Greetings and welcome to the USG Course Two: Improving Student Engagement & Cultivating an Online Learning Community! The purpose of this online training is to supply the knowledge and tools needed to provide quality instruction in an online platform. This training is divided into seven modules and is loosely organized around Chickering and Gamson's Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (1987). Throughout this training guide, you will find strategies for engaging with students in an online environment, tools for increasing engagement and communication, and the theories behind these tools and strategies. This training also contains helpful information for working with students who have limited access to technology, as will be the case for many students in summer and perhaps even fall classes (see the UDL section in each module).

If you are interested, you can receive an online instructor badge by completing the learning activities, quizzes, and discussions for this course in the USG Online Faculty Development Series. For more information, contact Amy Austin at amya@ecampus.usg.edu