Introduction
In light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and in order to prepare faculty for the uncertainties that lie ahead in Academic Year 2020-21, the SDSU Flexible Course Design Institute (Flex-CDI) will provide participants with pedagogical strategies to teach in a hybrid (blending online and face-to-face) or fully online environment. For SDSU faculty teaching in Spring 2021 Semester and who are new to hybrid/online teaching, this multi-track program offers customizable experiences to enhance your skills and knowledge.
For common questions, please see the Flexible Course Design Institute Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Click here to view our other training resources.
Purpose
The Institute will provide support for faculty as they:
- ALIGN goals, activities, and assessments to optimize for online learning.
- DEVELOP active learning strategies that transcend modalities (from face-to-face to fully online).
- INVESTIGATE inclusive and equity-minded framework while designing for the online learning environment.
- EXPLORE the effective use of asynchronous learning objects (websites, videos, in-video quizzing, etc.).
- FOSTER skills and strategies for synchronous engagement in online courses.
Institute Summary
This is a two-week online program led by experienced online instructors. The program kicks off with a synchronous (live online) session. The kick-off is the only time-based component. After the kick-off session, you will gain access to the program’s Canvas course to construct elements of the course(s) you are designing. What makes the Institute special is that it made up of SDSU faculty helping other SDSU faculty in order to provide a high-quality learning experience for our students in Fall 2020 and beyond. In collaboration with ITS instructional designers and ITS staff, SDSU faculty who have extensive experience teaching in hybrid and online modalities have prepared these modules and will mentor participants as they work through the course. At its heart, this Institute is about colleagues helping colleagues.
Time Commitment
The Institute will involve approximately 20-hours of participation across two weeks. This includes attending the kick-off session, completing eight modules and a final reflection.
Institute Compensation
Faculty who complete all requirements of the program can earn compensation, $1,000, in the form of a one-time taxable stipend, (you will complete four required modules, plus four ‘elective’ modules).
Institute Modules
The Institute includes eight modules (four required, four elective) that are focused on developing skills in teaching online as well as expanding participants’ knowledge of tools that are used to provide content and to increase student engagement. The recommended pace for module completion is one every 1.5 days, but the deadlines are flexible to accommodate varying schedules. Each module takes approximately two-hours to complete and will include engagement with content (reading and/or video), a quiz, an applied activity, and a discussion board reflection. Within the first week, you will consult with your faculty peer mentor (PM) to determine the best set of optional modules to address your needs. Click here full list of modules and their descriptions.
Institute Requirements
The completion of the Institute includes meeting the following requirements:
- Attend the Zoom kick-off session
- Complete all activities required for eight modules (four required, plus four of the options)
- Connect with faculty peer mentor or instructional designer in virtual office at least once
- Final Reflection (after completing the eight modules)
Differences from SDSU’s semester-long Course Design Institute (CDI)
This Institute familiarizes participants with the principles of online course design and offers a menu of modular options catered to faculty interest and experience. In contrast, CDI participants complete a semester-long experience which culminates with a fully-designed online course, having completed ALL these modules, in a way that their newly-designed course meets expectations of Quality Online Learning and Teaching (QLT) rubric.
Institute Team and Questions
The Institute is a cross-campus collaboration among Instructional Technology Services (ITS) and the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE). In addition, the Institute will include campus experts on various topics, instructional designers, along with faculty peer mentors, who will work with a cohort of faculty as they develop their courses. Institute Facilitators are Professor Elizabeth Pollard (History, CAL ITS Faculty Fellow) and Andrea Saltzman Martin (Instructional Designer, College of Education and ITS). For questions about the Institute, please email Michelle Peterson <michelle.peterson@nullsdsu.edu>.
Past Institutes
Summer 2020
The materials from the Flexible Course Design Summer Institute are available as the Flexible Course Design Toolkit: Tutorials & Resource Guides. To preview the content of the course, please see this course link. To Enroll in the course so that it is available via your Dashboard or listed in your courses, please use this Enroll Link.
Don’t miss the Quick Talk conversations during Fall 2020!
