Program Overview

POCR Mentorship Program

Introduction

The Peer Online Course Review (POCR) Mentorship Program is a statewide initiative in community colleges, aimed at supporting faculty in reviewing and aligning their online courses with the state's standards for quality online course design. At Laney College, an experienced team of certified POCR reviewers and faculty are available to support their colleagues.

What is POCR?

POCR is a program where trained faculty support fellow instructors in reviewing their online courses to ensure alignment with the state's standards for quality online course design.

Why Align Your Course?

Aligning courses with the state's standards increases student success. Research has shown a 12% increase in online course success rates after POCR alignment. The greatest improvements were seen among specific student groups, including Black, Asian, male, and 25-29 year old students. An aligned course is also easier for the instructor to teach, allowing for more time to provide meaningful feedback on student work.

Highest Standards of Course Design

The state has outlined standards for high-quality online courses, covering best practices in:

• Content Presentation
• Student and Instructor Interaction
• Assessment
• Accessibility The Peralta Equity Rubric is also used as the final step in achieving excellence in online course design.

POCR Office Hours and Mentor/Mentee Matchups

POCR coordinators hold office hours to support faculty in the final alignment phase. Faculty can join these office hours for direct support, to ask questions, or for moral support. In the spring, participating instructors are paired with a mentor, a Laney faculty member specially trained in online peer review, for 8 weekly workshops.

Stipends Available

Faculty are compensated for successfully completing each of the program's three phases:

1. Self-paced accessibility course (~4 hours)
2. Mentorship program (8 weekly workshops)
3. Final alignment

Program Details

• The program is designed to support faculty in improving their online course design.
• Trained faculty reviewers provide support and guidance throughout the process.
• The program consists of three phases, with stipends available for successful completion.
• The goal of the program is to increase student success and improve the quality of online courses.