Fall BOLD 2021 is Here!!!
Virginia Western Community College and the Online Learning and Instructional Technology (OLIT) team are proud to offer another Boosting Online Learning Development (BOLD) program to instructors during the 2021 fall term. Using one-time federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF II), the BOLD program is an intentional effort that to provide training and support for faculty to improve existing courses and adopt new modalities to meet the needs of students directly impacted by COVID-19.
The BOLD initiative is open to all full-time faculty and adjuncts that are planning to teach in the coming academic year. Please review the list of BOLD options (more limited than the summer) below and consider how to best meet your individual training and course development goals. When you are ready, click on the application link and complete the Google Form. Answer the questions as best you can, and your form will be forwarded to your School Dean / Department Head for approval.
NOTE: If you would like to apply for more than one project, please submit a separate application for each.
BOLD Fall 2021 Faculty Learning Opportunities
1. VWCC Teaching Online Certification (TOC)
Description: By completing this curriculum, faculty will be prepared to design and deliver high-quality online learning experiences. Each course will be monitored and supported by a course facilitator and requires some type of assessment to be completed. At the completion of this curriculum, a faculty member will receive a Certified Online Faculty credential from Virginia Western. This certification meets option 1 of the newly proposed Faculty Qualifications for Teaching Online policy.
Course Requirements: (VWCC Teaching Online Certification)
- Online Faculty Orientation Course (8-10 hours) (PDF)
- Online Course Design (OCD) Basics Course (15-20 hours) (PDF)
Prerequisites:
- Some training or experience in the use of Canvas instructor tools for presentation, interaction, and assessment construction. **
- Ability to use the Internet in an effective and efficient manner, including installation and management of browser plug-ins.
- Basic knowledge about the operation of a computer, file management principles, and software installation.
- ** Growing with Canvas (6-8 hours) (PDF)
- New Faculty who have not taught in Canvas before should complete this course
- Optional as needed for other faculty based on self-assessment of Basic Canvas Competency Assessment.
- ** Growing with Canvas (6-8 hours) (PDF)
Expected Time Commitment & Compensation: 23-30 hours; $850
HEERF II Statement: As part of the BOLD initiative, faculty completing this training will improve existing online courses, design new online courses, and adopt new online modalities to meet the needs of students impacted by COVID-19 allowing Virginia Western to continue offering flexible options for course enrollment.
2. Other Online Training
Description: Faculty can choose to participate in other relevant online faculty development training delivered by outside organizations. Both registration costs and faculty time to complete the training are eligible expenses for this option. Determination of relevance will be made by the appropriate School Dean in consultation with members of the OLIT staff as appropriate. Below is a list of suggested organizations that deliver training in the area of online teaching and learning and links to their training menus. Training from other outside organizations of similar quality will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. A certificate or some other form of documentation of completion must be presented to the appropriate School Dean upon completion.
Training Recommendations:
- OLC – https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/learn/
- QM – https://www.qualitymatters.org/professional-development
- ACUE – https://acue.org/?acue_courses=acues-effective-practice-framework
3. Online Course Peer Review Project
(NOTE: This project will be by invite only. If you are interested in having your course reviewed or becoming a peer reviewer, please apply for consideration.)
Description: A group of instructors will pilot the new Online Course Peer Review Process. This process is designed to:
- Promote reflection about online course design that leads to quality learning experiences for students, as well as the achievement of the course goals and objectives.
- Facilitate a process of continuous improvement of existing online courses centered on peer review.
- Encourage dialogue and collaboration with other online instructors at Virginia Western to foster the sharing of expertise and innovative ideas across departments and schools.
Selected faculty will submit a recently taught online course to be reviewed by a Peer Review Team using a modified version of the Quality Matters™ (QM) Rubric. The review will also include a self-review portion where the course instructor will review specific elements of the QM Rubric. Members of the peer review team and course instructors will participate in training on how to apply the QM Rubric prior to the review.
Prerequisites: Completion of Online Learning Faculty Orientation
Scope: Review 5 Courses 15 Reviewers, 5 Instructors
Expected Time Commitment and Compensation:
- Course Instructor: 15-20 hours – $500
- Review Team member: 15-20 hours – $500
- Review Team leader: 18-24 hours – $650
HEERF II Statement: As part of the BOLD initiative, faculty participating in the Online Course Peer Review project will help our college institutionalize an online quality assurance program. Participants will receive additional training in quality online course design to help ensure that students impacted by COVID-19 have access to high-quality learning experiences through a variety of online modalities and an expanded set of flexible course enrollment options.