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BIBT - Online Policies & Procedures

 

Bahamas Institute of Business & Technology

Online Course Policies and Procedures

This handbook of Online Course Policies and Procedures is issued by the Online Learning and Instructional Committee (OLIC) of the Bahamas Institute of Business & Technology. It details the guidelines and procedures the instructional faculty and students must adhere to in the online environment at BIBT.

 

ONLINE LEARNING DEFINITION: All online learning courses and programs shall be in accordance with the college’s academic policies, standards, and guidelines for on campus instruction. In terms of these guidelines, Online Education refers processes in which instruction in a course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous primarily via the internet with the support of a learning management system (LMS). 

 

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:   The college has adopted Moodle as its official learning management system. All courses conducted for credit purposes must be conducted on this LMS.  The college will not recognize courses conducted on any other LMS and does not provide support for systems other than Moodle.

 

MOODLE: Moodle stands for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. It is the world’s most popular learning management system (LMS). Its open source architecture allows educators, administrators, and learners access to an open, robust learning platform to create and deliver cloud based lessons and learning activities that can be customized to the specific needs and style of the particular institution or individual. Like many other colleges and universities, the Bahamas Institute of Business & Technology has made Moodle its LMS of choice.


Online Courses Policies and Procedures

Admissions: Only students who are formally admitted to the college and have completed the registration process: including advisement and payment of tuition and fees gain access to the college’s online platform. New students may apply online at http://www.bibtbahamas.com.  Currently nrolled students must speak to an advisor prior to access current semester courses.  

 

Advising:    Upon admission, each student is assigned an academic advisor. The advisor is responsible for guiding the student through his or her academic program. Prior to each semester, the student must consult with his or her advisor to receive approval to enroll in each course for the semester.

 

Adding students to Moodle platform:   Students are added or removed from the platform each semester. To add a student to the platform, the student must be officially registered for a course for the semester.    If the student is registered, his or her name will be added to the platform by a designated member of the OLIC. Students who are not registered for the current semester will not be added to the platform.

 

Students on the Platform: Each student added to the platform must upload a current passport size and format photo to Moodle for identification purposes (This photo must match the passport photo on file in the college’s database.) along with a copy of a valid ID (Driver’s License, NIB Card, Passport, etc.).

 

Removing students from the Moodle platform: Students who were previously registered and failed to register for the new semester will be removed from the platform.

 

Beginning procedures for online courses:  Prior to the beginning of each session, the college will conduct an online orientation for all new students. This is essentially a welcome to the college and students are given an overview of policies and procedures as it relates to their studies at BIBT. Additionally, students who are new to the Moodle platform are introduced to how the program works and their requirement to succeed as students. Use of the digital library and other online materials are also explained. Instructions to complete the course survey form at the end of the course is also given.

 

Moodle: is an integrated set of components for developing and delivering interactive courses on the internet.  It allows instructors to replicate on the internet many aspects of teaching and managing a course in the classroom. It also allows them to use as many or as few of Moodle's features as they wish.  Students can study and participate in lectures and discussions from anywhere, at any time. The instructor provides the content for the course and Moodle’s built in tools of interactivity, structure, and administration create a realistic learning experience.

 

Moodle Administrator: The Moodle Administrator is responsible for the Moodle platform and is the person to contact if there is a problem with the software. At the beginning of each course, faculty and students are provided with the relevant contact information for the administrator. Students, however are advised to first contact their respective online advisors to resolve any issues prior to contacting the administrator.

 

Computer / Software Requirements: Student enrolling in online courses must have basic computer, internet and keyboarding skills as described in the course syllabus and on the Online Education web pages” < Student Requirements>.

 

They must have access to a computer with an ISP (Internet Service Provider), a web browser and an e-mail account. Although it is not necessary, it is advisable that students have access to Microsoft office productive tools.

 

Technical support for computer related issues is available at techsupport.bibt@gmail.com.

 

Course Approval:    All existing BIBT academic courses may be considered for conversion to an online format.  However, prior to a course being approved for online delivery it must be approved by the OLIC. This requires that the course instructor uploads the required components to the Moodle platform. Once the course is uploaded, the OLIC will evaluate the course materials and make a determination regarding the approval of the course for online delivery. If a course doesn’t satisfy the requirements, the OLIC will make recommendations which must be met before the course is approved. Course approval is required for each semester the course is taught.

