Training & Workshop Schedule

Professional Development and Trainings Professional Development and Trainings

DEeL offers regular professional development opportunities designed to support the work of faculty teaching online, hybrid, and web-enhanced courses.

Our training calendar provides sessions that engage with essential online teaching skills, best practices in online course design, and effective integration of UNCW-supported instructional technologies. Additionally, we work with small groups, programs and departments/schools to develop custom faculty development sessions to meet the needs of your academic unit.

Finally, sure to also check out our self-paced courses at the bottom of this page.

Training Schedule

Our upcoming training offerings appear below.

Missed a session you wanted to attend? DEeL is glad to offer all our training topics below (or a topic of your choosing) as 1-1 consultations, small group sessions, or program/department/school sessions. Please email elearning@uncw.edu for more information.

Note: Quality Matters (QM) workshops are managed by QM and may not be available with the same flexibility as DEeL-created training sessions.

Spring 2025 Sessions

January 2025

Online Teaching Orientation & Refresher

Date/Time: January 8, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Topics: This orientation session will be conducted by the Office of Distance Education and eLearning (DEeL) and will cover tips and best practices for the online facilitation of learning as well as an overview of Canvas, UNCW's Learning Management System, and Canvas tools used for facilitation.

What to Expect: DEeL presenters will take turns exploring the topics above and inviting your questions after each segment - please feel free to bring your questions about Canvas or online teaching. We are excited to support you on your online teaching journey.

Registration: This session is held on the second Wednesday of each month and is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

An Introduction to Quality Matters: Evidence-based Standards for Online and Hybrid Course Design

Date/Time: January 14, 2025, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Topics: Join us for a 60-minute training session designed for all faculty and instructional staff who wish to gain a deeper understanding of practical, evidence-based standards for designing high-quality online and hybrid courses. Additionally, you will learn about QM tools, DEeL services, and upcoming QM faculty development opportunities.

What to Expect: In this session, DEeL will provide an overview of Quality Matters, a globally recognized leader in assuring the quality of online and hybrid learning. You will also have the opportunity to explore the QM Higher Education rubric (a powerful tool for implementing actionable course design improvements) and consider how it might apply to your courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Connecting with Online Students

Date/Time: January 28, 2025, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Topics: Learn how to connect with students at a distance by establishing and maintaining instructor presence in the online environment. We will also explore strategies for encouraging online interaction, engagement, and collaboration.

What to Expect: This is the first session in DEeL’s Online Teaching Essentials series. Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

February 2025

Establishing Foundational Course Design

Date/Time: February 4th, 2025, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Topics: This session will explore foundational strategies for course planning and introduce valuable concepts like backward design and alignment. You will also learn how to use your existing course learning objectives and information about your learners to generate ideas for the structure of your course, as well as the assessments and activities you may want to include.

What to Expect: This is the second session in DEeL’s Online Teaching Essentials series. You are welcome to join this session even if you did not attend the previous session in the series. Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Online Teaching Orientation & Refresher

Date/Time: February 12th, 2024, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Designing Effective Online Assessments & Activities

Date/Time: February 18th, 2025, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Topics: This session offers guidance on how to create a balanced and effective portfolio of assessments in your online or hybrid course. You will also gain a clear understanding of how you can use online learning activities to foster interaction, engagement, and student success.

What to Expect: This is the third session in DEeL’s Online Teaching Essentials series. You are welcome to join this session even if you did not attend the previous session(s) in the series. Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Increase Assessment Security with Respondus Lockdown Browser/Monitor & Turnitin

Date/Time: February 25th, 2025, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Topics: Learn about practical steps you can take to increase the security of your online assessments. This session will provide you with an understanding of when you might want to take steps to secure an assessment and how you can leverage UNCW-supported instructional technologies like Respondus and Turnitin to promote academic integrity.

What to Expect: Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Enhance and Accelerate Instruction with LinkedIn Learning

Date/Time: February 24th, 2025, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Topics: This one-hour session will introduce you to LinkedIn Learning and show how it can be a valuable resource to support your course content. We’ll explore best practices for integrating LinkedIn Learning content into your curriculum to enhance student learning and engagement. You’ll also discover practical ways to use LinkedIn Learning to complement your teaching strategies, whether you teach online, hybrid, or face-to-face.

