ION Professional eLearning Programs

The ION Professional eLearning Program provides professional development and support to advance the practice and innovation of online learning for faculty, staff, and online leaders. ION Professional eLearning is administered by the Continuing and Professional Education department at the University of Illinois Springfield.

ION Professional eLearning is partially funded by the University of Illinois Springfield to provide professional development in the area of online teaching and learning to faculty at partner community colleges in Illinois, the three campuses of the University of Illinois, and around the world.

Faculty and staff of the ION Professional eLearning report to the Coordinator of Professional Programs. ION Professional eLearning is housed within the Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE) department.

Faculty

Dr. Hoyet Hemphill

Dr. Hoyet Hemphill has been at Western Illinois University, as a professor of Instructional Design and Technology since 2002. He currently serves as Program Graduate Director. Professional background includes conducting research, demonstrations, and presentations in simulations and virtual learning environments. He has 27 years of experience in course development and teaching of undergraduate and graduate courses in project management, instructional design, K-12 technology integration, video production, 3D animations and simulations, and has provided oversight of numerous instructional games, videos, and simulations projects.  Additionally, he has project management experience in research and development groups in engineering and technology-based training; instructional design; online course design; and educational program evaluation.

Dr. Hemphill has published a book chapter on systemic change in educational systems.  His published articles have included comparing educational change between the U.S. and China, interactivity assessment for computer-based assessment, instructional project management, interactivity in online discourse through eLearning, and on psychological assessment.

Dr. Hemphill received his doctorate in Instructional Technology from Utah State University where he engaged in doctoral work in simulations, interactive multimedia, artificial intelligence, expert systems, and computer games.  

Dr. Terry Fencl

Since 1980, Dr. Terry Fencl has been a full-time instructor of speech and theater at Triton College. She teaches in the Interdisciplinary Studies Department which offers interdisciplinary packages of general education courses in communications, fine arts, social and behavioral sciences and humanities. Department members collaborate in curriculum and lesson planning, assignments and exams, the assessment of learners, team teaching, etc. In 1998, Triton moved its learning community to an online format preserving the interdisciplinary mandate and connecting the virtual community of online learners to the classroom community of on-campus learners. Terry teaches online theater courses in this Community Of One model. Additionally, she teaches what was for a long time somewhat of a rarity –online public speaking courses.

Teaching online has been a rejuvenating, fun, and incredibly rewarding experience. Terry has seen her online speech students better prepared for their presentations than my on-campus learners. She also experiences significantly more insightful and substantive discussions in my online theater courses. She’s convinced that key factors are the high level of interactivity, collaboration, and sense of community that can be achieved in the virtual classroom. A common theme among students in her course surveys is that they have never experienced traditional classes as much communication with other learners and the instructor as they have in their online experience.

Terry has a Ph.D. in communications, an MA in speech & performing arts, an MS in organizational behavior, and a BA in English. Currently, she’s working with her department colleagues and with faculty from other colleges to develop an innovative, inter-institutional, team-taught series of online humanities courses (under an ILLCO grant).

Dr. Norman Garrett

Dr. Garrett is currently a Professor Emeritus of Management Information Systems in the School of Business at Eastern Illinois University, where he has taught courses in programming, networking, and management information systems. He has been an educator since starting his first teaching assignment at Tolleson Union High School in Tolleson, Arizona, in 1973. Since that time he has worked as a teacher and administrator at the high school, community college, and university levels. Among other duties, he has served as a high school athletic director, a community college dean, a university academic computing specialist, and an associate director of a university computer institute. He has a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, a master's and a doctorate from Arizona State University, and a certificate from the University of Illinois as a Master Online Teacher. He loves to teach using a technologically hybrid approach.

In the industry, he has worked as a systems analyst, assembly language programmer, network administrator, and corporate CEO. He has extensive consulting experience and expertise in networking and telecommunications as well as several programming languages, software development, and educational technology. He has won numerous awards, has written 5 books and a variety of scholarly articles, and is listed in several editions of Who’s Who, including Who’s Who in Education and Who’s Who in the Computer Industry.