 

These requirements must be met for course approval:

Announcements:

  1. Welcome message
  2. Instructor’s Bio
  3. Office Hours
  4. contact information
  5. Syllabus
  6. Textbook Link

Labels or heading to include

  1. A minimum of two (2) weekly lessons with topic outlines
  2. Minimum two (2) Live Sessions weekly via (BigBlueButton, Zoom, Google Meet or another platform) weekly
  3. Question & Answer section
  4. Chat section
  5. Discussion Forum
  6. Quizzes
  7. Exams

Attendance

 

Upload Deadline: All courses must be presented for approval by the OLIC at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. Previously approved courses may be submitted as is or amendments such as new textbooks and dates maybe highlighted for quick approval.

 

Conducting Classes: The assigned faculty is responsible for conducting the course in accordance with the prescribed syllabus. The following guidelines should be adhered to:

 

Lessons: all topics to be covered in the weekly lessons must be outlined in the lesson tab on the platform and released to students by 7pm on the Sunday of the week. These lessons must coincide with the topics approved by the OLIC. Variations of more than 25% must receive OLIC approval.
Live Sessions: a minimum of two live sessions of at least an hour in duration are required each week. During these sessions, the instructor will focus lectures on the topics detailed in the in the lessons and discussions questions. All students are urged to attend the live sessions but attendance is not mandatory and will not reflect negatively on final grades.  
Recordings: all live sessions must be recorded and made available to students. Students who missed the live sessions should take advantage of the recorded sessions.
Discussion Question: students are required to answer three (3) discussion questions per week. Discussion questions are based on the topics detailed in the weekly lessons and form a part of the student’s final grade. Discussion questions are posted to the platform on Sunday and students must respond to questions on separate days beginning no later than Wednesday of each week. Reactions to issues raised by students to discussion questions are encouraged and will also be considered for grading.  
Quizzes: Weekly quizzes based on topics covered in the weekly lessons will form a part of the student’s final grade.
Questions & Answers: this tab on the platform allows students to ask questions of the instructor in relations to the lessons. Replies to the questions will be posted to the platform within twenty-four hours.
Uploading Files: in cases where students are required to upload files to the platform such files must not exceed 500MB. Larger files must be emailed to the instructor as an attachment using the student’s email on record. Larger files may also be split into smaller files and uploaded separately.
Email Queries: the instructor will publish his or her email address so students will be able to reach out privately. Otherwise, students should use the Moodle platform for communication purposes.
Examinations: all course syllabi require that student be assessed by means of examinations.  The college has stipulated that all examinations be proctored in person or remotely. Guidelines for remote proctoring are detailed above.
Final Exams: final exams are posted to the platform by 7pm on the last Thursday of the term. Students have 2 hours to complete the exam. Exams must be completed in one sitting and cannot be started and stopped to be resumed. Once a student stops an exam, the score obtained at the time the exam was stopped will be submitted. All Final exams must be completed by 3pm on the last Saturday of the term.
Projects: some instructors assign projects as the primary means of assessment. However, in those instances the instructor must confirm that the projects represent the work of the student making the presentation. For example, discussions, quizzes or exams based on projects could be used.   
Grades: grades for quizzes and exams are placed on the platform. This ensures that students are kept apprised of their performance. Final grades are not posted to the platform but rather are submitted to the office of the registrar within seven days from the end of the term. Grade report are available to students within fourteen (14) days from the end of the semester.   

 

Course   Dates   and   Completion   Timetable:   All online   courses   are indicated on the course schedule which can be found at www.bibtbahamas.com/schedule. Online courses may or may not parallel   the   semester schedule for regular courses.   The beginning, ending and other relevant dates will be clearly indicated on the schedule.

 

Course Enrollment Limits:  The Online Learning & Instructional Committee (OLIC) recommends a maximum of 30 students per course.   Any course that exceeds 40 will be divided into two sections.

 

Minimum enrollment is generally set at 10; however, courses may proceed with fewer than

10 students if approved by the President with the recommendation of OLIC.

 

Laboratory Courses: In cases where labs are required, the instructor must organize students of up to five (5) students for face-to-face lab instruction. Such meetings should not be less than ten (10) hours in addition to the regular class time.