What to Expect: Participants can expect approximately 45 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 15 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

March 2025

Providing Impactful Instructional Materials

Date/Time: March 10th, 2025, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Topics: Learn about strategies, resources, and tools for selecting and sharing instructional materials that are effective, diverse, and accessible. You’ll also walk away with ideas about how you can transparently communicate the purpose of your instructional materials to your students.

What to Expect: This is the fourth session in DEeL’s Online Teaching Essentials series. You are welcome to join this session even if you did not attend the previous session(s) in the series. Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Online Teaching Orientation & Refresher

Date/Time: March 12th, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Providing Accessible Digital materials with Ally and Canvas Accessibility Tools

Date/Time: March 20th, 2025, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Topics: In this session you will learn about best practices for creating accessible course content in Canvas using two integrated tools: the Canvas Accessibility Checker and ALLY. These tools are designed to assist faculty in identifying and addressing accessibility issues, ensuring that your materials are inclusive and meet accessibility standards.

What to Expect: Participants can expect a 60 minute session with demonstrations and opportunities for hands-on practice opportunities and Q&A throughout.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Video 101 with Echo360

Date/Time: March 27th, 2024, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Topics: Explore how creating online instructional videos can help to foster a deeper connection with your students and promote engagement. You’ll tips for creating simple, accessible videos using Echo360, UNCW’s enterprise video streaming platform

What to Expect: This session features approximately 20 minutes of demonstration and presentation followed by ample time for Q&A and experimenting with Echo360.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

April 2025

Organizing Your Online Course

Date/Time: April 1st, 2025, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Topics: Help students to focus on the content instead of how to get around. You will learn practical tips and proven strategies for creating a well-organized course that supports student success and reduces the number of questions that faculty receive.

What to Expect: This is the fifth session in DEeL’s Online Teaching Essentials series. You are welcome to join this session even if you did not attend the previous session(s) in the series. Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Quality Matters for Academic Programs: Continuous Improvement and Certification Opportunities

Date/Time: April 7th, 2025, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Topics: This session is intended for program coordinators, administrators, and faculty who are interested in implementing a systematic approach to continuous improvement using Quality Matters (QM) tools and program certification opportunities. QM Program Certification is a comprehensive and rewarding initiative that can enhance overall program quality, student satisfaction, marketability, and enrollment.

What to Expect: Participants can expect approximately 45 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 15 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how QM tools might help to enhance your academic program.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Online Teaching Orientation & Refresher

Date/Time: April 9th, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Supporting & Guiding Online Students

Date/Time: April 10th, 2024, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Topics: This session will explore different strategies that you can implement in your courses to support online students, covering aspects such as technical support, academic guidance, and accessibility. You will also learn about high-impact areas of your course to provide students with guidance to help them self-regulate, make connections, and stay motivated.

What to Expect: This is the sixth session in DEeL’s Online Teaching Essentials series. You are welcome to join this session even if you did not attend the previous session(s) in the series. Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

Continuous Improvement for Online Courses

Date/Time: April 23rd, 2025, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Topics: Learn about several tools you can use to iteratively enhance the design and facilitation of your online or hybrid course. This session will present practical guidance on how to collect and analyze formal and informal student feedback and usage data. You will also learn about DEeL provided services (such as instructional design consultations and course/item reviews) that can help you to improve your experience and the student experience with your course.

What to Expect: This is the seventh (and final) session in DEeL’s Online Teaching Essentials series. You are welcome to join this session even if you did not attend the previous session(s) in the series. Participants can expect approximately 40 minutes of presentation and light interaction. For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, we will reserve the remaining 20 minutes of the session for optional Q&A and informal discussion about how to apply the topics from the training to your online or hybrid courses.

Registration: This session is delivered virtually for maximum flexibility. Please register using the link below to secure your spot and receive the Zoom information for the training.

