Starting in the fall 2012 with our inaugural cohort, ITDS has proudly offered 48 cohorts up to this summer. A total 671 faculty members from various colleges and departments have successfully earned certificates. Over 86% of faculty participants surveyed have rated their overall satisfaction with the program as excellent or good.
EOTL101: Foundations for Success is designed to enhance online teaching competencies. This foundational course is intended to provide faculty with an overview of online teaching and learning, applicable to both online and hybrid courses. Participants will explore strategies for creating inclusive online learning environments, the qualities of successful online instructors, and considerations for conducting effective assessments online. Standards for evaluating online courses to align with best pedagogical practices will also be shared. The cohort experience allows for a rich exchange of ideas and practices between faculty and peers across the university. This course provides a critical foundation for first-time online instructors, or for instructors hoping to tune up their online teaching practice.
Registration is open for the following dates:
EOTL101: Foundations for Success is structured to offer faculty participants the flexibility to complete learning activities with the guidance and feedback of our instructional designers. This course provides an opportunity for participants to discuss challenges, pose questions, and explore a variety of strategies to teach online/hybrid across various disciplines. It also serves as a platform for faculty to share their exemplary online teaching practices and innovative strategies. Typically, participation involves 2 to 4 hours of asynchronous work. This is a great opportunity for professional growth, networking and faculty development.
This asynchronous, online course is conducted through Canvas. Completion of an Introduction to Canvas workshop (or equivalent training) is highly recommended prior to the start of the program. This fully online faculty development program will focus on pedagogical principles applicable to Canvas without providing explicit training on how to use Canvas.
Faculty shared the following comments on the program through the course evaluations:
“The course was very well-organized and followed its own guidelines, serving as a great model for designing one’s own course. The instructors were very helpful in guiding the course.”
“I really enjoyed being able to frame what online teaching is about. From techniques, to terminology, to perspectives it highly enriched my understanding of this delivery mode.”
“I love learning new things, and being a complete novice to online learning/teaching, the course gave me a great understanding of what a successful online course needs to look like.”
The course evaluation asked participants if this program should be mandatory for faculty who are teaching online for the first time. Approximately 85% faculty surveyed Strongly Agree and Agree. One faculty participant shared:
“Even if someone comes to MSU with experience, I believe every instructor should participate in this course before teaching an online class. In addition, students should participate in the online readiness assessment before registering for an online course.”