Uniting Technology and Pedagogy: The Evolution of an Online Teaching Certification Course

32 For two-and-a-half hours, our instructors-in-training had listened intently, scribbled notes, and asked intelligent questions. They had learned how to use Blackboard’s course management tools to set up folders, learning units, and announcements. They had discussed best practices for online communication and e-mail management. They had even nodded knowingly as we explored the intricacies of the gradebook. At the end of class, they told us how much they had learned and how much they looked forward to becoming online instructors. We smiled and shook hands as they departed. As the last workshop participant left the Smart Classroom, our smiles faded. The university’s primary Blackboard support technician sighed. “You know by the time the next module starts, they won’t remember even half of this.” Just two weeks later, our phones began to ring as frustrated instructors tried to post announcements and assignments and students tried to follow broken links Uniting Technology and Pedagogy: