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Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) is introducing a new Advanced Online Teaching Experience, designed to strengthen instructional practice and support high-quality online learning. Faculty, staff and administrators developed the program and supporting resources through a collaborative, cross-functional effort, with faculty perspectives, voice and expertise shaping the program from its inception.
At the core of the program is a Tri-C-developed rubric, informed by national standards from Quality Matters, the Online Learning Consortium and the OSCQR SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric. Faculty will use this rubric for self-reflection, professional development and growth — not as a mechanism of course evaluation.
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Pilot Launch Summer 2026
Faculty-Initiated Participation Faculty voluntarily elect to engage in the Advanced Online Teaching Experience as part of ongoing professional development and an opportunity to earn an Advanced Online Teaching Experience badge and certificate.
Faculty may elect their participation in the program to also align with:
Annual goals for full-time faculty
Service credit for full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty
Up to six service credits, one service credit per module (in Brightspace), with a total of six modules (proposed and awaiting service credit committee approval)
ADAPT program for adjuncts
One SEU credit per module (in Brightspace) with a total of six modules (awaiting Adjunct Services ADAPT program approval)
Faculty Select a Course Each year, a faculty member selects one or more online (asynchronous or synchronous) courses (CRN or Sandbox site) as the artifact for reflection. (For example, a faculty member might select ENG-1010 one year and ENG-2010 the next.) Faculty are encouraged but not required to review multiple courses.
Initial Faculty/Dean Engagement and Goal Setting Faculty begin the process with an initial conversation with their dean to:
Discuss goals for participation in the Advanced Online Teaching Experience
Identify the course artifact(s)
Align expectations (including service credit, goals, and ADAPT, if applicable and selected)
The faculty/dean conversation may be conducted in person, virtually or via optional video submission/reflection with the faculty and the dean.
After logging into the Brightspace Learning Management System, use the Discover menu in self-enroll to the Advanced Online Teaching Experiencecourse site. Faculty will have a student role within the course.
Access and download the Advanced Online Course Quality Rubric in the Brightspace course.
Explore helpful examples and effective practices of each standard throughout the course modules.
Use the Brightspace site to better understand each rubric standard and how to apply it to a specific course.
Schedule an appointment with a member of our Instructional Design and Learning Excellence team to collaborate and receive support.
Faculty will use the Advanced Online Course Quality Rubric as a structured framework to self-review and self-rate their course, as well as:
Apply guidance from the Brightspace course site as needed
Identify strengths within each rubric category
Identify areas for improvement within each rubric category
Self-rate each standard as:
Developing (D)
Meets (M)
Exceeds (E)
For any category self-rated Developing, faculty will:
Create an action plan for course improvement
Use aligned resources within the rubric/Brightspace course site to improve the course
Include self-identified course improvement actions in their annual goals (optional)
The process encourages faculty to review their course, identify strengths and opportunities for growth, use available resources to improve the course, and share progress and action items with the dean. This approach gives faculty adequate lead time to reflect, make improvements and present updates. It fosters faculty ownership, commitment and self-sufficiency, creating a supportive pathway for professional growth at all levels, from novice to experienced instructors.
Access Aligned Resources Each rubric category will be linked to training modules within the Brightspace course site, which will include guides and external and college-developed resources, ensuring faculty have practical, just-in-time support and tools to strengthen their courses in alignment with the standards.
Optional Peer Support and Engagement At any point of the Advanced Online Teaching Experience, faculty may seek feedback from:
Faculty Peers
Faculty Development Coordinators and Staff
The Instructional Design team
Academic Technology Ambassadors
Students
After completing the Advanced Online Teaching Experience Brightspace course and applying the course quality rubric, faculty will revise their courses based on the rubric standards. They then assess whether their course "meets" or "exceeds" the six rubric standards. In addition, faculty provide a narrative describing the enhancements and changes they made to their course. The reflections are embedded in each of the six modules, and the final reflection is part of the final assignment in the Brightspace course.
The completed rubric and reflection are:
Uploaded to the designated assignment in the Advanced Online Teaching Experience Brightspace course site
Submitted for dean review via a workflow form
Brightspace will serve as the central system of record, enabling submission tracking, documentation storage, badging and certificates when applicable.
Dean Review and Conversation Upon receiving the workflow form, faculty must engage in a substantive post-review conversation with their respective associate dean to discuss reflection outcomes, provide feedback and support continued growth. This conversation may take place through written feedback, a live discussion or optional video commentary.
After completing all the required engagement steps, including both the pre- and post-review faculty/dean conversations:
The dean will sign off on the workflow form
Faculty will then download the signed form as a PDF and upload it to the designated Brightspace course assignment
Milestone Badges The Advanced Online Teaching Experience course includes six modules. After completing each module, faculty receive a milestone badge in Brightspace (up to six total).
Distinguished Advanced Online Teaching Badgeand Certificate Faculty who complete all of the program requirements earn the Distinguished Advanced Online Teaching badge and certificate.
Requirements for the Distinguished Advanced Online Teaching Badge and Certificate To earn the badge and certificate, faculty must:
Complete the rubric and reflection
Achieve self-ratings of "meets" or "exceeds" in all six content areas
Submit all the required materials in Brightspace
Complete the dean engagement process and submit the finalized form into the Brightspace course
Issuance and Use of Badges
Badges are issued through Brightspace and linked to faculty profiles
Faculty may display badges in:
Email signatures
Course syllabi
Professional profiles
College websites
For Full-Time Faculty Service credit: Full-time faculty can earn up to six service credits for completion of the Advanced Online Teaching Experience program. One service credit = completion of one module in Brightspace, with a total of six modules. (Proposed and awaiting service credit committee approval.)
For Adjuncts ADAPT program: Adjuncts can earn up to six stipend-eligible units (SEUs) for completion of the full Advanced Online Teaching Experience program. One SEU = completion of one module in Brightspace, with a total of six modules. (Awaiting Adjunct Services ADAPT program approval.)
Compensation Notes:
While faculty may elect to review more than one course, a maximum of six service credits or SEUs can be earned each academic year for completion of the Advanced Online Teaching Experience.
To earn the six service credits or SEUs, faculty must complete all requirements outlined in the document for the Distinguished Advanced Online Teaching Badge/Certificate.
Additional Service Credit Opportunity: Faculty can also participate in the Advanced Online Teaching Experience focus group feedback sessions for a total of one service credit or one SEU per session.
Renewal Cycle Given the fast pace at which online teaching tools, pedagogy and technology change, faculty will need to update their Advanced Online Teaching Experience badge every two years with the refreshed program content, rubric and resources.
The badge is valid for two years.
Faculty must renew every two years by:
Completing the updated rubric and reflection
Engaging with refreshed program content
Faculty will receive:
Advance notification of expiration
Renewal guidance
Important Notes
This program is developmental, not evaluative, and does not replace annual, periodic or three-year review processes.
Faculty may include program artifacts in annual reviews; however, the rubric is not used by deans as an evaluative tool.
The Distinguished Advanced Online Teaching Experience badge is valid for two years. Renewal requires re-enrollment and completion of the program.
Participation is open to full-time faculty, lecturers and adjunct faculty.
One course per two-year cycle is required for badge/certificate completion.
Program scalability will be monitored and supported through tools, forms and asynchronous options.
An associate vice president, Academic Professional Development, Instructional Design, Online Learning, the director of Instructional Design and Learning Excellence, and the director of Faculty Development will generate Brightspace completion reports to support badging and recognition. The records will be maintained with regular updates, stored documentation, and advance notification of expirations and renewal requirements.