May 2025

Applying the Quality Matters Rubrics (APPQMR)

Date/Time: May 27th, 2025 - June 10th, 2025

Topics: Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR) is one of Quality Matters’ foundational workshops and is a prerequisite for the QM Peer Reviewer Course (PRC). Facilitated by our QM-certified instructional designers, DEeL offers this QM-designed workshop at no cost to UNCW faculty and instructional staff. Participants will explore the QM Higher Education Rubric, learn about QM’s quality assurance process, and practice drafting helpful recommendations as they apply the rubric to an actual course.

What to Expect: This is a two-week, fully online asynchronous workshop. QM recommends a minimum commitment of 10-12 hours per week to achieve the learning objectives.

Registration: DEeL will register all participants through QM’s system. To register for this workshop, please complete the form linked below.

Self-Paced Courses

To give faculty the flexibility to explore new ideas whenever they have time and space available to do so, DEeL has now created several asynchronous options. Faculty can enroll in the self-paced courses at any time and earn a certificate of completion in any of the courses listed below.

Self-Paced Course Options

Introduction to Canvas

Course Description

This self-paced Canvas course introduces faculty to the fundamentals of creating a course in UNCW’s Learning Management System (Canvas) while introducing them to common best practices for online course design.

Topics that will be covered include:

UNCW faculty who have used VoiceThread previously or
Navigating Canvas
Canvas Features and Icons
Getting Help in Canvas
Best Practices for Teaching with Canvas
Creating Rubrics in Canvas
Adding a File
Creating Content in Canvas
- Adding an assignment
- Adding a page
- Creating a quiz
- Creating an announcement
- Creating a discussion

To access this course, you will first need to self-enroll into the course by clicking the button down below.

Self-enroll into the "Intro to Canvas" course

Introduction to VoiceThread

Course Description

Miss hearing your students discuss topics together? Want to create group projects online without the hassle of having to log in at the same time? Then, come discover VoiceThread!

VoiceThread is a tool for conducting student discussions asynchronously using video, voice, and/or text commenting. There are a variety of ways in which using VoiceThread can enhance the community building in your course and provide students with multiple means of expressing their learning. This self-paced course introduces faculty to the VoiceThread tools and features as well as how they can be utilized in the online environment.

Topics that will be covered include:

Exploring and interacting with VoiceThread
Viewing a gallery of example VoiceThreads in real online classes
Creating and sharing VoiceThreads
Introducing students to VoiceThread
Using VoiceThread with group projects
Facilitating and grading VoiceThreads
VoiceThread support and additional resources

To access this course, you will first need to self-enroll into the course by clicking the button down below.

Self-enroll into the "Intro to VoiceThread" course

Survive to Thrive

Survive to Thrive: Moving Beyond Rapid Remote Instruction

Course Description

Global pandemics, hurricanes, ice and snowstorms...just a few of the unprecedented events that may cause a quick pivot towards rapid remote instruction. However, as situations change, it is important to recognize when and how online courses should be modified to reflect high-quality online learning best practices rather than rapid remote instruction.

This three-part self-paced microlearning training will provide faculty with the foundation for recognizing the difference between rapid remote instruction and high-quality online learning along with recommended strategies and steps to follow when modifying online courses.

Topics that will be covered include:

Defining rapid remote instruction and high-quality online learning
Identifying contributing factors
Exploring online course quality indicators
Modifying specific course items to reflect recommended best practices (Getting Started Information, Course Syllabus, Instructional Materials, Instructor Presence, Student Engagement, and Assessments)
Exploring DEeL resources and support
Identifying strategies for evaluating changes made to online courses

To access this course, you will first need to self-enroll into the course by clicking the button down below.

Self-enroll into the "Survive to Thrive" course

Tools to Communicate

Course Description

This self-paced Canvas course introduces you to some of the Canvas Communication tools, and includes the topics below in a series of mini-learning modules that are designed for grab and go, or take all of the modules and submit for a Tools to Communicate certificate.

Topics that will be covered include:

Creating strategic and multi-media announcements in Canvas.
Setting virtual (student drop-in) hours in your Canvas course using Zoom.
Using your Canvas Inbox to communicate with your students.
Utilizing Canvas SpeedGrader beyond the comment box to provide feedback for students.

To access this course, you will first need to self-enroll into the course by clicking the button down below.

Self-enroll into the "Tools to Communicate" course