DT&L Certificates
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- March 9, 2021
- Distance Teaching & Learning
- DT&L Certificates
- Professional Certificate in Online Education (PCOE)
Professional Certificate in Online Education (PCOE)
Summary
Expand your online teaching knowledge and skills with this 10-week program. Learn proven strategies for designing effective and engaging online courses, culminating in a professional ePortfolio project that demonstrates your online course development and delivery skills. Appropriate for faculty and instructors with some online teaching experience.
Details
The Professional Certificate in Online Education (PCOE), offered several times per year (spring and summer) and will help you enhance your knowledge, skill, and credibility in teaching online.
Key topics
- Contextual factors of online education
- Essential teaching and learning principles for online environments
- Effects of technology on education at a distance
- Writing learning objectives, creating online activities, and designing online assessments
The certificate culminates in a Learning Module template in which you will demonstrate your skills in planning online learning and making sound instructional design decisions.
Why earn the PCOE?
Practical: This totally online, flexible certificate program prepares you with foundational knowledge, understandings, and skills that are essential for any instructor or designer working in online environments. You can begin applying new knowledge and skills immediately.
High quality: The certificate models a principles-to-practice approach. Course content reflects reliable, research-based knowledge in the field of online education, which is then translated into practical strategies for instructors and designers.
Personalized: In course-based assignments, you will apply new knowledge and skills to your own teaching or design needs, reflecting your unique students, subject area, and context. You will create several tangible products that can be immediately applied within your professional context.
Marketable: Your learning module template serves as a demonstration of your knowledge and skills in online education, which can be shared with current or potential employers or supervisors.
Expert feedback: DEPD instructional staff, experts in online education, provide feedback on your learning module template and are available for consultation during your certificate program coursework.
Professional community: Collaborative courses provide a way of making connections with other professionals in the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
How firm is the program deadline?
To earn the PCOE, all required courses and assignments, including the PCOE learning module template, must be completed and submitted on or before 11:59 pm central time on the program deadline date. A petition to extend the deadline requires consultation with our staff.
How many hours per week can I expect to spend on the PCOE?
You should plan to spend between five to seven hours a week for the course content and assignments. This will vary from person to person based on the amount of time needed to read and complete assignments.
What technologies are used? How tech-savvy do I need to be to enroll in this certificate program?
You do not need to have sophisticated computer skills to enroll in the PCOE. You will be performing what are now considered to be basic tasks, such as email, uploading and downloading documents, using the Internet, and installing software. Rather than any particular technological skill set, you should bring to the program a willingness to experiment with new technologies and learn new skills, since you will undoubtedly need to teach yourself a few things along the way. You will learn by doing, which is a necessary and exciting part of the life of an online educator—continually learning new things, technological and pedagogical alike—so that you can continue to provide high quality educational experiences for students. This PCOE is a safe place in which you can choose to learn a new technology in the service of improving your teaching.
PCOE courses are offered in the Canvas learning management system. Some of the tutorials are Flash-based, and our web-conferencing platform, Blackboard Collaborate, requires Java. Some media files require RealPlayer or Windows MediaPlayer.
You will be guided through setting up your computer during PCOE Certificate Orientation, which also includes explanations and guidance for getting started with your learning module template.
Can I do the PCOE on my tablet or phone?
You can do much of this program on your tablet or phone, but you can’t do all of it. Some of the Flash-based tutorials do not work well on tablets, especially iPads. Also, while you can perform most of the tasks from Canvas on a tablet or phone, you may find that the computer-based interface is more visually appealing and easier to navigate. We do not recommend relying solely on your tablet or phone in this program.
Feedback on individual project
A member of DTL’s instructional staff will review and provide feedback on your learning module template in accordance with a rubric. In order to complete the PCOE successfully, you must complete all of the required element and place them in your learning module template. If your first submission does not include all of the required elements, you will have another chance to revise, improve, and resubmit your learning module template to address the gaps identified by your learning module template reviewer.
