Everything you need to deliver a consistent, engaging, and supportive online experience for your students.
Your guide to effective online tutoring at DBE
Thank you for coming on board — and a special welcome if this is your first time with us! This guide supports consistent, high-quality delivery across our units and helps you create a meaningful experience for your students. When students are engaged, your tutoring experience becomes easier and more rewarding.
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The most important part of online tutoring
Students need to be able to virtually "see" you. Knowing someone is there, reading and responding, reduces anxiety and improves satisfaction. Regular posts are the key to building this presence.
Open each week with an announcement to set direction and signal your presence.
Break your time into short 30-minute check-ins — this creates a continuous sense of presence.
No question or post should go unanswered for more than 48 hours. Timely responses build trust and encourage further participation.
Think of the discussion board like a tutorial room — if a student asked a question in class, you'd answer. The same applies here.
Pose a question about the week's readings or materials. A lively board makes your job easier and enriches their learning.
Minimum one post per week — early in the week
Announcements set the tone for the week, prompt engagement, and keep students on track. Use the prompts below as a guide.
Your primary space for building community
The discussion board is often the only connection online students have to the wider university community. Your active, visible participation here is essential.
No question or post should go unanswered for more than 48 hours. If unavailable, post an announcement to let students know.
ePinup is a social networking platform used predominantly in studio-based Architecture and Interior Architecture units. Students post work-in-progress here, and your role is to visit the group regularly and provide feedback. Students also connect with peers across year levels, share ideas, and create blogs.
When ePinup is active, the standard Blackboard discussion board is hidden — ePinup becomes the sole asynchronous engagement space, streamlining the student experience into one platform.
Important: ePinup is not a submission point. Students must still submit final work via Blackboard.
If you've tutored with us before, use your existing login details.
Paste the invite link (from your Unit Coordinator) into the address bar and click Join. If you see "this group is invitation only", repeat this step.
Find your group under the ePinup tab in Community Connect on the Blackboard nav panel, or bookmark it in your browser.
Live sessions to connect and deepen learning
Choose a consistent weekly slot so students can plan around it. Be mindful of different time zones.
Ask students to post questions on the discussion board beforehand — this includes those who can't attend live.
Encourage participation via microphone or chat. Active sessions benefit both live attendees and later viewers.
Every session must be recorded so students who can't attend have the same access to the learning.
Body language doesn't translate well virtually. Be deliberate with your wording — simple comments can be misconstrued in an online setting.
Feedback is continuous — not just after assessments
Feedback needs to happen throughout the Study Period — via announcements and discussion board posts — both before and after assessments. Label posts as "Feedback" so students understand it's an ongoing process.
Free study guides, academic skills resources, and self-directed online tutorials for all students.
All assessments require Chicago 18th Author-Date referencing. Inadequate referencing can lead to academic integrity issues.
Timelines, standards, integrity, and late penalties
All marks and feedback must be in the Grade Centre no later than 2 weeks after the due date. Send to your Unit Coordinator well before this for moderation.
"Hide" the Grade Centre column while marking so students can't see results. Once moderation is done, "show" the column after any necessary changes.
Every student or group must receive a completed rubric with feedback. Focus on learning outcomes, not just technical aspects.
Any grade change requires an explanation in "Grading Notes" — e.g. write "moderation" when a grade is adjusted after moderation.
All cases of suspected academic misconduct (plagiarism) should be referred to your Unit Coordinator for further investigation. Please stop marking immediately and contact the UC. Do not contact the student directly.
What is Plagiarism? → Curtin Academic Integrity
Each assessment should have an explanation of if and how Generative AI may be used. Use of Gen AI does not necessarily indicate academic misconduct. If you suspect incorrect use of Gen AI, contact your Unit Coordinator.
Extensions are via an online portal — details on Blackboard under the Assessment menu and in the Unit Outline. Submission issues → Curtin Connect. Extension eligibility → your Unit Coordinator.
Apply the Assessment and Student Progression Policy for all unapproved late submissions:
| Submission timing | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Up to 24 hours late | −5% of total marks allocated for the assessment item |
| 25–168 hours (each 24hr period commenced) | −5% for first 24hrs, plus −10% per each additional 24hr period commenced |
| Beyond 168 hours (7 days) | A mark of zero is recorded |
If applicable to your unit
DBE regularly has incarcerated students enrolled across units — primarily in Construction Management (often Planning specialisation) and Project Management.
These students are typically highly motivated and committed. However, they face significant logistical and administrative constraints within the correctional environment.
The DBE Prison Outreach Team acts as the central liaison for all non-teaching matters. Incarcerated students are usually supported by a Proxy and/or a Prison Education Officer (EO).
To streamline communication and reduce workload for Unit Coordinators and tutors, we ask that:
We assist with:
You're never alone — here's who to contact
Blackboard issues, broken links, library readings, and ePinup support.
Teaching questions, academic misconduct, moderation, and extension eligibility.
Payment and administrative queries. For sessional staff only.
Any queries or assistance relating to incarcerated students.
Talk to the Digital Learning Team and your Unit Coordinator. A simple check-in email is often all a struggling student needs to get back on track. Also notify them early if a student hasn't submitted but was expected to — these are much harder to follow up 2 weeks after the due date has passed.
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💬 Open AI Agent on MS Teams →Thank you for taking the time to review this guide. We look forward to working with you in providing excellence in teaching within the digital environment at the School of Design and the Built Environment.