The Certificate for Online Adjunct Teaching (COAT) course is an online training course designed for higher education instructors who have experience teaching in the traditional (face-to-face) classroom and are interested in transitioning to online teaching. This inter-institutional project provides training for adjunct faculty on the basic competencies needed to teach online.

Based upon research, the course explores the online teaching and learning environment by introducing online learning principles and instructor competencies.

The course explores the online teaching and learning environment by introducing online learning principles and instructor competencies. Participants will experience online learning from the students' perspective as they explore and master specific competencies needed in order to successfully teach online. Some topics covered include:

1) Strategies for orienting students to the online learning environment
2) Basic instructional design principles as applied to the facilitation of online courses
3) Self assessment of technical and learning management system skills
4) Pedagogical approaches to facilitating online learning - Teaching and learning theories, strategies and best practices
5) Establishing social processes and presence - Building a learning community in the online classroom
6) Facilitating online discussions and group work- Encouraging peer-to-peer learning and collaboration
7) Managing assessment and maintaining assessment integrity in the online environment
8) Important legal issues (FERPA, ADA, and copyright)
9) Identifying relevant institutional policies, procedures, and support services

Notes:

• This course is intended to introduce instructors to teaching (facilitating) an online course that has already been developed. This course does not train faculty how to develop an online course.
• The course is taught fully online.
• The Course is 9 weeks long.
• While opportunities to participate in synchronous activities during the course are provided, they
  are not required.
  

Course Prerequisites

1. Experience teaching in the traditional (face-to-face) classroom

2. Basic computer skills. To evaluate your computer skills, take the "Computer Skills Inventory" self-check quiz. (Note: Disregard the reference to workshops, these are for undergraduate students only.) At a minimum, you must be able to:

• Browse the Internet using browsing software
• Save, find, and organize files and folders on your hard drive
• Send and receive files using email
• Use word processing software (Microsoft Word or compatible)

  Note: Computer skills are not taught in the COAT course. If you are lacking basic computer skills you should reconsider taking the COAT course until you have acquired those skills.

3. A sincere interest in learning how to teach online. If you aren't sure whether you are a good candidate for teaching online, please view Are You a Good Candidate for Teaching Online?

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify Learning Management System skills and technology skills required of instructors in the online classroom.
2. Recognize and apply basic instructional design requirements of an online course.
3. Identify strategies to effectively orient students to learning online.
4. Describe and select appropriate pedagogical components for the online teaching and learning process.
5. Recognize and establish an appropriate social presence in order to facilitate learning and build a learning community.
6. Facilitate an online discussion
7. Evaluate and select assessment methods appropriate to the course/discipline in which they teach.
8. Identify basic legal issues of teaching online
9. Demonstrate an understanding of institutional policies, procedures and support services related to the online teaching environment.
10. Identify networking and professional development opportunities for continued professional development.

Upon successful completion of the COAT course, participants will have demonstrated competencies in 8 major areas which are detailed in the "COAT Course Competencies."

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is MOL sponsoring the project?

MarylandOnline (MOL) consists of 20 colleges and universities in the state of Maryland. These colleges and universities recognize the importance of access to experienced adjunct instructors who also have expertise in the online teaching environment. MarylandOnline funded the research and development of the COAT course in order to meet the needs of its member institutions. The course is now available for a fee to any interested adjuncts, regardless of institutional affiliation.

Are there any prerequisites for the course?

Yes. Participants must:

• have experience teaching in the traditional (face-to-face) classroom at the higher education level
  
  
• have basic technical knowledge needed in order to navigate the online learning environment including:
  
  
  • basic navigational Learning Management System (LMS) skills (Blackboard, WebCT, or similar)
  • basic computer skills including: Internet browsing skills, saving and finding files on a hard drive, sending and receiving attachments through email, and
  • know how to use word processing software (Microsoft Word or compatible)
    

    Participants must also have a sincere interest in learning how to teach online. If you aren't sure whether you are a good candidate for teaching online, please view Are You a Good Candidate for Teaching Online?

How is the course conducted?

The course is 9 weeks long and is taught fully online. This gives participants an opportunity to experience an online course as a student. The course is highly structured and includes requirements to complete weekly activities and assignments, as well as reading and collaboration using the course discussion board. Participants must log into the course at least 3 days per week. Estimated weekly time commitment is 4-5 hours. While opportunities to participate in synchronous activities during the course are provided, they are not required.

Is college credit awarded for the course?

No. College credit is not awarded for the course. The course is intended to be a structured professional development activity for higher education teaching professionals. Participants who successfully complete the course will, however, receive a "certificate of completion" from MarylandOnline. Completion of this course in no way guarantees participants they will receive an offer of employment by any institution, or be exempt from specific training requirements of individual institutions.

What is covered in the course?

The course is intended to introduce participants to principles and practices for teaching online college courses. (The course is not intended to teach participants how to develop an online course). For a complete list of the module objectives see the syllabus.

Who is hosting the course?

The course is being hosted by Frederick Community College on its Blackboard server. Many thanks to Frederick Community College for its support!

What are the standards used for the course?

The course was designed using the Quality Matters standards of certification.

For additional details about the course and how it is conducted, please see the Syllabus. To enroll in the course click on the Registration link:

Register for the Winter 2012 course which begins on January 9, 2012.

Spring or summer 2012 course "interest list": Click Here to be notified when registration for the spring or summer course opens.

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