We invite you to participate in a CUNY-sponsored workshop to prepare faculty for online and hybrid course instruction, offered by the faculty development team at the School of Professional Studies (SPS). The workshop will be offered online with activities and assignments that can be completed on a flexible schedule (asynchronously) within each scheduled week. Participants should be faculty who are scheduled to teach an online or hybrid course in an upcoming semester. Familiarity with basic functions of Blackboard is assumed.
Please note that you must be available to participate in discussion during each of the two weeks. Participants who successfully complete requirements based on specific grading criteria and rubrics of the workshop will receive a certificate of completion from SPS as well as a payment from their college, based on 10 hours at their NTA rate (up to $550 total). Timing and conditions of payment may vary by college.
Workshop Description
This two-week, asynchronous, instructor-facilitated workshop is designed to prepare CUNY faculty for teaching online and/or hybrid classes. The workshop models effective design and facilitation skills and addresses design issues, pedagogical approaches to teaching online and hybrid courses, as well as organization and management of an online class. It also provides an opportunity for faculty to become more familiar with the environment of the Blackboard LMS from both a student and instructor perspective. The total time on task is estimated at an average of 10 hours for participants. There are no face-to-face meetings required.
All participants are asked to familiarize themselves with the basics of Blackboard before beginning the workshop, availing themselves of their home campus resources. School of Professional Studies faculty who need some basic Blackboard training should contact Antonia Levy at [email protected] to arrange for a convenient training session in person, by phone, or online.
During the workshop, “how-to” handouts will be available in the Resources area of the course site for further guidance on completing tasks in Blackboard.
Each section of the workshop contains an average of no more than 25 participants in order to allow for optimal interaction among participants and facilitator as well as individualized feedback from the facilitator.
This foundational workshop has the following objectives, expressed in terms of outcomes for faculty participants:
- To gain first-hand experience in and appreciation of the needs of an online learner
- To become familiar with the basic operations and features of a Blackboard classroom from both student and instructor perspectives
- To identify the salient differences and requirements between face-to-face, hybrid and fully online courses
- To identify some widely accepted best practices for online and hybrid teaching
- To apply to one’s own course the necessary instructional design, organizational and facilitation skills, and overall communication strategies as modeled in the certification workshop
- To reflect on past teaching approaches and begin to devise likely strategies for effective assignments and assessments
- To demonstrate basic competencies in producing the essential elements of an online syllabus and schedule, creating an effective announcement, and providing an ice-breaking introductory topic
- To design engaging discussion prompts that will result in active discussion and stimulate critical thinking
- To share ideas concerning online and hybrid teaching with CUNY colleagues within an online community of learners
- To become familiar with templates and processes needed in order to be ready to teach online
Workshop Activities Include
- Readings and discussion with colleagues of topics related to design, communication strategies, facilitation, social and teaching presence and the organization and time management of online and hybrid courses
- Completing assignments involving the use of announcements, designing effective discussion questions, creation or redesign of an assignment/assessment, and developing a comprehensive syllabus and schedule for one’s own course
- Accomplishment of a series of actions in a Blackboard practice course site, reflecting an understanding of how to use basic functions involved in course setup and facilitation
Preparation for Teaching Online workshops in 2016-2017
- October 17-30, with priority for those teaching Winter or Spring 2017
- November 7-20, with priority for those teaching Winter or Spring 2017
- January 9-22nd, with priority for those teaching Spring 2017 or Summer 2017
- April 24-May 7th, with priority for those teaching Summer 2017
- June 5-18th, with priority for those teaching Fall 2017
- July 17-30, with priority for those teaching Fall 2017
Registration is now closed for the October and November sessions. Registration for the January workshops will open December 5th.
SPS late hires who need to take the October or November workshop, please contact [email protected]
After registering here, let your academic supervisor know to expect an email requesting approval from SPS Office of Faculty Development and Instructional Technology.
Registration opens on this page approximately one month prior to each section starting date. Multiple sections and additional starting dates may be added in response to demand. All registrations are subject to confirmation by academic director and college.
Questions? Please contact Susan Ko at [email protected]
