ION Professional eLearning

AI Ethics and Responsible Innovation

wstou2 — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:15:18 +0000

AI Ethics and Responsible Innovation wstou2 Mon, 10/13/2025 - 15:15

4 Weeks /Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Digital Credentials

Discounts

If you are from a community college, please acquire your code from the ION contact at your institution or email ion@uis.edu before registering. Community college members must also use their college email for verification.

Description

This course explores the ethical principles, dilemmas, and real-world implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. Learners will examine ethical frameworks and apply them to case studies involving bias, surveillance, privacy, and responsibility. The course emphasizes critical thinking, discussion, and application to professional contexts. Learners will practice identifying ethical risks and proposing strategies for more responsible innovation. Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Apply core ethical principles (fairness, transparency, accountability, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence) to real-world AI issues.
Analyze ethical dimensions of AI controversies using recognized ethical frameworks.
Identify and critique algorithmic and systemic biases.
Evaluate tensions between privacy, surveillance, and power in digital systems.
Design a proposal for more responsible AI use within a professional or industry setting.

Prerequisite

None

AI Literacy for Educators

wstou2 — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:11:48 +0000

AI Literacy for Educators wstou2 Mon, 10/13/2025 - 15:11

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4 Weeks /Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Digital Credentials

Discounts

Description

This 4-week course introduces higher education faculty to the foundational concepts and ethical considerations of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Through hands-on exploration of accessible tools like ChatGPT, Canva, and Lumen5, participants will learn how to thoughtfully integrate AI into their teaching practices. The course emphasizes responsible use, practical application, and student-centered design, with opportunities for reflection, collaboration, and content creation.

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Explore AI basics, common myths, and ethical concerns
Examine both instructor and student use of AI
Discuss bias, plagiarism, and authorship
Using LLMs to Generate and Improve Course Content
Use tools like ChatGPT and Claude to revise or create written instructional content
Draft a weekly overview for a course unit
Reflect on tone, voice, and alignment with teaching goals
Designing Visual and Video Content with AI Tools
Explore Canva and Lumen5 to create simple graphics and short instructional videos
Plan where and how these media tools can support student learning
Consider student-facing use of multimedia and responsible AI application

Prerequisite

None

AI for Professional Growth and Innovation

wstou2 — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:08:28 +0000

AI for Professional Growth and Innovation wstou2 Mon, 10/13/2025 - 15:08

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4 Weeks /Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Digital Credentials

Discounts

Description

This 4-week is a four-week, online asynchronous course designed for professionals across sectors—including education, business, and career development—who are seeking to build foundational AI literacy. This course introduces key AI concepts, explores its impact on work and society, and provides hands-on experience with popular AI tools. Learners will reflect on their professional goals and prepare for specialized microcredential pathways in AI integration, literacy, and career development.

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Define artificial intelligence and distinguish between related concepts such as machine learning and deep learning.
Describe the historical evolution and types of AI, including narrow, general, and generative AI.
Analyze the role of AI across industries, identifying both opportunities and challenges in business, education, healthcare, and career services.
Evaluate ethical considerations in AI adoption, including bias, privacy, and transparency.
Use popular AI tools to enhance productivity and critically assess AI-generated content.
Create a personalized guide demonstrating how AI can be applied in their current role.
Develop a personal AI roadmap and select a microcredential pathway aligned with their professional goals.
Apply change management strategies to support AI adoption and lifelong learning in their organization or field.

Prerequisite

None

AI Tools for Professional Productivity

wstou2 — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:02:42 +0000

AI Tools for Professional Productivity wstou2 Mon, 10/13/2025 - 15:02

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4 Weeks /Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Digital Credentials

Discounts

Description

This practical, four-week online course helps professionals build confidence using AI tools in real-world settings. Through hands-on activities and guided exploration, participants will learn how to use popular AI platforms, craft effective prompts, and apply AI ethically in their workflows. The course prepares learners to make informed decisions about AI integration and supports measurable improvements in productivity.

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Use leading AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Bard.
Write effective prompts to complete tasks more efficiently.
Integrate AI tools into daily workflows while protecting data.
Choose the right AI tools based on task needs and ethical considerations.
Track and document improvements in productivity using AI.

Prerequisite

None

Future-Proofing Your Career in an AI World

wstou2 — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 19:57:27 +0000

Future-Proofing Your Career in an AI World wstou2 Mon, 10/13/2025 - 14:57

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4 Weeks /Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Digital Credentials

Discounts

Description

This practical, four-week online course helps professionals design future-focused career strategies in industries shaped by artificial intelligence. Through practical exercises and reflection, participants will build AI-enhanced personal brands, explore industry trends, and develop adaptive skills that complement AI capabilities. The course supports long-term career growth by emphasizing human strengths and continuous learning.

