Certificate of Achievement in Online and Blended Instruction

The Certificate of Achievement in Online and Blended Instruction is designed for students working in or planning for a career in online human resource training and development or education; in-service and pre-service teachers; educators at any level; and those working as trainers for any market sector.The certificate program focuses on the design and development of online coursework through the use of a learning management system, with a focus on the key areas of content presentation, interaction,assessment, and accessibility. The content includes current best practices in instructional design, student engagement, socio-emotional learning, differentiation, equity, collaboration, assessment, and professional responsibilities, all through the lens of online teaching and learning. Skills learned include the ability to develop online courses in learning management systems, design and assess meaningful learning objectives, monitor student progress and engagement, build virtual communities that embrace diversity,create learning materials that are accessible to diverse learners, develop activities to promote engagement,and create interactive multimedia to support learning. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to develop and successfully facilitate courses, workshops, and trainings in an online or blended environment

During its initial year, one cohort of 30 students is projected to complete the program. After the first year, the program will increase its cohort size to 50 students. The intention is to conduct two cohorts of 50 students per year, or 100 students per year. After five years, approximately 400 students are projected to complete the program (accounting for attrition). Events related toCOVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders have highlighted the extremely pressing need for a program of this nature. There is expected to be an increased demand for quality online and blended educational models, both as a safeguard against another shelter-in-place event, and as an opportunity to promote more flexible learning opportunities for a variety of educational institutions and workplaces. Because this program can be taught entirely online, there is the potential for a greater reach to students beyond the local area.

Foothill’s mission is to offer equitable programs and services that empower students to achieve their goals and become productive global citizens. By offering an Online and Blended Instruction Certificate, Foothill will provide an invaluable service to current and future educators and trainers by teaching them to create high quality learning programs in a virtual environment, with a focus on access and equity. By modeling best practices in online education students in the program will experience a real-life example of successful online learning, and they will be able to apply these skills to their own online learning projects.Foothill’s 2019-2020 Annual College Strategic Objectives recognizes that classes are being moved from face-to-face to hybrid and/or online; however, the document also recognizes that not all students are equipped with the tools to be successful in an online environment. In this Certificate program, students will learn best practices and equity-driven strategies to help ALLs tudents find success in online classes. This will enable K-12 educators to scaffold online learning strategies in traditional and blended classrooms, empowering younger students to become successful learners and leaders in higher-ed virtual environments.The 2019 California Community College State of the System Report highlighted the California Online College that is helping the needs of stranded workers looking for an opportunity to boost their skills and marketability. Additionally, there is a push to expand the online opportunities for all students so that access is equitable and flexible for the diverse needs of adult learners. Upon completion of the Online and Blended Instruction Program, students will be able to offer all learners a high-quality education anywhere in the world.

The program will require students to take 11 core units and 4 elective units

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
CORE
LINC 75A	Introduction to Instructional Design and Technology	3	Y1F
LINC 75C	Designing Online Instruction	3	Y1W
LINC 93B	Assistive Technology and Universal Access	1	Y1W
LINC 57	Designing Learner Centered Instruction	1	Y1S
LINC 91B	Evaluating Technology Based Learning Outcomes	3	Y1S
ELECTIVES (select 4 units)
LINC 66C	Searching and Researching the Internet	2	Y1F
LINC 70	Web Page Design Overview	1	Y1F
LINC 98	Teaching and Learning in the Digital age	1	Y1 F
LINC 95 B	Technology Ethics and Educational Law	1	Y1F
LINC 90A	Webinars	1	Y1W
LINC 80	Multimedia OVerview	1	Y1W
LINC 81	Using Digitial Images	1	Y1W
LINC 83F	INtro to Digital Video Editing		Y1S
LINC 58	Global Project Based Learning	2	Y1Spring

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This program is a natural outcome of the Learning in New Media Classes department’s focus, and reflects the Krause Center for Innovation’s mission to empower teachers and transform the learning experience through innovation and effective practices. The foundational courses of the program connect to the LINC Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology program before branching into the realm of online-specific instruction. The curriculum sequence is designed to address the key themes and outcomes provided by the CVC-OEI initiative, bringing this excellent model of online instruction to a wider-ranging audience.

There are no similar programs at other colleges in Foothill’s service area. However, there are some similarities between this program and programs at other organizations that are connected with educational institutions. The curricular themes for this program are founded in the CCC California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative (CVC-OEI) program for CCC employees. This initiative runs multiple successful programs related to online instruction, but program participation is limited to employees of the California Community College system, so it does not impact K-12 educators, non-CCC college educators, virtual tutors, and industry/corporate trainers and education development managers. Leading Edge, through the Riverside County Office of Education, offers an Online and Blended Teacher Certification that includes 60 hours of learning and is adapted from CVC-OEI online certification programs. Of the organizations that impact Foothill’s service area, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) and the New Tech Network are only ones that are Office of Instruction 5/23/19 qualified to offer this program. The last time this program was offered through the SCCOE was June of 2018. This program has not been offered through the New Tech Network in the past 3 years. Currently, no upcoming programs of this kind are scheduled through Leading Edge anywhere in California through 2025.