All faculty who teach fully online at SUNY Plattsburgh must be certified. Certification
is contingent upon a good understanding of the designated learning management system
(LMS), from which online course content must be delivered. A sound knowledge of the
LMS ensures that the faculty have the means of selecting (and using) the best tools
to meet their pedagogical objectives and ensures that they will be able to establish
and employ effective communication and engagement strategies with their students.
Additionally, LMS competency ensures that every resource and activity in a course
will result in a positive learning experience for the student and one that is untroubled
by preventable technical problems and frustrations.
Plattsburgh’s Information Technology Services, through the Technology Enhanced Learning
Unit (TEL), provides two alternatives for LMS training:
Teaching with Brightspace (4 days, hybrid) — This four-day workshop covers all aspects of teaching in Brightspace. Three hours
each day will be spent on Zoom covering the tools available to you in Brightspace,
and an estimated four hours each day will be spent in Brightspace itself, completing
readings, watching videos, completing written assignments, and participating in forums.
Following the successful completion of the workshop, attendees will be certified to
teach fully online and remote courses at SUNY Plattsburgh. Note: The synchronous Zoom workshop sessions will run from 9 a.m. through noon each
day.
Teaching with Brightspace (4-weeks) — Participants will be fully immersed in an online environment where they will take
part as a student, learn online pedagogy, and experience building an online module
using the tools available in Brightspace. This workshop is fully online and requires
no face-to-face, synchronous commitment. It requires about six to eight hours of time
each week to complete the readings, watch videos, complete a couple written assignments,
and participate in forums. Upon completion, participants will be certified to teach
online at Plattsburgh.
Workshop attendance is required at least 10 weeks before the start of the term in
which the faculty member will be teaching online in order to allow for course development.
In the event that necessity dictates that this 10-week requirement cannot be met,
it is highly recommended that another certified faculty member (preferably from the
same discipline) be designated as a mentor.
Faculty who agree to teach in programs associated with SUNY Online (or courses in
support of those programs) may be asked to attend additional training in Blackboard
Ultra.
Faculty may request a waiver from the workshop requirement if the following criteria
are met:
Submit documentation indicating that the faculty member has taught online at another
institution.
Submit a complete course in the LMS certified as having been self-designed to the
online learning coordinator at least 8 weeks prior to the start of the semester in
which the course will run. The course will be evaluated against the OSCQR rubric (see
page 6) within 10 days by TEL staff. Any indicator not marked “sufficiently present”
must be addressed before the start of the semester. OR
Faculty may co-teach an online course as long as the other instructor is certified,
in which case, the faculty member will be certified at the completion of the course.