Introduction to Online Language Teaching is a fully online course designed for experienced classroom instructors who want to make the transition to teaching languages online. While each participant will bring his/her own pedagogical background, the course presupposes a task-based, proficiency-oriented view of language instruction. Course participants will gain an understanding of key criteria and conceptual frameworks used to describe online pedagogy, and will develop expertise in the areas of course quality and design, accessibility, and media.
The online nature of the course exposes participants to all of the affordances and constraints of an online environment for language teaching and learning, allowing them to experience a student’s perspective firsthand. This includes engaging in a variety of tasks and discussions, which are meant to be a non-comprehensive sampling of the possibilities of online learning. Participants will receive feedback from the instructor and, by the end of the course, will have developed a principled plan for developing an online course at their own institution. For more information, see the course outline below.
Course Details
- Length: 6 weeks
- Weekly expected workload: 5-7 hours (asynchronous)
- Cost: $1000 ($750 if enrolling before June 6th)
- Learning Platform: D2L (MSU’s Learning Management System)
- No required materials other than those provided within the learning platform
- Technology Requirements: computer with stable internet connection; webcam and microphone; mobile device (recommended)
- Not for credit; a certificate will be provided to participants upon successful completion of the course
Course Outline
- Week 1: Getting Started: Instructor Readiness + Course Design Basics
- Week 2: Characteristics of Successful Online Instructors: Presence and Communication
- Week 3: Quality, Accessibility, and Media
- Week 4: Language Learning Tasks
- Week 5: Learning Environment Design + Workload Management
- Week 6: Preparing a Course Snapshot
Application Requirements
While the course is designed for higher education professionals, language educators from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Because space is very limited, participants will be selected on a first come, first served basis. Previous online teaching experience is not required, although everyday fluency in the use of web tools (email, collaborative tools, content sharing, etc.) as well as a basic ability to use a Learning Management System (e.g., Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, etc.) is presupposed.
How to Apply
In order to enroll in the course, you will need to complete these two steps (in order):
1. Obtain an MSU guest account (Community ID) in order to access the course on D2L, MSU’s learning management system.
2. purchase access in our online store. Please use the same email for both the purchase and the guest account. After clicking the button below, please select “Introduction to Online Language Teaching” and follow the instructions on the screen.
After you complete these two steps, you are all done! Your instructor will contact you the week before the course starts. If you have any questions, you can always email us at olt@cal.msu.edu.