[June 17, 2013] Academic Partnerships Expands Development Programming with Faculty eCommons Tweet Jun 17, 2013 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Academic Partnerships, a representative of online learning in the United States and around the world, announced that it has expanded the professional development programming available through Faculty eCommons, a social learning ecosystem developed for faculty around the world to work together and improve online education. "Faculty eCommons is dedicated to helping faculty design and teach high-quality online courses that meet that needs of today's learners," said AP Vice President of Academic Services Whitney Kilgore. "It has been a tremendous resource for those involved in providing online instruction, and we are delighted to expand the professional development programs it provides to address issues of interest, including teaching with emerging technologies and designing innovative instruction for the online classroom." According to a release, developed with quality in mind, Faculty eCommons' free professional development events provide faculty with guidance and practical tips that can be applied to online courses to create effective and memorable learning experiences for students. Regular events include "Ed Tech Du Jour," an ongoing web series hosted by online learning authorities and AP Academic Services Directors Dr. Heather Farmakis and Dr. Melissa Kaulbach. The series focuses on effective online teaching practices and techniques designed to promote academic honesty, build community, and increase student engagement. Faculty eCommons also offers "Learn with Michelle," an ongoing series of webinars and Google+ Hangouts hosted by Michelle Pacansky-Brock, AP academic services director and author of Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies. As part of the series, Pacansky-Brock facilitates informal conversations with representatives of institutions that have successfully implemented effective practices to solve eLearning challenges, such as integrating Web 2.0 tools and establishing faculty development models. In addition, Faculty eCommons said it is offering four-week professional development massive open online courses. These "Micro-MOOCs" focus on developing skills that faculty can apply to designing and teaching online courses. Each "Micro-MOOC" offers webinars hosted by field experts and online resources around which course conversations and learning occur. Past courses have focused on how to incorporate Open Education Resources into the curriculum and instructional design for mobile learning. More information: www.facultyecommons.com www.academicpartnerships.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]