 

Simulations: Digital simulations can be used to satisfy lab requirements. However, such simulation must be first approved by the OLIC prior to implementation in a course.

 

Denying Access:  Approximately, seven (7) workdays after the beginning of each semester, the Business and Finance Office may purge students who have not paid their fees for that semester.

 

Before these students can be reinstated, and access course in Moodle, they must pay their fees to student accounts. Students may have their access reinstated if their account is made current prior to the eleventh day of the semester. Students whose accounts remain delinquent after the tenth day of the semester will be permanently removed from the platform for the semester.

 

E-mail Accounts: Students taking online courses will be required to maintain an e-mail account. This e-mail must be forwarded to the college for use when communicating information to the student. All course-related emails will be sent to this account.  The email database will be used as the main communication tool for BIBT Online Learning.  All online students are expected to check their e-mail accounts on a regular basis to avoid missing important information sent out by the instructor or by the College.

 

Evaluations:  Students enrolled in online courses will have the opportunity to evaluate the course, instructor and services at the end of the course.  This evaluation is available electronically and anonymity is observed.  The Online staff will post the course and faculty evaluation during the last week of class.  Online instructors must, during the time the course evaluation is posted and available, advise students of the importance of these evaluations and encourage them to complete the posted evaluation document. The Moodle Administrator will provide a compilation of the results of the evaluation for each online course to the appropriate instructor and the Academic Dean.

 

Faculty Compensation:

The OLIC recommends a maximum of thirty (30) students per course, however under certain conditions the college may allow enrollment to extend up to forty (40) students. In cases where course enrollment exceeds thirty (30) students for the duration of the semester the faculty responsible for teaching the over-load will receive a compensatory allowance for such over-load.

 

Faculty Load Time: Online courses may be offered either as part of faculty’s regular load, over-load (in addition to faculty’s regular load), or by adjunct faculty.

 

Faculty Support: Faculty support and training is available. The “BIBT Online Education” web pages at provides a listing of other resources. The Moodle Administrator and/or designated Moodle Coached will work closely with individual faculty concerning course design questions and platform issues. A list of Moodle coaches is available of the Online Education web page.

 

Faculty Training:  The Online Learning & Instructional Committee provides faculty Moodle   training   for   on-line   courses.      The Moodle Administrator and/or Moodle Coaches are available to work closely in one-on-one sessions with individual faculty as they design their on-line course(s).

 

Financial Aid: Students registering for online courses are eligible to apply for scholarships and tuition rebates in the same way as all other students. Information on scholarships is available for students at http://www.bibtbahamas.com/scholarships.

 

Intellectual Property and Online Course Ownership:   Those course(s) which have been developed by the faculty and staff of BIBT are the intellectual property of the College and may not be used without the consent of the college. 

 

Monitoring Course:  Members of the OLIC will have the authority to review all online courses content.  This includes’ interaction between student and instructor, course delivery and the progression of the course.

 

Prerequisites:  Students taking online courses must meet all course prerequisites before they   may   register.   Course   descriptions,   stating   prerequisites,   are   published   on   the   BIBT   website http://www.bibtbahamas.com.

 

Previously Approved Courses: A course which was previously approved for online delivery must be approved for delivery in a new session. Same may be modified or presented in its original format for approval consideration. Instructors planning to teach a previously-approved online course must contact the OLIC with course information by the stated deadline. The best time to do this is during the time classes are being assembled for the upcoming semester.

 

Each semester a course is taught online, the instructor must send the OLIC an updated syllabus with respect to textbooks, dates for live sessions, dates of exams and assignments, etc. No substantial changes to course content or to communication in delivery of the course will be accepted unless approved by the College.

 

Proctoring: A major concern with while conducting online examination is the risk of malpractices that comes with it due to lack of human invigilation. Fortunately, the OLIC has instituted several safeguards and checks and balances to prevent any malpractices from being carried out. It is expected that these safeguards will make online exams as secure and efficient as live invigilation. In fact, these safeguards make online exams more secured than Offline exams in many ways.

