Faculty Resources
At Montgomery College, we use Blackboard as the Learning Management System for faculty who teach fully online or blended courses. Blackboard features exciting social learning and teaching tools that foster more logical, visually impactful and active learning opportunities for students. Read more on some of the available Blackboard tools and applications below.
Visit the Blackboard Learn website new window to learn more.
The Blackboard app provides an intuitive way to interact with different types of features, depending on your role, be it an instructor or a student.
For instance, if you’re an instructor, you’ll only be shown the courses where you're enrolled as an instructor, TA, course builder, or other custom role. If you are a student, you’ll only be shown the courses where you're enrolled as a student.
In the Blackboard app, you can perform these tasks:
Instructor
- Preview course items, assignments, and tests • Create and upload course content
- Participate in discussions
- Send announcements
- Grade assignments and update assessment settings
- Change item settings for assessments and other content
- Work with both Original and Ultra courses
Student
- View course items and course announcements
- Take assignments and tests
- Participate in discussions
- Access both Original and Ultra courses
For more information, see Blackboard app website new window.
Make your LMS digital content more accessible with Blackboard Ally.
- Integrates seamlessly with Blackboard Learn, Instructure Canvas, Self-hosted Moodle, Open LMS, and D2L Brightspace
- Automatically checks course materials against WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards
- Provides students with accessible alternative formats such as audio and electronic braille
- Delivers guidance to instructors to improve accessibility of their course content
Visit Ally for Learning Management Systems Help new window for additional information.
Hypothesis is a social annotation tool installed directly in Blackboard. Adding Hypothesis to readings in Blackboard supports student success by placing active discussion right on top of course readings, enabling students and teachers to add comments and start conversations in the margins of texts. View the Hypothesis website new window for additional information.
A Windows application that enhances the functionality and usability of Blackboard’s quiz, survey, and self-test tools. This software is available to faculty who have course sites on Montgomery College’s online learning Blackboard system.
Respondus Tutorials
SafeAssign is a plagiarism detection tool that is integrated into the Blackboard learning management system.
SafeAssign uploads the submitted work to the Montgomery College SafeAssign database for comparison against other student papers, as well as academic articles and internet resources, to generate an "Originality Report" that identifies areas of potential plagiarized work or poorly cited content.
SafeAssign is a tool that can guide students to properly cite and paraphrase sources and in turn discourage academic dishonesty.
View SafeAssign Guide (PDF, 
) for additional information.
The Online Teaching Course
The Online Teaching (OT) course is designed to assist faculty members in transitioning from traditional on-campus or remote teaching to effective online teaching practices. In this 7-week/7-module course, participants will explore pedagogical principles, technological tools, and best practices for designing and facilitating high quality online courses. Through practical activities and discussions, participants will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to create inclusive, interactive, and effective online learning environments. This course integrates the Quality Matters 7th Edition, Higher Education rubric and the L.E.C.T. Competencies Framework new window.
Faculty within their first two semesters at Montgomery College with experience teaching
online at another institution can apply for Prior Learning (PL) as an alternative
approach. Read more about PL assessment (PDF, ) . To apply for this opportunity, please seek permission from your Instructional Dean
and Department Chair prior to filling out the Eligibility Application Form new window. The application is due at least four weeks prior to the start of the semester in
which online teaching is desired. If you are eligible, MC Online will notify you of
the steps required to submit evidence for further assessment.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Shinta Hernandez, Associate Vice President for Access and Completion Strategy
Quality Matters (QM) is a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses and online components. Quality Matters has generated widespread interest and received national recognition for its peer-based approach to quality assurance and continuous improvement in online education.
Montgomery College is a Quality Matters subscriber. ELITE offers training opportunities to faculty who are interested in becoming QM peer reviewers and/or having their courses formally reviewed using the QM Rubric. If your application for QM Review is accepted, ELITE will conduct a pre-review of your course. Check Workshop Calendar and MC Learns for QM training dates and times.