Dr. Rhonda Gregory

Dr. Rhonda Gregory is currently the Dean of Social Science and Education at Volunteer State Community College where she provides administrative leadership to the division faculty and staff. Previously, Dr. Gregory also served Vol State as the Dean of Academic Support (2019-2023) and Distance Learning Director (2015-2019) with responsibilities for the college's library, tutoring, instructional design, online learning, international education, and faculty development. Dr. Gregory states "I love working with a diverse, talented faculty and eager, hard-working students seeking to accomplish their educational goals." 

Prior to coming to Volunteer State Community College, Dr. Gregory worked at Greenville College, a four-year school in Greenville, IL. She held several positions there over nine years, including director of instructional technology, adjunct instructor, academic adviser, instructional technologist, and online learning program coordinator.

Dr. Gregory holds an Ed.D. from the University of Memphis in Curriculum and Instruction (2018), a Master of Arts in Teaching from Greenville University (2010), and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from DeVry (1998).

Dr. Leaunda Hemphill

Dr. Leaunda Hemphill is a professor in the Instructional Design and Technology program at Western Illinois University. She teaches courses in online course development; educational technology integration; professional development and evaluation; video production; and visual literacy. She oversees the Technology Specialist M.S. and Educational Technology Specialist certificate programs. She has taught courses for Illinois Online Network (ION) for over 20 years. 

Over the last 30 years, Dr. Hemphill has worked for corporate and academic organizations in instructional design; e-learning program development and evaluation; technical writing and editing; and client and staff training. She has published and conducted workshops nationally and internationally on multiple topics including strategies for technology integration in the schools; global e-learning; professional development; student assessment; and visual and digital literacy.

Dr. Hemphill received a Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Technology, an M.S. in English, a B.S. in Secondary Education, and a B.S. in Geology. She has a Professional Educator License with a concentration in secondary education. She has also completed the ION Master Online Teacher certificate; Certified Online Learning Administrator certificate; and Digital Accessibility for Educators certificate. 

Mr. Michael McNett

Mike McNett has been part of the ION faculty since 2000 and has facilitated the Overview, Instructional Design, and Practicum courses, the latter two of which he developed. He is also on the English faculty of Oakton Community College, where he has developed, and still delivers, online versions of the Freshman Composition sequence, Business, and Technical Writing, and Writing for the Web. He has been active in training online faculty at Oakton and was a member of the college’s LMS selection teams in 2011 and 2020.

Mike is an ABD in American Literature from Northwestern, as well as an MA in American Literature from Northwestern and a BA in English from UIUC. He also holds the MOT certificate from ION.

Jill Urban-Bollis 

Professor Jill Urban-Bollis holds a B.A. in Psychology and a K-9 Illinois Teaching Certificate. In addition, she has earned an M.A. in Human Development Counseling and holds a Multicultural Education Leadership Certificate from the University of Illinois. Plus, she has earned over 64 additional college credits from Illinois State University, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois Valley Community College and Franklin University. She has been teaching at IVCC full-time since 1997.  She was the recipient of the IVCC Teaching Excellence Award in 2017.  She has substitute taught in schools in Illinois.  She has visited schools throughout the US and in several countries while also hosting international faculty and student exchanges.

Courses taught include Educational Psychology, Multicultural Education, Child Growth and Development, Introduction to Psychology, PDK Leadership course- f2f, online, blended, and Zoom.

She  also holds the ION Master Online Teacher Certificate.

Dr. W. Andrew Robinson

W. Andrew Robinson, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in Professional Studies in Education and two graduate certificates in Online Instructional Design and Teaching Online from Capella University, and a Master’s in Speech Communication from Eastern Illinois University. He is an adjunct faculty in the Department of Education and Leadership and with the Center for Professional Development and Education (CAPE) at the University of Illinois Springfield. Andrew teaches full-time at Eastern Illinois University’s School of Communication and Journalism. He has been teaching and designing online courses since 2005. Andrew developed the 6P Instructional Design Model in 2015, which has been adopted by the Illinois Online Network as its primary model for its instructional design course. He received the Roger Whitlow Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Alpha Image Award for Leadership and Service. His two main research interests are online education and religious coping. Robinson’s teaching philosophy can be summarized by William Arthur Ward, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."

