Bookend One

This first face-to-face part of the seminar takes place a few days before the beginning of the online activities. The session enables you to introduce yourself and get to know the other participants. It also enables the moderators to describe the goals and objectives of the seminar and identify the needs and expectations of each participant. The session is videotaped, then streamed and posted on the site. You then have an opportunity to view the recording and review specific topics raised during the meeting.

Course Development

The first week of the seminar focuses on course development and instructional design. You start the process of integrating web-based technologies into your face-to-face classroom. You engage in this process through a blend of synchronous and asynchronous, online and off-line activities. You analyze and evaluate your own current teaching practices, identify and utilize various Web-based tools, and formulate a strategy to design one week of instruction that integrates Web-based technologies. The week opens with a chat session and ends with an Elluminate conference, enabling you to experience, first hand some of the Web-based tools you can incorporate in your course.

Tool Selection

During week two of the seminar, you engage in the process of selecting the Web-based tools that best support your objectives and expectations for your course. You identify the most appropriate user interface from a selection of templates and create, in PowerPoint, a customized look-and-feel. You analyze and evaluate their own, current teaching practices, identify and select various Web-based tools, and design one week of instruction that integrates Web-based technologies. You create the design brief, a dynamic document that identifies your instructional objectives for the course and for the selected unit of instruction, defines design standards, including the look and functionality of the site, and the Web-based tools to be used.

Integration

Once you have completed the design brief, selected the look-and-feel and tools for your course, you are ready to start the integration of the Web-based technologies into your classroom by creating, in WebCT, a prototype for one week of instruction. This is done through a series of one-on-one sessions with your course developer. This final week of the seminar is fully customized to fit your specific needs.

Bookend Two

This second face-to-face session takes place a few days after the third week of the seminar at a date and time agreed upon by all participants. The session enables you to showcase your first week of instruction, demonstrate and discuss your accomplishments and activities, and evaluate your experience. This session too is videotaped and streamed on the site.