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SUNY Online Teaching Faculty Readiness Guide

This resource was designed to help you self-assess your general readiness to teach online. To get started, navigate through the self-assessments below to help you gauge the prerequisite technical skills, capacity, support, and motivation teaching online requires.

Then, browse the videos to hear directly from online faculty, instructional designers, and students about their online teaching and learning experiences to help clarify and deepen your understanding. Explore the additional resources to learn about SUNY Online Teaching’s support for new online teaching faculty, and discover communities of practice to get connected.

Finally, take the next step and start your journey with our Interested in Teaching Online resource.

Start Here:
The Basics

This section will ask you to consider whether you have the basic motivation and conditions to develop a course and teach online.
Take Self Assessment

Core Digital Fluencies

This section will help you confirm that you have the essential digital fluencies to successfully develop and teach an online course.

Take Self Assessment

Communication & Presences Skills

This section outlines the communication and presence skills necessary to be effective and efficient in communicating online.

Take Self Assessment

Inclusive & Accessible Online Teaching Skills

This section will prompt you to reflect on whether you possess the fundamental skills necessary to teach with inclusivity in mind and design accessible courses.
Take Self Assessment

AI, Academic Integrity, & Digital Ethics Skills

This section aims to ensure that you possess the AI literacy, academic integrity, and digital ethics skills essential for teaching online.

Take Self Assessment
Self-Assessments

Videos

Video screenshot of title slide

Ten Common Myths

Dispel some commonly heard myths, assumptions,
and misperceptions about online-enabled education.

watch video
Ray Schroeder

What is Online Learning?

Two experts share insights on the nature of online learning.

Watch video
Clark Shah-Nelson

What is the role of an effective
online instructor?

Practical challenges and concerns about teaching
online effectively.

watch video
Richard Osborne

What are the benefits of teaching
online?

A perspective on what faculty gain from teaching online.

watch video
Peter Shea

What do you lose in teaching online?

A response to the constraints and limitations often cited
about the online environment.

watch video
Erik Finkle

What is the online student perspective?

Online students discuss their experiences in the online
learning environment.

watch video
I (heart) teaching online screenshot

Why do online faculty love online
teaching and learning?

SUNY Online Teaching Ambassadors share their
enthusiasm for online teaching and learning.

watch video
  • Video screenshot of title slide
  • Ray Schroeder
  • Clark Shah-Nelson
  • Richard Osborne
  • Peter Shea
  • Erik Finkle
  • I (heart) teaching online screenshot
Videos

Resources

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Support for new online teaching faculty

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SUNY Online Community of Practice

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SUNY Online Teaching Support

Resources
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Start Your Journey

Once you have completed the self-assessment checklists, you are ready to learn more!

We have developed a self-paced online course to provide you with a comprehensive dive into what you need to know if you are interested in online teaching. The course is designed to help you navigate the content either as a mapped out journey with an established list of milestones to complete, or you can browse the course as a meandering path exploring the content and resources on your own open learning journey.

Next Steps