While some people may have natural communication talents, teaching is a learned skill. Teaching involves patience, creativity, flexibility, and knowledge not just of specific subject content, but of different instructional methodologies that can be employed to help many different kinds of students learn. For example, not just anyone can teach in American public schools: to teach in K-12 public schools in the United States you must earn at least a Bachelor’s degree and state teaching certification (private schools often have different requirements and may not require state teacher certification.) It also helps to be personally engaging and able to command an audience, so that you don’t have a classroom full of sleeping or rebellious students.
Online teaching, however, often requires different skills and talents, because there are differences between traditional classroom teaching and online instruction, specifically in the way content is presented and how students learn. The University of Wisconsin explains that there are some real differences between face-to-face teaching and online teaching: “Teaching in the online environment involves much more than putting course materials into an online format. Most instructors find that the pacing, organization of content, and types of activities need to be different when delivered online. With the right background and planning, the online teaching experience can be as rewarding and engaging as the face-to-face classroom, if not more so.”
So what qualifications do online teachers need? A few years ago, Greg Kearsley and Robert Blomeyer outlined the basic demands of K-12 teaching, which are also relevant to online college teaching:
- Be able to work at a computer for a few hours a day
- Enjoy working with students individually
- Use different teaching styles and techniques
- Be comfortable with extensive writing and typing.
In general, college professors are not required to hold teacher certifications to teach in their subject areas, but I would add that the following characteristics and skill sets are also necessary for online college instructors, because online education has advanced and become more extensive and complex:
- Comfort with and ability to explain/troubleshoot technical issues for students
- Proficiency in producing interactive materials, video lectures, and other content
- Organization, preparation and effective time management skills
- Thorough subject matter knowledge and an advanced degree (master’s or doctorate)
- Advanced communication skills
As online teaching has expanded, it has become more common for schools at all levels to require anyone they hire to teach online to be certified in online instruction as well. Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL, which created The National Standards for Quality Online Courses, “states that maintaining standards of instruction, including those achieved through certification, improves the quality of online education in general. She said, “standards help ensure the quality and consistency of online learning in K-12” because the maintenance of instructional standards in online teaching “offers an important measuring tool to help policy leaders, schools, and parents across the nation evaluate course quality and implement best practices.”
Again, this is increasingly true for college instructors as well, and as a result of these beliefs, there has been a proliferation of certificate programs in online teaching and instruction. Students can earn certifications in college teaching, K-12 teaching, and a number of other areas related to online curriculum and instruction. Here is a sample of some of the different institutions offering certification programs, and the different programs available:
- ETOM is the non-profit Educational Technology Organization of Michigan and provides both members and nonmembers with a low-cost opportunity to learn online teaching skills in a 6-week Online Teacher Certification Course that is facilitated through Grand Rapids Community College. It includes training in Creating Multimedia Content, Integrating Social Applications, and using Live Tools.
- The California Educational Technology Collaborative’s @ONE Project offers over 100 programs every year to assist California’s community college faculty and staff members in developing technological skills to enhance online teaching. Their program for online teaching certification is based on the requirements of iNACOL’s The National Standards for Quality Online Courses and includes courses such as Building Online Community with Social Media and Creating Accessible Online Courses.
- Pace University’s Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology offers a three part Teaching Online Certification Program, including Blackboard: The Basics, Teaching Effectively Online and Mentoring. The Blackboard component is self-paced and available to start anytime, while the other two parts vary in duration and scheduling.
- The University of Wisconsin’s Distance Education Professional Development Program provides a Professional Certificate in Online Teaching (PCOT) and is “designed for instructors who need to quickly get up to speed and prepare to teach online.” To that end, it includes training in student engagement strategies, content development, and the skills specific to the online format.
This list is by no means comprehensive, as more and more programs continue to become available. If you decide to pursue an online teaching certificate, it is a good idea to see if your employer will provide funding as part of professional development; many schools are now offering free training to faculty and staff. And, if you are currently on the academic job market, it never hurts to have an extra credential, especially one that speaks to your commitment to further developing your teaching skills. Finally, you should check to make sure that the program you enroll in will provide the skills that are in demand in your content area.
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