Technology Preparedness Guides

Faculty members who wish to teach online should not only possess basic proficiency in computer skills but should also be acquainted with and feel comfortable using more advanced programs and applications. The following technical skills are examples of what skills would be needed to teach online and hybrid courses. If you need help understanding how to apply these principles to your courses, please contact your campus Instructional Designer and/or Distance Education Coordinator.

Basic Computer Skills

• Typing, editing, and keyboard shortcuts
• Understanding of current and supported browsers for the LMS in use
• Understanding of browser maintenance, including clearing the cache

Canvas Learning Management System

• Upload content
• Create, design, and edit course modules
• Make content accessible
• Use formatting techniques to create semantic structures (headers, bulleted/numbered lists, etc.)
• Insert tables, graphs, and graphics with alt text
• Create announcements, discussion forums, blogs, and wikis
• Create assessments, surveys, and polls
• Upload multimedia
• Use LMS inbox to contact students
• Understand & use other learning management system tools
• Use web-conferencing applications for virtual office hours
• Use rubrics and grading tools for individual feedback

File Management

• Create & name files
• Understand file formats (doc, .docx, rtf, text, JPEG, GIF, PDF, WAV, MPEG etc.)
• Understand file storage
• Organize and manage files in the LMS

Email

• Send & receive email
• Attach documents & pictures
• Respond to student inquiries within 24-48 hours of receipt

PowerPoint 2016

• Create, edit & save presentations using slide templates
• Add multimedia to presentation with alt-tags for images
• Record audio narration for presentations
• PowerPoint Tips

Lecture Capture - Screencast-O-Matic Or Zoom

• Create, edit and save lecture recordings
• Create and upload captions
• Audio recording

Internet Research

• Know how to do targeted searches
• Understand how to use online databases
• Be familiar with YouTube, ConferZoom, podcasts, blogs, webinars & wikis

Adapted from thePasadena City College Distance Education Handbook