Partnering with online teaching faculty associates, eCampus has developed this microcredential to help faculty who teach online courses to use discussions more strategically and effectively. You will also learn strategies to more effectively facilitate discussions, incorporate AI, manage problems that may come up, and utilize grading and feedback strategies that align with discussion goals and learning objectives. By the time you complete this microcredential, you’ll be able to:
- Identify affordances of different discussion types and formats.
- Design engaging discussions promoting active learning.
- Effectively facilitate discussions in online courses.
- Employ appropriate ways to grade various discussion types and formats.
Overview of Microcredential Requirements
The Teaching Writing Intensive Online Courses Microcredential requires the completion of the following:
- Setting Up Successful Online Discussions Seminar
- Designing Engaging and Effective Discussions for Online Courses Webinar
- Facilitating Active and Engaging Discussions Webinar
- Strategic and Effective Approaches to Grading Online Discussions Webinar
- One of the following electives:
- Productive Civil Conversations in the Asynchronous Online Classroom Webinar
- Integrating Synchronous Strategies Into an Asynchronous Course: More Than Zoom! Webinar
- AI Proofing your Discussion prompts Webinar
- Microcredential Final Reflection
Setting Up Successful Online Discussions Seminar (Offered in Fall)
Are your online discussions less effective than you hoped? Discussions can be tools to support and enhance learning, but they can also come across as busy work. In this seminar, we will examine the tenets of a well-designed discussion that is collaborative, student-centered, and suited for both the level of the learner and the achievement of designated learning objectives. Strategies for incorporating worthwhile active learning that facilitates greater engagement will also be introduced.
Participants who complete the seminar will receive 2 credits towards eCampus Online Teaching or Online Course Design certificates as well as 2 credits for the microcredential.
Designing Engaging and Effective Discussions for Online Courses Webinar (Offered in Fall)
Have your online discussions been as effective as you’ve hoped? Discussions can be tools to support and enhance learning, but they can also come across as busy work. In this webinar, we will examine the tenets of a well-designed discussion that is collaborative, student-centered, and suited for both the level of the learner and the achievement of designated learning objectives. Strategies for incorporating worthwhile active learning that facilitates greater engagement will also be introduced.
Participants who attend the live 1-hour Zoom session will receive 1 credit towards eCampus Online Teaching or Online Course Design certificates as well as 1 credit for the microcredential.
Facilitating Active and Engaging Discussions Webinar (Offered in Spring)
How can you use discussion more effectively in online courses? In this session, eCampus faculty associates will lead a discussion on facilitating active and engaging discussions in online courses.
Participants who attend the live 1-hour Zoom session will receive 1 credit towards eCampus Online Teaching or Online Course Design certificates as well as 1 credit for the microcredential.
Strategic and Effective Approaches to Grading Online Discussions Webinar (Offered in Spring)
In this webinar, we will dive into grading strategies that align with different discussion types and formats, ensuring fair and consistent evaluation while promoting active learning. Participants will learn how to design grading rubrics that reflect the unique affordances of various discussion formats, support student engagement, and simplify the facilitation process. This webinar will also cover best practices for providing constructive feedback, streamlining grading workflows, and encouraging deeper student participation.
Participants who attend the live 1-hour Zoom session will receive 1 credit towards eCampus Online Teaching or Online Course Design certificates as well as 1 credit for the microcredential.
Productive Civil Conversations in the Asynchronous Online Classroom Webinar (Offered in Fall)
Navigating controversial or difficult topics in an online course can be challenging, but it is also essential for fostering critical thinking and meaningful dialogue. In this webinar, we will discuss effective strategies for facilitating civil conversations in an asynchronous online classroom. Participants will learn how to create a respectful and inclusive environment that encourages open dialogue, even on challenging issues. Topics will include setting guidelines for respectful engagement, scaffolding discussions, monitoring student interactions, and providing post-discussion reflection opportunities. This session will equip faculty with tools to manage difficult discussions, ensuring that they are productive and educational for all participants.