The College is committed to implementing the Quality Matters standards for the design of online and hybrid courses, and we are systematically developing and evaluating these courses based on these rigorous, research-based standards.
Becoming a Certified Quality Matters Peer Reviewer requires the following: Experience teaching online within 18 months of taking the Peer Reviewer Course, Completion of the Quality Matters course “Applying the QM Rubric” (APPQMR), and Completion of the Peer Review Certification (PRC) course. If you are interested in becoming a Peer Reviewer at Montgomery College, please contact Tia Roebuck.
View a list of courses (PDF, ) that have been recognized by QM at Montgomery College.
Participating in a formal QM Peer Review requires the completion of the Quality Matters course “Applying the QM Rubric” (APPQMR) . You can register for APPQMR with Quality new window Matters at the member rate and it is EAP eligible. After making your course adjustments according to the QM rubric, your course must be delivered at least twice over two semesters to support quality assurance.
The QM Higher Ed Rubric, Seventh Edition is now available. Highlights of key changes
to the Rubric and Review process can be found in the QM 7th Edition (PDF, ) .
Are you interested in learning more about QM? Please contact Tia Roebuck, Distance Learning Program Coordinator, 240-567-7291.
Resources
See available resources via the Digital Accessibility - Universal Design Center new window.
- Distance Education Issues (PDF, )
- Verification of Compliance with Accreditation-Relevant Federal Regulations (PDF, )
As a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements
(NC-SARA), Montgomery College is approved to offer distance education courses to students
in all NC-SARA states. As a student of an NC-SARA institution, you have expanded access
to educational offerings and better resolution of student complaints in SARA states.
To date, only California is not an SARA state; therefore, Montgomery College cannot
offer distance classes to students in this state. See the complete listing of State Contact Information for Online Students (PDF, ) .
At Montgomery College, we use Blackboard for faculty who teach fully online or blended courses. Blackboard features exciting social learning and teaching tools that foster more logical, visually impactful and active learning opportunities for students. Read more on some of the available Blackboard tools and applications below.
- Blackboard Analytics (PDF, )
The MC Open initiative focuses on faculty redesigning courses using Open Educational Resources (OER) to leverage pedagogy that fosters student success while reducing costs and increasing access to course materials. Montgomery College is committed to providing OER course options leading to degree completion (commonly called Z-degrees).
- OER Growth Report (PDF, )
Quality Matters (QM) is a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses and online components. Quality Matters has generated widespread interest and received national recognition for its peer-based approach to quality assurance and continuous improvement in online education.
- QM Data Report (PDF, )
- Digital Accessibility new window - The CLEAR Framework breaks accessibility into manageable actions that help you
comply with ADA Title II regulations while enhancing the learning experience for all
students. Each letter in CLEAR corresponds to a fundamental accessibility principle.
- MC Faculty Handbook new window - This faculty handbook is intended to provide all full-time and part-time faculty with information about select, pertinent Montgomery Collegenew window policies, procedures, programs, and organizations.
The following documents have been approved by the Montgomery College leadership of both AAUP and management.
- Common Course Project (PDF, )
- E-Learning Side Letter (PDF, ) - The understanding reached between the College and the Chapter regarding distance
education course offerings.
- Faculty Leave from Distance Education Courses (PDF, ) - Leave for faculty teaching DE courses.
- On-Campus Testing for Distance Education Students (PDF, ) - Attached please find a recommendation for faculty teaching on line or blended classes
who prefer to have their students come to a specific campus assessment center to complete
tests. Recommendation was approved by Deans and the Distance Education Advisory Group
and signed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs on Oct. 4, 2016.
- Resolution of Issues Concerning Faculty Training and Demonstration of Competency (PDF, ) - Memorandum on issues related to faculty training and competency demonstration.
The following is a list of forms that are available to faculty. Some of the PDF forms are fillable forms. Please make sure you save the PDF and open it up with Acrobat Reader in order to fill out the form. Don't view fillable PDF forms in your browser because you will get an error message.