'Promises, Perils of Online Teaching' opens faculty series

The Faculty Development Center offers the 90-minute panel discussion and open forum “Promises and Perils of Online Teaching” at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in Wood Hall 221. Leading the session will be Profs. Fergus Hughes, Derek Jeffreys and Brian Merkel and instructor and learning technology advocate Zach Voelz, who is coordinator for Adult Degree Programs. The program addresses both hopes and concerns related to online teaching: the hope of reaching students at any time and in new ways, and the concern of not reaching them at all.

The Nov. 21 program is first in a Faculty Development Center series on online learning. Prof. Heidi Fencl, director of the Center, says each program stands alone and participants are welcome to attend single sessions or the entire series. Topics and dates are as follows:

• Promises and Perils of Online Teaching, Nov. 21, 9:30 a.m., WH 221
• Is It a Good Fit? Factors that Matter to the Success of Online Courses, Dec. 5 (note date change from newsletter), noon, Wood Hall 455
• Pedagogies for Online Courses, March 6, 2009, noon, MAC Hall 223
• Best Practices: A Showcase of Successful Online Courses, April 15, 2 p.m., Alumni B, University Union

The series also has a workshop and ‘mini-course’ component that will wrap up in May. The workshop “Developing an Online Course,” to take place May 11, requires pre-registration. Priority will be given to those faculty and staff members who have completed the online mini-course titled “Online Education: What Do I Need to Know” that will be available starting Feb. 2.