Online Teacher Preparation Practicum (OTPP)

The world is changing. In the recent past, teaching online was viewed as a specialty, even a luxury. Today it is a necessity. However, most teachers have had no formal training or practice in online teaching and are expected to teach students who depend on them for guidance. This can make for a very stressful experience for teachers, and a less-than-satisfactory, even chaotic, experience for students. The Online Teacher Preparation Practicum (OTPP) fills that gap. It is designed to RAPIDLY train and equip teachers to become effective online instructors irrespective of subject area or degree of computer proficiency.

In this course, students (primarily working or aspiring teachers) will learn how to teach online. The goal of this is to augment their skills as teachers by helping them develop the technical and operational competencies to deliver their content and manage their classrooms in an online environment. This course assumes NO prior experience in online teaching; cohorts will be organized based on student proficiency in the use of computers as well as prior experience in online teaching. The most common online teaching and conferencing platforms will be introduced and thoroughly practiced as part of the course. Those students that lack relevant prerequisite skills  (e.g. basic use of a computer) may be enrolled in the relevant CGS class(es) to address those deficiencies (see description below).  Due to the nature of this practicum, sessions run from four to twelve weeks depending on the needs of students in the specific cohort.

OTPP assumes no prior technical proficiency in the use of computers. There are three principal components of OTPP, similar to the elements that comprise a well designed online teaching system - (a) The Learning Management System (LMS), (b) The Conferencing Platform, and (c) The School Management System.

Even though there are scores of software offerings covering these capabilities, they all have commonalities which are explored in this practicum. The goal is not to review every single piece of software but to prepare teachers to use ANY piece of relevant software presented or adopted by their organization. The practicum uses open source software for the training. The focus is on hands-on group teacher training. Instructors use a paced modular learning approach to introduce key concepts to the cohort. Students are expected to use the platform to teach other students and be evaluated by peers. The goal is practice, practice, and more practice, so that students become comfortable and fluid in teaching online. The peer feedback mechanism provides a safe and supportive experience to teachers to learn together. The ultimate goal is for each student-teacher to hone and develop their individual online teaching persona and style. The course curriculum for OTPP is outlined below:

Module I: The Learning Management System (LMS)

• Introduction to LMS
• Outline of open-source and commercial LMS offerings.
• Creating a course from scratch
• Synchronous vs asynchronous tutorial systems
• Translating and posting a course syllabus
• Managing supporting resource material (including multimedia and online content)
• Creating and managing assignments
• Managing student interactions and classroom interactivity - student groups, forums, polls, blogs, wikis, chats, etc. 
• Live instruction in online teaching
• Student testing and evaluation
• Managing and tracking attendance
• Managing live-testing capabilities
• Integrity and honesty in online classrooms
• Managing grades and recording student performance
• Information security and data protection
• Managing the isolation that comes with online teaching

Module II: The Conferencing Platform

• Introduction to videoconferencing platforms
• Overview of open-source and commercial  offerings
• Internet access, bandwidth, hardware and requisite infrastructure
• Lighting, sound, noise, and intrusions: managing the physical environment
• Access control and security in the classroom environment
• Membership and privilege control in the classroom environment
• Distribution lists and attendance control
• Use of visuals, props, avatars and chromakey in creating a unique classroom persona
• Sharing and use of resource materials in real-time
• Tracking attendance and maintaining attentiveness
• Controlling classroom behavior in an online environment
• Dealing with equipment failure in online teaching environments
• Document security: Sharing, distributing and controlling learning material
• Data security: Protecting content generated in the classroom during and after the session
• Legal jeopardy: Caution and care in online interactions
• Data exchange between the conferencing platform and the learning management system
• Administrative oversight of online classrooms