Ms. Christine Scherer

Christine Scherer (she/her) is the Senior Content Specialist at Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies Distance Learning Department. Over the last four years, she has spearheaded the department’s accessibility standards, taking the department from zero web accessibility considerations to a WCAG 2.0-compliant process that builds in accessibility from day one. She has developed and facilitated training for faculty and staff, consults on accessibility topics and issues during course development, and reviews all course sites for compliance with accessibility standards before launch. She partners with the university Disability Support Services office, AccessibleNU, to provide as-needed web accessibility consultations and serves on multiple university-wide accessibility councils and committees.

She has an MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse and a BA in Political Science from DePaul University, proving that the path to web accessibility isn’t always a direct one. Outside of work, she enjoys board games, sewing, and volunteering at her local farmers market.

You can connect with Christine on LinkedIn and see her work on the SPS DL website blog and accessibility guidelines.

Ms. Sally Bolen

Ms. Bolen’s undergraduate education began at Lincoln Christian College, now Lincoln Christian University, and finished with a BA at Greenville College, now Greenville University.  Her MS was completed in 1983 at SIU-E.  Bolen has been in education for over 35 years.  She worked in two public school districts in Illinois as a primary grades teacher, a Title I math teacher, and substituted for various grade levels.  For nine years, Bolen taught in the online graduate program at Greenville University before teaching at UIS.

Dr. Terri Winfree

Dr. Terri L. Winfree is the President of the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce. Previous to that, she served seven years as the President of Prairie State College (PSC) in Chicago Heights, Ill. She began her presidency in 2013 when she is the first woman and first PSC graduate to be named president of the college. Dr. Winfree served in leadership positions for 25 years with PSC. She has served on several boards and committees throughout Illinois. Dr. Winfree also has been an adjunct faculty member at Governors State University and the University of St. Francis. She also is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer. Dr. Winfree holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Communication Studies/Human Performance and Training from Governors State University and a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resources from Colorado State University.

Dr. Elena Miller

Dr. Elena Miller is the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Director, Professor, and Advisor at Joliet Junior College (JJC). In 2013, she was hired as a full-time faculty member to develop a brand-new Diagnostic Medical Sonography program. One year later Dr. Miller started teaching her first class and two years later, she got the program accredited. Dr. Miller has obtained an Associate in Applied Science degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography from Triton College, Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Management and Master's degree in Healthcare Administration from Bellevue University. Dr. Miller earned her Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Francis in 2022. In addition, she has worked at Ingalls/University of Chicago Medicine for over 17 years as a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer. Dr. Miller holds two professional Sonography licenses: Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) in Abdomen & OB/GYN specialties and Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT).

Dr. Miller has developed and taught online courses for the Sonography Program at JJC for 10 years. She earned the Master Online Teacher (MOT) certificate at the University of Illinois-Springfield in 2017. Since then, she has taken additional courses towards other ION certificates as well.

Dr. Miller is very interested in the topic of Emotional Intelligence and how it relates to student success and therefore, completed and published her dissertation titled “The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Student Success for the Radiologic Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography Students at a Community College”. In addition, in 2023 Dr. Miller published research articles in the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography and continues her research in this topic.

Dr. Misty Ludwig

Dr. Misti Ludwig is currently the Program Administrator/Director of Nursing at ATS Institute of Technology where she provides administrative leadership to all faculty and staff of the Nursing program. Previously, Dr. Ludwig also served Lewis University Department of Nursing as Director of RN-BSN program (2017-2020) with responsibilities to the University Assessment committee.  Dr. Ludwig has received her Master Online Training certificate (MOT) and Master Online Administrator and Leadership certificate (MOLA) through the ION Professional eLearning programs.

Dr. Ludwig has held several roles in her 11 year teaching career such as Program Coordinator where she created an online course for Joliet Junior College using QM qualifications for online courses.  This intense training allowed her to understand the online atmosphere and all the different design qualities that are needed to design a quality course.  She feels that continuing education is paramount to ensuring that the education world does not go stagnant.  

Dr Ludwig holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP). from Regis University (2018).

Ms. Lori Wendt

Lori currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, but is originally from the Midwest. She received her bachelor’s degree in business from Western Illinois University and her MBA from Eastern Illinois University.  She has also earned certificates from the Illinois Online Network for Master Online Teacher, Master Online Leader and Administrator, and Digital Accessibility for Educators.

Lori has been employed in higher education since 2000 as both a staff member as well as a faculty member. She has taught Business Ethics, Intro to Business, Business Communications, Intro to Finance, Intro to Marketing, Communication at Work, Conflict Resolution, and Introduction to Digital Information and Literacy.  She has also worked extensively with instructional technology which included training and supporting faculty with the use of technology for online learning as well as the classroom.

Additionally, She served on steering committees for various educational organizations, such as the Illinois Community Colleges Online Consortium and the Faculty Summer Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Staff & Administration

Russ Stoup
Associate Director, Continuing and Professional Education
Email: wstou2@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-8645

Emily Keener
Director, Continuing and Professional Education                                                                                                                   Email: emart2@uis.edu

Lindsey Kurfman
IT Support, IT Support CAPE and ION Professional eLearning
Email: ion@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-8650

History of ION Professional eLearning Programs

With the advent of the World Wide Web in 1992, colleges and universities recognized the potential of the internet to deliver learning opportunities globally. In Illinois, the University of Illinois system built upon their expertise in computer assisted instruction to lead in the early deployment of courses online. By 1997, the Illinois General Assembly recognized this leadership by funding the Illinois Online Network to be administered by the university. The mission was to provide faculty development in emerging best practices and pedagogies in this new medium to public and private colleges and universities. Beginning with online workshops, ION expanded to sequences of online courses by 1999. In 2002, the Illinois Online Network was recognized nationally by the Sloan Consortium (funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) with the award for Excellence in Asynchronous Learning Networks.

Online courses and certificates offered by the Illinois Online Network have come to set the standard for excellence in instruction for those who teach and administer online programs. Colleges and universities across the country and abroad subscribe to ION to receive timely and comprehensive instruction in the continuously-evolving practices, technologies, and pedagogies in teaching and learning online.

ION moved from the University of Illinois System Office to the University of Illinois Springfield in June 2017. Since moving to UIS, ION has expanded to its curriculum to include online learning leadership certificate, digital accessibility certificate, and courses on open educational resources.  The Illinois Online Network is supported by the nationally-recognized, award-winning Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Scope of ION Professional eLearning Programs

Our courses and program structure provide higher education professionals with effective skills and practices. The courses undergo continuous review and are designed to provide an intellectually stimulating environment, promote innovation and develop relationships with other instructors and peers.

ION Professional eLearning Courses Provide Institutional Support

Courses are designed to fulfill the Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education Standard 6 requirements for the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) which states:

“Faculty responsible for delivering the online learning curricula and evaluating the students’ success in achieving the online learning goals are appropriately qualified and effectively supported.”

The professional development courses provided serve as a systematic training program based on tested effective practices in online pedagogy and demonstrated competencies in online learning.

ION Professional eLearning Program Reach

Participants in courses come from around 90 countries across the world and 48 of the 50 U.S. States.

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Countries Listed

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Canada
• China
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Finland
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Greece
• Guam
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Korea
• Korea
• Korea
• Kyrgyzstan
• Lebanon
• Liechtenstein
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mexico
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Russian Federation
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Slovenia
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela
• Virgin Islands (U.S.)
• West Indies
• Yugoslavia
• Zambia

Badges recognize achievements in professional development.

Earning an ION Professional eLearning badge

When you complete one of the ION eight-week or four-week courses, you will be awarded a digital badge. You will be notified via e-mail of your achievement and provided a link to follow to claim your badge. If you want to, you may copy your badge (and its link) into your e-mail signature, your personal homepage, or faculty webpage. The link information will allow others to authenticate your badge.

In other words:

1. Complete any badge sequence
2. Follow the link to claim your badge
3. Copy the badge icon in a suitable size then paste it to where you wish to show it (i.e. your email signature)
4. Apply the hyperlink to the icon you pasted

Now, when someone sees your badges, they can verify the authenticity by clicking the link.

ION Professional eLearning Badge History

Until the end of 2016, ION Professional eLearning awarded digital badges that relied on a cooperative relationship with the Mozilla Backpack/Persona project. Mozilla is withdrawing support for that initiative, and ION Professional eLearning is taking a different path. If you claimed and uploaded badges in the past to your Mozilla backpack, they should still be there, but we cannot promise how long they will last. ION Professional eLearning badges were hosted on the ION Professional eLearning site from 2016 to 2018.

Beginning in 2019, new ION Professional eLearning badges are hosted on Credly. A badge issued through Credly is a digital representation of a learning outcome, experience, or competency. Credly badges can be shared and verified online in a way that is easy and secure. Credly badges link to metadata that provides context and verification. They can be shared across the Internet on social media and in your email for maximum visibility and recognition.

Enroll for Graduate Credit

When taking ION Professional eLearning courses for credit through UIS, all policies, procedures, and deadlines of the University of Illinois Springfield will apply.

Graduate Tuition

A UIS tuition calculator is available to estimate the cost of graduate courses. For non-degree-seeking students enrolled in ION Professional eLearning classes for graduate credit, select “On-campus Program (No Tuition Differential)” in the calculator. Health insurance costs may be waived if you are covered elsewhere. A $45 online academic support assessment is also added per graduate credit hour.

University of Illinois  Employees (Springfield, Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and System): Employees enrolled in self-supporting programs, such as Illinois Online Network (ION) courses, are not eligible to receive employee or graduate tuition waivers. 

ION Courses Offered for UIS Graduate Credit

Anyone with a Master’s degree or other terminal professional degree is eligible to enroll in ION courses by this method. The following ION Courses are commonly offered through UIS.

Please note: ION courses previously taken for CEU hours must be retaken to earn UIS graduate credit hours. 

If you need to request a transcript for UIS courses taken for graduate credit, please order your transcript through the UIS registrar.

How to Enroll

1. Create your account on the ION Professional eLearning website.

All students in ION Professional eLearning courses, regardless of enrollment method, must create a Continuing and Professional Education self-service portal account. This account is required for course tracking, course orientations, student orientation surveys, and course evaluations. Sign up for an account and then return to this page for the next steps.

2. Apply to UIS as a non-degree seeking student.

Complete the electronic Application for Admission to UIS. You should apply as a Non-Degree Seeking Student.

• The application will ask you for transcripts on page 3. Please enter the names of the institutions that you have attended so that you can move forward in the application process.
• You do NOT need to send official transcripts. If you receive an email prompting you to send transcripts, disregard the email.
• Non-degree seeking students also do NOT pay an application fee, even when prompted at the end of the online UIS non-degree seeking student admission application.
• Once you have submitted your application, to ensure that they are processing your application as non-degree seeking. Please contact the UIS Office of Admissions, and the staff will be able to verify your application status.
• If you decide to pursue a graduate degree at UIS, you may always apply for admission to a graduate program at a later time.

3. Claim Your UIS NetID.

If you are new to the UIS system, you will need to have a token from UIS Admissions to claim your UIS NetID and setting a password. You will need your NetID and password in order to register.

4. Select a course.

Decide which course(s) you wish to register for graduate academic credit. ION courses are 500-level courses in the Teacher Education Program (TEP) and Educational Leadership (EDL) departments at UIS. UIS graduate courses that count toward the Master Online Teacher professional certificate. For more information on which courses count toward a UIS degree program, you must check with the department at UIS.

5. Contact ION Professional eLearning for special permission to register.

In order to register for an ION Professional eLearning course at UIS, you must have special permission to register. To request special permission, please email the ION and provide the following information:

• Your full name
• Your University ID Number (UIN). If you do not know your UIN#, you can look it up at the University of Illinois I-Card site.
• Information about the course you wish to register, found in the UIS Dynamic Course Schedule.
  • Title of course for which you wish to register
  • UIS Department, Course Number and Section (e.g. TEP 501 A)
  • UIS Course Reference Number (CRN), a five digit code used to register and track course sections (e.g. 11867)

The director will request special permission for you and contact you to let you know when it has been entered into the UIS registration system.

