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Learn@Seneca Minimum Requirements Policy

Purpose

To ensure student access to essential course materials, grades, resources and other relevant information.

Scope

This policy applies to all courses offered by Seneca and will be implemented by all full-time and contract employees teaching courses and/or facilitating labs or field and/or clinical placements.

Key definitions

Accessible

Making products, devices, services or environments available for people who experience disabilities, consistent with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Learn@Seneca

Seneca’s branded version of Blackboard, the online learning management system.

Business days

Monday to Friday, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, statutory holidays or any other day Seneca has publicly acknowledged that it is closed.

Office/student hours

Regularly scheduled times when faculty are available to students.

Blackboard Ally

A tool integrated into Learn@Seneca that provides an assessment of content accessibility.

Policy

1. Consistent use of Learn@Seneca

  1. Students benefit from a consistent approach in the use of Learn@Seneca.
  2. To support consistency, for each course section, employees will at minimum:
    • post course specific information that includes:
      • a link to the approved course outline from the Seneca subject outline system (or its replacement)
      • accessible versions of the addendum and/or proposed schedule
      • weighted evaluation breakdown for the current term
      • required resources e.g., software, materials, supplies
    • set up the Grade Centre to communicate grades to students with individual assessment items as columns and a weighted evaluation column
    • enter grades in accordance with the Student assessment policy, (i.e., within 10 business days, or prior to the date of the next assessment) and hide columns that do not provide accurate grades (e.g. total column)
    • use the announcement tool to post a welcome announcement and meaningful, regular course updates as per the communication plan
    • post a communication plan that includes:
      • faculty contact information
      • preferred method of communication
      • expected response time (two business days)
      • announcement schedule (e.g. weekly announcements, test/assignment reminders, updates)
      • a clear place for students to ask questions
    • post online or in-person office/student hours
    • make the course available to students in Learn@Seneca (earliest one week prior to the beginning of the term and no later than the first day of the term), subject to change pending teaching assignments
    • communicate, distribute and/or collect (where applicable) assessments using Learn@Seneca. Assignment communications will include the following:
      • instructions
      • rubrics or marking guide/criteria
      • due dates
      • submission instructions
      • feedback
      • the academic integrity statement
    • make recordings available to students for synchronous classes (when possible); when not possible, provide alternate equivalent materials asynchronously
    • run an accessibility check on the course using Blackboard Ally. At a minimum, 100 percent of the materials should meet 67 percent (pale green for Blackboard Ally)
    • provide a course orientation for students in a digital format that will include:
      • how to navigate the course
      • where to find information
      • a review of key contents
      • guidelines and expectations (e.g. netiquette, participation)
      • a communication plan
      • academic integrity and copyright statements.

Supporting documentation

  • None

Related policies/procedures

Related materials

Approval Date: July 2018

Last Revision:  August 2021