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Workshop and Training Options

Center for Teaching and Learning

Staff of Center for Teaching and Learing

Center for Teaching and Learning

Published: March-April 2007

Category: » Fac-resources » Faculty-development

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) has been continually expanding its professional development offerings and resources for UMUC faculty far beyond the five-week, "CTLA 201" training course that is required for all UMUC faculty teaching online. CTL not only offers its own faculty development workshops, but also provides access for faculty to SkillSoft self-paced online courses and the newly available Sloan-C online workshops. Facing this wealth of choices, our busy faculty may wonder how to differentiate between these opportunities. Below you will find a quick-guide to all of CTL's workshop and training opportunities.

CTL Workshops

CTL online workshops (as well as those offered face-to-face for faculty in the Adelphi area) focus on topics and issues of direct relevance to teaching and learning at UMUC. Each workshop is designed to stand on its own, but also occupies a place in an integrated matrix of skills and knowledge exemplified by our six categories of workshop topics. In all cases, workshops are intended to serve the needs of our faculty and students and are specially designed by staff and fellow faculty whose goals are focused on one overarching question—how can we improve teaching effectiveness and the quality of student learning at UMUC?

CTL welcomes faculty to take our workshops on whatever terms best suit their interests and schedules. Faculty who mainly want to observe and occasionally participate are as welcome as those who are interested in involving themselves in a more intensely focused experience. We provide a resource guide to help faculty choose workshops that are most suitable for their needs at http://umuc.edu/distance/odell/ctla/ws_fa06/workshop_resource.pdf

Another benefit of CTL workshops, beyond their direct relevance to teaching at UMUC, is the opportunity to interact with their UMUC colleagues, to share teaching experiences, and to experience a sense of the UMUC faculty community. These workshops are a particularly welcome chance for our geographically disperse faculty to come together.

Those who complete a workshop's requirements, including any final projects, are emailed a certificate of completion from CTL. CTL has also put together a comprehensive program known as the Workshop Certificate Program for those who would like to follow a more articulated and comprehensive path of professional development. Please visit the Workshop Certificate Program website for more information. There is also a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) option made available by CTL through the UMUC registrar.

In summary, CTL online workshops are distinguished by the following features

• Free of charge to all faculty.
• Open to both adjunct and full time faculty of all divisions.
• Small and highly interactive (limited to 25 participants or fewer), facilitated by faculty or staff.
• Most 8 or 12 days in length, open to participation on both a casual and fully engaged basis.
• Focused on topics of direct relevance to teaching at UMUC.
• Offer an opportunity to improve one’s teaching and interact with UMUC colleagues.
• Provide certificates of completion for those fully completing each workshop, a chance to earn a Basic or Advanced Certificate level in the Workshop Certificate Program, and eligibility to apply for Continuing Education Units from the UMUC registrar.

Sloan-C Online Workshops

The Sloan Consortium is an organization whose purpose is "to help learning organizations continually improve quality, scale, and breadth of their online programs." Sloan-C sponsors research and encourages collaboration and sharing of effective practices to improve online education. It hosts a yearly onsite conference as well as an increasingly rich array of online workshops.

UMUC has purchased a 2007 College Pass Membership along with its Institutional Premium Membership from the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C). The College Pass Membership entitles UMUC faculty and academic administrators to participate without charge in online workshops sponsored by Sloan-C.

These workshops are offered online throughout the year on a diverse range of subjects. Participants come from a great assortment of different institutions and these workshops offer UMUC faculty a window into online teaching practices nationally. Another advantage of these workshops is that UMUC faculty have the opportunity to hear from a wide variety of experts who are responsible for facilitating the workshops. To read more about the Sloan C workshops and how to register, please visit CTL's Sloan-C Workshops page.

In summary, the Sloan-C workshops

• Are open to both adjunct and full-time faculty, as well as academic staff.
• Offer an opportunity to discuss issues of teaching and learning related to online education with peers from diverse institutions.
• Provide expert facilitation on issues of significance to all those engaged in online education.
• Offer an informal atmosphere, ungraded workshops, varying in lengths and number of participants.
• Are free to UMUC faculty who apply through CTL.

SkillSoft Self-Paced Courses

UMUC has made self-paced online courses available through agreement with SkillSoft to our faculty at no charge.  SkillSoft offers over 2,100 courses in technical and business skills with a number of "soft skill" topics such as communication skills and time management. These courses provide focused, just-in-time learning and are ideal for faculty who want to brush up on their technical skills, learn a new software program, or explore new approaches in time management, organization, or communication.

CTL often receives emails from faculty who let us know about the benefits of this program. Here is a representative comment from Christopher Schultz, Collegiate Associate Professor, ECOM in the Graduate School and for IFSM in the School of Undergraduate Studies, highlighting the utility and convenience of SkillSoft,

"A few weeks ago, I spent a few hours working through two courses...one on Java programming and another on the Linux operating system. It's true that these SkillSoft courses are interesting from a content perspective, either to fill in gaps or ramp up quickly on a new topic. It's also interesting because it puts an online instructor in the position of online learner--something which is always a good idea from time to time and I don't think we do often enough."

In summary, SkillSoft courses

• Provide courses in technical, organizational, and business skills that faculty may pursue on a self-paced basis.
• Are free of charge to all UMUC faculty and staff.
• May be used to review, learn a new skill, or explore a topic.
• Allow faculty to complete just a section or two, or an entire course, working at their own speed.

The CTL registration site features two guides to a selection of SkillSoft business and technical courses. More reviews are coming soon. Also see our previous article on SkillSoft for some tips in making the most of this resource.

Finally, keep in mind that CTL staff are always available to answer questions about choosing faculty development options. Please feel free to contact us at ctla@polaris.umuc.edu.