Faculty Online Readiness Program
The Faculty Online Readiness Program (FORP) is a foundational experience for faculty interested in developing or improving online courses. It consists of three, self-paces courses that can be taken individually or as a series.
- Open Enrollment: No specific registration or completion dates are required; faculty can conveniently choose their start date and pace of participation.
- No Prerequisites: No prior knowledge of online teaching is required to participate.
- Course Completion Badges: earn a badge for each course by submitting all the requirements. An will automatically be awarded in addition for completing all three courses.
To enroll, submit the online form:
Program Details
Canvas Courses
Participants will be enrolled in self-paced courses in Canvas to discover concepts and resources for online course design.
Peer Review and Consultation
ÀóÖ¦ÊÓƵ Faculty Peer Reviewers and ATS Instructional Designers are paired with participants to provide feedback.
Digital Badges
Participants earn for completing each FORP session. A culminating badge is awarded for completing all 3 FORP courses.
RTP Documentation
Documentation of program completion is available upon request for participants to include in RTP portfolios.
Digital badges will automatically be awarded to participants who complete the following requirements for each course:
- Complete the Canvas course you are enrolled in.
Complete the course content. - Work with an assigned ATS Instructional Designer.
FORP participants will work closely with an Instructional Designer for the duration of their participation. The Instructional Designer will support faculty in the application of concepts covered in each course. - Complete the Course Checklist
Each FORP course will include a checklist of online course design and delivery best practices. The checklist serves as a quality assurance tool to review your selected course. After submitting the checklist, an ATS instructional Designer and a Faculty Peer Reviewer will provide feedback and helpful recommendations. - Complete the post-course evaluation survey.
A link to the survey will be provided at the end of each course.
What does "open enrollment" mean?
Open enrollment means that you can enroll in the course whenever it suits you and begin and end the program at your convenience.
What are the program deliverable deadlines?
Since FORP is an open enrollment program, you can start and end the program at your convenience. Work with your Instructional Designer to stay on track and adjust your own timeline.
When does registration open and close for FORP?
These are open enrollment courses; there are no dates for registration.
Can I enroll in more than one course at a time?
Yes, you can enroll in as many courses as you like simultaneously or one at a time, whatever you prefer and your schedule allows.
Does this program only focus on course design?
In each FORP session, participants will have the opportunity to learn about course delivery and course design.
Am I required to complete this program to teach online courses at the University?
Participation in or completion of this program is not required to teach online unless your college or department has specified otherwise. However, documented professional development to teach online may be considered as one aspect of a faculty member's qualifications for teaching in hybrid, hyflex, or synchronous and asynchronous online modalities. Completing FORP courses will be a benefit for anyone intending to teach online in future semesters.
FORP Courses
After enrolling in each FORP course, you'll receive a welcome email from your assigned ATS Instructional Designer (ID) with additional information on getting started in the program.
In this self-paced Canvas course, participants will:
- Apply key structural elements and best practices for online teaching and learning.
- Distinguish between different modalities of online learning.
- Review strategies for engaging students in an online environment.
Estimated Hours to Complete: 3-5 hours
In this self-paced Canvas course, participants will:
- Define the course modality migration process in Canvas.
- Examine the design of effective online learning objectives.
- Identify appropriate technology tools for online teaching and learning.
- Recognize accessibility components in courses and documents.
Estimated Hours to Complete: 6-8 hours
In this self-paced Canvas course, participants will:
- Recognize effective online course assessment design.
- Identify the benefits of administering constructive feedback.
- Review opportunities to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion and approaches to creating community among students in an online environment.
- Apply workload streamlining strategies.
Estimated Hours to Complete: 6-8 hours
