Training, Workshops and Other Opportunities

Brooklyn College Guide to Online Pedagogy (BCGO)

BCGO is a four-module, self-paced (fully asynchronous) series intended to give faculty an overview of best practices in online teaching. It provides faculty with core principles, strategies, recommendations, and resources gathered from experienced and critical online educators/resources.

The modules focus on teaching online in the context of COVID-19:

an introduction to online pedagogy and frameworks,
trauma-aware pedagogy,
course and syllabus design,
activity/assessment design and rubrics,
assessment and testing,
online facilitation, communication, and community-building.

The course modules are not facilitated.

All Brooklyn College faculty—both full-time faculty and adjuncts—are invited to use BCGO as a resource for reference and consultation at any time. In addition, BCGO can be taken as a course, which requires completing assignments and assessments.

Blackboard Training

Provided by the Library/Academic Information Technology (AIT)

Scheduled/Synchronous Training

Training session topics vary based on the stage of the semester/term and faculty requests.

See the CTL Homepage for the weekly training schedule.

Brooklyn College Blackboard Basics

BC Blackboard Basics is a self-paced introductory course to the Blackboard platform. It takes approximately 4-6 hours to complete for those new to Blackboard. Once you start, we recommend that you complete it within two weeks. Participants will be introduced to the various features and tools of the Blackboard platform for their hybrid and online teaching. Each module will include a short assessment.

Self-enrollment Instructions (pdf)

This course fulfills the Blackboard Basics training requirements for both the CUNY-wide Online Teaching Essentials (OTE) and the Brooklyn College Guide to Online Pedagogy (BCGO) courses. In order to receive the appropriate stipend, please complete this course either before or concurrently with either of the pedagogy courses.

Open Educational Resource (OER) Development and Online Course Support

If you are interested in developing a Zero Textbook Cost online course, the OER team can help you create discussion tools, maps, videos or audio assignments, quizzes, and tests. For more information visit the Brooklyn College's Open Educational Resource (OER) Initiative.

To sign-up, contact Professor Miriam Deutch at MiriamD@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
To receive a $1,500 stipend, the course must completed by fall 2020. Funding is available to support up to 10 faculty this summer.
We are also offering a special faculty development opportunity in the fall semester that will make a difference in your teaching online and also face-to-face.

CUNY-Wide Online Teaching Essentials (OTE)

Offered by the School of Professional Studies—this fully online 3-week course in on-line pedagogy is a facilitated, asynchronous course and includes faculty from across CUNY. Total estimated time is 9–12 hours, though times may vary. Take a look at the Online Teaching Essentials Overview (pdf) for more information:

3-week sessions begin early June and early July, and possibly early August.
$500 stipend (upon successful completion, with completion of a Brooklyn College Blackboard Basics Course—see above)
This course is the most comprehensive training available to faculty this summer.

Please look out for announcements/invitations in your inbox. This training is administered by the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Brooklyn College is collecting the applications but the final decision about who will be accepted to participate is determined by CUNY SPS and Academic Affairs.

CUNY Innovative Teaching Academy

This grant-funded program is designed for faculty teaching high-enrollment, high-failure STEM and other courses. The goal is to build on strengths and increase success for students at Brooklyn College, with a focus on equity. Funding is available for 60 faculty who will each receive $1,000 upon completion.