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Develop career strategies that leverage AI tools and trends.
Identify emerging opportunities through analysis of AI adoption across industries.
Strengthen human-centered skills that provide a competitive edge in AI-driven environments.
Build a personal plan for ongoing adaptation and professional growth.

Prerequisite

None

Certificates

emart2 — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 18:54:14 +0000

Certificates emart2 Thu, 06/26/2025 - 13:54

Propel your career in online learning with ION eLearning professional certifications. All ION courses are online, instructor-led, and quality reviewed, which translates into an impactful and accessible learning experience for working professionals. Learn more about our certificate and microcredential options below and enroll today!

Special note for community college faculty and staff: Many community colleges in �山�� partner with UIS to offer ION eLearning courses at a discount to their employees. Please reach out to your department head or development coordinator to learn about potential discount/reimbursement options before registering. ION staff can also advise at ion@uis.edu or 217-206-8645.

This professional certificate prepares participants with knowledge related to online course design, online instruction, and other issues related to online teaching and learning. These competencies make a master online teacher.

To earn the Master Online Teaching professional certificate, you must successfully complete:

Three core courses
Two electives
The Master Online Teacher Practicum

Students should take all courses before the Practicum, although the elective course may be taken concurrently. All courses in the Master Online Teacher professional certificate program are 8 weeks.

Through the Master Online Teacher coursework, you will create an electronic portfolio that demonstrates knowledge in the areas identified as most important to quality online teaching.

Required Courses

You must complete the following courses to earn the Master Online Teacher professional certificate:

In addition, you must successfully complete two of the following electives:

Suggested Paths

These are suggested paths, but not required.

Instruction

Overview of Online Instruction
Instructional Design for Online Course Development
Student Assessment in Online Courses
Hybrid, Blended, and HyFlex Course Design, Technology Tools for Online Learning, or Universal Design
Cultural Responsiveness for the Online Classroom or Encouraging Communication in Online Course
Practicum

Technology

Overview of Online Instruction
Instructional Design for Online Course Development
Student Assessment in Online Courses
Hybrid, Blended and HyFlex Design and Delivery Approaches
Interactive & Immersive Technologies In Online Learning
Practicum

Support Professional

Overview of Online Instruction
Instructional Design for Online Course Development
Student Assessment in Online Courses
Hybrid, Blended and HyFlex Design and Delivery Approaches
Universal Design or Technology Tools
Practicum

Enroll in the MOT Certificate Program

This professional certificate program prepares online leaders, aspiring leaders, and administrators to lead online.

It is a comprehensive professional development program based on the Hallmarks of Excellence in the Online Leadership from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association and provides researched best practices and practical insights from recognized leaders. The courses vary in length from 4 to 8 weeks.

Through the Master Online Leader & Administrator coursework, you will create an electronic portfolio that demonstrates knowledge in the areas identified as most important to quality online leadership.

Required Courses

4-Week Courses

8-Week Courses

Enroll in the MOLA Certificate Program

Enroll in the MOLA Certificate Program

The OER professional certificate prepares participants to harness the power of high-quality, free educational resources to support student learning. This professional development certificate is offered completely online and is comprised of three 4-week courses and one 8-week course.

Required Courses

You must complete the following courses to be eligible for the OER professional certificate:

In addition, you must successfully complete one of the following electives:

Enroll in the OER Certificate Program

Enroll in the OER Certificate Program

This professional certificate program focuses on foundational information and specific skills for educators, instructional designers, and other staff who develop digital resources for courses.

The courses provide skills that satisfy the current WCAG standards upon which U.S., Canadian, and European Union accessibility guidelines, policies, and laws are based.

Upon completing this certificate program, you will:

Understand the legal and historical background of accessibility, universal design for learning, and applying these to course design.
Develop accessible Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and PDF files
Create accessible videos

The courses were developed with educators in mind. The courses explain why and how to make common course materials accessible with free or inexpensive software that is commonly available at many institutions. Technical IT jargon is not used.

Required Courses

4-Week Courses

8-Week Course

Universal Design Principles for Online Learning

Enroll in the DAE Certificate Program

Enroll in the DAE Certificate Program

For U.S. Institutions

An important question to ask is why do our digital materials need to be accessible? The answer is two-fold.

First, federal laws require digital resources to be accessible to the public. Some states, including �山��, also have laws mandating the accessibility of digital resources for institutions of higher education.

Second, courses that are made accessible to students with disabilities also prove useful students without any documented disabilities. For instance, video captioning helps students who are English language learners or consume content in noisy (or quiet) locations. Making courses accessible means you are providing a better learning experience for everyone.

This professional certificate introduces the legal landscape of accessibility and universal design to businesses and agencies. Participants will discover and discuss issues regarding accessibility and the gains that can be made from a universal design for learning approach. All courses are online and instructor led.

Required Courses

Creating Accessible Documents for Business and Agencies (4 weeks)
Creating Accessible Videos for Business and Agencies (4 weeks)
Legal Landscape of Digital Accessibility (8 weeks)

Outcomes:

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, participants will be able to:

Discuss disability, disability activism, and the laws, rulings, and policies that govern accessibility.
Explain the importance of web accessibility and understand the history behind it.
Demonstrate knowledge of basic web accessibility supports, such as alt text, keyboard navigation, captions, etc.
Create a plan for implementing accessibility, universal design, and other inclusive teaching strategies in future courses.

Enroll in the DABA Certificate Program

Enroll in the DABA Certificate Program

Propel your career in online learning with our professional Microcredential, badges, and CEUs. Microcredentials are short, focused credentials that validate specific skills or knowledge.

Foundations in Online Teaching *

Required Courses

Overview of online instruction
Student assessment in online courses
Instructional design in online courses

Enroll in the Foundations in Online Teaching Microcredential

Enroll in the Foundations in Online Teaching Microcredential Program

Building an Inclusive Classroom *

Required Courses

Cultural responsiveness in the online classroom
Encouraging communication in online learning
Universal design principles for online learning

Enroll in the Building an Inclusive Classroom Microcredential

Enroll in the Building an Inclusive Classroom Microcredential Program

Building an Online Classroom *

Required Courses

Foundations of education resources
Foundations of accessibility
Technology tools for online learning
Universal design principles for online learning

Enroll in the Building an Online Classroom Microcredential

Enroll in the Building an Online Classroom Microcredential

Building an Interactive Learning Environment *

Required Courses

Blended learning design and instruction
Interactive & Immersive Technologies in Online Learning
Universal design principles for online learning

Enroll in the Building an Interactive Learning Environment Microcredential

Enroll in the Building an Interactive Learning Environment Microcredential Program

* Reach out to ion@uis.edu to learn more about stacking these Microcredentials to earn the full Master Online Teacher Certificate (MOT)!

AI Literacy for Educators Microcredential

Required Courses

AI for Innovation, Productivity and Leadership
AI Literacy for Educators
AI Ethics and Responsible Innovation

Enroll in the AI Literacy for Educators Microcredential

Enroll in the AI Literacy for Educators Microcredential Program

AI and Career Development Microcredential

Required Courses

AI for Innovation, Productivity and Leadership
AI Fundamentals for Career Growth
Future-Proofing Your Career in an AI World

Enroll in the AI and Career Development Microcredential

Enroll in the AI and Career Development Microcredential Program

Advanced Instructional Design Principles

wstou2 — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 19:12:44 +0000

Advanced Instructional Design Principles wstou2 Tue, 10/29/2024 - 14:12

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8 Week Course/Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Earn a Digital Credential

Discounts

Description

This course is a hands-on course that provides theory and praxis in the area of Instructional Design. In 8 short modules, you will learn why Quality Assurance programs emphasize the modification of an online course design, what the best practices are in online course design, and how to create content that will not only please your administrators but also improve student retention and success. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 8 CEU hours

Outcomes

The educational goals of this course include:

Include a welcome module in your course

Provide original teacher media content such as a welcome video and a module introduction video.
Create engaging discussion board prompts that lead to rich and unique conversations among your learners.
Design engaging formative and summative assessments for your course.
Align your learning materials, learning activities, and assessments with your course, program, and institutional learning outcomes.
Create customized rubrics that result in a dramatic decrease of time spent on grading.

Prerequisite

None.

Certificate Series

Certificate elective Course. MOT

Advanced AI

wstou2 — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:21:57 +0000

Advanced AI wstou2 Wed, 04/24/2024 - 09:21

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4 Weeks /Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Digital Credentials

Discounts

Description

AI has the potential to be a valuable tool in education. In this course we hope to capitalize on what you learning in the first AI course and make your journey with AI smoother, richer, and more productive. We'll dive deeper into the workings of AI, its use in your life, both inside and outside of education, and its implications on the future of education.

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Comprehend the fundamental architectures of large language models
Gain practical knowledge of fine-tuning pre-trained language models for specific downstream tasks
Be able to critically examine the ethical implications of deploying large language models
Be able to evaluate language models effectively
Be able to utilize the principles of effective prompt design, including clarity, specificity, and context-awareness
Understand the nuances of multimodal prompts, combining text, images, and other modalities
Be able to use techniques for identifying and mitigating biases in prompts
Understand how prompt engineering impacts model performance and adaptability
Evaluate prompt quality and its impact on AI model behavior
Understand fundamental concepts of intelligent agent architectures, including reactive agents, deliberative agents, and hybrid models
Understand decision-making processes within agents, such as utility-based decision models, reinforcement learning, and Bayesian networks
Critically examine the ethical and societal impact of intelligent agents
Critically evaluate the ethical challenges posed by AI in education, considering issues such as bias, privacy, transparency, and accountability
Evaluate the effectiveness of policies related to AI adoption in educational setting, including understanding legal frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and the practical steps required for policy implementation
Assess the impact of AI policies on educational outcomes, student experiences, and equity

