Orientation
for Faculty Teaching Online Courses
Welcome to online teaching
at Concordia University
!
This site is designed for new
online instructors and will provide you with pertinent information to
hit the ground running in facilitating your course(s). By way of completing
a Preparedness Checklist, you will have an opportunity to meet some experienced
online instructors who will share best practices, master the instructor
interface of your online course, and get to know your students.
But first, please know that
is it completely natural to be a bit nervous as you begin this new journey.
Just like stepping into a physical classroom for the first time, facilitating
your first online course can at first glance seem to be a daunting and
intimidating experience. By reviewing the material on this site and by
completing the steps in the checklist, you are well on your way to appreciating
what many new online instructors soon learn: I can do this!!
By completing the steps in the
following checklist, you will best prepare yourself for success in your
journey as an online instructor.
Preparedness Checklist
 Turn
in all paperwork
Before you do anything else,
make sure you have completed all of your employment paperwork (W2 form,
I9 forms, etc.,) and confirm that CU's Human Resources Department had
processed these. Until you are in the administrative system, you will
not be able to log on to your online course.
To check the status of your
employment processing, please contact Madeline Gefroh at (503) 493-6529.
Visit
CU Online
The CU Online site is designed
to answer frequently asked questions about online learning in general
and will give you a chance to review a "Day-in-the-Life" of an online
learner.
Reflection:
What unique skills does a successful online student possess? Would you
make a good online learner?
Introduce
yourself to our Instructional Technologist!
If you have not already met
Greg, take a moment to introduce
yourself. Let him know who you are and what you will be teaching and when.
Greg will share additional information and resources that will help get
you started.
Contact Greg at (503) 493-6592 or via email at gclose@cu-portland.edu
.
Review
your online course
After you have connected with
Greg, you should have access to your online course. If you have not already
carefully reviewed the content of your course, you should do so. Put yourself
in your learner's shoes and go through the entire course. Are the directions
clear? Can you easily navigate the material? It is never too late to make
adjustments and make things more clear. Email Greg with any suggested
revisions.
All Concordia University online
courses are creating using an online course management system: WebCT.
You will need to log into WebCT
in order to access your course(s).
There is a link to WebCT on Concordia's
Intranet at http://intranet.cu-portland.edu.
When you are prompted to log on,
use your Concordia Network Account username (usually the first initial
of your first name and full last name [i.e. Daffy Duck = dduck]) and
password (initially set to the first 5 digits of your SSN).
Order
your Textbook(s)
Your students will be invited
to order their textbooks a couple weeks before the start of your course.
It takes time for the bookstore to obtain the books (they would like two
months notice ideally!!).
The only way the bookstore knows
that they need to stock a given book is based on a request from you.
Unless you order your textbook
from the Bookstore early, your students may not be able to obtain them.
Ordering your textbooks is fast
and easy. Visit the CU Bookstore website and click on the appropriate
link to order your books: www.cu-portland.edu/bookstore
.
Master
WebCT!
Now that you have access to
your course and have had a chance to review the content, you can now work
to master the designer interface. Teaching online can be a time-consuming
process, especially if you are battling the technology as you go.
By learning how to navigate
a few key course areas (and understanding what resources you need to best
do so), you will be able to hit the ground running when you course starts.
Click on the following links
to view the associated multimedia presentations:
Meet
Some Online Instructors
Once you are able to comfortably
navigate your online course, take a few minutes to "meet" two
veteran online instructors. Each has some good advice to share!
Meet Professor Trish Lichau
Meet
Professor Becky Willhite
Meet Professor Lynne Wolters
(Coming soon)
Getting Support at Concordia
Above all else know that you
are fully supported in this endeavor! Concordia University prides itself
in providing superior technical support with a personal touch. If you
need us, we are here to help.
Contact the CU Helpdesk
|
Faculty Resources