Participants who attend the live 1-hour Zoom session will receive 1 credit towards eCampus Online Teaching or Online Course Design certificates as well as 1 credit for the microcredential.
Integrating Synchronous Strategies Into an Asynchronous Course: More Than Zoom! Webinar (Offered in Fall)
Synchronous learning means the whole class meeting up in Zoom, right? Not always. While asynchronous courses offer flexibility, integrating synchronous elements can enhance student engagement and connection. In this webinar, we will explore strategies for incorporating a variety of synchronous and semi-synchronous tools beyond Zoom, such as text-based chats, audio tools, and interactive video applications. Participants will learn how to incorporate these tools into an asynchronous course while also increasing instructor presence and creating a more dynamic learning environment.
Participants who attend the live 1-hour Zoom session will receive 1 credit towards eCampus Online Teaching or Online Course Design certificates as well as 1 credit for the microcredential.
AI Proofing Your Discussion Prompts Webinar (Offered in Fall)
The rise of AI-driven tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot poses a challenge: how do we craft discussion prompts that resist automation and foster genuine intellectual exchange? This interactive webinar is dedicated to exploring ways to help “AI-proof” discussion prompts in your classes. We will share strategies for crafting discussion prompts that encourage students to use and develop their own knowledge and skills, such as personalized questions, multimedia tools, and local real-world applications. We will also talk about ways that students can use AI in meaningful ways to participate in online discussions without outsourcing their own learning.
Participants who attend the live 1-hour Zoom session will receive 1 credit towards eCampus Online Teaching or Online Course Design certificates as well as 1 credit for the microcredential.
Microcredential Final Reflection
Submitted after completing all other required and elective activities for the microcredential, this activity takes about one-hour to complete. Faculty are asked to reflect upon what they have learned through their participation in the microcredential activities, what they have already applied, and what they hope to do next to further explore and learn about this topic to improve their online teaching.
Participants will receive credit for the microcredential only for this activity.
Enrolling, Tracking, and Completing Microcredentials
To enroll in this microcredential, go to the eCampus group page in CampusGroups (be sure to log in) and locate the Join Sub-Groups area at the bottom-right corner of the page. Click the relevant checkbox for this microcredential to enroll in it. You can then view the requirements for the microcredential (as described above) by clicking on Home, then My Activity, then My Checklists.
You can enroll in currently scheduled offerings for this microcredential, as described above, on our eCampus Faculty Development Event page in CampusGroups. Go to the Event Page, locate the required offerings, and click register. Make sure you are logged in to CampusGroups to see all events.
If a required course for the microcredential is not listed, that means it has already been offered this semester. You can contact onlinefacultydevelopment@boisestate.edu to learn when the next offering will be.
After you complete a seminar or elective activities for a microcredential, your progress will be reflected in CampusGroups. You can view your progress by clicking on the Home button in CampusGroups, and then in the main menu selecting My Activity, then My Checklists.
Updates to the progress can take up to one week to be reflected after completing an activity. If you have a question about your progress, please reach out to onlinefacultydevelopment@boisestate.edu.
Once you complete the final activity for a microcredential, you will be notified by the eCampus Faculty Development team. You will then receive a badge recognizing that you completed the certificate which you can save to your computer and upload to LinkedIn. Your achievement of the microcredential will be announced in an upcoming eCampus Update Newsletter. Prior to announcing it in the newsletter, you will be offered the opportunity to opt-out of the announcement.
In addition to your achievement being recognized with a badge and the announcement in the eCampus Update newsletter, your completion of the seminar and elective activities will also be reported to Faculty 180, where appropriate, a tool at Boise State for faculty to collect, organize, and display their research, teaching and service data for the purposes of annual reviews, promotion and tenure.
Once you complete the Teaching Writing Intensive Courses Microcredential, you are encouraged to pursue other microcredentials and certificates.
Learn more about eCampus Online Teaching and Online Course Design Certificates and microcredentials.