6. Register for the course at UIS.

1. Go to the UIS home page.
2. Click on Quick Links (left bottom button).
3. Click on Register for classes (under academics)
4. Scroll the the middle of the page and click Register Now button
5. Click Student & Faculty Self-Service and choose UIS
6. Login with your UIS credentials
7. Click the Registration & Records Tab
8. Click Add/Drop Classes
9. Agree to pay the tuition and fees.
10. Choose the current semester from the drop-down list and click Submit.
11. Enter the CRN to the Classes Worksheet and click Submit Changes. You are now registered for the course.

7. Pay your tuition bill at UIS.

Be sure to watch your UIS Webmail for your tuition bill. To learn more about tuition, fees, and payment due dates, visit the UIS Office of Registration and Records website.

To pay your tuition bill or set up a payment plan, visit the University of Illinois Payment Center and look for the big “Pay My Student Account” box on the right side of the screen.

Request an Official UIS Transcript

Official UIS transcripts contain ION Professional eLearning and other courses that you took for academic credit through UIS. Request your official UIS transcript from the Office of the Registrar.

Withdrawing from UIS Courses

If you decide to withdraw from an ION Professional eLearning course that you are taking for graduate academic credit at UIS, you must follow the guidelines and deadlines stated on the UIS Registration site.

Quality Online Course Initiative (QOCI) Rubric

The Quality Online Course Initiative (QOCI) Rubric is designed to assess the design and facilitation of online courses.

ION Professional eLearning Program is administered by Continuing and Professional Education and the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Funding

ION Professional eLearning Program is partially funded by the University of Illinois Springfield to provide professional development in the area of online teaching and learning to faculty at partner community colleges in Illinois, the three campuses of the University of Illinois, and around the world.

Reporting Line

Faculty and staff of the ION Professional eLearning Program report to the ION Coordinator. ION Professional eLearning Program is housed within Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE) and works in conjunction with the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service (COLRS) at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Russ Stoup – Associate Director, Continuing and Professional Education
One University Plaza, MS BRK 482
Springfield, IL 62703-5407

Email: wstou2@uis.edu
Phone: 217-206-8645

ION Professional eLearning Programs Alumni

Michael Boyd
(Master Online Teacher and Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificates)

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“Finishing the Master Online Teacher Certificate through the Illinois Online Network was a game changer in my career as a community college professor.  I remember making the transition from correspondence courses to the more interactive and technology-rich online format, and I knew I needed to learn more about how to design instructional units and enhance student engagement.  ION offered me everything I needed to make this transition.  Perhaps more importantly, I used what I learned in the ION program to re-envision how I delivered instruction and assessed learning outcomes in my more traditional, f2f offerings.”

Lakesha Jefferson
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

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“ION Professional Learning programs have provided me with a wealth of knowledge, that was applied to my professional career and even helped with personal endeavors. I  took the overview of online learning course during the COVID pandemic per a request from my institution, but grew more interested in studying further after a wonderful experience. My curiosity and interest led me to pursue my MOT certificate, and successfully completed it within a year. The MOT program offered courses to help faculty interested in teaching online, and provided such a robust curriculum that I’m pursuing my second certificate (DAE) through ION. Knowledgeable instructors, relevant content, and peer feedback received, are a few reasons to enroll. Do yourself a favor, and register for an ION course today.

Dr. Ruchi Jairath
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

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“The ION courses that I took at UIS gave me the confidence to develop new hybrid and online courses in chemistry. Before taking these courses, I only taught in a traditional face-to-face setting. After completing all the courses for Master Online Teacher (MOT) certification, I successfully designed and developed new chemistry courses at my institute. I think these ION courses could be very helpful for anyone like me who has taught only in a face-to-face setting. Higher education has truly changed after the 2020 pandemic and students are looking to see more options for their classes. Educators have a responsibility to learn new ways to teach and the ION courses could be a very helpful tool in that process.”

Jason Rochon
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

"The University of Illinois ION Master Online Teacher program has been instrumental in enhancing my teaching capabilities in the digital realm. The comprehensive curriculum covers essential topics such as instructional design, online pedagogy, and effective use of technology in the classroom. Each course is meticulously crafted and delivered by experts, ensuring that faculty members gain practical skills and theoretical knowledge. The program's flexibility and support have enabled me to balance my professional responsibilities while advancing my expertise in online education. I highly recommend the ION courses to any educator seeking to excel in the evolving landscape of online teaching."

