Online Orientation

Orientation to Basic Skills in North Carolina is a non-facilitated, free online orientation course designed to introduce new Basic Skills instructors to essential knowledge and skills as they begin their teaching assignments. The course content was developed in collaboration with the Basic Skills Credentialing Committee, comprised of instructors and local administrators across the state. It is anticipated that completion of the course will range between six – ten hours. Programs are highly encouraged to have new instructors complete the course prior to beginning instruction, whenever possible.

The course is more than a reading tutorial – it’s interactive. This means there are activities and assignments that will keep instructors engaged and on their toes.

Investigative Assignments - Within each lesson, there are Investigative Assignments to connect the content to local program application. Most assignments require the instructor to investigate his/her local program for the answers. The instructors are asked to print the assignments and forward them to their local director/supervisor upon completion of the course.
Audio – The introduction to every lesson on the course is an audio presentation which gives the instructor a preview of that lesson’s content. Additional audio components are included throughout the course.
Video – There are short video clips that instructors will view periodically during the course that illustrate key practices.
Discussion Board – Instructors will be asked periodically to post their reflections on the discussion board. This will give them a chance to read what other new instructors are thinking as well.
Knowledge Checks - At the end of each lesson, there’s a short Quiz to ensure understanding of the content. At the conclusion of the training, instructors will take the Course Summary Exam. Successful completion of the summary exam and each of the lesson quizzes is required for a certificate of completion.

The online course provides an overview of critical information to help new instructors get started, but it is not intended to give them all of the skills and knowledge they will need in their new role. The local program will need to provide follow-up support and training to get new instructors fully acquainted with local policies and procedures specific to their community. To assist in this process, a sample local program follow-up checklist was developed by the Credentialing Committee. The checklist is aligned with the course content and can serve as a useful guide in planning local orientations for newly hired instructors.