Veronica Thomas

I think taking courses like this provide a great starting point. The next step for me will be to go deeper by taking courses in Instructional Technology to learn more about technologies and training techniques for online programs. Also participating in online programs offered by a variety of schools and faculty provides valuable insights into online teaching practices both on what to do and what not to do. Probably start small until you find your stride. I think Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, started his online teaching by offering tutoring videos in math to his young cousin. Here are a few links to online learning programs that could provide some inspiration:
http://www.khanacademy.org/
http://ed.ted.com/
https://www.edx.org/
https://www.coursera.org/

Dr. Robert Roehrich

Veronica,
I agree with you that courses like this are a great starting point. Taking courses in Instructional Technology will provide the baseline for developing your context for online delivery at your school. I support your approach to supplementing the IT courses with a course or two from different schools to provide exposure to "live" delivery systems and structures. Armed with this information and practical experience, you can make a decision for the format and function of online courses at your institution. Thank you for the links you provided to other online programs.
Dr. Robert Roehrich

Susan Zolvinski

Exposure to the different learning management platforms or systems and extensive training in the use of them is the first step! If you have ever taught a class before the basics are essentially the same. You have course objectives and competencies that you need to achieve. You have activities that support the course objectives as well as both formal and informal assessments periodically throughout the course. These do not change in the online environment but their delivery is different. Your task then becomes to develop appropriate activities to accomplish the objectives. I often use the "what would I do if I had to prepare my lessons to be delivered if I am not present" mind-set to accomplish this. Group projects, multimedia presentations, research projects as well as discussion threads are a start.
Susan Zolvinski, BS, MBA

Dr. Robert Roehrich

Susan,
Thank you for the above post. While I agree with your statements, you didn't mention one of the most critical elements of online instruction, student engagement. The best planning and delivery (in a traditional sense) won't be completely successful unless you have a strategy and tactics for engaging your student population on a regular basis. This is especially true for the adult populations that typically enroll in online courses.
Dr. Robert r. Roehrich