Faculty training and support are critical for the success of online and mixed mode courses. Faculty are provided training in the technical aspects of online and mixed mode course development and delivery as well as the best practices/quality standards for online and mixed mode instruction.

Faculty involved in online and mixed mode course development and delivery should either possess the following skills or complete the appropriate training.

Faculty teaching online or mixed mode courses should be able to:

1. Use the course development software to develop and deliver the course (WebCT)
2. Apply strategies to foster discussion to enhance the student learning process such as: bulletin board, chat, e-mail, student presentations, etc.
3. Create an environment that promotes a sense of community: student homepages, student-student interactions, collaborative student projects, etc.
4. Evaluate the various techniques to assess student learning outcomes such as: online, tests, portfolios, papers, projects, presentations, journals, bulletin board assignments, proctored tests, etc.
5. Utilize methods to provide timely feedback to students such as: e-mail, phone, bulletin board, chat, self-graded tests, etc.
6. Ensure that students have the information they need to be successful: provide an appropriate orientation letter, use calendar to give due dates/assignments, provide detailed instructions for assignments, etc.
7. Learn how to manage an online course: track students, provide timely responses, manage the bulletin board, manage the student presentation areas, etc.
8. Evaluate/ensure course quality: Utilize list of "Best Practices" to assess course quality, use student feedback to improve course, etc.