of the most effective ways instructors can stay connected with students, support learning, and foster a sense of belonging. Feedback—whether on assignments, discussion posts, or quizzes—helps students understand what they are doing well, where they need to improve, and how to move forward. It reinforces learning objectives and provides clarity on expectations.
Asynchronous feedback or automatic feedback that is built into the course allows students to engage with comments at their own pace, reflect more deeply, and revisit guidance as needed. When feedback is specific and encouraging, it builds trust, motivation, and confidence, especially for students who may be struggling silently.
[Instructor: Provide guidance here regarding how feedback is provided in this course. You may organize the information into a bulleted or ordered list if you wish. You are encouraged to be descriptive and detailed enough that someone who has never seen this course before will understand what feedback is already available to students and what feedback should be supplied directly by the course team. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
Timely instructor responses in discussion boards, emails, and other communication channels are critical for supporting student success in online courses. In the absence of face-to-face interaction, quick, consistent communication builds trust, reduces confusion, and keeps students engaged. When instructors respond promptly, they model active participation and signal to students that their questions, ideas, and concerns matter. This is especially important in asynchronous environments, where students may feel isolated or unsure if they are on the right track. Delays in responses can lead to missed learning opportunities, increased frustration, and loss of momentum.
[Instructor: Provide ideas here regarding how you manage student discussions and other means of communication. Share how you proactively address needs and how you have implemented strategies to do it at-scale. You may organize the information into a bulleted or ordered list if you wish. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
Sharing frequently asked questions (FAQs) from students helps build a stronger, more consistent learning experience across instructors teaching the same course. These questions often highlight recurring points of confusion, unclear instructions, or areas where students need more support. By passing this insight along, instructors help their colleagues anticipate common challenges, improve communication, and refine how content or instructions are presented. It also reduces duplicate efforts, so future instructors will not need to troubleshoot the same issues repeatedly, and can instead proactively address student concerns through announcements, clarifications, or resource updates.
[Instructor: Provide a list of common student questions here, and describe how you would/how you have answered them. You may organize the information into a bulleted or ordered lists if you wish. For future course sessions, review the questions and update the course as needed. If appropriate, consider posting a resource with these FAQs in the course for students to read (if applicable, you can also have an ungraded—but required—quiz on the FAQs to draw attention to key information that students often miss). Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
[Instructor: Share anything else that would be helpful for teaching this course here. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]
[Instructor: Share anything else that would be helpful for teaching this course again or for someone else to teach the course. Consider potential learner engagement opportunities and course improvements or enhancements (e.g., in-video questions, knowledge check questions, graded or practice quizzes, feedback, assignments, projects, exams, etc.) that can help to close gaps or address trends that you noticed during the session. Remove all highlighting and square brackets. Delete this note when finished.]