Prerequisite

AI: The Future Of Learning

AI for Secondary Education

wstou2 — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:40:30 +0000

AI for Secondary Education wstou2 Tue, 11/07/2023 - 08:40

4 Week Course/Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Earn a Digital Credential

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Discounts

Description

AI has the potential to be a valuable tool in education. AI can serve as a tool to help students improve their communication and language skills. Through interactions with the model, students can practice writing and speaking more effectively, and learn how to communicate more clearly. The course will help participants become familiar with the technology and be able to evaluate its effectiveness and risks. This four-week course introduces artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for instruction and learning for secondary education purposes. The course includes numerous web resources, authentic assignments, and engaging discussions with fellow learners on concepts, ideas, and strategies for using AI in the classroom.

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Provide experience in online education from a student’s perspective.
Enable participants to evaluate, plan for, and apply AI to enhance their teaching and learning experiences.
Equip participants with the ability to recognize and address issues of ethical, social, technical, and emerging trends related to AI in secondary education in order to make informed and responsible decisions.
Provide participants with the ability to address privacy concerns, ethical consideration, and accessibility challenges associated with using AI in the classroom.
Foster participants’ capability to integrate AI tools into lesson planning, student activities, and student assessment and feedback.
Enhance participants’ ability to encourage their students to use AI tools to enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, and AI literacy skills.
Provide an environment where participants can share ideas and experiences related to the use of AI in a secondary classroom and educational practices in general.

Prerequisite

None.

Certificate Series

None

Creating Accessible Videos for Business and Agencies

wstou2 — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:32:44 +0000

Creating Accessible Videos for Business and Agencies wstou2 Tue, 11/07/2023 - 08:32

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4 Week Course/Instructor Led/Weekly Modules/Earn a Digital Credential

Discounts

Description

This instructor-led, four-week, fully-online course introduces storyboarding, video production, and video accessibility. Participants will discover and discuss issues in accessibility, as well as learn how to caption external videos and create accessible videos.

Program

ION Professional eLearning Programs 4 CEU hours.

Outcomes

As a result of completing course activities and interacting in discussion forums, learners will be able to:

Produce and share a video on a topic within their field using hardware and software of their choosing.
Evaluate their video and produce a storyboard to better layout a video and incorporate audio descriptions.
Caption an existing video using available captioning tools.
Produce a video based on a storyboard and ensure accessibility of the video, including accurate closed-captions and appropriate audio descriptions.

Prerequisite

None.

Certificate Series

DAE for Business and Agencies Certificate Required Course

ION Professional eLearning

AI Ethics and Responsible Innovation

Discounts

Description

Outcomes

Prerequisite

AI Literacy for Educators

Discounts

Description

Program

Outcomes

Prerequisite

AI for Professional Growth and Innovation

Discounts

Description

Program

Outcomes

Prerequisite

AI Tools for Professional Productivity

Discounts

Description

Program

Outcomes

Prerequisite

Future-Proofing Your Career in an AI World

Discounts

Description

Program

Outcomes

Prerequisite

Certificates

Master Online Teacher Certificate (MOT)

Required Courses

Suggested Paths

Instruction

Technology

Support Professional

Enroll in the MOT Certificate Program

Master Online Leader & Administrator Certificate (MOLA)

Required Courses

4-Week Courses

8-Week Courses

Enroll in the MOLA Certificate Program

Open Educational Resources for Instruction Certificate (OER)

Required Courses

Enroll in the OER Certificate Program

Digital Accessibility for Educators Certificate (DAE)

Required Courses

4-Week Courses

8-Week Course

Enroll in the DAE Certificate Program

For U.S. Institutions

Digital Accessibility for Businesses and Agencies Certificate (DABA)

Required Courses

Outcomes:

Enroll in the DABA Certificate Program

Microcredentials

Foundations in Online Teaching *

Required Courses

Enroll in the Foundations in Online Teaching Microcredential

Building an Inclusive Classroom *

Required Courses

Enroll in the Building an Inclusive Classroom Microcredential

Building an Online Classroom *

Required Courses

Enroll in the Building an Online Classroom Microcredential

Building an Interactive Learning Environment *

Required Courses

Enroll in the Building an Interactive Learning Environment Microcredential

AI Literacy for Educators Microcredential

Required Courses

Enroll in the AI Literacy for Educators Microcredential

AI and Career Development Microcredential

Required Courses

Enroll in the AI and Career Development Microcredential

Advanced Instructional Design Principles

Discounts

Description

Program

Outcomes