 Module III: The School Management System

• Introduction to school management platforms
• Overview of open-source and commercial offerings
• Principal elements of a school management system
• Access control and information security
• Digital trails and access footprints
• Privilege control and administrative hierarchies
• Data privacy: Guardian/parental access controls
• Creating student records
• Reporting grades and student reports
• Reporting performance, discipline and other student information
• Medical records/event reporting
• Distribution lists and data dissemination
• Creating customized reports
• Document security: Creating and storing archival material
• Data security: Protecting content generated in the school management system
• Legal jeopardy: Caution and care in creating permanent records
• Data exchange between the school management system and the learning management system
• Administrative oversight and legal liability
• Legal obligations and ethical requirements in an online learning environment

Prerequisite:

Students that do not have the requisite computer skills to participate effectively in OTPP may register for CGS 1104, described as follows:

[CGS1104 - Computer Immersion

The aim of this course is to provide students with the basic computer skills needed in the workplace. In this course, students will learn how to use computer software such as Microsoft Office. In addition, this course will teach students how to utilize digital devices as educational tools. Students will be expected to have digital devices containing multimedia tools that would assist them in their studies.]

Classes are held weekly in LIVE, interactive online sessions led by highly experienced instructors. Students are expected to practice extensively and provide feedback to each other so as to make the most of the group learning format.

Students are assigned to cohorts based on a balance between availability in a given cohort and indicated technical proficiency. (Individualized classes are scheduled at the convenience of the student and the instructor but must meet the minimum participation requirements for the program.)

The exact schedule of classes and the electronic credentials needed for online access are provided to students in their Admissions Package.

• OTPP runs for 1-3 months depending on technical proficiency and student needs.
• OTPP cohorts typically start the first (working) Monday of every month.
• Registration for new cohorts closes 1 month in advance of the start date. (For instance, students who want to participate in a  program starting in January need to be registered by the end of November.) This is to ensure proper planning and management of cohort sizes.
• OTPP classes typically meet online twice a week; registered students have access to study and test material on the online platform every day of the week.
• Special classes for organizations, groups or associations may be arranged outside of this standing schedule. (For group schedules, send email to )

IDMANN Institute is committed to providing affordable, quality education for as many students as possible. The institution provides a standing bursary for students in most of our programs based on available financial resources. The goal of the bursary is to assist students in a particular demographic or grouping that may legitimately benefit from the program but may face financial challenges in covering the full cost of tuition.

IDMANN Challenge Bursary:

This program is supported by the IDMANN Challenge Bursary. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary is financial aid provided by IDMANN Institute and partner organizations that fund the Enterprise Development Fund. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary supports students according to the following criteria:

1. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary only covers tuition, not the application fee. Awards are made AFTER students have applied and have been successfully admitted into the program.
2. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary will only support the first ten (10) eligible students to apply in the qualifying cohort. This means that students who apply early are more likely to be successfully considered for the bursary award. The Challenge Bursary is made on a "first-come first-awarded" basis. Students in eligible countries are STRONGLY encouraged to apply early and to indicate their intent to apply for the bursary award. (No special form is required, simply indicate in the application form.)  
3. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary covers 40% of the tuition for students. It does NOT cover the application fee. 
4. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary operates on a contributory basis. This means that students must pay their share of the tuition IN A TIMELY MANNER for the bursary to be applied. In the event that students fail to make their payments in a timely manner, the bursary award will automatically lapse and students will be responsible for the full tuition.
5. Bursary awards are for a specific cohort in a specific course and cannot be transferred to another course. However, in the event that the award recipient needs to transfer to a different cohort within the same course, upon approval of their instructor, the bursary award may be transferred to the new cohort at the same level of support as in the previous cohort.
6. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary is available subject to continued availability of funds to support the bursary. The Institute and supporting partners may terminate the program without prior notice. In any circumstance, students awarded a bursary will receive the committed support through the completion of their studies at IDMANN Institute.
7. The IDMANN Challenge Bursary is available only to students applying to the program and are RESIDENT in the following countries at the time of application: Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Jamaica, Kenya, Tanzania, Guyana, Suriname, Haiti and Indonesia.

Application & Registration Fees: