What skills make an online Teacher "competent"? What technology and curriculum formatting abilities does an online instructor need to have? A recent article in the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration examined these questions:

"As we pass from the early adopter phase into acceptance by the masses, the number of instructors taking part in online education grows. Although qualified in their field, many instructors have no education in the methods of instruction or facilitation. Those that have such training often do not have any additional training or experience specifically in the field of distance or online education. But what should such training consist of, and what additional faculties of an individual help one to be a proficient online educator? Furthermore, once a listing of such skills or competencies has been developed, how can or should they be assessed and when should such an assessment occur? This paper discusses the process of constructing a competency document for online instructors."

To view their list of necessary instructor skills, see: Master Online Teacher Competencies.