The Teaching Excellence in Distance Learning Program

The proliferation of distance education courses and programs in higher education provides better access, convenience, and flexibility as a way to support adult learners' educational opportunities (Eastmond, 1998).  Developing quality courses for a distance learning format requires highly skilled faculty to make distance learning courses of equal or higher caliber than traditional courses.  To assure consistency in the quality of St. Philip’s College courses, the Instructional Innovation Center developed the Teaching Excellence in Distance Learning (TEDL) Certification program. 

The TEDL program is comprehensive curriculum for training faculty members in the pedagogical and technical skills to teach a distance learning course.  Participants are introduced to a mix of theory, practice, and technical training where participation in the program results in the development of a distance learning course in an online or hybrid format.  A key component of the training is to help faculty understand, through their own experience as an online student, what it means to be an online learner.  To accomplish this, the pedagogy and complementary technology tools that facilitate online learning are interspersed and integrated with both online and face-to-face training activities. 

The goals of the TEDL program are: (1) to provide pedagogical and technical instruction as well as hands-on experience in the planning, design, and delivery of distance learning courses; and (2) to provide ongoing support as faculty members integrate the use of technology into their educational practices.

The TEDL program has three main modules:

1. Pedagogy - the objective of the pedagogy training is to provide faculty members with the teaching and learning strategies applicable to the distance learning environment.  Participants are introduced to instructional theory and practice for online teaching built on the seven principles for good teaching practices (Chickering & Gamson, 1991) that apply to both face-to-face and distance learning instruction.  The principles are:
    
   • encourage contact between students and faculty
   • develop reciprocity and cooperation among students
   • encourage active learning
   • give prompt feedback,
   • emphasize time on task
   • communicate high expectations
   • respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
      
2. Technical - the focus of the technical training is on developing course materials while attaining proficiency in web development.  By learning how to utilize courseware tools, faculty members customize their course to meet course objectives as well as specialized needs.  The objectives of the technical training are:
    
   • to assist faculty with the technical courseware applications used in the administration of course content and student assessment.
      
   • to assist faculty in the use of asynchronous and synchronous technologies and tools that promote active, collaborative, and/or authentic distance learning experiences.
      

3. Course Readiness Review - the course review process helps faculty members adhere to a timeline of critical dates that will assure their individual distance learning course will be ready for implementation at the appropriate time.  Resources of the Instructional Innovation Center and the Center for Distance Learning are available as well as one-on-one assistance throughout the process. 

   • Culmination of this module takes place through the presentation of the course materials prepared during the training.  The distance learning instructor presents the course to the committee, providing evidence that the course is ready for implementation and that the instructor is ready to deliver. 
      

   • The use of a standard process and of standard elements creates course readiness.