Comprehensive Online Instructor Certificate Program

A robust series of six courses that train instructors how to develop an online course and teach online. This certificate has been developed by a team of educational program development specialists and content experts from an Accredited State University.

Full Description

Contact Hours: 160

Let our Comprehensive Online Instructor Certificate program help you position yourself at the forefront of educators in your field! Available to all faculty and teachers across the nation, this certificate program is a series of fully online courses that will show you how to design and deliver a quality course via the Internet. Not only will you master today’s fast- growing learning methodology, you will put yourself on a career path with unlimited potential.

With courses tailored to college faculty and to high school teachers, this comprehensive program includes self-paced, instructor-facilitated, and instructor-led courses. You will learn about both the technology and the pedagogy of online learning, and experience it as your students would.

This is an intensive certificate program comprised of six courses in which you will learn to teach online. In fact, you will actually develop a course that you intend to teach. Topics include online teaching pedagogy, technology, copyright, graphics, Web development and much more.

Participants must take all of the Section I courses: Introduction to Online Teaching, Blackboard Basics, Intensive Course Development, Copyright Issues, and Course Quality Assessment.
Participants must choose at least one of the Section 2 courses: Intro to Graphic Design, Intro to Web Development, or Intro to Captivate.
Except for the first two in the series, courses may be taken concurrently, enabling you to complete the program in as little as 10 weeks.

Enroll today! Checks and credit cards accepted, as well as purchase orders.

Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, you will be able to...

Develop and deliver a lesson, module or entire course online.
Understand the pedagogy of online teaching and learning, and be able to accommodate multiple learning styles in online instruction.
Know how to evaluate your course for continuous quality improvement.
Understand copyright issues related to course development.
Know how to create and use digital elements in the course.
Once you’re done, you will have launched your career potential to an atmospheric level!

Assessment:

Your performance will be based on course quizzes and online assignments. It will be your responsibility to access the course through your individual login, perform the required activities and assignments, and submit your completed work by uploading documents to the learning management system. Students must have a 70 percent or better score in each course to earn the certificate.

Course Information:

NOTE: This course is offered by an accredited university and offers Michigan State Board Continuing Education Units (SB-CEUs) for Michigan teachers. If you are located in a state other than Michigan, please check to see if your State Board will honor the continuing education unit. The course provider will be happy to provide you with appropriate documentation. Each SB-CEU represents about 10 hours of coursework. Please plan accordingly.

Section 1: Complete each of the following.

Blackboard Basics for Faculty : (self-paced) or Blackboard Basics for K-12 (instructor facilitated) 2 SB-CEUs

Whether you want to use Blackboard as a course supplement or to teach a fully online course, this will show you how to use the common, "everyday" tools in Blackboard. In about two weeks, you will:

Be familiar with the process and procedures inherent in online teaching.
Be able to add, edit, and delete announcements, course information and documents to the system.
Understand how to communicate using the discussion board, virtual classroom and e-mail features.
Be able to create assessments and use the online gradebook.

Copyright Issues in Online Teaching (self-paced, for all educators) 2 SB-CEUs

This course provides an overview of copyright issues and specific information related to the online environment. Topics include instructors’ responsibilities regarding student work, graphic sources and rules for Web-based course content, fair use, database and digital rights protection, and such legislation as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the TEACH Act.

Faculty Intro to Online Teaching (self-paced) or Intro to K-12 Online Teaching (instructor-facilitated) 1 SB-CEU

In as little as a week, this course will give you an understanding of what is involved in developing and teaching online courses. It is also a prerequisite to the UM-Flint Intensive Course Development class. The course will:

Provide background and a path for learning to teach online.
Give you the same type of experience your students will have.
Show you the importance of engaging students in interactive experiences.
Help you decide the degree to which you want to integrate education technology into your teaching.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

Understand the pedagogical concepts, trends and mechanics of online teaching and learning.
Recognize the types of learning tools and resources available online.
Assess your own abilities and interest in teaching online and using technology.
Apply the principles learned in this course to begin creating your own course, if you so choose.

Intensive Course Development (ICD) (instructor-led, for all educators) 5 SB-CEUs

This disciplined, five-week course walks the learner through the steps of creating an online course, from developing course and learning objectives to evaluating the course. During the course, you will:

Experience first-hand what it is like to be an online learner.
Develop a full understanding of the principles and methods of developing a course to be delivered online.
Master the components of the Blackboard learning management system (LMS).
Create the core of an online course, including learning objectives, syllabus and course material for at least two complete weeks of instruction.

Course Quality Assessment (self-paced, for all educators) 2 SB-CEUs

Using an Excel-based tool, instructors can assess the quality of their courses according to 60 standards and sub standards related to technology usability and instructional design. This tool provides measurement criteria, benchmarks, ratings and a weighting system to provide an overview that is as objective as possible.

Section 2: Complete at least one of the following.

Introduction to Graphic Design (instructor-facilitated) 4 SB-CEUs

This four-week course is designed for educators who would like to use digital photos and graphics. It will cover design fundamentals and their practical applications for educators; technical, practical and legal aspects of using clip art, stock photography and sound; digital imaging including file extensions, resizing and retouching; and using a scanner and digital camera to capture images. Learners will create their own digital images and flash files, and will learn the basics of PhotoShop Elements software.

Intro to Web Development (instructor-facilitated) 4 SB-CEUs

This four-week course is available to all learners but was designed for educators who would like to use Web technology in the classroom. Learners will have weekly readings, participate in online discussions, research Web design topics, and use Macromedia Dreamweaver MX or MS FrontPage software to design Web projects. Learners will develop an understanding of the fundamentals of Web design. They will be able to create their own basic Web pages, complete with type and images, links and tables.

Intro to Captivate (instructor-facilitated) 4 SB-CEUs

Macromedia Captivate automatically records all onscreen actions and instantly creates an interactive Flash simulation. Point and click to add text captions, narration, and e-learning interactions without any programming knowledge.

Learning Link Finders, Inc is proud to offer this course or Certification through a Partnership with Accredited Universities and Colleges.