Online Teaching Essentials

Teaching online can feel overwhelming. It’s not just about moving your lectures to a screen; it’s about adapting your approach to meet diverse student needs, building a sense of community in a virtual space, and ensuring your communication is both clear and impactful. If you’re struggling to engage students through a screen, keep them motivated, or create an inclusive online environment, you’re not alone. The technical demands and time management challenges of online teaching can be daunting, and it’s easy to feel frustrated when balancing these new demands.  In Online Teaching Essentials, Jean Mandernach, Research Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching at Grand Canyon University, is here to guide you through these challenges: 

• You’ll explore best practices for online teaching and learn how to master your style for the online classroom.  
• You’ll gain proven strategies to effectively communicate with students, foster meaningful discussions, and provide constructive feedback.  
• You’ll excel in techniques for managing diverse learner needs and maintaining a strong online presence. 

As you progress through the modules focusing on key aspects of online teaching success, you’ll find new ways to collaborate with students and continuously refine your teaching practices. By the end of this asynchronous Magna Online Course, you’ll be equipped with a comprehensive toolkit to confidently and successfully teach in online and hybrid environments, transforming those initial frustrations and challenges into opportunities for growth and impact – for both you and your students!

Learning Goals  

After completing this course, you’ll be able to:

• Understand the differences between asynchronous, synchronous, and hybrid online learning environments, and the importance of clear and consistent communication
• Analyze personal readiness for online teaching, identifying strengths, areas for growth, and personal beliefs about student motivation and engagement
• Develop key competencies for online teaching, including technological proficiency, clear communication, adaptability, time management, and empathy
• Apply Self-Determination Theory, Community of Inquiry model, and ARCS Model to enhance student engagement and motivation in online courses
• Implement effective strategies for student orientation, communication, and feedback that supports engagement and learning
• Create interactive and inclusive activities to build a strong community in online courses, fostering student interaction and engagement
• Adapt teaching methodologies for online environments, such as inquiry-based learning, flipped classroom, and blended learning approaches
• Evaluate and use learning analytics to track and enhance student engagement and participation in online courses
• Reflect on teaching practices and continuously seek professional development to improve online teaching skills
• Design inclusive online environments that accommodate diverse learning needs and promote equity and respect

How Does This Magna Online Course Work?

• This is a 10-hour asynchronous online course designed to help strengthen your online teaching practices through applied learning.
• To earn your digital badge, complete the course activities and score 80% or higher on each module quiz. You may retake quizzes as many times as needed.
• Throughout the course, you’ll engage in activities including developing a teaching philosophy, creating welcome and module introduction videos, exploring instructional technologies, crafting discussion guidelines and icebreakers, building a group project, and designing inclusive assessment policies. You’ll also create a personalized feedback schedule and professional development plan.
• Each of the 10 modules includes clear objectives, a guided learning pathway, engaging activities, curated resources, a summary of key takeaways, and a mastery quiz to reinforce your learning.
• Once you’ve completed all required components, you will automatically receive an email from Credly with instructions to claim your digital badge.

Who Will Benefit from This Course:

• University and college faculty
• Instructional designers
• Adjunct professors
• Graduate teaching assistants

Product Code: PO25BA