Faculty Online Readiness Program

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A badge will be awarded to participants who complete the following requirements for each session by May 9, 2025. A culminating badge will be awarded to participants who complete all 3 sessions of FORP by May 9, 2025.

1. Complete the Canvas course for the session in which you are enrolled.
   Complete the course content and actively participate in the online discussion boards.
2. Attend any ATS workshop offered throughout the academic year or watch a FORP On-Demand video found in ATS Mediaspace.
   Participants are asked to attend ONE synchronous workshop for every session in which they are enrolled during the academic year.
3. Work with an assigned ATS Instructional Designer.
   FORP participants will work closely with an Instructional Designer for the duration of their participation. The Instructional Designer will support faculty in the application of concepts covered in each session.
4. Apply the quality course design and delivery checklist.
   Each session will include a checklist with elements of online course design and delivery. The checklist was developed by our instructional design team and our faculty quality assurance community of practice. The checklist is meant to guide faculty through the design, development, and delivery of their online course and confirms that quality assurance exists within the course. Requirements to complete each session will consist of implementing each checklist item to any chosen course and having the course reviewed by a peer review faculty member and Instructional Designer.
5. Complete the anonymous course evaluation survey.
   A link to the survey will be provided at the end of the program.

What does "open enrollment" mean?
Open enrollment means that you can enroll in the course whenever it suits you and begin and end the program at your convenience.

What are the program deliverable deadlines?
Since FORP is an open enrollment program you can start and end the program at your convenience. However, since this program being offered for the academic year, the last day to submit deliverables to earn a badge is the last day of classes in the Spring semester, May 9, 2025.

When does registration open and close for FORP?
FORP registration opens the first day of the Fall semester and the registration ends a month before the last day of the Spring semester. This allows for those interested in enrolling in FORP in the Spring semester to have about a month to complete the program and submit deliverables by the last day of school.

Can I enroll in more than one session at a time?
Yes, you can enroll in as many sessions as you like simultaneously or one at a time, whatever you prefer and your schedule allows.

How is FORP different from other ATS professional development courses such as the Instructional Technology Foundations (ITF) and Online Learning Studio (OLS) programs offered in the past?
The majority of FORP content is brand new; topics such as Diversity Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have been included. This program considers more nuanced issues of teaching online and presents tips and best practices that can be implemented in the classroom.  ITF and OLS only briefly covered the basics of these topics.

Does this program only focus on course design?
In each FORP session, participants will have the opportunity to learn about course delivery and course design.

Am I required to complete this program to teach online courses at the University?
No. Participation in or completion of this program is not required to teach online. However, documented professional development to teach online may be considered as one aspect of a faculty member's qualifications for teaching in hybrid, hyflex, or synchronous and asynchronous online modalities. Completing FORP sessions will be a benefit for anyone intending to teach online in future semesters.

Estimated Hours to Complete: 3-5 hours

In the self-paced Canvas course for this session, participants will:

1. Apply key structural elements and best practices for online teaching and learning.
2. Distinguish between different modalities of online learning.
3. Review strategies for engaging students in an online environment. 
    

Estimated Hours to Complete: 6-8 hours

In the self-paced Canvas course for this session, participants will:

1. Define the course modality migration process in Canvas.
2. Examine the design of effective online learning objectives.
3. Identify appropriate technology tools for online teaching and learning.
4. Recognize accessibility components in courses and documents.
    

Estimated Hours to Complete: 6-8 hours

In the self-paced Canvas course for this session, participants will:

1. Recognize effective online course assessment design.
2. Identify the benefits of administering constructive feedback.
3. Review opportunities to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion and approaches to creating community among students in an online environment.
4. Apply workload streamlining strategies.