Online/Hybrid Teaching Faculty Workshop Options

Introduction

For faculty planning to teach online and hybrid courses, a competency requirement must be met. For those not already approved to teach online and hybrid courses, we have expanded the menu of training options available, assembling options that take into account varying educational technology experience levels and unique disciplinary contexts.

Faculty choosing among these options are also expected to reference the quality standards detailed in the Online/Hybrid Course Peer Review Rubric (Word doc) and learn the basic functions of Blackboard, our learning management system. Review Basic Blackboard competencies here. 

If you have previously completed training, workshops, or coursework outside of the option listed below, you can work with your unit head to request a waiver using the Online/Hybrid Faculty Certification Waiver Form.

Are you an Adjunct or Visiting Faculty member? If so, you will receive a $250 stipend after the FTLC is notified that you've completed the Online/Hybrid training! Stipends are paid in March, May and October upon successful completion of the Online/Hybrid training.

Please also see the FAQ section at the bottom of this page. 

Option One - eLearning Foundations Workshop

The self-paced version of the Foundations of Online and Hybrid Course Development workshop is now available! The online materials and hands-on activities guide participants through best practices associated with effective online teaching. The content of this workshop consists of five pedagogy-focused modules and a number of elective modules that cover more practical or technical topics. To complete this workshop successfully, participants must complete all five required modules, as well as two of the available elective modules. Participants work at their own pace, but are expected to complete the training within the equivalent of one academic term. Upon finishing the required work, faculty will meet one-on-one with a member of the eLearning team to review their progress and confirm that all requirements have been met. For additional details and registration instructions, visit the Foundations of Online and Hybrid Course Development page. 

Option Two - Magna Workshop

Complete the Developing and Teaching an Online Class course offered by Magna Publications. This completely asynchronous course can be started at any time. 

Learning Goals:

  • Articulate the differences between face-to-face and online teaching
  • Build and present online courses with confidence
  • Create syllabi, assessments, feedback methods, and other classroom tools based on best practices
  • Use technology to enhance students’ classroom experience and learning outcomes

This course requires ~5 hours to complete, comprises video content, activities, worksheets, and additional resources to explore over the one-year access period. The tuition is covered by the Pew FTLC. Please note: on the Magna workshop website, the time to complete the course of 20-25 hours accounts for the many optional resources that are included. Faculty have access to these resources for one year after completion of the workshop. 

Enroll by submitting a Sponsored Teaching and Learning Event Grant Application

Option Three - Quality Matters Workshop

Complete the Teaching Online: An Introduction to Online Delivery workshop offered through Quality Matters. This workshop explores basic components of online course delivery. Participants will be introduced to best practices for teaching in an online learning environment, the instructor’s role and the learner’s role in the online classroom, the importance of getting (and keeping) students engaged, and methods of facilitating online discussions using the discussion board. 

This instructor-facilitated, asynchronous course takes place over two weeks, requiring 10 to 12 hours of time per week to spend on achieving the learning objectives. To learn more about the workshop, visit the Quality Matters workshop website. The tuition is covered by the Pew FTLC. Faculty must submit an application by following the link below or by contacting us for approval before registering for this workshop. 

Enroll by submitting a Sponsored Teaching and Learning Event Grant Application

Option Four - Customized Workshops

If you are well acquainted with Blackboard and have been utilizing elements of online instruction in your face-to-face courses, contact us to select from an additional menu of special topic workshops. Through our memberships to Quality Matters, Online Learning Consortium, and Magna Publications, we can help you select a customized professional development plan that meets the training requirements. Contact us at [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions - Online/Hybrid Teaching

  • If you have already completed the Foundations of Online and Hybrid Course Development and Delivery workshop or received approval in the past to teach an online or hybrid course, then you are good to go. If you are looking for a refresher or ideas to enliven your online course, please visit our Virtual Learning Refresh Opportunities page for additional professional development resources. 
  • For assistance with Blackboard or other educational technologies, visit the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Teaching with Technology page. 
  • Please contact us and be connected with a consultant who can assist.

Once you have completed one of the professional development options, you will need to provide evidence of completion.

If you applied through the Pew FTLC grants system for your Magna or Quality Matters course, please log back in, respond to the “final report” questions and upload your certificate of completion.

If you are a new instructor and received your Magna or Quality Matters login credentials via email, please send your certificate of completion via email to [email protected].

If you completed the eLearning Foundations Workshop, you won’t have to do anything! The Pew FTLC will be notified that you completed the training.

Once the completion information is received, your stipend payment will be requested.

To recognize and support the additional work expected of adjunct and visiting faculty in preparing to teach online/hybrid courses, the university will provide a $250 stipend for successful completion of training. Budget limitations necessitate restriction of this opportunity to only adjunct and visiting faculty and only one stipend payment will be made per faculty member. 

Note that the stipend does not signal a guarantee of hire. We recognize that in some cases, schedules may change, or courses may be canceled after an individual completes the training. A stipend will still be provided once the workshop has been completed.

The stipend payments are made four times per year (February, April, August, and October) and will be requested as soon as we receive your course completion certificate or details. The stipend payment will be included in your payroll check. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions about your stipend payment.

  • Technology and Blackboard proficiency - Faculty teaching online courses should meet the Foundations course technical competency prerequisite requirements and become familiar with our learning management system, Blackboard 
  • eLearning training videos and guides – We invite you to explore the features and capabilities of Blackboard, Panopto (GVSU’s private video hosting service that will allow you to quickly create, edit, caption and host any academic videos), or other supported technology.  Extensive online resources are available at:
  • Before your online/hybrid course begins, we encourage you to get feedback from an experienced online educator. Schedule a session with either an instructional designer or a faculty informal peer reviewer, allowing sufficient time to make any adjustments before opening your course to students.
  • The basis for quality online teaching has already been established with the Grand Valley State University Online/Hybrid Course Peer Review Rubric (Word doc). This document outlines seven aspects of quality online/hybrid courses that prove useful for not only peer review but the course design process itself: (i) overall course design and organization, (ii) course expectations, (iii) faculty/student interaction, (iv) reciprocity and cooperation among students, (v) active learning, (vi) prompt feedback, and (vii) high expectations. Additional resources to support course planning in these areas can be found on the Seven Essential Online Course Components page.
  • As faculty plan their courses, the Online Education Council offers these guiding questions to consider:
    • How will content delivery and student learning be supported in an online format? 
    • What Blackboard tools and other technologies will be used? 
    • What pedagogical strategies will be used to ensure active learning?
    • How will technology be used to support online delivery of assessments and evaluation of student learning?

Page last modified September 21, 2023
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