or lown UNrveRSrrY Collecr of EDUCATIoN rhefu October L4,2Ot3

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1 Collecr of EDUCATIoN rhefu UNrveRSrrY or lown Psychological and Quantitative Foundations 361 Lindquist Center lowa City, lowa Fax pa iowa.ed u u iowa.ed u/pandq October L4,2Ot3 John C. Keller Ph.D. Associate Provost for Graduate Education Dean of the Graduate College I enthusiastically endorse the proposal for a Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching. lt is very clear that the presence of online instruction in postsecondary education will continue to increase. lt is imperative that we prepare future college and university faculty for the challenges and opportunities associated with the online teaching environment (lnstructional Technology Counct,2}t2l. The proposed certificate program complements our very successful certificate program in college teaching. We have the resources and expertise to provide a research-based program in the effective delivery of online instruction. In particular, our department's faculty members in the area of Instructional Design/Learning Science are uniquely qualified to offer a strong and comprehensive certificate program. Specifically, Professors Steve Alessi, Ben DeVane, and Kathy Schuh have extensive experience in instructional design and online learning. Two of our current course offerings will provide a foundation for this certificate (7P:205, Design of lnstruction and 7P:2t5, Web-based Learningl.ln addition, two new courses are being developed to complete the course requirements for this certificate (Universal Design and Online lnstruction and Tools and Utilities for Online lnstruction). ln addition, Professor Mitch Kelly, who oversees the Certificate in College Teaching, will lend his expertise in the components of effective teaching to this effort. The Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching will culminate in a capstone project in which students will design a unit of online instruction tailored to their individual interests. This project can be used as part of a portfolio to be shared with prospective employers. The development of this certificate comes at the same time that a number of programs in our college are moving to online degree offerings. The Measurement and Statistics program is working to make its MA program available to online students. Also, a new online MA program in the Learning Sciences is being developed. This is in addition to several existing online degree programs and a growing number of individual online courses in the college. The convergence of these efforts will naturally lead to very robust lines of research. Students pursuing the certificate will have ample opportunity to become involved in independent study research as well as thesis or dissertation research in the area of online learning. In addition to those cited above, several other members of the college faculty have research interests consonant with the goals of this certificate. confident that this new certificate program will be a great asset to our students preparing for careers in teaching. This certificate should not only make our students even more marketable in a very I am

2 competitive academic job arena, it will also enhance the instruction of future generations of college students. The committee charged with the task of developing this proposal has done an outstanding job of providing a strong rationale for the certificate and a clear vision of its implementation. This new program will keep the University of lowa ahead of the curve in the preparation and development of future generations of scholars in lowa and beyond.,4 a*, Timothy N.'Ansley Associate Professor and Department Executive Officer Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations 36L Lindquist Center

3 rpreffi UNwffinsmr or lornm,. COLLEGE OF EDUCAtrION I-eaders. S chalarr, Innwarcn. Office of the Dean October 7 " 2073 John C. Keller, Ph.D. Associate Provost for Graduate Education Dean of the Graduate College 201 Gilmore Hall Dear Dean Keller: I enthusiastically endorse the Online Teaching Certificate proposal that is being submitted to the Graduate Council. The proposal is for a new graduate certificate that indicates educators are prepared to teach online. The plan has been developed and approved by a committee of faculty from every department within the College of Education and is endorsed by our colleagues at Continuing Education. This proposal aligns with and compliments the College of Education's strategic positioning towards preparing educational leaders who must develop competencies needed to use innovative technologies in teaching and course delivery. In education the question is no longer whether or not online learning should be occurring, but rather how it is best designed and delivered ensuring the highest quality learning experiences. The certificate builds on our strengths and relies on resources of which many are already in place. We aim to teach best practices for online teaching based on research and theory cunently taught by tenured and tenured track faculty in our Educational Psychology program. The certificate offers a path and clear connection to a new advanced degree in educational technology - human learning sciences. Our unique approach allows students to tailor and custom fit their learning to best serve the online communities they intend to teach to. Another distinctive feature of this certificate is important contributions by the lowa Center for Assistive Technologies Education and Research (ICATER). fcater will educate students on the practical skills needed for and the ethical and legal obligations of designing online learning experiences that are accessible and universally designed. This proposal is of highest priority to the College of Education and we hope you agree and approve it for implementation. We believe that the University of lowa, as a Big Ten Research One institution, has the ability and responsibility to teach innovative practices as illustrated in the proposal we have put before your committee. Efforls such as this will assure our graduates will continue to become the great education leaders, scholars, and innovators that extend and distinguish our collective reach throughout our state and far beyond. Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D. Dean Myron and Jacqueline Blank Professor of Gifted Education 459 Lindquist Center North lowa City, lowa Fax ed ucationatiowa@u iowa.edu u iowa. edu

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5 Benjamin DeVane 354 Linquist Center University of Iowa Iowa City, IA November 19, 2013 Graduate Council University of Iowa Members of the UI Graduate Council, I am writing regarding the proposed graduate Certificate in Online Teaching put forth by the department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations in the College of Education. I want to express my commitment to and support for the proposed certificate. Graduate students across the university will benefit substantively from instruction in the scholarship and practice of online learning. The course Design of Instruction, which I teach and is numbered 7P:205, is included as a curricular requirement of the certificate. This course, which is offered one-to-two times a year, teaches students about the practice of designing, developing and implementing effective instruction and instructional materials. The course, which will be offered online starting in January 2014, teaches students about foundational principles and practices of online teaching and learning. The class is already a part of the graduate Certificate in College Teaching curriculum, and enrolls students from across the university. I support the proposed certificate as presently structured, and will commit to offering courses to strengthen and maintain its curricular program. The certificate will prove valuable to graduate students who aim to work in the field of education, a field in which online learning is increasingly important. Benjamin DeVane, Ph.D Assistant Professor Department of Psychological & Quantitative Foundations College of Education