Faculty Development: Courses & Workshops
If you are designing or redesigning an online course that you plan to teach in the next few months, consider registering for one of our courses or workshops to explore and implement research-based online course design and teaching best practices.
Collaborate with UMass Amherst lecturers and instructional designers through online modules and synchronous sessions focused on designing and teaching online courses.
During the Spring 2023 semester, the IDEAS team will be facilitating the next 6-week Essentials of Online Teaching course. This opportunity is open to any UMass instructor interested in: learning how to develop and teach effective online courses, using teaching technologies meaningfully, and receiving personalized support in the process of designing their online courses. It focuses on five essential components:
- Foundations of online teaching
- Structure and Design
- Assessment
- Engagement
- Communication
Through reading and exploring resources, engaging in learning activities, and collaborating with their colleagues, participants will develop strategies for using resources and technologies to enhance their online courses. Each week, instructors will put these strategies into practice and build out a different aspect of their course, receiving feedback from their colleagues and course facilitators. Participants who fulfill all course requirements will receive a Certificate of Completion and their department head will be notified.
Participants can expect to spend about 3-5 hours per learning module (approximately 20-25 hours over 6 weeks). Additionally, there are 6 required synchronous Zoom sessions.
The next course will start in March 2023, with synchronous Zoom sessions will be held on Wednesdays, from 11:00am-12:00pm EST. Registration for the course is now open.
New to online teaching at UMass?
On an on-going basis, the IDEAS Team offers the self-paced Introduction to Online Teaching Course. The course guides instructors in setting up their online course and the basics of teaching an effective online course.
Participants can expect to spend about 1-3 hours per learning module (approximately 7-10 hours across all learning modules).
Registration for the course is open now.
The IDEAS team also hosts a series of interactive workshops focusing on Engagement in courses taught online. Participants develop strategies for using resources and technologies to increase the levels of student engagement and participation in their courses. They can expect to collaborate with their colleagues across campus to share ideas and best practices. The workshops focus on:
- Beyond Lecture: Presenting Content Creatively
- Facilitating Engaging Synchronous Learning Activities
- Facilitating Engaging Asynchronous Activities
- Best practices for Lecture Capture
- Creating Engaging Content Using H5P In Moodle
Click the link below to view all IDEAS workshops and to register for one or all of the workshops in this series.
