DL Communities & Training Programs

DL Communities of Practice

• EDUCAUSE
• The eLearning Guild
• Sloan Consortium/Sloan-C – Individuals, Institutions, and Organizations Committed to Quality Online Education
• Teaching On the Net

Training Programs and Resources

There are a variety of ways to prepare to teach in an online or hybrid environment.  Some of the best resources for self-directed learning include:

•  eLearning Services at Washington State University’s Global Campus has created an extensive online resource for Excellence in Online Teaching. In addition to information specific to WSU’s campus (How to use Angel, Blackboard, Collaborate, etc), they have assembled self-paced tutorials that describe Developing an Online Course,  Teaching an Online Course, and offer a Showcase Exemplary Course modules. They also share their Certified Online Instructor process which has five online learning modules with assignments and activities: Effectiveness, Community, Engagement, Management, and Integrity.
•  The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) at Indiana University Bloomington offers an extensive collection of Teaching Resources. Notable on the Course Design page is a useful explanation of BACKWARD COURSE DESIGN along with helpful explanations of how to develop learning outcomes, construct a syllabus  and produce video for classes. The section on Academic Integrity outlines copyright and fair use, Turnitin, and Designing Assignments to encourage Integrity. The section on Diversity and Inclusion highlights Sexual Harrassment in Learning Contexts, Integrating International Students, Managing Difficult Classroom Discussions, Accommodating Religious Observances, Assisting Students with Disabilities, and Encouraging Civility. The site also offers resources for Assessing Student Learning, Instructional Technologies, Documenting Teaching and an excellent overview of Teaching Strategies.

Some organizations have developed formal programs/processes to become a Certified Online Instructor (COI):

• Sloan Consortium is one of the longest standing and best recognized groups doing research on online learning and helping treachers prepare for teaching and learning online. It is broad in that members are K-12 through graduate school. In addition to research and publications, conferences, and webinars,  they offer basic and advanced Online Teaching Certificates.
• Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning annually offers a summer online program for faculty to learn how to teach online. This is focused on faculty in graduate programs teaching theology and religion. The Center has also been collecting internet resources since the late 1990s.
• University of Wisconsin – Madison has led innovations in distance education and online learning through their Distance Education Professional Development programs. They offer a six-week, asynchronous Professional Certificate in Online Education.

Other options include:

• The TLT Group: Teaching, Learning, and Technology was founded by Steve Gilbert and Steve Ehrman.  The TLT Group collects resources that expand upon Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson’s 1987 essay “Seven Principles to Good Practice in Undergraduate Education“
• Teaching On the Net is linked to the Learning Resources Network’s Certificate in Online Instruction and Checklist of Online Course Best Practices 
• Lynda.com – comprehensive online subscription to video tutorials to learn software, design, and business skills.

Exemplary Online Courses, Course Modules, and Teaching with Technology

• Indiana University Bloomington – Faculty Spotlights
• University of Colorado Boulder – Teaching with Technology Exemplars
• Washington State University’s Global Campus – Faculty Led Workshops