Online Teaching Course (OTC)
Summer 24 Cohort (July 8 - August 9)
Please check back in the fall for our next OTC Cohort date.
Overview
The Online Teaching Course is a five-week asynchronous online course designed for faculty who are either new to the online teaching experience or need a refresher of the basics. During this course, (offered in the Blackboard Ultra Course View), faculty dedicate three to five hours per week to discovering and applying best practices that support effective teaching and learning in the online environment. This is achieved through reviewing module content and resources, discussing different pedagogical approaches with peers, and designing the beginnings of an online course in Blackboard Ultra Course View with the support of an instructional designer.
Course Schedule
Week 1 (July 8 – July 14): Introduction to Teaching OnlineWeek 2 (July 15 – July 21): Designing Your Online CourseWeek 3 (July 22 – July 28): Developing Your Online CourseWeek 4 (July 29 – August 4): Delivering Your Online CourseWeek 5 (August 5 – August 9): Trends and Issues in Online Teaching and Learning
Over the course of five weeks, faculty will explore topics including:
- Characteristics of a quality online course;
- Backwards Design;
- Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility;
- Course Structure and Navigation;
- Building Community Online; and
- Trends and Issues in Online Teaching and Learning, including group work in the online environment, online discussions, and third-party tools for engagement.
By the end of the course, faculty will be able to:
- Identify characteristics of quality online course design and teaching;
- Apply the steps to create an online course using the backward design approach;
- Plan, organize, and create at least one learning module in Blackboard; and
- Build and support a community of inquiry in an online course.
What other faculty are saying about OTC
I strongly recommend CITL's Online Teaching Course. As someone with some years of collegiate teaching experience, it gave me fresh insights and taught me new tricks. Also, as a newcomer to WKU and first-year assistant professor, it helped me connect with my colleagues across the university and in my college who were joining the faculty, and with the CITL staff. This experience made me comfortable reaching out to CITL staff when I needed help after arriving, and helped me feel at home at WKU.
-Landon D.C. Elkind - Political Science
Enrolling into the Online Teaching course through CITL is a great benefit not only for my students but for my teaching skills online and in the classroom. I gained insight and experience utilizing new techniques, platforms, as well as using strategies to grasp my student’s attention. Implementing these new and innovative ideas assisted in ensuring to meet the needs of each type of student learner. If you are serious about teaching online and being student-centered, CITL’s online teaching course is a must.
-Monica G. Hines, MSW - Social Work
OTC helped me think about my course from a different perspective. I had the opportunity to think of new ways to conquer course objectives and enjoyed the feedback from the instructors and others in the course.
-Rheanna Plemons, Ed.D. - Educational Administration, Leadership, and Research
Pre-requisite: You must complete the ITS: Blackboard Ultra Training prior to the start of the Online Teaching Course.
Please check back in the fall for our next OTC Cohort date.
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