The online teaching environment poses unique opportunities for faculty unlike many familiar face-to-face contexts. Those considering teaching in the online environment for the first time often have questions as to where to begin. This new series of hands-on workshops provides NIU faculty and staff with a systematic overview of the various pedagogical and pragmatic considerations necessary in offering a quality online learning experience for students. Through this series, participants will have opportunity to:
Any NIU faculty and staff interested in developing and teaching an online or blended course will find this series of workshops to be of benefit. While each session is stand-alone, participants who complete the entire series of sessions will likely benefit most.
| Workshop | Day/Date | Time |
Friday, Sep. 19, 2008 |
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm |
|
Friday, Sep. 26, 2008 |
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm |
|
Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 |
9:00 am to 12:00 pm |
|
Friday, Oct. 31, 2008 |
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm |
|
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008 |
9:00 am to 12:00 pm |
|
Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 |
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm |
Overview of Online Teaching and Learning
Friday, September 19, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Teaching in the online environment involves principles and practices unlike traditional face-to-face instruction methods. Unique pedagogical and pragmatic considerations for teaching online must be considered when contemplating the development of an online course. This hands-on workshop will introduce the unique characteristics of online instruction and provide an overview of the components in an engaging and interactive online course. Participants will experience various instructional components of an online course from both the student and instructor perspective. In addition, the roles and responsibilities of the online instructor and students will be discussed and various institutional resources for further assistance with getting started teaching online will be shared. Advanced registration is required.
Principles of Effective Online Course Design
Friday, September 26, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Teaching online can be both challenging and rewarding. Whether teaching 100% online, using a blended approach and Blackboard for virtual discussions, or using some format in between, knowing how to effectively design courses for online learning is central to sound pedagogy. This session is for faculty who are new to online course design or those who are looking to refresh their skills to implement practical and meaningful strategies in their teaching. This workshop will begin with the fundamentals of instructional design and move to the specific elements of a well-designed course with online features. Please bring a course syllabus to the workshop. Advanced registration is required.
Strategies for Promoting Communication in the Online Learning Environment
Friday, October 17, 2008 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Effective communication is a very important element of quality teaching and learning experiences in online learning environment. This workshop will highlight strategies for defining clear focus and goals for online communication; it will explore the ways of developing and encouraging online activities for learners as well as focus on different ways of evaluating the design and implementation of online course communication. Participants will not only get an overview of such collaboration tools as the Blackboard discussion board, virtual classroom, chat, group pages, Wimba Collaboration Suite, podcasting, but will also have hands-on opportunities to configure those tools in the Blackboard environment to engage students in active collaborative learning. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Introduction to Online Course Construction
Friday, October 31, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Media and materials used in face-to-face courses may need to be repurposed or newly created for use in online environments. In addition to the selection of these media, online educators must have basic knowledge of the course accessibility principles, copyright law, intellectual property and fair use issues. This session will provide tips for creating accessible documents and multimedia as well as present guidelines and suggestions in setting up an online course structure and selecting effective media and materials for use in an online course. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Redesigning a Face-to-Face Lesson for Online Delivery
Friday, November 7, 2008 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Faculty responding to requests to offer their existing face-to-face courses online can discover the process is not simply a matter of uploading content for students to access. The challenge of teaching online is to maintain continual student involvement and interaction with the instructor, course material, as well as fellow students. This requires re-conceptualizing instructional objectives, selecting innovative strategies to reach those objectives, and tailoring methods of assessment that enhance the learning experience and facilitate grading. This hands-on workshop will walk participants through the process of converting a lesson originally developed for a face-to-face setting to an online course. Participants will then practice converting a lesson they have brought for their own online course. Participants should bring a pre-existing face-to-face lesson consisting of a lecture and related activities to be redesigned for an online learning experience. Advanced registration is required.
Using Online Assessment Tools to Facilitate Teaching and Learning
Friday, November 14, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Assessing student learning in the online environment presents unique challenges and opportunities. The surveying, testing, assignment submission, and grading tools within Blackboard provide a variety of useful options that can be leveraged in a comprehensive approach to assessment in online learning. In this hands-on workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore the various testing tools, create quizzes using a range of questions types, and experiment with creating test and survey pools. We will discuss strategies for reducing online testing errors as well as issues involving academic concerns with online testing. Additionally, we will explore various strategies for electronic submission of assignments and configuration of the Blackboard Gradebook. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
The workshops are open to NIU faculty and staff. Program locations will be made available when you register. Register by completing the form below, or by phone (815) 753 0595, email facdev@niu.edu, or fax: (815) 753 2595. Include your name, title, department, phone, email, special accommodations needed, and the workshop(s) you plan to attend (as indicated in the registration form below). After submitting the registration form, if you do not receive a response within 2 working days, please contact the Center at facdev@niu.edu .
Last Updated: 7/31/2008