Graduate Certificate in Online Instruction

Why Study Online Instruction at Madonna University?

• Gain essential knowledge of instruction in online environments
• The certificate can be completed in one calendar year
• Learn from faculty members who are experts in the field
• Can transition directly into the MAT in Online Teaching and eLearning, if desired

Program Overview

The graduate certificate in Online Instruction provides a theoretical and practical basis for developing online instruction in a variety of settings, including higher education and corporate training. Structured with the adult learner in mind, the certificate allows students to explore online pedagogy and instructional design principles to develop courses and training dedicated to the online environment. Students will also develop an understanding of the ethical and legal standards of online teaching and eLearning.

Your Future

This program is geared toward professionals in a variety of fields who may already have an advanced degree but, would like additional knowledge in the field of instructional design. Community college faculty who are being asked to move their courses online can benefit from having additional knowledge of online pedagogy and content creation. Anyone who does workplace training will need the knowledge and skills to create just-in-time training for their employees. Volunteers who do outreach to the “digital generation” will need new skills in order to create informal learning opportunities.

Grad Cert Online Instruction Plan of Study

Certificate Requirements (12 cr. to be chosen)

EDU 5410 Instructional Design for Online Learning: 3 credits

• Evaluation and application of instructional design theories and principles for online course delivery. Examination of fully online, hybrid, self-paced, and facilitated e-learning experiences delivered via learning management systems. Focus on the authorship of instructional units that include information retrieval, website construction and evaluation, and the integration of video and multimedia. Application of accessibility and usability guidelines in web-based course design.

EDU 5430 Media Production for Online Instruction: 3 credits

• Students learn techniques and strategies for creating new instructional media for use with online instruction, and ways to convert conventional resources into appropriate electronic formats. Technical issues related to balancing media quality and user bandwidth limitations are analyzed.

EDU 6430 Online Assessment Practices: 3 credits

• Construction of a valid assessment plan for online courses. The assessment plan incorporates the standards embodied in The Michigan Curriculum Framework using a web-based course management system. Principles of valid assessment are enacted through technology tools that include online assignments, podcasts, threaded discussions, test preparation tools, secure tests, and differentiated assessment strategies. Prerequisites: EDU 5410 and 5430.

EDU 6880 Online Teaching Project and Practicum: 3 credits

• Students design a teaching unit for online instruction and field test the lessons with a sample of age-appropriate students. Prerequisites: EDU 6410, 6430, and 6450.