Educators looking to get started in the online environment have a golden opportunity through the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Distance Teaching & Learning Conference. They can register for the Fundamentals of Online Teaching Certificate, which blends online coursework with a face-to-face workshop during the conference.
The Fundamentals of Online Teaching Certificate prepares educators to make the transition from classroom instruction to teaching online. It provides best practices for creating an engaging online experience, from planning content to managing courses. The certificate involves pre-conference online coursework (through Aug. 8), conference attendance (Aug. 9-11), a half-day workshop (Aug. 9), and post-conference online coursework (Aug. 12-Sept. 12). Registrations are accepted through noon on July 25.
“This conference certificate is truly a blended experience,” says instructor Janet Staker Woerner. “It’s a great opportunity to interact both face-to-face and in an online environment. The conference will also provide opportunities to interact with other distance education professionals and well-recognized thought leaders.”
The Distance Teaching & Learning Conference has helped educators stay on top of emerging technologies for more than 30 years. It attracts college faculty and administrators, researchers, instructional designers, K-12 teachers, corporate and military trainers, and vendors of new technologies and services, who network with colleagues and learn evidence-based strategies from experts in the field.
Along with the Fundamentals of Online Teaching Certificate, this year’s Distance Teaching & Learning Conference offers two other conference certificates. Evaluating eLearning Programs and Projects provides a flexible evaluation methodology to determine the practical value and return on investment of programs and projects related to learning through technology. Creating Presence in Online Courses helps instructors resolve concerns related to the lack of physical presence in the online environment. Online coursework for both certificates runs July 25 through Aug. 8, with conference workshops on Aug. 9.
UW-Madison also offers an entirely online version of the Fundamentals of Online Teaching Certificate. For more information, contact Bridget Powell, bridget.powell@wisc.edu, 608-263-1154. For an introduction to the conference certificate, see the video above.