Program Overview

New to Teaching Online

Overview

The New to Teaching Online course is a self-paced Canvas course designed for new faculty and emerging practitioners. This asynchronous course provides essential skills, tools, and strategies to effectively teach online for the first time.

Course Content

The course content is organized into modules based on the time of the term, focusing on two key areas: community care and course care.

• Community care identifies ways to support the connections students make with each other, the instructor, and course content.
• Course care highlights administrative tasks necessary to make the course run smoothly.

Course Modules

The course covers the following modules:

1. Week Before the Term: Getting Ready

• Prepare the online course, including copying over materials and completing a Canvas course checklist.
• Recognize the importance of building a community with students through early communication, accommodating individual student needs, and offering office hours.
• Address last-minute logistics.

2. Week One: Here We Go!

• Create a communication plan to introduce the instructor and the course to students.
• Implement icebreaker activities to foster student interaction and build community.
• Develop strategies for ongoing engagement with students.

3. Week Three: Building Multiple Engagement Channels

• Plan optional midterm review sessions and provide summary feedback to reinforce key concepts.
• Maintain engagement through timely announcements, grading, and consistent presence in discussions.
• Gather student input with a midterm feedback survey and adjust support strategies.

4. Week Five: At the Halfway Point!

• Maintain engagement by posting announcements, participating in discussions, and sharing relevant articles or news.
• Provide summary feedback on assignments and review midterm feedback survey data to inform adjustments.
• Prioritize midterm grading and ensure the course is prepared for the remainder of the term.

5. Week Seven: Staying Engaged

• Send reminders about office hours and availability as students approach the final weeks of the term.
• Organize and announce optional study or review sessions to support student success.
• Motivate students with encouragement and offer a final "push" to help them complete the course.

6. Week Nine: Final Push

• Make sure the instructor is ready for final projects and exams.
• Have a plan for late work and any extra credit.
• Verify gradebook setup and accuracy.
• Stay in touch with students.

7. Week Eleven: Wrapping Up

• Show appreciation to students, highlight their achievements, and share insights on their work.
• Submit final grades, approve incompletes, and reflect on feedback to plan for future course improvements.

Contributors

The course contributors include Aifang Gordon, Misty Hamideh, Lindsay Murphy, and Scott Robison.