Beacon provides two formats for online learning: courses and modules. Courses are facilitated by trained content-area specialists and include multiple reflection-type summative assessments that must be approved by the course facilitator. Courses may also contain quizzes and final cumulative exams. Quizzes and final cumulative exams are computer-scored, and learners must receive a score of at least 80 percent to pass. All course summatives must be approved for course completion.
Course Expectations
- Read course content, complete Check Your Understanding activities, view video clips, and visit external web links and other resources in each chapter prior to completing the corresponding summative.
- Reflection-type summatives: all courses have reflection-type summative assessments, and they become available on the start date of the course. Submit no more than two new reflection-type summative assessments during the final week.
- Quizzes: if your course has a quiz, you must receive a score of at least 80 percent to pass and be marked approved for the quiz. Quizzes are computer-scored and become available on the start date of the course. Learners can retake quizzes as needed.
- Cumulative exams: if your course has a final cumulative exam, you will not be able to access the cumulative exam until all other summatives in the course have been marked as approved. Cumulative exams are computer-scored, and you must receive a score of at least 80 percent to pass and be marked approved for the cumulative exam. Learners can retake cumulative exams as needed.
- Check the Summative Log within your course for submission pacing guides and the status of each summative.
- All summatives (reflection-type, quizzes, and/or final cumulative exams) must be submitted by the course end date.
- If there is no grace period, submit all initial summative assessments by the beginning of the final week.
- Note: If a course does not have a grace week, then "No grace week" is denoted on your Dashboard page under the progress chart. Grace week information is also included in the Welcome Email the facilitator sends.
- Summatives are not available until the start date. Completion cannot occur until the number of course hours has passed, at the rate of 8 hours per day. For example, completion is not possible until after the fifth day for a 40-hour course.
- Allow sufficient time for reflection-type summative review and revisions. Late submissions could result in non-completion of the course.
- Note: Learners are automatically withdrawn if no reflection-type summative assessments have been submitted:
- 3 weeks prior to the end date for 60-hour courses.
- 1 week prior to the end date for courses of 1-30 hours.
- Reflection-type summative responses must meet established criteria to be approved. All summatives must be approved for course completion.
- All summatives (reflection-type, quizzes, and/or final cumulative exams) must be approved for course completion.
- Beacon reserves the right to limit the rounds of facilitator feedback!