Self-Paced Online Courses

Self-paced online (SPOL) format courses do not follow a specified schedule. Students may enroll at any time and have a set amount of time from that enrollment date to complete coursework. For UW PCE courses, as part of Career Accelerator, students have 4 months to complete required coursework after enrolling.

The self-paced format allows the student to set the pace for their own learning. Learning content is written and developed in advance, so instructors in self-paced formats serve more of a support and assessment role. Instructors are also responsible for monitoring student progress, providing feedback and assessment as students progress through the course materials, and offering subject matter expertise as needed.

Grading for self-paced courses is often based on clearly defined rubrics, which have been written specifically for these courses. This helps to ensure that grading standards remain consistent.

Career Accelerator Self-Paced Instructor Rules

Instructors of SPOL courses use the Open edX (Start Learning) platform. Platform updates and self-paced trainings are available in the Technology section of this website.

Open edX Resources: Trainings & Instructor Guides

The Role of the Online Instructor (Video Length 0:58)

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Updated 06/13/22