WeTeach Booster

WeTeach Booster is a facilitated 3-week course designed for those who completed WeTeach more than two years ago. The course focuses on changes and issues in the area of online, hybrid, and mixed-format course design and delivery that have emerged since participants completed WeTeach. WeTeach Booster is a fully online, asynchronous course with no required class meetings. Those who complete WeTeach Booster receive both a certificate of completion and a two-year renewal of their WeTeach digital badge.

Schedule and registration

Register for an upcoming WeTeach session by sending an email message to TLT (tlt@winona.edu).

Course format

WeTeach Booster is a 3-week course facilitated by experienced, professional instructional designers from WSU's Teaching, Learning, and Technology Services (TLT) team.
WeTeach Booster is a fully online asynchronous course, meaning there are no required class meetings. However, participants will interact with each other and facilitators weekly via email, chat, and optional meetings.
Successful completion of WeTeach is a prerequisite for participation in this course.
Participants work through three content units that include relevant readings, interactive exercises, and group activities with clear weekly outcomes.
All participants receive a complimentary copy of Online Teaching at Its Best (Nilson & Goodson, 2021). Other options are available for those who already own this book.
Participants should expect to spend about 3 hours per week on course-related activities.
D2L Brightspace will be used to manage the course, Microsoft Teams will be used for instant messaging, and Zoom will be used for office hours and online meetings.
Participants who complete all of the course requirements will receive a certificate of completion and their portable digital badge will be renewed for another two years.

Quality Matters

All WeTeach courses promote the use of the Quality Matters rubric and standards. The decision to proceed with a formal or informal Quality Matters course review rests with each instructor. WeTeach courses prepare instructors for this process, and TLT supports those who decide to move forward with Quality Matters course reviews and certifications.

Course Units

WeTeach Booster course units are updated annually as needed. Below is a description of each WeTeach Booster unit for the 2023 course offerings. Each module includes online readings, videos, articles, activities, and assignments.

UNIT 1: Equity and Access

The pandemic reminded us that the digital divide still exists and that access to online learning is a matter of equity. It also highlighted many challenges related to accessibility and accommodating learners with disparate needs. This module covers lessons learned during the pandemic and good practices for ensuring equal access to tools and resources that all students need to be successful in online, hybrid, and mixed-format courses. Using the principles of Universal Design for Learning and the Accessibility standard of the Quality Matters Rubric as a springboard, participants work with their colleagues and course facilitators to review their online courses and address equity and accessibility concerns. The new HyFlex course delivery method is also reviewed through an accessibility lens.

UNIT 2: Regular and Substantive Interaction

In July 2021, the US Department of Education revised the guidelines for the quality and quantity of student-instructor and student-student interaction expected in online courses, further defining key differences between online and correspondence education. In this module, we review these new guidelines for "regular and substantive interaction" (RSI) and assess whether participants' courses meet the mark. We explore methods for enhancing interaction using both familiar and new tools. The use of Microsoft Teams to support teamwork and group projects is also addressed, and good examples are shared.

UNIT 3: Assessment Integrity

As instructors transitioned from proctored, in-person to remote, online assessment during the pandemic, challenges related to maintaining the integrity of the process emerged. This module reviews multiple methods for managing assessment in online courses that support academic integrity and minimize cheating. New online proctoring tools are demonstrated and alternative forms of assessment are explored. Recent legal challenges to the use of student monitoring tools are reviewed. Recent research on managing student anxiety through communication and preparation is discussed. We will also explore the emergence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and their impact on assessment integrity.

Questions

Please contact TLT (tlt@winona.edu) if you have any questions.

External links

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