Online Teaching & Learning Certificate Programs

Online Learning Importance

The development of online education environments is occurring so quickly and so energetically that it is impossible to keep up with the appearance of universities, programs, classes, and training materials that appear daily. Even as universities, colleges, and K-12 institutions are struggling to define the possibilities as well as the limitations of online teaching and learning, corporations are identifying their places in the electronic world of cyber education.

Online Teaching Program – Whom it is for

Online Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning meets the needs of faculty and trainers who find themselves teaching in this new environment. The program is designed to serve the needs of a wide range of educators: university and college faculty, K-12 teachers, corporate and military trainers, educational administrators, curriculum designers, counselors, etc... The four courses guide students through the design of pedagogically sound online courses and training modules.

Online Teaching Certificate: Curriculum

Typical Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning consists of four graduate-level courses; each is offered during a five-week class session, and all four courses are offered each quarter. The four courses in the program are offered at the graduate level, and each five-week course offers students 4.5-quarter units. It is recommended that you take the four courses sequentially over a two-quarter period. Courses are offered four full academic quarters each school year: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.

Typical courses offered in online teaching certificate program

Models for Online Instruction

The application of several teaching models to the online teaching and learning environment. Students will examine theories of learning psychology with respect to the development of online courses, and they will learn to develop and present online courses while managing various needs -- course management, technology and curriculum. Students will experiment with a wide range of models--from highly interactive instruction to independent study, and students will choose the models most relevant to their discipline, class size, teaching environment, and approach. Students will revisit and augment the basic course model they developed in the previous class.

Technology Tools for Online Instruction

Theoretical and practical examination of the tools which enable online learning. Differences in time and distance in the virtual classroom require instructors to adapt many old tools and adopt many new ones to maintain the learning community in cyberspace. Students examine the ever expanding array of technology tools, including synchronous, asynchronous, and web-based delivery technologies. Students will focus on the learning outcomes for a given class and examine technology tools available to support these outcomes. The selection, application, and evaluation of these tools will be considered and criteria for selecting the best tools will be suggested. Students will also consult current research on the use of technology in education and training.

Designing Curriculum for Online Instruction

Incorporation of online teaching skills and concepts into a course design and plan for implementation. Students will evaluate their online teaching plans with respect to clearly delineated learning outcomes and appropriate teaching models. Students will also build well-balanced and appropriately sequenced assignments, and they will determine whether the technology tools they have selected will meet the learning objectives of the course they are designing. Current research on curriculum and assessment with particular emphasis on the online paradigm will be included. Students will complete the final revisions of the course model developed in the previous classes to demonstrate their understanding and application of the concepts studied.

Academic Advising Graduate Certificate Program

The Academic Advising Graduate Certificate Program provides an opportunity for faculty, full-time academic advisors, and administrators to gain an understanding of myriad issues and skills needed to deliver effective academic advising.

This program is designed for:

1. Practicing advisors and administrators who desire more formal education relating to academic advising.
2. Faculty seeking advising knowledge beyond their discipline
3. Graduate students anticipating academic advising roles

All online teaching certificate courses are self-paced within a semester timeframe.