The Office of Open Learning has opened registration for a series of upcoming online courses as part of its non-credit Certificate in Online and Open Learning (COOL).

The courses, which each run for six weeks, are free to UWindsor faculty, staff, and graduate students and can be taken as either stand-alone courses, or applied for credit to the certificate.

The first course, “The anatomy of a 21st Century online and open educator,” begins in the week of Jan. 21 and will be facilitated by Nick Baker, director of the Office of Open Learning.

This course is followed by “Practice what you teach: Practical tools and strategies for technology-enhanced teaching,” and “Exploring the edges of online teaching.”

Each course uses a flexible model with live online classes, self-paced online activities, and access to resources to introduce instructors to the world of online and open learning and teaching. They are designed with three different approaches to online teaching that will help instructors understand some of the ways in which online teaching and learning experiences can be varied through the course design.

“We know that instructors are very busy, and have different needs and preferences for how they learn, so we are trying to provide flexible opportunities for people to not only experience online learning, but to also have their learning recognized,” Baker said.

The Certificate in Online and Open Learning (COOL), launched in 2017, is a non-credit offering that recognizes the commitment of faculty and others who undertake a flexible and sustained program of learning about online teaching pedagogy. The first cohort of graduates were recognized Nov. 21 at the Celebration of Teaching Excellence.

“The COOL provides individual pathways for instructors and others interested in learning more about online teaching to select from a range of learning options that suit their needs, including online half-courses, workshops, the intensive Course Design Institute, and more,” Baker said.

Find out more about the COOL courses and register for them online at https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/openlearning/workshops/20/#wkshp-102.

For more information about the Office of Open Learning’s support for faculty who want to develop online courses, contact Baker at 519-253-3000, ext. 4925; by email at nbaker@uwindsor.ca; or drop in to its offices in G102, Lambton Tower.