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Peer Online Course Review (POCR) 

What is POCR?

The Peer Online Course Review (POCR) process supports faculty in designing high-quality, accessible online courses aligned with the CVC-OEI Course Design Rubric. Through peer collaboration and constructive feedback, instructors work with trained reviewers to improve course design, enhance student engagement, and meet statewide quality standards. Participation in POCR promotes best practices in online teaching and helps ensure a consistent and student-centered learning experience.

A Brief History of POCR:

  • Established in 2014 by the CVC-OEI (California Virtual Campus - Online Education Initiative) Professional Development Workgroup

  • Designed to help colleges create local POCR teams to support high-quality online course design

  • Developed resources and standards for consistent, rubric-aligned peer review processes

  • AVC became a certified local POCR campus in March 2023

Benefits of a Local POCR Program

  • Provides a meaningful and engaging professional development experience for both new and experienced online faculty

  • Enhances the quality, inclusiveness, and engagement of online learning for students and instructors

  • Builds a supportive community of practice where faculty share challenges, develop strategies, and learn from one another

  • Increases the number of “Quality Reviewed” courses from your college in the CVC Exchange

  • Improves the overall quality of online teaching across courses taught by participating faculty

Why Submit Your Course Through POCR?

  • Align your course with the CVC-OEI Course Design Rubric

  • Receive constructive, peer-based feedback to enhance your course

  • Earn a “Quality Reviewed” badge on the CVC Exchange

  • Improve course design, efficiency, and student engagement

  • Expand your knowledge and skills in online teaching

Contact Information

POCR Lead: Jane Bowers - jane.bowers@avc.edu

Follow us on social media - AVC POCR YouTube channel

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Requirements:

  • You are certified to teach online at AVC
  • You have taught online at AVC at least one semester
  • The course you are submitting is either completely online (asynchronous) or live-online (synchronous), but no on-campus meetings are involved

How to Start:

  • Create POCR Canvas shell (contact Dr. Alex Parisky or Greg Krynen)
  • Once your course is ready for the review, use the Course Review Prep form to evaluate your course for the OEI Rubric alignment 
  • Refer to the Course Design Resources Canvas shell for additional examples on rubric sections and course elements alignment suggestions
  • Check your course for accessibility using Panorama (needs to be at least 95% accessible)
  • Work with ITS office to fix any accessibility issues
  • Publish your POCR course
  • Contact POCR Team Lead (jane.bowers@avc.edu) to notify that your course is ready for review
  • All submitted POCR courses are being reviewed based on the submission line and accessibility readiness
  • After your course is reviewed and aligned to the CVC-OEI rubric, it will be submitted to the CVC dashboard and will show the quality review badge in the search

Jane Bower, POCR lead

 jane.bowers@avc.edu DETC Faculty co-chair / Math faculty

Alex Parisky, 

 alex.parisky@avc.edu Director of Online Education & Instruction Support office
Mary Jacobs mary.jacobs@avc.edu Nursing 
Perry Jehlicka perry.jehlicka@avc.edu Kinesiology / Health Education
Norma Jones norma.jones@avc.edu Communication Studies
Luis Lara luis.lara@avc.edu Spanish
Peter McLoughlin peter.mcloughlin@avc.edu Mathematics
Stephanie Peoples stphanie.peoples@avc.edu Child & Family Education
Gabby Poorman gabby.poorman@avc.edu Business & Comp Studies
Hank Price hank.price@avc.edu Administrative Justice
John Vento john.vento@avc.edu Political Science