Jill Urban-Bollis
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

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“Once I decided to complete the ION Master Online Teacher Certificate, it was full speed ahead and no looking back.  I am so glad that I chose to take the ION courses to enhance my online teaching skills.  After one year, I completed the six courses. As an Educational Psychology Instructor with an education background (K-12 teaching license), it was empowering to learn with other education minded professionals.  Each course focused on contemporary trends and research in online teaching and learning.  As a member of my college's distance learning committee, these courses have better prepared me for vital discussions in the area of assessment, accessibility, and regular/substantive interaction. Lastly, I gained first-hand experience as an online learner. ION courses are a win-win for educators, trainers, and many other professions.

Jessica Reardanz-Friedericks
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“Since most college and university faculty are not trained "teachers", I felt the ION courses did a great job explaining the terminology and strategies that guide curriculum and module development. Even though I have taught online since 2005, completing the MOT in 2017 did improve my quality of instruction by forcing me to rethink how I do things - for example, the true meaning of hybrid options for students.”

Lori Wendt
(Master Online Teacher and Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificates)

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 “I have always considered myself tech-savvy, but taking on the distance learning position was a huge leap for me.  I learned about the master online teaching program at ION through colleagues and knew that would give me the leg-up I needed to excel in this online world.  Little did I realize that it not only honed my online teaching and technology skills, but it connected me with peers from other higher ed institutions with whom I could chat, share ideas, and seek advice.  As ION added the additional certificate programs for accessibility and online leader/administrator, I continued to sign up because that is what lifelong learning is all about.  I am now privileged to be able to contribute to the ION program by coming back to help teach others.  I would advise anyone who works in higher ed to look into the programs that ION has to offer.”

Denita Williams
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

"I truly enjoyed taking the six classes from UIS. Taking the classes has allowed me to teach online and get a step increase since I took all six classes and earned the certificate.  I am currently in the process of flipping my classroom." 

William Bain
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“I had a positive experience completing the M.O.T. course and love having a unique course degree.”

Misti Ludwig, DNP, RN-BC
(Master Online Teacher and Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificates)

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“I have had the pleasure of getting two certifications from ION. My first was the Master Online Teaching Certificate.  I loved that so much that I recommended the program to my new college and was able to certify many of my faculty while I went on for my Master Online Leader and Administrator Certificate.  This program helped shaped my thinking of being a student advocate/faculty advocate and program advocate.  I feel that I came away with many tools that I can now use in my position as a Nursing Program Administrator.  I feel much more prepared to have crucial conversations with key stakeholders by having this background.  These two certificates are VERY well done and I highly recommend them to all that wish to obtain more training.  ION doesn't just give you the learning and research, they give you the tools you need to be successful!”

Rob Lucas
(Digital Accessibility for Educators Certificate)

“I completed the Digital Accessibility for Educators Certification in the Spring of 2022. The coursework for this certification develops skills that are helpful for anyone interested in accessibility. These courses have prepared me well to be a champion for accessibility at my institution.”

Anthony P. Woods
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“My certification has done a lot for me in education and made it convenient for me to teach online and allowed me to share up-to-date technologies with my students while online. Also, when Covid-19 came about, my certification allows me to maximize my teaching skills and work through portals such as Zoom, Google Meets, Join.Me, TeamViewer, and Windows applications with my students by providing quality time and instruction. Online teaching and Instruction made it very cost-effective for me as well. I saved on gas traveling and was able to do much research on topics to share with my students. Others should include these courses/certificates in there as far as their professional development for the same reasons I gave above in addition these experiences are now part of best practices in all industries, not just education.”

Jerome Lacey
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“The courses at UIS were incredibly helpful. The curriculum prepared me in many ways I had not thought of, and provided much-needed fodder for constructing my own courses.  I have been teaching online for several years now.  Bottom line: this is a learning process for the instructor/facilitator as much as the student.  The nuance your courses provided is nothing short of provocative, and really expands my thinking in how I approach my online world, as well as traditional courses. 

