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Teaching Online @ CLC

Steps to Get Started | Frequently Asked Questions

Per recommendations from the Quality Online Course Design taskforce, the College of Lake County requires professional development offerings for faculty (both full- and part-time) who are slated to teach online classes for the first time.  These offerings would include:

We recommend that faculty who are slated to teach online classes take these professional development offerings in the year prior to teaching online.  These courses may also be open to any interested faculty or staff member, but would only be required for those who have not yet taught online.

This process does not apply to those teaching online GED courses for Adult Education.

Interested in teaching online? Here are your steps to follow:

Step 1: Notify the Professional Development Center that you are interested in going through the process and the semester you expect to start teaching online by using this form.

Step 2: Enroll in the following training courses:

  1. Online Learning: An Overview course from the MVCR program offered by the Illinois Online Network. Please coordinate with Scott Rial on getting signed up for this course to make sure the cost is covered by the college.

    2. Note: The college will only cover the Online Learning: An Overview course at this time. You are free to take additional ION courses at your expense.

  2. Sign-up and take Blackboard training offered through the Professional Development Center. This training includes the following courses:

    1. Blackboard 9: Introduction

      Designed for the new Blackboard user, this session covers the basic tools of Blackboard and their uses. In addition, we will cover how you can get started using Blackboard for your courses.

    2. Blackboard 9: Adding Content

      Designed for the Blackboard user that would like to put their content into Blackboard so students can access it 24/7. This session will demonstrate ways to effectively arrange your course content in the Blackboard course management system, and what is the best way to put up your PowerPoint, Word documents, and other handouts from class.

    3. Blackboard 9: Assignment Manager

      Designed for the Blackboard user that would like students to turn in assignments through the blackboard system. Blackboard assignment manager allows students to submit assignments directly to the grade center of their blackboard course when instructors can grade them and leave the student feedback on the assignment.

    4. Blackboard 9: Assessment

      This session will cover how to incorporate assessments such as tests, quizzes, and surveys in Blackboard.

    5. Blackboard 9: Grade Center

      Designed for the Blackboard user that would like to move their grade book online so students can access it 24/7. Learn to add, manage and manipulate your Grade Center items and include extra credit into your Blackboard Grade Center in this session.

    6. Blackboard 9: Course Shell Customization

      Designed for the new Blackboard user that would like to modify their default course shell in Blackboard. Make changes to the menu, the look and feel, and the features available to the student.

  3. Sign-up and take Online Pedagogy training offered through the Professional Development Center. This training includes the following courses:

    1. Online Course Design

      This session will allow you to consider things to include when developing an online course, and will cover pedagogical considers you need to make when designing a course for online delivery.

    2. Online Communications using Blackboard

      This session will cover techniques of using the Discussion Board in Blackboard as well as best pedagogical methods for encouraging classroom discussion in an online format.

    3. Online Courses in a Nutshell

      This online course covers the basics on what faculty should know about online courses prior to teaching one.

    4. Online Course Instruction: Best Practices

      Thinking of teaching a course online? This session will provide an overview of best practices, tips, and tricks from successful online educators.

These courses will be repeated twice each semester, and are one hour long.  In the summer, there will also be a comprehensive boot camp session which will combine all these into a two-day class (usually the week prior to summer school). 

Frequently Asked Questions

FACULTY AND DEANS

  1. I am interested in teaching an online class.  How do I get started?  OR  I have a faculty member who I’d like to have teach online.  What is the process of getting them started? 

    There is an online form coming soon that either a faculty member or a dean can fill out, indicating their interest in teaching online.  The form will ask for the faculty member’s name, division, semester expected to teach online, and name of the course, if known.  Both faculty and deans will be notified when this form is completed. 

FACULTY

  1. Are the PDC classes available for stipend?

    The online pedagogy portion of the required PDC classes is available for stipend/column movement credit; the Blackboard courses are not.  The MVCR class, “Online Learning: an Overview” is also not available for stipend credit through the PDC. The total stipend available is 4 contact hours.

  2. How can I keep track of how many PDC courses I’ve completed?

    When you log in to the PDC website as if you were to register for a course, you’ll see a button that says “Completed Training.”  Selecting this will provide a list of all PDC courses you have completed.

  3. I’ve completed the MVCR class “Online Learning: an Overview” and would like to take more MVCR courses.  Can I do so?

    Illinois Online Network has an excellent series of courses available to faculty.  Faculty also have the opportunity to take a series of their courses toward a Master Online Teacher Certificate.  However, the PDC will only pay for the Overview course that is required prior to online teaching.  Please use PLARP or professional development money if you are interested in taking other MVCR classes.

  4. What if I’ve taught online at another institution?  Do I still have to go through the PDC training?

    We can determine this on a case-by-case basis.  We’d ask that you show us specifically what was done at the other institution.  Please contact Scott Rial or Page Wolf for further discussion on this.

  5. I’ve been using Blackboard in my face-to-face classes.  Do I still need to take the required training?

    Yes.

  6. I’ve been teaching a hybrid class. Do I still need to take the required training?

    Yes, for the online pedagogy classes.  For the Blackboard classes, it is possible to demonstrate proficiency in certain areas.  Please contact Scott Rial or Page Wolf for further discussion on this.

  7. I’ve taken previous Blackboard training through the PDC.  Do I need to go through the training again to teach online?

    If you have taken Blackboard training within the previous year, we will count that toward the Blackboard prerequisites for teaching online.

  8. My teaching schedule prohibits me from taking some of the required training.  What should I do?

    The PDC has tried to schedule repeated training at least twice per semester, some of which are offered online.  We also  offer an all –encompassing bootcamp class in the summer.  If it is impossible to attend any training, please contact Page Wolf (pwolf@clcillinois.edu) and we can determine if alternate training times could be made available. 

DEANS

  1. How do I track the completion of these required classes by my potential online faculty?

    The PDC will keep track of completion of all of the classes offered through our office.  For the MVCR class, Illinois Online Network will be sending us a report of those who have completed “Online Learning: an Overview.”    If at any time you would like to know the progress of a faculty member’s completion of these required courses, please contact Scott Rial (srial@clcillinois.edu) or Page Wolf (pwolf@clcillinois.edu).

  2. Will the deans be notified when their faculty who are slated to teach online have completed all their courses?

    The PDC will notify the deans at the end of each semester what a faculty has  done so far to meet the requirements.   We will only do this for faculty who are slated to teach in the semester immediately following.