In Unit 1, you'll uncover the AWESOME journey that is the Online Skills Mastery program. Not only will you find out what's in store for the next ten weeks (don't worry, it will be fun), but you will get yourself set up in Canvas, including your profile and your own personal OSM shell. In this course you will hear stories about online instructors, see tons of examples, and put this all into practice. While the focus is on online tools, the informing pedagogy can apply to any kind of classes, including face to face or hybrid courses.

We hope you leave this experience feeling equipped to succeed. Feel free to borrow or steal any ideas you find in this course. We are here to help you learn the skills and ideas needed to be a top-notch instructor.

Each unit, there's a list of activities that should be completed during the weekly timeframe. There's also a list of Canvas guides to reference in case you get stuck completing one of the assignments. Finally, each unit has a list of additional resources and literature to help support your learning. Feel free to skip to the articles that are of most interest to you or bookmark them for future reading.

This Week's Activities

Complete the Pre-course Survey
Read the OSM Syllabus
Learn about setting yourself up in Canvas.
Set your Canvas notifications to your liking
Download a copy of our course text, Excellent! Online Teaching by Aaron Johnson
(look for a message from your facilitator with a download code and instructions)
Take the Week 1 Quiz
Get to know your classmates by participating in the Introductions discussion
Submit your OSM shell URL to the class discussion.

If you have any questions, you can post in the Virtual Office, or message your facilitator with the Inbox tool.

Canvas Guides

Additional Resources and Literature

Glossary of Digital Teaching, 2014
Intentional Web Presence: 10 SEO Strategies Every Academic Needs to Know, 2012
Horton Hears a Tweet, 2009
CU Online: Canvas Student Getting Started Guide