EIU Faculty Development and Innovation Center

Online Teaching Certificate

• About the Online Teaching Certificate
• Quality Online Design Institute (QODi)
• Online Teaching Strategies Institute (OTSi)

About the Online Teaching Certificate

The FDIC created the Online Teaching Certificate to provide faculty at Eastern Illinois University professional development opportunities to engage with best practices in online course design and pedagogy.

The Online Teaching Certificate is for EIU faculty who have completed the Online Course Development Institute (OCDi) or met EIU’s Online Course Policy requirement by another means, and who have been teaching an online course(s) at EIU. Faculty earning the certificate will enhance their online course by implementing Quality Matters Standards in their course design and incorporating strategies for teaching online courses.

The Online Teaching Certificate includes two distinct courses: the Quality Online Design Institute (QODi) and the Online Teaching Strategies Institute (OTSi). Once both courses are completed, the faculty participant will receive their Online Teaching Certification from the FDIC.

For more information about the Online Teaching Certificate, please contact Dr. Michael Gillespie, Director of the FDIC.

Quality Online Design Institute (QODi)

QODi was established to provide faculty at EIU with a professional development opportunity to improve the quality of online education and student learning. QODi incorporates the Quality Matters Standards therefore will help faculty prepare their course for the Quality Online Course Certification.

The goal of QODi is to provide faculty with the recommended standards and training necessary to improve the quality of their online course design which will enhance the online teaching and learning experiences of both faculty and students and encourage effective engagement and collaboration in the online environment.

Prerequisites:

• • The instructor must be a current Unit A, Unit B, or an Adjunct faculty member at EIU.
  • The instructor must have developed and taught an online course at EIU for a minimum of one semester.
  • The instructor must have met the online teaching policy requirement at EIU prior to enrolling in QODi.

Modality:

QODi is a fully self-directed, asynchronous course.  Each module focuses on the Quality Matters Standards.  To earn the QODi Certificate of Completion, the faculty must successfully complete three required modules and at least two elective modules.

          Required Modules:

• • GS 1 & 7 - Course Overview, Introduction, and Learner Support
  • GS 2 - Course Objectives and Alignment
  • GS 8 - Accessibility and Usability

          Elective Modules:

• • GS 3 - Assessment and Measurement
  • GS 4 - Instructional Materials
  • GS 5 - Learning Activities and Learner Interaction
  • GS 6 - Course Technology

For more information on QODi, please contact Julie Lockett (jalockett@eiu.edu), Director of Learning Innovation and QODi course facilitator. To register for QODi, go to http://eiu.gosignmeup.com.

Online Teaching Strategies Institute (OTSi)

OTSi is for EIU faculty that have completed the Quality Online Design Institute (QODi) or have earned the Quality Online Course Certification (QOC) within the past three years and have taught at least one online course. As you complete the OTSi, you will redesign portions of your online course(s) using concepts presented for effective teaching strategies. OTSi is focused on the best practices for online pedagogy and the science of learning and includes valuable resources from well-established applications.

The goal of the OTSi is to enhance online teaching practices and online learning experiences through faculty education of pedagogical strategies for the online environment.

Prerequisite:

• • Completion of the Quality Online Design Institute (QODi), or
  • Received the Quality Online Course (QOC) Certification in the past three years.

Modality:

OTSi is a fully self-directed, asynchronous course. To earn the OTSi Certificate of Completion, the faculty must successfully complete two required modules and at least three elective modules.

          Required Modules:

• • Humanizing Asynchronous Courses
  • Connecting the Science of Learning with Teaching Strategies

          Elective Modules:

• • Universal Design for Learning Principles (UDL)
  • Active Learning
  • Discouraging Academic Dishonesty

More modules will be developed in the near future, including assessment and learning activities, and best practices for synchronous sessions.

For more information on OTSi, please contact Kim Ervin (kservin@eiu.edu), FDIC’s Instructional Designer and OTSi course facilitator. To register for OTSi, go to http://eiu.gosignmeup.com.