Start Teaching Online

To teach online an instructor needs to examine the following three steps:

• Decide if online teaching is for him or her
• Become certified in Valley College’s Classroom System, Etudes
• Contact the Chair of the instructor’s department

Deciding if Online Teaching is for You

Teaching online is not for everyone. Some instructors are better, more comfortable and more effective in a face to face classroom than they would be in an online course.

Although a good face to face instructor brings his or her teaching skills to an online course, there are additional attributes and skills that are needed to conduct a successful online course. Take a look at the two questionaires below. Your answers to these will help you decide if online teaching is really for you.

Baker University, Are You  Ready to Teach Online?

Online Learning.net, Is Online Teaching for Me?

Become certified in Valley College’s Classroom System, Etudes

In order to obtain an ETUDES shell that an instructor can use to create both a fully online class and a hybrid class, he or she must take the ETUDES Certification program.

Etudes Certification Methods

Training may be accomplished in one of three ways:

• Etudes Training sponsored by the Etudes organization

      This is a three-week, totally online course, which occurs at the beginning of every month. There is a fee to take the course, but that fee is reimbursed upon successful completion of the class. Registration for this program can be found at the Etudes Training and Events page.

      Once there, click, “Register Now” located in the box titled “Online Etudes Training.” This link is located in the top box.

      Then go to the “Register now” link and follow the instructions.

• Valley College Etudes Training

      This is a three-week hybrid training program offered here at Valley College. The session is three weeks long where you participate both in a face to face setting and online. The content of the program is identical to the online program, but you do have an opportunity for face to face instruction along with the online work. There is no fee for this class.

      Note: There are no sessions scheduled at this time..

• A Departmental Intensive Program

      If you have a number of people in your department who would like to be certified in Etudes, a unique training schedule can be created to meet their needs. For more information, please contact the Distance Learning Trainer.

Contact Your Department Chair

The decision to teach an online course at Valley College is made by the Chair of the department of that class. When you successfully complete your Etudes Certification Training, you will be eligible to be placed on that department’s teaching seniority list. Contact the department chair to discuss the possibility of teaching an online course.