Online Course Development Program

In preparation for remote course delivery, all Guttman faculty and advising staff have the opportunity to participate in a paid, four-week professional development training on best practices in online instruction. The Guttman Online Course Development Program expands on the Online Teaching Essentials Foundational Workshop offered by the CUNY School of Professional Studies by incorporating discussion, assignments, and resources on trauma; Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP); Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and neurodiversity; as well as embedding open educational resources (OER) and information literacy within courses. Faculty are guided through the process of developing effective, asynchronous online courses that exemplify the College’s Instructional Principles.

The Program is led by Guttman faculty with expertise in online instruction and academic technology, also certified through the CUNY SPS Online Teaching Essentials Workshop. Additional training is provided by senior administrators and experienced practitioners from the offices of Wellness, AccessABILITY, and Academic Technology, as well as faculty and administrators specializing in Information Literacy and CRP. The Program is guided by the Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs under the auspices of the Center for Practice, Technology, and Innovation (CPTI).

Upon completion of the training, participants will submit:

• Revised syllabus/syllabi for online course(s)
• Two sample assignments
• Reflection on shifts in course delivery and lessons learned

Upon completion of the training, faculty will be prepared to:

• Discuss the basic operations and features of a course on Blackboard and its pedagogical usefulness from the perspectives of both student and instructor.
• Restructure course content into module format for asynchronous online delivery.
• Integrate ePortfolio and Blackboard according to best practices.
• Apply ADA compliance requirements to their online courses.
• Utilize UDL practices, problem-based inquiry, and other forms of engaged pedagogy to effectively deliver scaffolded course content.
• Implement strategies for creating and using engaging video content for asynchronous instruction.
• Locate and revise OER relevant to their course content and learning outcomes.
• Incorporate principles of CRP in developing content and creating an online space that fosters belonging and inclusive excellence.
• Provide effective student feedback and lead effective online discussions.
• Measure student success in achieving course learning outcomes using effective assessment practices.
• Use additional course enhancement software tools.