Saturday, November 15, 2014

Completing the Last Class and Earning Certification!

Producing Digital Content is the last course in the series students complete to earn certification in online teaching from Governor State University. Only graduate students are accepted into this challenging  program. As any working graduate student will tell you, juggling the demands of work and school is no joke.  Being a mom prepares you for nonstop demands and multitasking but it was hard.

That being said, this was very rewarding.  The skills I have developed has already made an impact on my work.  I have improved the navigation of my courses, added audio lectures to complement transcripts, learning agreements and the organization of my course is more intuitive.  In addition, I have plans to add Blackboard collaborate and captivate in the very near future.   

The audio and presentation software products are a great addition to my courses.  I have always used graphics and video content but now student access in seamless.  Even accessibility issues have improved.  I have moved all my exams to Blackboard.  Last term I discovered from a blind student that her reader software works best with Blackboard.  So by moving exams and adding audio transcripts sight impaired students can take my course.  When offering course components for disabled students, all students benefit.  Students who are auditory learners will also increase comprehension with audio components.

This is an exciting time for teaching online.  The area is filled with instructors who do not have my credentials.  I find that my traditional classes have also  improved from the Online Teaching  and Learning certification education process.  This course, and the three previous courses have been well worth the effort.  I did it!