Professional Development

Improve your teaching practice

Find best practices in online teaching and learning and a wealth of resources to help you build engaging, inclusive learning environments. Sign up for a professional development workshop or browse through available content.

Online Course Models

Developed and shared by IOWA instructors, online course models demonstrate different ways to integrate effective instructional practices within an online course. Hear directly from your peers as they describe strategies they have applied and found successful within their teaching practice.

Design4Online

Design4Online (D4O) is a comprehensive faculty development program.  Instructors work with peers to apply effective instructional strategies to the design of their online courses.

Teaching Online Preparation Course

This self-enroll, self-paced introductory-level training course is a useful tool for new or experienced instructors and is available for you now in ICON. 

Key Online Course Components

What makes a great online course? Orient students to the course material, expectations, and structure. Provide context for learning and intentionally cultivate an inclusive course community.

Effective Instruction Guide

Review our practical guide to help you planbuild, and teach a more effective, engaging online course. *Includes highlights from our 3-year research study of online students at Iowa.

DOE Online Course Sample Site

What does an online course look like? How can you design a more effective online learning environment? This site is both a sample online course and a guide. Layered into the content of this course is additional research, tools, and information to help instructors make the most of the online learning environment.

AI and Education

Are you considering integrating ChatGPT or other AI tools within your curriculum?  Take a peek at this practical OER resource created for educators, by educators. 

As you consider what role generative AI may play within your own teaching and learning context, consider and address transparency, integrity, permission, and security.

News and Updates: Online Teaching and Learning

Teaching Online Newsletter - September 2024

This month's newsletter includes strategies and considerations for boosting student engagement in your online course.

Teaching Online Newsletter - August 2024

From personalizing your online course to and new opportunities to build your professional development toolkit, find helpful online teaching resources curated just for you!

Teaching Online Newsletter - May 2024

Online teaching and learning principles and strategies you can integrate into your own teaching practice. This month's content is all about Universal Design for Learning.

Getting Started with Microcredentials

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Understand the key considerations for designing and integrating microcredentials.

Quality Matters & Online Learning Consortium

Access free and discounted member resources from Quality Matters (QM) and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), provided through our institutional access. Get started now with the downloadable quick-start guide.

Quality Matters (QM) - create your free account

* Select University of Iowa Division of Continuing Education

Through our institutional membership, you gain access to many free live and on-demand resources, and discounted pricing on QM working sessions and conferences. *Check with your department for sponsorship of paid opportunities.

Online Learning Consortium (OLC) - create your free account

Through our institutional membership, you gain access to many free live and on-demand resources, as well as discounted pricing on OLC working sessions and conferences. *Check with your department for sponsorship of paid opportunities.

Quality Online Instruction

Talk with us to learn more about how to integrate a new idea or approach to teaching and learning in your online classroom.