The COVID-19 Pandemic showed all faculty first-hand that we cannot simply move our traditional, in-person pedagogy online and expect success. Without the invisible affordances of an in-person classroom, we need to rethink and redesign our teaching and teaching materials to give students the same opportunities to succeed. At the same time, data are demonstrating that many of the changes that help students in online classes also support in-person success, especially for students of color and first-generation college students. So it turns out that learning and applying the principles of effective online teaching can improve student outcomes in all of your classes!
CTET provides a variety of resources to faculty who want to create a more successful, equitable learning experience, online or in-person. If you have any questions about the below, please visit our office in person or over Zoom and we'll answer your questions:
Canvas Course Design Template
Our instructional designer created our Canvas Course Design Template early in the pandemic, and it is now the default template for every SSU Canvas course website. If you want, you can also import it into your sandbox courses and use it as a template for your newly built or redesigned courses. This template provides you with a sample "Weekly" module structure that SSU students have told us they value and appreciate. It also provides you with a set of customizable introductory pages that will help your students stay oriented in your course.
Hyflex Teaching
The HyFlex teaching modality consists of simultaneous instruction with both remote and in-person students, and presents unique opportunities and solutions for teachers and students alike. Given the high ongoing interest from individual faculty, departments, and from SSU students for flexible modes of instruction, the Center for Teaching and Educational Technology (CTET) is facilitating its second HyFlex Teaching in Fall 2023 to help us better understand the strengths, needs, and challenges of this teaching modality.
If you are interested in participating in a future offering of the HyFlex Instructional Program, please contact CTET at ctet@sonoma.edu
Recordings of Hyflex Showcases
QLT Working Group (Fall 2023)
QLT (“Quality Learning and Teaching”) is a design standard that was created to guide faculty in developing websites for online or hybrid courses that ensure equitable student success. If you are planning to teach fully or partially online, especially if you are teaching a course that traditionally has a high DFW rate, then getting QLT certification for your course is a concrete, powerful, and visible step that you can take to support equity and inclusion in your classes.
CTET is planning a two semester (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) working group of up to ten faculty to help them prepare one of their courses for the CSU’s QLT certification. Members of the working group will engage in collaborative and transparent discussions about course design and will implement the QLT rubric in their course websites. Participants will receive a $750 stipend for completing the Fall 2023 deliverables and another $750 stipend for completing the Spring 2024 deliverables. There is an additional and optional research component to the Faculty Learning Community and those who participate will receive an additional $500 stipend.
To apply, please complete the CTET 2023-24 QLT Certification Working Group Interest Form!
Canvas Course Design Foundations (Level 1)
Whether you offer your course in a face-to-face, blended, or entirely online modality, our Learning Management System, Canvas, can help you reduce your workload and increase your students' performance. This program will introduce you to fundamental concepts in online/hybrid course design and will challenge you to evaluate your own courses' layout, assessment options, engagement tools, resources for student success, and accessibility. As a participant, you can expect to engage in helpful discussions with your peers and course facilitators and to develop completed elements of a course for use in the upcoming semesters. Office hours will be available with your course facilitator(s) for additional support, as needed. Take advantage of this opportunity to receive feedback from colleagues and experts as you thoughtfully and intentionally develop your next Canvas course.
This course is offered occasionally. This course is a prerequisite for our Online Facilitation Fundamentals (Level 2) course. For more information or to share your interest in joining the next section, please email ctet@sonoma.edu. When a session has been scheduled, its dates will also be posted here, as well as any stipend associated with completing it.
Upcoming sessions:
- None currently scheduled
Online Facilitation Fundamentals (Level 2)
The Online Facilitation Fundamentals course builds on our Level 1 course, and focuses on increasing student engagement and facilitating activities in online and hybrid courses. This course will help you develop a working understanding of successful online teaching strategies that you can apply in your own digital classroom. You will learn about effective online teaching practices, their relationship to different technologies, and how to combine these to maximize student engagement in your online course. You will also get to progressively design and reflect upon your own online learning experiences as part of a cohort of fellow instructors and experienced facilitators.
This course is offered occasionally. Our Canvas Course Design Foundation (Level 1) course is a prerequisite for it. For more information or to share your interest in joining the next section, please email ctet@sonoma.edu. When a session has been scheduled, its dates will also be posted here, as well as any stipend associated with completing it.
Upcoming sessions:
- None currently scheduled
QLT Certification
Quality Learning and Teaching is a CSU-wide standard for online, hybrid, or blended courses that put student success first and foremost. Courses that pass QLT's rigorous, multi-stage review process can display the QLT badge and are highlighted in the CSU's Online Course Match program. QLT certification is a natural next step for faculty who have already taken CTET’s Canvas Course Design Foundations (Level 1) and Online Facilitation Fundamentals (Level 2) courses and want to continue their development of online teaching expertise. Learn more about QLT certification at our dedicated QLT webpage.
If you're interested in QLT certification, we're happy to consult with you about it. You can also learn more this summer via CSU Online Course Services, which is offering FREE QLT courses. Check out their website or our Upcoming Workshops list to learn more and sign up!