Overview of Teaching Online at SUNY Broome

SUNY Broome initially embraced the online learning environment in 1997 when the College was asked to participate in the SUNY Learning Network (Now SUNY Online). The Teaching Resource Center (TRC) provided support and training for online faculty and the TRC coordinator assumed the duties of Academic Coordinator for Distance Education. Between 1999 and 2015 the campus dramatically increased the number of courses and the number of sections taught online.  In Fall 2015, there were 301 course sections offered in the fully online modality with enrollments of 4,247. In addition to the fully online courses, there were 60 sections offered in a blended format (with required online activities and reduced seat time in the classroom) and 404 face-to-face courses that used the Learning Management System to supplement their instruction.  This growth necessitated a restructuring of the TRC to now include a Senior Instructional designer and three additional full-time Instructional Designers who support the 4 academic divisions.

The Distance Learning Steering Committee (DLSC) was created in the Fall of 2003 as a result of a campus investigation into the possibility of completing a Distance Learning Institutional Capability Review (ICR) by the New York State Education Department.  The Distance Learning Steering Committee is comprised of the Senior Instructional Designer, an Academic Advisor, the Learning Management System Administrator, the Registrar, the Systems Librarian, a representative from Information Technology Services, a representative from the Accessibility Resources Office, and representative faculty from each division teaching online.  The Committee’s charge is to review issues and recommend strategies relating to the planning, oversight, and academic leadership for distance learning. Its aim is to ensure that distance learning is integrated into the college’s strategic plan, technology plan, campus policies, and other planning initiatives.  The committee has helped to set campus direction in the selection of Learning Management Systems, to direct the consolidation of multiple Learning Management Systems into one, and to establish more clearly defined leadership responsibilities for Distance Education initiatives.

Distance Learning at SUNY Broome continues to evolve now includes additional online modalities, including Blended and Remote Synchronous.  For more specific information regarding the modalities of Online courses offered, please refer to the Modalities of Online Courses and Proper Banner Coding page on this site.

Faculty who are planning on developing a fully online course should begin the process early. Best Practices for online course development recommend a 5 month development timeline. Ideally, a course should be fully developed prior to releasing it to students. That’s not to say that adjustments and additions can’t be made along the way. It is simply advised to avoid being in a situation where you are building a course while teaching it at the same time. Attempting to stay “a module ahead” of your students will most likely lead to a very frustrating and stressful experience particularly when developing and teaching your first online course.

The staff of the Teaching Resource Center is available to assist faculty every step of the way during the design, development, and delivery of online, blended, and web-supplemented courses. We have created a sample timeline that faculty can follow to facilitate the process of development and ensure that the resulting course is functionally sound and of high quality. Please download the SUNY Broome Development Timeline for New Online Courses  document and make an appointment with an Instructional Designer. For additional information regarding the role of the Instructional Designer in the course development process, please see the What is an Instructional Designer and Why Would I Need One? in the Support for Online Faculty area of this website.

There are many resources available to faculty who are interested in determining if Online teaching is for them. Below is a link to one of the most widely used tools in this area.

PennState’s Faculty Self-Assessment: Preparing for Online Teaching
(weblearning.psu.edu/FacultySelfAssessment/)

Interested in taking the next step toward teaching an online, blended or web-supplemented course? Below are the next steps you need to take to make that happen!
Please note: You must be logged in to your faculty Gmail account to access the forms below.
Step 1: Sign up for and complete the required Blackboard 1-2-3 training. Training is offered in both face-to-face and fully online modalities. For a current listing of Blackboard Offerings, please visit the training area of our Website.
Step 2: Make an appointment with an Instructional Designer
Step 3: Develop your course. Many faculty prefer to work in a development area rather than in an actual live course. Blackboard development course shells can be requested here: Blackboard Development Course Shell Request Form
Step 4: Copy your content into your semester shell (the one that is connected to your student roster in Banner) and enable it to students!