Getting Started

I’ve been assigned to teach my first online course: what should I do?

2-3 months should provide adequate time to prepare your online course, particularly if you have taught the course before or have already developed some portion of the course content.

Use the J-term course development timeline as a guide for keeping your course development on track. Your instructional designer can talk you through the steps of the process.

Key Steps

1. Make an appointment with an instructional designer.

603-862-4242.

The Instructional Development Center (IDC) is a resource for all UNH faculty interested in integrating technology into their teaching.
Before you meet with your designer be ready to answer as many questions as possible contained in the Prepare to Meet your Instructional Designer guide.
Consider the varied technologies that might help you to most effectively meet the learning goals you’ve established for your course. Review our guide for content delivery, communication, and assessment tools available for eUNH courses. Your instructional designer can help you think through which tools are best for your course.

2. Become a proficient user of Blackboard.

To teach your course well, you should be confident in your understanding of the tools, features, and yes, quirks of Blackboard.
If you’re new to Blackboard, begin with the Quick Start course. (1.5 hours)
Build your knowledge with on-demand tutorials – approximate time to view tutorials is included:

Essential	Recommended	As Time Allows
Semester start up and Course Basics (~20 mins) Designing and Building your Course (~45 mins) Grade Center (~32 mins) Discussion Boards (~5 mins) or Blogs (~5 mins), Journals (~5 mins), Wikis (~9 mins) Assignment Tool (~5 mins)	Test, Surveys, Pools (~60-75 mins)	Course Reporting and Utilities (~18 mins) Groups (~8 mins)

3. Begin using Lecture Capture with Tegrity.

Video can help you build rapport with your students and enhance your personal presence. It also allows students to review course concepts as often as they’d like and at times of their choosing.
Please ensure that your computer has the minimum technical specs.
Request a Tegrity account (that’s the software used for Lecture Capture) by calling 603-862-4242 for account activation. This will allow you to use Lecture Capture and post video, audio, and screen captures in your Blackboard course.
Once you have your Tegrity account, visit the Lecture Capture Self-service site. This site provides the basics for creating videos using your microphone and webcam equipped computer.
For more advanced Lecture Capture services, call 2-4242 for an appointment at the MUB Distance Learning Studio.

4. Reach out to a colleague who has taught online.

Consider those in your department or in a related department who may have experienced teaching an online or hybrid course. Would they do it again? What was different about engaging with online learners? What would they have changed?
Don’t know any faculty who have taught online? Call 2-4242. We can connect you with a colleague.

5. Review your course with your instructional designer.

It will be helpful to speak with your instructional designer about the syllabus, video recordings, assignments, and modes of student interaction one final time prior to making your course live.
Consider reviewing your course against the following criteria to ensure you haven’t missed any important items: Recommended eUNH course components

eUNH Online Learning

Getting Started

I’ve been assigned to teach my first online course: what should I do?

Key Steps

Primary links

Faculty Resources