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You are here: Home / Professional Development / Online Teaching Endorsement

Online Teaching Endorsement

The Office of Academic Outreach offers professional development for UM faculty interested in teaching online. Instructors who are interested in teaching online will need to obtain endorsement. Complete either one of the professional development paths to be endorsed for online teaching at UM.

The goal of online teaching endorsement professional development is to familiarize online instructors with the pedagogical concepts of effective and engaging online teaching and learning, as well as to give them hands-on experience in designing and developing their online course.  Both professional development paths are offered fully online asynchronous in Blackboard and are available 24/7. 

1. UM Exploration of Online Teaching

The UM Exploration of Online Teaching badge pathway is available to current and incoming UM instructors, teaching staff, and graduate students who are interested in aspects of online teaching, course design and development. Participants complete required and self-selected mini-course(s) in five course series and are awarded a digital badge upon successful completion of each course series. Collect all five badges to obtain online teaching endorsement.

The badge pathway is open for self-enrollment year-round. See details below about the course series, available courses, and links to enroll in Blackboard.

About the Badge Requirements and Course Series

Game board with paths and ladders to badges

UM Exploration of Online Teaching is a badge pathway offers compact, manageable and self-selected mini-courses approach to earning online teaching endorsement at UM. At the end of the badge pathway, participants will have completed their online course syllabus, designed and developed a portion of their content, assessment, student communication, and interaction components in their Blackboard sandbox. Support from Academic Outreach instructional designers is available throughout the program.

Badge Pathway Registration

Visit each course series for available courses and links to self-enroll in the courses on Blackboard. We recommend that prospective online instructors enroll in the course series at least one semester before they plan to teach online for the first time. UM WebID is required for self-enrollment.

Newly hired and incoming instructors with asynchronous online teaching experience at another higher education institution could be exempt from up to two course series. Instructors who have taught an online course for three consecutive semesters within the past three years are eligible for exemption. The Online Faculty Prior Experience Questionnaire is included in the registration form.

Online Pedagogy Principles badge

Online Pedagogy Principles

The Online Pedagogy Principles badge is focused around the principles and standard practices of online teaching and student-centered learning. The series is designed to encourage instructors to promote meaningful interaction and student engagement in a primarily asynchronous online learning environment. Complete ONE required course. See available courses for Online Pedagogy Principles series.

Online Course Compliance badge

Online Course Compliance

The Online Course Compliance badge is centered around topics and methods required for a compliant online course at UM according to university policies and federal guidelines. Complete all THREE required courses. See available courses for Online Course Compliance series.

 

Online Course Design Badge

Online Course Design

The Online Course Design badge is focused around outlining online course structure and designing course components that align with the learning objectives and support student learning. Complete TWO courses (one required, one self-selected). See available courses for Online Course Design series.

 

Online Course Tech Tools badge

Online Course Technology & Tools

The Online Course Technology & Tools badge is focused around common instructional tools available to University of Mississippi community. Participants will use the tool to create a deliverable. Complete ONE self-selected course. See available courses for Online Course Technology & Tools series.

Online Course Build badge

Online Course Build

The Online Course Development badge, intended to be completed after all other badges, is focused around the how-tos of building an online course and course materials. Participants will create a deliverable from their planning and design. Complete ONE required course. See available courses for Online Course Build series.

Badge Collection and Completion

Badges and an Award of Completion will be issued through Sertifier, an online platform for badge validation and security. Recipients will receive emails from Academic Outreach through Sertifier, confirming each badge earned and a completion of endorsement to teach online after collecting all five badges.

After receiving an email notification, participants can:

  • Download the badge as PDF, PNG or JSON,
  • Add to their LinkedIn Profile,
  • Share on social media, and
  • Verify using serial number.

2. The Online Teaching Endorsement (OTE)

The Online Teaching Endorsement (OTE) is designed for instructors who are new to online teaching as well as experienced online instructors. Participants complete all required assignments in four modules and sandbox to obtain online teaching endorsement. Registration is open year round.

About the OTE Modules

The OTE consists of four modules.

  • Online Teaching & Learning
    Focuses on student-centered learning, the theory of online teaching, and standard practices.
  • Course Compliance
    Focuses on compliance and UM policies in relation to online education. The module also provides information on available technology at UM.
  • Course Design
    Focuses on designing learning activities and assessments that align with the learning objectives.
  • Course Development
    Focuses on applying the theory of online teaching and design into practice. Candidates will create course components in their assigned sandbox.

At the end of the OTE, participants will have completed their online course syllabus, designed and developed a portion of their content, assessment, student communication, and interaction components in their Blackboard sandbox. Support from Academic Outreach instructional designers is available throughout the program.

OTE Registration

Registration is open year round.

Newly hired and incoming instructors with asynchronous online teaching experience at another higher education institution could be exempt from up to two modules. Instructors who have taught an online course for three consecutive semesters within the past three years are eligible for exemption. The Online Faculty Prior Experience Questionnaire is included in the registration form.

Successful OTE participants receive an Award of Completion and are endorsed to teach online at the University of Mississippi.  We recommend that prospective online instructors enroll in the modules at least one semester before they plan to teach online for the first time.

Endorsement Completion Deadlines

Estimated completion time is 12-13 hours for an instructor with teaching experience using digital tools and Blackboard or a similar LMS.  See specific completion deadlines for online courses scheduled for 2023-24.

Online Course Offering Completion Deadline
Spring I and Spring 2023 January 9, 2023
Spring II 2023 March 14, 2023
May Intersession 2023 May 1, 2023
Summer I and Summer 2023 May 16, 2023
Summer II 2023 June 15, 2023
August Intersession 2023 July 17, 2023
Fall I and Fall 2023 August 7, 2023
Fall II 2023 October 4, 2023
Winter Intersession 2024 December 17, 2023

Contact April Thompson at athomps5@olemiss.edu for more information.

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