Notes from Professional Development for Online Educators

January 18, 2012

Suggested topics for discussion:

  • Review committee goals:
  • establish and agree on competencies that we believe an instructor should master to develop and/or deliver classes entirely online, and
  • identify learning tools, resources, content and assessments for an effective learning experience.
  • Review takeaways from last discussion.
  • It was agreed that the mastery of competencies should be a requirement for online instructors to assure high quality programming and maintain confidence in our university community, geographic community, and accreditation agencies of the quality of the Spalding brand.
  • A recommendation for professional development for online educators will have the endorsement of the Faculty Development Committee.
  • We will meet periodically by Webinar if appropriate as we move forward. Our next convening will be during the second week of January, 2012.
  • Seeking Randy’s advice, we will send a recommendation forward through appropriate channels in the late-March, early-April time frame.
  • Randy suggested that the team should make recommendation to him and Deans
  • Discuss instructor roles. Are roles as course deliverer and course developer distinct requiring distinct skills and distinct knowledge bases?
  • It was agreed that those delivering a course and those developing a course have different roles. We continue to discuss whether or not the two roles are a continuum or distinct.
  • Reflection on Pearson courses and competencies
  • Rita suggested that it was important that we establish baseline data of the current skill set of our faculty. Terri will convene a team to develop a survey to gather that data.
  • Next steps
  • Survey team to survey faculty on their current skill levels – baseline data
  • Review Pearson content:
  • Rita will look at the Pearson introductory course
  • Terri will look at the instructional design course or beyond the online classroom
  • Janice will look at promoting student success
  • Still on track for early April recommendation
  • Send me your feedback on the effectiveness of using Webinar