Teach Online

Online teaching endorsement is required to teach online at the University of Mississippi. Since most online courses at UM are offered in an asynchronous format on Blackboard, online instructors are encouraged to follow standard practices for effective online teaching and course design. Explore Standard Practices for information on course standards and expectations.

Standard Practices

The majority of online courses offered at the University of Mississippi are asynchronous learning. With this type of online distance learning, students have flexibility on when to complete their coursework. A student-centered approach is commonly adopted in UM online courses. Using this approach, instructors create online courses that are engaging, supportive and accessible in line with online course standards nationwide. Academic Outreach supports the implementation of 12 commonalities found in widely used standards as listed in Online Course Design in Higher Education: A Review of National and Statewide Evaluation Instruments (Baldwin, Ching, & Hsu, 2018):

  • Objectives are available
  • Navigation is intuitive
  • Technology is used to promote learner engagement/facilitate learning
  • Student-to-student interaction is supported
  • Communication and activities are used to build community
  • Instructor contact information is stated
  • Expectations regarding quality of communication/participation are provided
  • Assessment rubrics for grading assignments are provided
  • Assessments align with objectives
  • Links to institutional services are provided
  • Course has accommodations for students with disabilities
  • Course policies are stated for behavior expectations

Online Instructor Endorsement

What do I need to do in order to teach online at the University of Mississippi?

1. Discuss

Discuss online teaching with your Academic Chair.

2. Identify

Identify the course you will teach online and an expected term of course offering.

3. Enroll

Enroll in online teaching endorsement.

4. Complete

Complete endorsement requirements two weeks prior to teaching online.

ENDORSED

Receive an Award of Completion and online teaching endorsement.

When an instructor is assigned to teach an “Online,” “Online Hybrid,” or “Online Program” at the University of Mississippi, the next step is to get an online teaching endorsement from the Office of Academic Outreach.

In order to be endorsed, instructors must complete Online Teaching Endorsement prior to the start of the semester they are scheduled to teach online. Successful candidates receive an Award of Completion and are then eligible to teach online at UM.

The goal of the endorsement process is to familiarize online instructors with the pedagogical concepts of effective and engaging online teaching and learning, as well as to give them resources for designing and developing their online course.