WeTeach

Course Description

WeTeach is an interactive, collaborative course intended for instructors who teach online or blended courses. Instructors will become an online student in the course to develop their own online teaching and design skills. This course also allows instructors to share online teaching experiences and best practices. This course is for instructors who are new to online teaching. It is also for instructors looking to expand their skills, explore new ways to engage students, and use technology more effectively to save time. Quality Matters standards, technology tools, D2L training, best practices, and research will be woven throughout all modules.

Course Format

WeTeach is an eight-week course that consists of eight online modules with 1-hour weekly virtual meetings. Expect to spend up to eight to nine additional hours per week reviewing lectures/readings and completing assignments developed to strengthen your online teaching and design skills. You will also start to develop components for your own online/blended course.

At the completion of the course, all participants will have the opportunity to receive up to 2 hours of individual instructional consultation related to WeTeach course topics with a Coach Consultant. Participation in instructional consultation is optional and is not required to receive the Certificate of Completion. The consultation hours are non-transferable and expire three months after the published course end date. Coach Consultants are Quality Matters Master Reviewers managed by Minnesota Online Quality Initiative Co-Coordinators. WeTeach is offered in collaboration with Minnesota Online Quality Initiative.

Certificate of Completion Requirements

WeTeach offers the option to earn a certificate of completion for completing the course. Below are the requirements for earning the certificate of completion.

• Attend six out of the eight virtual meetings
• Complete all required assignments listed in syllabus

Course Modules

Below is a description of each WeTeach module. Each module includes online readings, videos, articles, activities and assignments. Each module also includes a live virtual discussion and presentation.

MODULE 1: Charting Your Course & Student Support Services

Topics in this module provide an introduction to online teaching within the MinnState System. Topics include an overview of the tools available, course media codes and identifying challenges and opportunities of different delivery methods. In this module, we will also access the characteristics of your student population and discuss campus support services and resources available to online students. These include technical support, access services, and tutoring.

MODULE 2: Quality Matters & Alignment

In this module, you will be introduced to the Quality Matters (QM) process and rubric. We will discuss factors that impact the quality of online learning experiences and the importance of learning objective alignment. The QM is just one of the frameworks used in course design for quality assurance in online course development. In this module we will also review QM educational research literature and take a closer look at some of the QM standards. MinnState is a Quality Matter subscriber.

MODULE 3: Communication & Collaboration Online

In this module, we will discuss several tools and strategies that can be used to communicate with your online students. They include tools for facilitating group work, team projects, and instructor presence online. We will cover tools such as D2L, Facebook, Twitter, and Zoom. We will explore virtual meetings and discuss activities and examples of how to incorporate virtual synchronous components in your course. We will also discuss how to set and communicate your expectations for online participation and netiquette.

MODULE 4: Learning Objectives & Course Design Models

In this module, we will discuss different learning taxonomies and course design models. In the module you will start to map out components of your own online or blended course. We will also discuss and practice the process of writing effective and measurable learning objectives. Learning objectives help to define your expectations for students within the curriculum and the course. Well-written learning objectives are essential to instructional course design. Other topics in this module include Universal Design for Learning and developing a student-centered course orientation and navigation.

MODULE 5: Online Assignments Examples

This module will discuss formative and summative assessment strategies. There are many different types of assignments that can be incorporated into an online course. This module will provide you with examples on how to move some of your face-to-face assignments into an online course. Examples include case studies, scenario-based discussion boards, student video assignments and debates. We will also discuss academic integrity online and engagement strategies for facilitating discussion boards.

MODULE 6: Feedback, Assignment Instructions & Rubrics

In this module, we will explore several D2L assessment tools including quizzes, rubrics, and assignment folders. We will demonstrate best practices for grading online homework and discuss time-saving strategies. This module will also look at the use of rubrics in online courses and provide some useful resources for building rubrics and clearly communicating expectations for assessments.

MODULE 7: Instructional Materials

Topics in this module include content authoring, the use of publisher-provided content (e.g., ebooks, test banks), and the integration of open educational resources (OER). We will introduce you to several OER repositories and discuss Creative Commons licensing. We will also discuss the use of recorded lectures in online learning including lecture examples,video software and best practices to produce high-quality recorded lectures. We also discuss techniques for creating accessible content.

MODULE 8: Ready, Set, Design & Deliver

In this module we will showcase several QM recognized online courses and discuss course schedule and course map examples. During this module you will finalize your own module 'roadmap' and identify tasks for continuing your course design process. During this module you will also prepare for the optional 1:1 consultation with a QM Master Reviewer to address your own course needs.

Registration

Next Offering

The next WeTeach offering starts July 9, 2018 and runs until August 30, 2018. The weekly virtual meetings will be offered:

• Mondays at 12: 00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST
• Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. CST

Participants are expected to attend ONE of the 1-hour virtual meetings each week. Each virtual meeting offered in a single week will cover the same content, so select the option the fits your week best.

To register for WeTeach select the registration link.

Future Offerings

WeTeach will be offered in the summer starting July 9, 2018 and the fall starting September 10, 2018. Additional dates and registration links for these offerings will be available as the start date approaches.

Questions

Please contact Adult & Continuing Education at 507-457-5080 or email us at www.comcontinuingeducation@winona.edu if you have any questions.