Outline
Description of Modules
The PCOE consists of ten modules. Learners must complete all ten in order to be awarded a certificate and badge.
Orientation
Orients participants to the certificate program, its requirements, technologies that will be used, program policies, and the role of DTL instructional staff.
Teaching Online
Provides a brief overview of the past, present, and future of online education, including current trends that are impacting the evolution of the field. Provides essential information about how people learn, the effects of distance on the online learner, and the implications of these effects for teaching and designing online courses. Learning theories and frameworks for the online environment are discussed. The competencies needed by online teachers and students, the role of interaction and active learning at a distance, and strategies for effective design and instruction online will be addressed.
Creating Learning Objectives
Addresses the role of learning objectives in enhancing the effectiveness of instruction in online learning. It introduces criteria for high-quality learning objectives and methods for creating objectives that promote higher-order thinking skills. Attention is given to how the online context affects the construction of learning objectives and to the importance of alignment of objectives in improving course design.
Planning your Course
Presents the key components and methods of the process of designing instruction, and it demonstrates how to apply a systematic, problem-solving approach to planning and designing learning experiences. Emphasis is placed on a model that provides guidance through five phases of the instructional design process: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. It also discusses the importance of quality control.
Assessment Types and Methods
Introduces major concepts, methods, issues, and strategies involved in assessing student learning in online environments. Special emphasis is given to designing an assessment plan that fits the learning objectives. Planning considerations and strategies for selecting appropriate assessment methods are discussed, leaving the learner with a variety of practical ideas to develop and implement effective assessment approaches in the online environment.
Teaching Through Feedback
Provide use of audio and video techniques for facilitators to use.
Developing Learning Content
· Types of online learning content
· How to develop online learning content
· How to create student engagement with content
Outside Resources
· Content creation vs. curation
· Open Educational Resources
· Copyright/fair use
· Universal design
· Campus resources (such as libraries, teaching & learning centers, and student support services)
Student Interactions
Introduces a variety of practical strategies for designing and managing online discussions to improve participation, address potential challenges, and promote a sense of community. It also provides a basic skill set as core knowledge that can be applied to designing discussion assignments.
Putting Together your Learning Module
You will finish and submit learning module with a one on one session with the instructor
Managing an Online Course
Topics provided will be time management, organization, and strategies to smoothly run and maintain quality in the online course to ensure the learner have a rich learning experience.
Expand your online teaching knowledge and skills with this 10-week program. Learn proven strategies for designing effective and engaging online courses, culminating in a professional ePortfolio project that demonstrates your online course development and delivery skills. Appropriate for faculty and instructors with some online teaching experience.
Details
Details
The Professional Certificate in Online Education (PCOE), offered several times per year (spring and summer) and will help you enhance your knowledge, skill, and credibility in teaching online.
Key topics
- Contextual factors of online education
- Essential teaching and learning principles for online environments
- Effects of technology on education at a distance
- Writing learning objectives, creating online activities, and designing online assessments
The certificate culminates in a Learning Module template in which you will demonstrate your skills in planning online learning and making sound instructional design decisions.
Why earn the PCOE?
Practical: This totally online, flexible certificate program prepares you with foundational knowledge, understandings, and skills that are essential for any instructor or designer working in online environments. You can begin applying new knowledge and skills immediately.
High quality: The certificate models a principles-to-practice approach. Course content reflects reliable, research-based knowledge in the field of online education, which is then translated into practical strategies for instructors and designers.
Personalized: In course-based assignments, you will apply new knowledge and skills to your own teaching or design needs, reflecting your unique students, subject area, and context. You will create several tangible products that can be immediately applied within your professional context.
Marketable: Your learning module template serves as a demonstration of your knowledge and skills in online education, which can be shared with current or potential employers or supervisors.
Expert feedback: DEPD instructional staff, experts in online education, provide feedback on your learning module template and are available for consultation during your certificate program coursework.
Professional community: Collaborative courses provide a way of making connections with other professionals in the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
How firm is the program deadline?
