While being an expert in your content area is an important requirement for teaching online, an equally important qualification is tech literacy.  In the online environment, technology is the critical component to delivering your course. The activities, discussions and assignments rely on the use of technology to facilitate learning.

In education, as instructors, we are required to be lifelong learners. We continue to research our content area to continue the level of expertise that makes us qualified to teach our courses. The same rigor should be applied to understanding the environment that is critical to educating your students.

The web can be an intimidating place for those without tech prowess, a seemingly infinite space that is constantly evolving. You can view this space as a burden or a place that may enable more creativity and innovation in your teaching than you ever imagined. The web is a place that has a multitude of resources, applications and information at your fingertips.

The following article, “Tech Literacy II: Skills for the Online Instructor” by OnlineUniversities.com, is a great resource that reviews the essentials of tech literacy for teaching an online course: