Online Faculty Development Program (OFD)

CAPC requires faculty members to participate in a Teaching and Learning Center training program before obtaining their CAPC Training Credential and teaching a distance education course. This program is known as the Online Faculty Development program (OFD).

OFD Overview

OFD is a self-paced, always available online program that introduces faculty to best practices for the various forms of online learning that take place at WCU.

After completing the certification program, faculty will be able to:

  1. Develop a relationship with their assigned instructional designer and associated university resources.
  2. Formulate a course delivery plan.
  3. Create a module that follows best practices of online course design.

To earn a CAPC Distance Education Training Credential, faculty must complete:

  1. An onboarding survey
  2. Four required modules
    1. Introduction to Inclusive Teaching Practices
    2. Alignment Basics
    3. Organizing Your Course
    4. Creating a Capstone
  3. Three additional modules of their choice.
  4. An exit survey

Faculty can expect to spend about 1-3 hours per module reviewing program content and completing assignments. Some assignments require engaging with your assigned instructional designer.

Additional Module Options

At this time OFD has six additional modules available. More are in development and will be available by June 2024.

Blended Teaching

This module overviews how to structure a blended course to maximize student engagement and learning.

100% Asynchronous Teaching

This module reviews the considerations for effectively delivering instruction in a 100% asynchronous environment.  

Remote Synchronous Teaching

An overview of strategies to engage students in video conference-based teaching including techniques for structuring the course.

Developing Learning Activities

This module extends the introduction to learning activities in the required alignment module with opportunities to explore different types of learning activities and considerations of sequencing.

Incorporating Published and Unpublished Works in Your Course

This module identifies campus resources that assist with finding and using works legally and overviews how to legally use published or unpublished works in instruction. 

Game-Based Learning and Gamification

This module introduces ways to integrate game-based learning and gamification into teaching practices.

Prerequisites

Before participating in OFD, make sure you have basic knowledge of the following items within D2L:

  • Gradebook
  • Assignments
  • Quizzes
  • Discussion Board

To get up to speed on any of these items, reference D2L Services' website for tutorials and information about D2L Subscription Training.

Getting Started

Use the button below to enroll in OFD and get started!

Self-Enroll in OFD

A CAPC Distance Education Training Credential expires after five years. Choose one of the following options to renew a training credential for an additional five years. 

Online Faculty Development Program (OFD)

OFD is a self-paced, always available online program that introduces faculty to best practices for the various forms of online learning that take place at WCU. 

After completing the recertification program, faculty will be able to: 

  • Develop your relationship with your assigned instructional designer and associated university resources.  
  • Evaluate your instructional delivery in online environments. 

To recertify your CAPC Distance Education Statement faculty will complete: 

  1. An onboarding survey
  2. One required module - Introduction to Inclusive Teaching Practices
  3. Three additional modules of their choice
  4. An exit survey

Faculty can expect to spend about 1-3 hours per module reviewing program content and completing assignments. Some assignments require engaging with your assigned instructional designer. 

Additional Module Options

Alignment Basics

An introduction to the concept of aligning objectives, activities, and assessments in learning environments.  

Organizing Your Course

This module provides strategies and best practices for effectively organizing course materials to optimize student learning and streamline instructor workflows.

Creating a Capstone

This module guides you to practically apply the information from the required online faculty development program units to create a single capstone module.

Blended Course Design

This module overviews how to structure a blended course to maximize student engagement and learning. 

100% Asynchronous Teaching

This module reviews the considerations for effectively delivering instruction in a 100% asynchronous environment.  

Remote Synchronous Teaching

An overview of strategies to engage students in video conference-based teaching including techniques for structuring the course. 

Developing Learning Activities

This module extends the introduction to learning activities in the required alignment module with opportunities to explore different types of learning activities and considerations of sequencing. 

Incorporating Published and Unpublished Works in Your Course

This module identifies campus resources that assist with finding and using works legally and overviews how to legally use published or unpublished works in instruction.    

Game-Based Learning and Gamification

This module introduces ways to integrate game-based learning and gamification into teaching practices. 

Prerequisites

Successfully earned an initial CAPC Distance Education Training Credential.

Getting Started

Use the button below to enroll in OFD and get started!

Self-Enroll in OFD

Quality Matters (QM) Options

Attend Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR) Training (One-Day, In-Person)

This full day workshop will renew your CAPC Distance Education Training Credential and award you the official QM APPQMR Certificate of Completion. It is facilitated by a WCU instructional designer. Participants must attend the whole day from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Complete the APPQMR interest form.

Obtain QM Course Certification

Prerequisite: Acceptance into the QM Initiative

Earning the QM certification for one of your courses will renew your CAPC DE Training Credential. 

Complete the Official QM Peer Reviewer or Master Reviewer Course

Prerequisite: Successful completion of APPQMR Training

Completing either course will renew your CAPC DE Training Credential. Both courses are typically 2 to 3 weeks in length and asynchronous. QM workshops are rigorous and have firm deadlines, so be sure you have adequate time to complete the required assignments. Faculty interested in either course should contact their instructional designer for registration information.  

Participate on a QM Course Review Team

Prerequisite: Successful completion of QM Peer Reviewer (PRC) Course

Serving on a QM Peer Review team for an official QM course review will renew your CAPC DE Training Credential.

CAPC Handbook

This section of the website presents the policies and procedures of the Curriculum and Academic Policies Council (CAPC) with the implementation processes of the Teaching and Learning Center.

Purpose of Distance Education and the Teaching and Learning Center

APSCUF and PASSHE have agreed via the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that the “purpose of distance education is to increase access and the availability of the curriculum offerings” (Article 41, Section A, paragraph 1). West Chester University established the Office of Distance Education in 2011; it was renamed to the Office of Digital Learning and Innovation in 2020; and in 2023, it merged with the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Center to become the Teaching and Learning Center. It is a centralized office that supports the development, promotion, implementation, and assessment of distance education programs and courses at West Chester University. The Center works closely with deans, department chairs, and faculty to expand existing distance education programs as well as identify and develop new programs. The Center provides comprehensive services to support distance education faculty and students to offer high-quality distance education courses and ensure student success.

Faculty are strongly encouraged to work collaboratively with the office on all facets of their distance education instruction including preparing courses for CAPC approval or revision.

Distance Education Training Credential

According to the Policy on the Training of New and Experienced Distance Education Faculty , faculty are required to have a CAPC Distance Education Training Credential if they want to teach a distance education course or get a course approved for online delivery by CAPC.

A Distance Education Training Credential is good for five years before it must be renewed. To learn more about earning and renewing these credentials, visit the Online Faculty Development page.