Before an instructor can be added as the instructor of record for an “Online”, “Online Hybrid”, or “Online Program” course, they must first be endorsed by the Office of Academic Outreach. To get endorsed for online teaching at UM, complete the asynchronous Online Teaching Endorsement course.
Online Teaching Endorsement
The goal of this professional development course is to familiarize online instructors with the pedagogical concepts of effective and engaging online teaching, thinking about the diverse learners in online courses, and ways to maintain engagement among students and the instructor. This course is open to any UM instructors, teaching staff, and graduate students and takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete.
Interested parties should fill out the appropriate registration form below to self-enroll in the online teaching endorsement training course.
For current UM employees with UM login credentials.
For instructors in the process of being hired at UM but do not have UM login credentials yet.
Next Steps Following Endorsement
Course Sandbox
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We recommend getting started with our Blackboard Ultra Online Course Template in a “sandbox” (course shell on Blackboard where students are not enrolled). This process helps instructors get familiar with Blackboard Ultra and start building their course. This course can then be moved into the course shell that students enroll in.
Feel free to request a sandbox with our Online Course Template. In a sandbox, you can build your course in a rough draft, and when it’s ready, you can copy the course into the course shell that you will teach from. If you are a new hire and don’t have a UM account yet please contact us at teachonline@olemiss.edu.
Blackboard Ultra Course for Online Instructors
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To support you as you build your course, you may self-enroll in Ultra How-tos for Online Instructors. This Blackboard course guides instructors in detail about building a course in Blackboard Learn Ultra. You can use this to work at your own pace.
You may be prompted to enter your UM login credentials on Blackboard. If you find yourself on the landing page after logging in, clicking the Ultra How-tos course link again will take you straight to the course.
If you are a new hire and don’t have a UM account yet please contact us at teachonline@olemiss.edu.
Course Build Workshop
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If you would also like to attend a workshop that we’ll run on course building and the Blackboard Ultra Online Course Template using your sandbox, feel free to register for a workshop session. If you are a new hire and don’t have a UM account yet please contact us at teachonline@olemiss.edu.
FAQs
Who is this course designed for?
Anyone designing or helping build or deliver content in an online, online hybrid, or online program course at the University of Mississippi. This may be an instructor of record, coordinators of several sections of a course, course developers, or graduate teaching assistants.
What will I receive after completing the course?
Those who complete this training course will receive an Award of Completion stating they are endorsed by the Office of Academic Outreach to teach online courses. They will also receive an Online Teaching Resource Package. Both will be delivered to the email address used at registration.
Contact us at teachonline@olemiss.edu for more information.