Online Teaching Certification
Online Teaching Certification
Are you interested in teaching fully online courses for NVC or any of the Alamo Colleges?
All Alamo Colleges faculty who wish to teach fully online courses must the Online Teaching Certification (OTC) process. This process starts with an 8-week fully-online course that focuses on how to build an effective online course and how to teach in the online environment.
If you'd like to enroll, please just send an email to llawrence10@alamo.edu or cfranklin@alamo.edu.
Online Teaching Certification at NVC – FAQs
Who needs it?
Certification is required for all Alamo Colleges faculty who teach fully online courses.
What does it cover?
- Online Teaching Certification (OTC) Course – This course focuses on acceptable standards of course design and best practices for teaching in the online environment. It will introduce specific tools that facilitate those standards and best practices.
- Build your own course – Participants will also build a significant portion of an online course which includes a complete orientation and at least 20% of the course content. The course also covers best pedagogical practices and teaching techniques that promote a successful online classroom environment.
- Course review – The online course built by each participant will be reviewed for adherence to Quality Matters standards and federal, state, and local requirements.
- Online Teaching Certification Presentation –In order to be fully certified to teach online, an instructor must complete this course, demonstrate competence using the current Learning Management System, create a course with elements defined in the OTC, and present a well-designed course to a review committee.
I just completed the Canvas training. Is this the same course?
No, the Canvas training is simply to orient faculty to the online tools available in the new LMS, Canvas. The Online Teaching Certification course is designed to teach faculty how to teach in the fully online environment. It is pedagogy-based, not just technical training for the online tools. However, we ask that you complete the Canvas training prior to starting the OTC.
I have not completed Canvas training. What do I need to do?
Please contact department of Teaching with Technology at nvc-teachtech@alamo.edu or 210-486-4094 and say you want to complete the Canvas training. You will then be enrolled into this fully online, self-paced training, and you’ll be given a blank sandbox (course shell) in which you may play, build, and experiment. When you’ve completed Canvas training, you will be able to enroll in the next available OFCC.
How much time does the OTC course take?
The course content is approximately the equivalent of one graduate-level course and is 8 weeks in length. Participants will complete six modules of instruction while concurrently developing an online course. Participants will read 1-3 chapters per week as well as engage in online course activities such as discussions, quizzes, written assignments and creation of an online course. Expect to spend approximately 8-10 hours per week on readings, course activities, and development of an online course. The entire process, including building a course of your own, review, and presentation, usually takes 1-2 semesters.
Do I need to come to campus?
No. The course itself is fully online. No other on-campus meetings are required; however, we encourage you to take advantage of our walk-in help if you would like one-on-one assistance.
So am I certified as soon as I complete the course?
No, certification is a four-step process: complete the course, develop your own online course and teaching plan, have your course reviewed and revise as needed, and successfully present your course and teaching plan to a committee. As soon as the committee recommends certification, you will be eligible to be scheduled to teach online courses for the Alamo Colleges.
Does certification guarantee that I will be offered an online course?
No. Staffing for online courses is up to the academic area chairs. Please discuss online staffing needs in your discipline with your chair prior to enrollment.
How do I sign up?
Please discuss your plans with your chair, and then email any of the following: