Five-star online courses are those which meet the highest standards of widely-recognized principles of good practice in five areas:

• Course Introduction and Information
• Learning Materials/Content
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Instructional Design and Interaction
• Course Technology, Innovation and Accessibility

To become a five-star course, a UWG online course is reviewed by three individuals – the instructor, a faculty peer, and a member of the DDEC instructional design team. Beginning in September 2006, five-star courses will be listed on this website. Also, to be eligible for the annual Apollo Distance Teaching and Mentoring Awards, an instructor must teach a five-star online course during that academic year.

To submit your course: you should complete both the Instructor Cover Sheet and the Five-Star Online Course Review forms (for the MS Office version click here ) You should send a copy of your completed Instructor Cover Sheet to your selected peer and ask them to complete a Five-Star Online Course Review. You should send copies of both your completed Instructor Cover Sheet and your completed Five-Star Online Course Review to Melanie Clay, DDEC director. The DDEC will notify you as to the status of your application.