Since most faculty teach the way they were taught--and most weren't taught online--the best way to start is to first learn online, when someone else is driving the experience. In 2008 UMBC joined the Sloan Consortium, an institutional organization dedicated to promoting quality online education. As members UMBC faculty have access to Sloan-C's "College Pass" program, which allows them to register for online courses on topics ranging from delivering online content and fostering student engagement to podcasting and use of Second Life. Of particular interest is the two-week "Getting Started: First Step Toward Online Teaching" course that begins July 14 and is repeated on August 25, October 13 and November 3. During this course, faculty will be introduced to the fundamentals of online education, and gain practical “hands-on” experience with technology. This is an ideal opportunity for faculty interested in exploring hybrid or online teaching.
UMBC has an annual total of 100 workshop “seats” which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to take advantage of the free registration for Sloan-C workshops, faculty need to obtain UMBC’s College Pass Coupon Code which is located on the Alternate Delivery Program website under the Support link. Details on the registration process are also included in a short jing video.