WeTeach

About this article

This article provides a description of the TLT program WeTeach. The article is intended for all audiences interested in online course design.

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 skills. This course also allows instructors to share online teaching experiences and best practices.

Course Format

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.

WeTeach is an eight-week course that consists of eight online modules with 1-hour weekly virtual meetings. Expect to spend eight to nine additional hours reviewing lectures/readings and completing assignments developed to strengthen your online teaching and design skills.

Certificate of Completion Requirements

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

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. The assignment of Coach Consultants, all of whom will be Quality Matters Master Reviewers, will be managed by Minnesota Online Quality Initiative Co-Coordinators.

Course Learning Objectives

1. Identify the proper MinnState Media Code
2. Identify and discuss how to utilize D2L Brightspace tools
3. Discuss the difference between online and F2F courses
4. Identify characteristics of your student population and online support services to meet their needs
5. Discuss the Quality Matters (QM) rubric and review process
6. Discuss the different between course design and delivery
7. Summarize key finding from literature related to a QM Standard
8. Describe different tools used for online collaboration and communication
9. Discuss the use of Collaborative Learning in online/blended courses
10. Describe best practices for using a virtual room and online discussion boards
11. Discuss instructor presence techniques and best practices
12. Discuss different instructional design models
13. Write measurable learning objectives suitable for course level
14. Discuss formative and summative assessment options for an online/blended course
15. Apply aligning learning objectives, learning activities, and assessments
16. Apply learning activities and assessments that are sequenced and varied
17. Apply Universal Design principles (ie. ADA Compliance)
18. Define Copyright and Intellectual Property
19. Discuss the use of online assessment and feedback tools in D2L Brightspace
20. Draft active learning activities and assignments for an online course
21. Draft a clear grading policy and list activities and assessments contributing to final grade
22. Define response time on communication and assignment feedback
23. Discuss interaction between student to student and student to instructor
24. Create a rubric to evaluate student performance
25. Discuss strategies to ensure academic integrity
26. Explain how to transition face-to-face assignments online
27. Discuss options for integrating self-authored, publisher-provided, and open educational resources into online courses
28. Create recorded lectures

WeTeach Foundations Modules

Below is a description of each module.

Module 1: Charting Your Course & Student Support Services

Topics in this module include an introduction to online teaching at WSU, an overview of the tools available, online instruction, and developing a work plan. In this module, we will also review campus support services and resources available to online students, including 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, the importance of learning objective alignment, and how to get and keep your students engaged. The QM process for course design is the framework for quality assurance in online course development used by TLT.

Module 3: Communication & Collaboration Online

In this module, you will learn how to use several tools to communicate with your students, including tools for facilitating group work and team projects online. We will cover tools such as D2L, Facebook, Twitter, and Adobe Connect. We will also discuss how to set and communicate your expectations for online netiquette.

Module 4: Learning Objectives & Course Design Models

In this module, you will be introduced to two different instructional design models to help you structure your online course design project. We will also cover 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.

Module 5: Online Assignments Examples

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. 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 6: Feedback, Assignment Instructions & Rubrics

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.

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 and video software.

WeTeach Advanced

WeTeach Advanced is intended for instructors who have already participated in the WeTeach Foundations or have taught online before. This workgroup will focus on designing or re-designing your course to meet all QM standards. This will be about pedagogy not technology. You can expect to meet face-to-face at least five times as a group before dividing into one on one meetings. At the end of this course you can select to have TLT review your course, report on each standard (met or not met), provide you with a detailed report of how you might improve the “not-met” standards, and create an action plan to implement those improvements. Once your course has met QM standards in this internal review, we will help you submit the course for an external review if you wish to do so. One-on-one meetings will be conducted to complete this track of the WeTeach program. Although this can be accomplished in a semester, we will continue to work with you as long as it takes. For more information WeTeach Advanced

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WeTeach Foundations

WeTeach Advanced