Online Teaching
Preparation Program (OTPP)
The OTPP program is comprised of the following 3 online classes. Faculty who complete the 3-course sequence are eligible to participate in CI's Online and Blended Peer Review process.
How to Humanize Your Online Course
This course emphasizes the why and how of humanizing online learning. You will be introduced to compelling research findings that connect improved social presence online with increased student interactions, learner satisfaction, and improved learning. You will also dive into a high energy, supportive experimental learning environment to ensure you have ample opportunity to try out emerging technologies that will infuse your students' learning with your warm presence.
How to Design Your Online Course
This course provides new online instructors with the foundation for developing an engaging, student-centered, online course. Learners will apply best practices in online course design to develop the framework for an online course organized into manageable content modules that are aligned with clear, measurable learning objectives as well as effectively communicated course policies and instructor expectations.
Designing Engaging Online Activities*
This course has been developed for instructors who are preparing to
teach online or who are seeking to improve their online teaching
skills. The course provides an introduction to active learning;
strategies for developing collaborative, active learning activities in
the online
environment; formative and summative assessments of
learning; and self-reflection activities designed to improve the
cultivation of your own online teaching philosophy.
*How to Design Your Online Course must be completed prior to taking this class.
Completing the three courses in the Online Teaching Preparation Program will prepare you to design and facilitate an engaging online course enhanced with human presence, as well as dynamic student-student and faculty-student interactions.
Sign up for the Interest List to be notified about future class dates.
For more info, contact Michelle Pacansky-Brock at
How the classes work.
Each class:
- is facilitated by Michelle Pacansky-Brock, CI's Instructional Technologist for Online and Blended Learning
- is 2-weeks long, organized into two, 1-week modules
- requires about 10-hours of time per week (20 hours/class)
- is fully online and completed in CILearn (Blackboard)
- is not self-paced; you learn in community with your peers
- is asynchronous (i.e. you learn on your own schedule but you will meet staggered due dates throughout each week)
- is enhanced with synchronous online sessions (Google+ Hangouts)
What is required to take these classes?
- Working knowledge of CILearn (Blackboard) is strongly recommended.
