About this course

In this course, participants will explore research-informed, effective practices for online teaching and learning. By enrolling, you will learn practical ways to quickly move into teaching online, guided by top scholars and practitioners in the field. Each module, you will watch videos and read articles by online learning experts and participate in activities and discussions covering critical topics that will make the online environment a rich learning experience for your students. The instructors will synthesize relevant resources to help those who are new to online learning and those who have experience, but want to expand their skills and provide support for others. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, share practices that have worked well in online learning environments, and receive feedback on your teaching and learning plans.

Given recent global developments related to COVID-19, many have rapidly shifted to move teaching online. For those who have not taught online before, this can be a challenging experience. Fortunately, there is a rich research base, dating back over sixty years, that provides insight and guidance on the key factors that enable successful learning online. This course will support the pivot to online learning by exploring the scientific literature as well as practical actions that enable online success and equitable outcomes for all learners.

While the target audience of the course is postsecondary institutions, this course will be of use to anyone moving into online teaching and learning.

What you’ll learn

In this course, you will learn to:

  • Develop a framework for rapidly moving from on-campus to online teaching
  • Identify and use a range of content creation technologies that support presenting curriculum online
  • Foster interaction online and promote deep engagement between students
  • Implement mindsets of success, supporting students to create and share artifacts of their learning, develop their ideas collaboratively with others, and practice self-regulatory skills through goal setting and success monitoring
  • Discover and use tools and technologies that enable you to perform common classroom actions online, such as assessment, demonstrations, and learning analytics
  • Plan long-term online learning and the return to classroom teaching by adopting the best of the online environment to support in-class learning

Meet your instructors

George Siemens

About Me

George is an author, researcher, and theorist in the field of learning, knowledge management, and technology.

Justin Dellinger

About Me

Justin T. Dellinger is the Associate Director of the Learning Innovation and Networked Knowledge (LINK) Research Lab in the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence at the University of Texas at Arlington. He has a Ph.D. in K-16 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and holds a Master's Degree in History. Mr. Dellinger has worked in K-12 and higher education since 2004. His research interests include: Learning Analytics, Learning Pathways, and the History of Colonial Louisiana.

Matt Crosslin

About Me

Matt Crosslin, Ph.D. is a Learning Innovation Researcher with the LINK Research Lab. Matt’s current research activities focus on learning theory, innovation, learner empowerment, and learning analytics. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas, a Master of Education in Educational Technology from UT Brownsville, and a Bachelors of Science in Education from Baylor University. His research interests include instructional design, learning pathways, sociocultural theory, heutagogy, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and open networked learning. He has a background in instructional design and teaching at both the secondary and university levels and has been an active blogger and conference presenter. He also enjoys networking and collaborative efforts involving faculty, students, administration, and anyone involved in the education process. Before coming to UTA, he worked in innovative learning centers as well as forward thinking education companies that looked to expand the limits of formal and informal learning.

Tanya Joosten

About Me

Tanya Joosten, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist, the Director of Digital Learning Research and Development, and co-PI and co-Director of the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is nationally recognized in her work in blended and online learning as an Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Fellow and works to guide strategic digital learning efforts on campus, across the UW System, and nationally as an advisor to the Provost, a member of the University of Wisconsin System Learning Technology Executive Council, and a member of several national boards and committees. Currently, Dr. Joosten leads a national research initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Education working to provide access to research models and methods, facilitating innovate processes of data collection, and encouraging the replication of research across institutions through the DETA Research Toolkit to identify key instructional and institutional factors that influence student success with particular attention to underrepresented students. Dr. Joosten has a background in the social sciences hailing from the field of communication. Her notable keynotes include eLearning Asia, ITC eLearning Conference, and SACS COC President’s event, and her ideas have been highlighted on plenary panels at the UW-Madison Annual Distance Teaching and Learning conference and the OLC International Conference for Online Learning. You can find her ideas and work cited in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Forbes, U.S. News World and Report, and more. Recent interviews with Dr. Joosten are available on ResearchInAction and TOPcast available on iTunes. Her book on social media is available from Wiley Publishing, she has authored numerous articles, chapters, and encyclopedia entries on human and social interactions and digital learning, and she often writes invited blog posts and magazine articles for organizations, such as EDUCAUSE, WCET, Inside Higher Ed, and Pearson. Dr. Joosten previously worked as the Director of the Learning Technology Center leading faculty development and engagement initiatives, pedagogical and technological innovation projects, core learning technology oversight, and blended and online program development.