To earn the PCOE, all required courses and assignments, including the PCOE learning module template, must be completed and submitted on or before 11:59 pm central time on the program deadline date. A petition to extend the deadline requires consultation with our staff.
How many hours per week can I expect to spend on the PCOE?
You should plan to spend between five to seven hours a week for the course content and assignments. This will vary from person to person based on the amount of time needed to read and complete assignments.
What technologies are used? How tech-savvy do I need to be to enroll in this certificate program?
You do not need to have sophisticated computer skills to enroll in the PCOE. You will be performing what are now considered to be basic tasks, such as email, uploading and downloading documents, using the Internet, and installing software. Rather than any particular technological skill set, you should bring to the program a willingness to experiment with new technologies and learn new skills, since you will undoubtedly need to teach yourself a few things along the way. You will learn by doing, which is a necessary and exciting part of the life of an online educator—continually learning new things, technological and pedagogical alike—so that you can continue to provide high quality educational experiences for students. This PCOE is a safe place in which you can choose to learn a new technology in the service of improving your teaching.
PCOE courses are offered in the Canvas learning management system. Some of the tutorials are Flash-based, and our web-conferencing platform, Blackboard Collaborate, requires Java. Some media files require RealPlayer or Windows MediaPlayer.
You will be guided through setting up your computer during PCOE Certificate Orientation, which also includes explanations and guidance for getting started with your learning module template.
Can I do the PCOE on my tablet or phone?
You can do much of this program on your tablet or phone, but you can’t do all of it. Some of the Flash-based tutorials do not work well on tablets, especially iPads. Also, while you can perform most of the tasks from Canvas on a tablet or phone, you may find that the computer-based interface is more visually appealing and easier to navigate. We do not recommend relying solely on your tablet or phone in this program.
Feedback on individual project
A member of DTL’s instructional staff will review and provide feedback on your learning module template in accordance with a rubric. In order to complete the PCOE successfully, you must complete all of the required element and place them in your learning module template. If your first submission does not include all of the required elements, you will have another chance to revise, improve, and resubmit your learning module template to address the gaps identified by your learning module template reviewer.
Outline
Description of Modules
The PCOE consists of ten modules. Learners must complete all ten in order to be awarded a certificate and badge.
Orientation
Orients participants to the certificate program, its requirements, technologies that will be used, program policies, and the role of DTL instructional staff.
Teaching Online
Provides a brief overview of the past, present, and future of online education, including current trends that are impacting the evolution of the field. Provides essential information about how people learn, the effects of distance on the online learner, and the implications of these effects for teaching and designing online courses. Learning theories and frameworks for the online environment are discussed. The competencies needed by online teachers and students, the role of interaction and active learning at a distance, and strategies for effective design and instruction online will be addressed.
Creating Learning Objectives
Addresses the role of learning objectives in enhancing the effectiveness of instruction in online learning. It introduces criteria for high-quality learning objectives and methods for creating objectives that promote higher-order thinking skills. Attention is given to how the online context affects the construction of learning objectives and to the importance of alignment of objectives in improving course design.
Planning your Course
Presents the key components and methods of the process of designing instruction, and it demonstrates how to apply a systematic, problem-solving approach to planning and designing learning experiences. Emphasis is placed on a model that provides guidance through five phases of the instructional design process: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. It also discusses the importance of quality control.
Assessment Types and Methods
Introduces major concepts, methods, issues, and strategies involved in assessing student learning in online environments. Special emphasis is given to designing an assessment plan that fits the learning objectives. Planning considerations and strategies for selecting appropriate assessment methods are discussed, leaving the learner with a variety of practical ideas to develop and implement effective assessment approaches in the online environment.
Teaching Through Feedback
Provide use of audio and video techniques for facilitators to use.
Developing Learning Content
· Types of online learning content
· How to develop online learning content
· How to create student engagement with content
Outside Resources
· Content creation vs. curation
· Open Educational Resources
· Copyright/fair use
· Universal design
· Campus resources (such as libraries, teaching & learning centers, and student support services)
Student Interactions
Introduces a variety of practical strategies for designing and managing online discussions to improve participation, address potential challenges, and promote a sense of community. It also provides a basic skill set as core knowledge that can be applied to designing discussion assignments.
