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 Moodle — This 2.5-day (20 hours) workshop focuses on the technical aspects of the LMS and
their relation to pedagogical practices and principles.
Teaching Online at Plattsburgh with Moodle — This immersive 5-week course (20 hours) provides faculty with the experience of being
an online student. It provides access to the same technical aspects of the LMS, while
putting the pedagogy and practice front and center.
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.
Online course development stipends are determined by the Provost's Council and coordinated
by Information Technology Services (ITS). Each year, the council makes a determination,
based on institutional need, as to what courses/programs/topics will be funded.