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COVID-19 Flex Training Information

A page within Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning (CATL)

TRAINING INFORMATION

This coming school year leaves many unknowns about how we will be teaching our students. CATL is offering a two-week training to help you be prepared for various scenarios (online, blended, and/or face-to-face). Our goal is to help instructors use course planning time efficiently and effectively despite the unknowns. This “flex” training will help you strategically design your course for flexible delivery. You will learn strategies, tools, and options for meeting your course objectives.  

You will work with a cohort of UWL colleagues throughout the two weeks to explore, discuss, and create content that will be useful in your upcoming courses. This cohort will remain available to collaborate with into the academic year, creating more supports for everyone.   

The training will be offered online but will include some synchronous/real-time components so you can learn tools and techniques, should you elect to use these types of offerings in your courses. Your cohort will work to determine three different dates/times per week for these real-time sessions and you will be expected to attend one per week.  

STIPEND

Instructors contracted to teach at least one for-credit course in Fall 2020 who successfully complete this training will receive a $500 stipend.  

DATES

Trainings run for two consecutive weeks. Please register for the two-week time period that is best for your schedule and when you are able to devote the time needed to work on your course and with your training cohort. In order for CATL to plan trainings based on the status of UW System courses, we need to offer trainings after the date UW System will communicate a decision (July 10).

Sessions were held as follows:   

  • July 13 through July 26
  • July 20 through August 2
  • July 27 through August 9
  • August 3 through August 16
  • August 10 through August 23

NOTE: Registration is now closed. Please contact CATL if you need assistance with your Fall courses. 

SPECIAL COHORT

Every training section will be run in a cohort model. You will work with your cohort peers throughout the two-week training.

In addition, when you register, you will be asked if you want to participate with a specific type of cohort (first-year students, labs, language learning, visual/performing arts, lecture based, seminar based, writing intensive, etc.). If you do, we will work to schedule these based on interest and availability. You will be asked to select any and all of the training dates that would work for you so we can accommodate the requests for specific cohort groups.  

FAQ

Question: Does this training count if I’ve requested to teach my Fall 2020 courses online? 
Answer: This is a departmental and Dean’s decision. Consult with your department chair about requirements. If you are teaching fully online, CATL recommends the UWL Online Instructor Training. 

Question: Why “flex” training? 
Answer: We do not know the details of how our courses need to be offered in the fall. We need to be prepared to offer online, face-to-face, and blended curricular aspects to our course. Thus, we need to be able to prepare for a flexible course offering. The training will discuss ways to do this so we can be effective and efficient in our choices and time. 

Question: Who is eligible for the stipend? 
Answer: Instructors contracted to teach at least one course in Fall 2020 who successfully complete this training will receive a $500 stipend. 

Question: What is the training curriculum?  
Answer: This is still being determined and will be altered as we know more from UW System about the modes and parameters around our upcoming course offerings. But, the training will overview the best of online, face-to-face, and blended modes of delivery to help you be prepared.  

Question: Why a cohort model? 
Answer: A cohort model can help build and establish a connection between various instructors working to create flexible learning experiences for their students. This cohort will remain available to collaborate with into the academic year, creating more supports for everyone.  

Question: Will this be offered to instructors joining UWL in Fall 2020? 
Answer: Yes. New instructors can participate in a section of this training. The new instructor needs a signed contract and they need to activate their email address before they can be enrolled in the Canvas course. So, plan the session enrollment according to this timing. New instructors can register on the registration link below. New instructors will not get their stipend until after they are on contract, in September or October. 

Question: For eligibility purposes, does this training take the place of the UWL Online Instructor Training? 
Answer: No. If you are looking to apply for online course development funding (on hold for FY20-21), you need to complete the UWL Online Instructor Training or have a waiver on file for completing a similar training program.  

Question: Can I take this training if I’ve already taken the UWL Online Instructor Training? 
Answer: At this time the answer is yes. CATL is hoping our funding source will allow for any interested instructor to take this training. However, if the demand is high we may need to give first priority to instructors who have not taken the UWL Online Instructor Training.  

Question: Should I take this instead of the UWL Online Instructor Training? 
Answer: The Online Instructor Training is created for students and instructors of traditional online courses at UWL. If you are planning to teach a traditional online course at UWL in the future, then that training might be a good fit for you. If you are looking to learn ways to be ready for different course delivery options for this next school year then the flex training might be best. If you want to do both, go for it.  

Question: I want to talk to someone about which training I should take. Who should I email? 
Answer: CATL will be happy to talk to you about options. Send an email to start the conversation – catl@uwlax.edu  

Question: What is the anticipated workload? 
Answer: This is largely dependent on how much work you want to put into the training and how much to you want to also be working on your own courses during the training. The activities and discussions for the training will be planned to take approximately 10-15 hours per week, more if you’re willing to prepare more.