Bottom line, teaching is very much a journey.  Your courses have been a great and refreshing dip into how I approach the entire teaching process.” 

Abi Swidergal
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“Being able to have support transitioning to online teaching during COVID was priceless, and I'm lucky my institution provided that opportunity. The courses offered through ION gave me actionable steps to use right away in my role as an adjunct instructor. Though I left Illinois for a full-time teaching position, after settling in, I decided to complete another certificate through ION due to the positive experience and usefulness of the previous courses. Moving through another program with ION was a great decision and investment in myself, as it shaped the way I structure my courses now in all formats. I appreciate the efforts from ION and the instructors who gave great strategies to use in my classroom.”

Roxann Humbert
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“I received the Master Online Teacher certificate.  What I liked most about the program is they incorporated the best practices they discussed in the class.  All the assignments were authentic and things I could use in my professional life.”

Leslie Van Wolvelear
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“I completed the Master of Online Teaching Certificate in December 2007. At the time, I had been teaching online for 3 years and needed guidance on instructional design, student engagement, communication techniques, and assessment methods. The program helped me better understand the needs of online students to have a connection with the instructor.”

Anne Humphrey
(Master Online Teacher, Master Online Leader & Administrator, Open Educational Resources for Instruction, and Digital Accessibility for Educators Certificates)

“I hold the MOT, MOLA, DAE, and OER certificates and took all those ION courses and more over 16 years.  ION courses directed and transformed my career.  Learning to teach well online also transformed my in-person classes; becoming an advocate affected my role on campus, course requests, and relationships with colleagues.  ION provides more than theory and tips; participants experience a sea-change in our attitudes and a discard of our assumptions.”

James Kowalski
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“I completed the MOT program while I was working at Chicago State University and then the College of DuPage.  What I learned was quite valuable to my roles there, as I was in faculty development, helping teachers become more fluent and capable with their own online teaching.  Now for the past ~8 years, I've been a high school social studies teacher at international schools in Kuwait and Korea.  As a teacher during COVID, the concepts I learned in course design proved valuable to an even greater degree than before; as a result, my students and I made it through long stretches of online learning without missing a beat.”

Candace McCreary
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“MOT program not only trained me for online but I feel made me a better face-to-face instructor. I highly recommend the program.”

Agnes Herget (Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificate)

“The MOLA certificate is great for anyone who is looking for a solid foundation in all things online teaching and learning. The courses allowed me to learn about online education from all angles – from the perspective of the student, of the instructional designer, of the instructor, and of course of the administrator. Regardless of what kind of role someone is seeking, I strongly believe that an understanding of all of these components and how they intersect is critical to be successful in the online education arena.”

Donna Skowronski
(Master Online Teacher Certificate)

“I earned the certificate just a year or so into teaching online classes for the first time in my career having started teaching in person in 2002 and then online in 2008. The coursework helped me focus on what was truly important to online learners and how the adult learning principles I had previously learned while earning my master’s applied. The program helped me improve my courses and due to the practicum at the end, I was able to make some major headway in developing a new strictly online strategic HR course that we introduced with a new HR certificate in 2012. I would recommend the program as it will no doubt improve your ability to deliver quality online programs.”

Russ Stoup
(Master Online Teacher, Master Online Leader & Administrator, and Digital Accessibility for Educators Certificates)

Thank you to those who contributed to this page.

Also, thank you to each person that has completed a certificate or taken a course through ION Professional eLearning over the years.  If you would like to be a part of this project, please contact me.

I was an adjunct for many years, and the MOT and DAE provided me with the tools that I needed to be a better teacher. The MOT also helped motivate me to take my education to the next level. They also helped me in my career in distance education.

The MOLA inspired me and helped launch my career in a different direction. Along with excellent instructors, I really enjoyed being able to connect with others in the courses.

Upcoming Workshops

Central and Southern Illinois Faculty Development Network

Faculty Centered Events

The Center for Faculty Excellence is excited to introduce Teaching Tip Tuesdays, a new initiative aimed at providing you with a short video including practical teaching tips that you can try with your classes. 

Teaching Tip Tuesdays