Syllabus

Faculty Orientation – Summer A 2017

Credits - n/a

Description

Course participants will work through eight learning modules that introduce the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS), the CGPS Programs, the CGPS students and the important tools and skills needed for success as an online instructor for CGPS. The course is also designed to introduce participants to the Blackboard learning management system.

Participants will engage in typical course activities as “students,” such as posting to the discussion board and submitting items to the assignment link. In addition, participants will gain practice in the role of instructor through experience in a “Faculty Sandbox.” The Program Manager will monitor progress and successful completion.

Course Format:

This course is facilitated through Blackboard, UNE’s online learning management system. The course will be delivered in 8 weekly online modules, with each module beginning on Wednesday at 12:01 am ET and ending the following Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET, except for the last week (Week 8), which will begin on Wednesday and end on Sunday. Note all times are Eastern Time. Students will watch online lectures produced by field experts, engage in readings and other media provided by instructors, and will learn from one another through the discussion board and written assignments.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

 

Course Outcomes	Module Objectives
Discuss the mission, vision and educational philosophy of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies in order to understand how faculty carry out those values in their work.	(M1) Use Blackboard in order to participate in the discussion board.
Analyze the college team infrastructure in order to determine the most appropriate resources for addressing various issues.	(M5) Justify the recommendations of various CGPS resources used to support students.
Apply academic policies and administrative procedures to various circumstances.	(M4) Identify key information provided in the CGPS Faculty Guide.
Assess their own readiness to meet the expectations for CGPS faculty in order to set goals for professional development.	(M2) Explain how his/her skills, content knowledge and professional experience align with courses offered by CGPS academic programs. (M8) Appraise one’s own preparedness to instruct online to set goals for professional growth.
Develop course preparation and participation plans in order to familiarize themselves with how to engage students in coursework.	(M4) Devise a time management plan in order to efficiently fulfill the role and responsibilities of online instruction. (M5) Create a protocol for professionally responding to various student behaviors. (M6, 7, & 8) Compose discussion board prompts that entice learners to grapple with course content.
Employ strategies for teaching adult learners in an online environment.	(M1) Employ best practices for Course Announcements in order to engage with online learners. (M3) Evaluate best practices for online teaching and learning to inform instructional practice.   (M3) Develop strategies to communicate with online learners in order to establish a positive learning community. (M7) Evaluate student assignments in order to practice effective feedback strategies. (M6, 7 & 8) Employ appropriate student engagement practices to facilitate meaningful online discussion.
Use the Blackboard Learning Management System for online instruction.	(M1) Use Blackboard in order to participate in the discussion board. (M2) Use Blackboard in order to submit a written assignment. (M3) Use Blackboard in order to communicate through the course messaging tool. (M4) Use Blackboard in order to take an online test. (M7) Utilize the gradebook tools, including inline grading and rubrics, within Blackboard to grade student assignments.

 

Assignments

Discussion Boards
Throughout the course online discussions will provide participants with opportunities to make meaning of new theory, key concepts, and applications of theory to practice. Participants will contribute to the intellectual development of the cohort by offering insights, synthesizing understandings, and responding to the postings of others. The co-construction of knowledge is especially transparent in the online environment, unlike face to face classrooms where only a few individuals may offer ideas in a public forum.

Written Assignment: Course Exploration
After looking at the list of courses present in the online curriculum for a selected program, participants will write a brief essay as a Microsoft Word document in which they clearly explain why they are qualified to teach each of the courses selected.

Faculty Guide Quiz
After reading the Faculty Guide, participants will complete a short quiz.

Written Assignment: Weekly Planner
Participants will create a weekly planner in order to help them plan the time they will spend on instructional responsibilities.

Grade Center Assignment
For this assignment, participants will leave this course and go to the CGPS Grade Center Sandbox. A Sandbox allows users to test and explore the Blackboard environment. A Sandbox contains all of the basic features and functionality of an “official” course. Rather than being assigned the role of a student, participants will be assigned the role of an instructor.

Written Assignment: Setting Instructional Goals
Participants will write a short reflective journal-like essay articulating their professional goals as instructors.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment	Modules	Points = Complete/Incomplete
Discussion Board	Modules 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8	1 point each = Complete (7 total points = All Complete)
Written Assignment: Course Exploration	Module 2	1 = Complete
Faculty Guide Quiz	Module 4	100 points
Written Assignment: Weekly Planner	Module 4	1 = Complete
Grade Center Assignment	Module 7	1 = Complete
Written Assignment: Setting Instructional Goals	Module 8	1 = Complete