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Volume 3 Issue 5May 1999

New Teaching Certificate for Online Instructors

Shonan Noronha
Editor, Teleconferencing Business

California State University (CSU), Hayward, has launched a certificate program that will train instructors who want to learn how to teach online. The new program, reportedly the first of its kind in Northern California, is a fourcourse, 18 unit certificate program designed to meet the needs of educators, trainers and professional developers who are planning to operate in a virtual classroom environment.

An introductory course was offered in the summer, and according to Dr. Jodi Servatius, professor of Education and director of the Faculty Development Center, enrollment has already exceeded expectations. Forty-eight instructors registered for the fiveweek introductory course in the summer, and 31 students have opted to continue with the three additional courses required to complete the certificate program. "Teaching online takes different skills than teaching in a normal classroom," said Servatius. "These classes build a comprehensive foundation for teaching online. This includes not only an introduction to the online teaching environment, but practical teaching strategies, curriculum design ideas, assessment techniques, and how to consider and select technology tools.”

All aspects of the program are conducted online—program information, registration, lectures, assignments, handing in homework, doing research, groupwork, and "even the Student Union which we call the Haywire Lounge," reported Servatius.

Convene International provides all the technology training for the instructors and helps them get the course up and running. "They provide students with the software. They conduct one-week orientation sessions so that all students come prepared to learn the material on the first day of class. They also provide the help desk (seven days a week), so instructors don't worry about answering technical questions. We use their server for course materials. They also host our informational and registration website.

“They have really been our partners in developing this program," explained Servatius.

According to Dr. Graw, associate vice president of Extended and Continuing Education for CSU Hayward, "We hope to expand the certificate program into a 45-unit Master's Degree in online instruction."

For more information on the Certificate Program in OnLine Teaching, go to the CSU Hayward web site at http://www.online. csuhayward.edu/.