Putting Together your Learning Module
You will finish and submit learning module with a one on one session with the instructor
Managing an Online Course
Topics provided will be time management, organization, and strategies to smoothly run and maintain quality in the online course to ensure the learner have a rich learning experience.
Earn Credit Hours
By participating in this class you will earn:
Continuing Education Hours
70
Continuing Education Units, CEU
7
What Attendees Are Saying:
“The PCOE program is world-class and provides all of the tools required to provide best-in-class online course development. I am excited to transform my courses to online.”
— Barbara Carter CPA, MBA, Dunwoody Technical College
“For someone in the early stages of learning to teach online, this [certificate] is great. I wish that I had had this available when I first taught online. It would have made the whole process so much more efficient and less stressful!”
— Miriam Mulsow, Associate Professor, Texas Tech
Upcoming Dates
All times shown are central time.
Register by phone: 608-262-2451
Register by mail: printable registration form
Earn Credit Hours
By participating in this class you will earn:
Questions?
Registration:Questions about this program:
- Janet Staker Woerner
- janet.stakerwoerner@wisc.edu
- 608-692-7131
Cancellation Policy:
Our cancellation policy varies by type of program. View our policies page for more details about cancelling a program.
Accessibility Accommodations:
Please email the contact person listed above at least 2-3 weeks prior to the start of class if you require an accessibility accommodation.
What Attendees Are Saying:
“The PCOE program is world-class and provides all of the tools required to provide best-in-class online course development. I am excited to transform my courses to online.”
— Barbara Carter CPA, MBA, Dunwoody Technical College
“For someone in the early stages of learning to teach online, this [certificate] is great. I wish that I had had this available when I first taught online. It would have made the whole process so much more efficient and less stressful!”
— Miriam Mulsow, Associate Professor, Texas Tech
Have Questions?
Contact:- Janet Staker Woerner
- janet.stakerwoerner@wisc.edu
- 608-692-7131
Stay In Touch
Keep up to date about DT&L Certificates offerings at Continuing Studies. You'll receive upcoming announcements and information related to Distance Teaching & Learning.
Upcoming Dates
All times shown are central time.
Available online
March 9 - May 17, 2021
8879-21-PDAS
Register by phone: 608-262-2451
Register by mail: printable registration form
Customize it
Turn this class into a learning experience tailored to your organization's specific training needs.
Earn Credit Hours
By participating in this class you will earn:
Continuing Education Hours
70
Continuing Education Units, CEU
7
Questions?
Registration:Questions about this program:
- Janet Staker Woerner
- janet.stakerwoerner@wisc.edu
- 608-692-7131
Cancellation Policy:
Our cancellation policy varies by type of program. View our policies page for more details about cancelling a program.
Accessibility Accommodations:
Please email the contact person listed above at least 2-3 weeks prior to the start of class if you require an accessibility accommodation.
What Attendees Are Saying:
“The PCOE program is world-class and provides all of the tools required to provide best-in-class online course development. I am excited to transform my courses to online.”
— Barbara Carter CPA, MBA, Dunwoody Technical College
“For someone in the early stages of learning to teach online, this [certificate] is great. I wish that I had had this available when I first taught online. It would have made the whole process so much more efficient and less stressful!”
— Miriam Mulsow, Associate Professor, Texas Tech
- Janet Staker Woerner
- janet.stakerwoerner@wisc.edu
- 608-692-7131
Cancellation Policy:
Our cancellation policy varies by type of program. View our policies page for more details about cancelling a program.
Have Questions?
We have collected answers to common questions in our
FAQs.
You can also contact Customer Service at or
608-262-1156.
Continuing Studies FAQs
Previous Class
8859-21-PDAS
Schedule
Jan 19-Mar 29, 2021
Location
Complete online