KYSU Online Teaching Credentials
KYSU Online prides itself on its highly qualified faculty members who are esteemed experts in their respective fields. These dedicated educators deliver engaging and relevant content to our students. Rest assured that our online faculty members either currently hold certifications or are actively pursuing online teaching credentials through reputable external programs like the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), endorsed by the reputable American Council on Education (ACE) and our internal professional development opportunities centered around quality course design and student engagement meeting federal regular and substantive interaction regulations. By investing in our faculty's growth, we ensure that the quality of instruction and course materials remains consistently high.
KYSU Online Quality Course Design and Teaching Proficiency
KSU Online faculty are expected to demonstrate proficiency in two areas (course design and teaching and learning) as part of the Office of Online Education standards of teaching excellence. Quality course design includes demonstrated proficiency in course design ensuring accessible and aligned content with the course and program goals. As part of our continuous improvement efforts, online faculty engage in pedagogical practices to demonstrate teaching and learning online proficiency.
Online Faculty Teaching Credentialing
Kentucky State University is a Quality Matters institution. Using the Quality Matters Rubric, KYSU Online faculty provide accessible and engaging content allowing students to easily navigate the learning process. Further, KYSU Online partners with the Association for College and University Educators Framework to support an active, student-centered learning experience. The credentials are renewed every two years.
Quality Course Design
All faculty teaching online or virtual courses must demonstrate excellence in quality course design. This credential indicates that a faculty member incorporates the best practices from research in online learning in the design of her/his courses. The faculty member has demonstrated the ability to design student-centered courses in which program objectives, course objectives, student learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessments are well aligned.
Faculty Training Requirements
As noted below, there are different faculty training requirements based on course modality and course preparation requirements.
All Faculty Training Requirements
In general, all faculty, regardless of modality, will be required to complete Canvas training and demonstrate that they’ve added the minimum basic course requirements (syllabus tool, calendar, gradebook, and attendance) to their fall Canvas shells.
Targeted Training Requirements
- Fulltime KSU faculty teaching online, virtual, or hybrid courses must complete at least two ACUE courses to remain eligible to teach online.
- Faculty who are responsible for prepping and teaching an online, virtual, or hybrid course must complete the module three training on course design and effective teaching.
- Faculty teaching pre-prepped courses must complete the module four training on student engagement and RSI.
Review your grades in the Faculty Hub to identify the training you’re required to complete. Only the training you’re required to complete will be available to you in the Canvas Faculty Hub. The due dates associated with each of the graded assignments that are subject to change upon consultation with Academic Affairs and other stakeholders.
Canvas Training: All faculty, regardless of course modality, must complete Canvas training. There are three ways to demonstrate proficiency with Canvas: (1) attend the April 2024 on-site training; (2) complete the Growing with Canvas course in Canvas; or, (3) submit a fully designed Canvas course for review before the semester begins.
Getting Started with Canvas: This training provides a quick review on how to update course shells for fall with a syllabus, calendar, gradebook, and attendance. All courses, regardless of modality, must include the above minimum Canvas elements.
- Required Faculty: All faculty teaching in any modality.
- Location of Training: The Getting Started with Canvas training is available in module two of the Faculty Canvas hub.
- Required Work: Submit screenshots of the syllabus tool, calendar, gradebook, and attendance in your fall courses.
ACUE Effective Online Teaching Practices (EOTP): Full-time KSU faculty teaching online, virtual, or hybrid courses are required to complete at least two ACUE courses on Effective Online Teaching Practices (EOTP). ACUE courses are offered each semester.
Designing a Virtual or Hybrid Residential Class: Hybrid and virtual residential courses will be developed in Canvas and assessed to ensure compliance with both KSU and DOE standards for online education. Module three of the KSU Faculty Hub provides required training for meeting the six standards of the online courser evaluation: development of course overviews and orientation resources, modular structuring, formulation and alignment of course objectives and outcomes, designing assessments, selection and creation of instructional materials, and ensuring adherence to RSI standards through student interaction and engagement. Each lesson in module three provides comprehensive guidance on these aspects, along with practical demonstrations on using Canvas tools to meet the standards.
- Required Faculty: All faculty prepping and teaching a residential virtual or hybrid class.
- Location of Training: The Designing a Virtual or Hybrid Residential Class training is available in module three of the Faculty Canvas hub.
- Required Work: There are five graded assignments associated with module three that concludes with the course evaluation.
Teaching Strategies for RSI: The Teaching Strategies for RSI training explains the Department of Education’s “regular and substantive interaction” regulation, identifies the consequences of failing to meet RSI standards, provides strategies for meeting RSI requirements in online, virtual, and hybrid courses, and provides strategies for creating culturally responsive online class experiences. *A pre-prepped online course is one that has been developed and evaluated according to KSU and federal standards.
- Required Faculty: All faculty teaching pre-prepped* online, virtual, or hybrid courses.
- Location of Training: The Teaching Strategies for RSI training is offered in module four of the Canvas Faculty Hub.
- Required Work: There are five graded assignments associated with module four that concludes with the course evaluation.
Questions? Contact kysuonline@kysu.edu or Dr. Deanna McGaughey-Summers, Interim Director of Online Educator, deanna.mcgaugheysumm@kysu.edu