 

In the absence of human proctors, the OLIC requires all instructors to employ the following safeguards when conducting online exams:

 

Secure Browser: this is an application that prevents users from opening any other window or tab while the online examination is in progress. Access to keyboard shortcuts for copy, paste and screen capture is completely prevented. When a candidate tries to open a new window, an alert is flashed which asks the candidate to revert to the exam window. After 3 such alerts, the exam is terminated


Remote Proctoring: Remote Proctoring is a proctoring process in which students are monitored for the duration of the test via webcam, mic and access to the screen of the candidate’s device.

Students being proctored remotely must have: A suitable device such as a desktop PC, laptop, mobile phone, tablet.

Access to the internet.
A functioning webcam and mike.
A valid identification
Ability to live stream

 

Remote Student Authentication: Impersonation is one of the most major forms of malpractices which take place in both online and offline examinations. Therefore, student authentication is one of the most primary steps of an online exam. The first step in an online examination is the verification of a student’s identity. Prior to administering the exam, the instructor must verify that the individual attempting the exam matches the individual in the college’s and course database.

 

Recording: the instructor must make a recording of the individual sitting the exam for future confirmation in the event the identity of the student becomes an issue.

 

Removing a Student from a Moodle platform:   Students who have been removed/dropped from the platform, for any reason will be marked as suspended on the platform.    If the reason for the drop is due to financial obligations or the student was dropped from the system through records/registration, we will disable the student's access to the platform until the student is properly enrolled for the course.  If the student is able to resolve the matter prior to the close of the course, access can be reinstated without loss of any work they may have done up to that point.

 

Reporting No Show: Each semester the instructor must report those students who are on their class roll but have NEVER logged onto the platform

 

Updating Online Course Content:  Instructors of online courses are responsible for reviewing and updating their course content according to policies established OLIC.

 

Revising Online Course Material and Information:  Instructors should not revise course material/student submissions from the previous semester’s course until after the entire course has been saved by the OLIC. The Moodle Administrator will notify instructors when this back up has been accomplished. This saved content may be needed to justify the final grade in the event a student pursues a grade appeal.

 

The OLIC must approve changes and adjustments to previously-approved online courses.  Instructors who are proposing changes to a previously approved course must present such changes to the OLIC at least two weeks prior to the start of classes.

 

Security for Online Tests and Quizzes: Instructors must create online tests or quizzes with white text and a dark background color.  When asked to print, the background is not printed and the white lettering does not show. This makes tests more difficult to duplicate.

 

Student Orientation for Moodle: During registration, training for on-line courses will be scheduled and made available to students throughout the OLIC.   Student   may   also   access   a   demo   of   Moodle on the college’s website.

 

Syllabus:  The syllabus for any course being offered must be placed in the course setup online. Courses must meet the same content requirements that apply to face-to-face courses and must include learning objectives, grading procedures, examinations and dates, number of quizzes, plagiarism and attendance policies and methods of creating interactivity (chat, bulletin board, e-mail, etc.). The syllabus is posted on the Moodle platform within the course announcements and it is the instructor’s responsibility to update syllabus information prior to the start of each semester.

 

The following information should be included when appropriate:

•   Proctor requirements for examinations

•   Descriptions of special software, books, downloads, or library requirements;

•   Email response time of instructor to student within 24 hours;

•   Faculty email address and office phone number

•   Office hours when student can contact the instructor

 

 

Submit syllabus for new courses to the OLIC according to stated deadline.

 

Tuition and Fees: The college’s published fees and charges apply for all online courses and services.  However, the college may choose to forego or reduce some charges such as student activity fee.

 

Withdrawal:  Students who seek to drop an online course will be withdrawn if the request to withdraw by the end of the seventh (7) day of the course. Students who withdraw by the seventh day of the course will receive a refund of eighty percent (80%) of tuition paid based on the published rate. This withdrawal process follows the same requirements and procedures that apply to on-campus courses. All request for withdrawal must be in writing.

 

Final Grade: Fourteen days after the course ends, final grades are emailed to students. Current email addresses are used for this purpose. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that emails are functional. The college cannot be responsible for malfunctioning emails.   

 

The policies and procedures are subjected to change without advance notice; however, when changes occur, the faculty members and students will be notified of the changes.

 

Questions related to this document should be directed to:

 

BIBT – Online Learning & Instructional Committee

Laverne Gardiner Coordinator for Online Education

 (242) (phone) (242) (fax)

Lg.bibt@gmail.com (email)