Missouri Online offers micro-credentials to faculty and staff as part of the Sprint Ahead program. Complete a single course badge, earn a master badge, or go for a program badge!
We offer self-paced mini-courses in four areas related to online teaching and learning: design, assessment, community, and inclusion. Each course uses the latest scholarship of teaching and learning and asks participants to design and/or develop instructional materials that align with current best practices. Over time, we plan to offer additional areas.
For each course badge, you’ll spend about three hours completing these activities in Canvas:
- Context: Review the latest information and guidance for each topic.
- Connect: Book a 1-hour virtual support appointment (via Microsoft Teams) with a Missouri Online instructional or media designer.
- Create: Create/update relevant instructional materials and share your work.
For a master badge, complete three courses of your choice in a single area. Earn all four master badges, and you’ll be awarded a Sprint Ahead program badge.
Enroll at any time through our Missouri Online Teaching Catalog or access descriptions and enrollment links at the bottom of this page. Participants need Missouri System login credentials. Please contact teachingonline@umsystem.edu with any questions.
Area 1
Design
Complete any 3 sprints in this section to earn the Design Master Badge.
Sprint 1.A Information architecture: Using Canvas effectively
Create or reorganize an existing module that aligns with your teaching style. Learn the importance of structural design in Canvas and create informative Canvas pages.
Sprint 1.B Designing digitally accessible documents
This sprint will guide you through the core skills of digital accessibility and how to apply those skills in documents.
Sprint 1.C Creating effective instructional media
Create a visual piece of instructional media (either a one minute video or an infographic) that includes key design strategies for working with instructional media.
Sprint 1.D Plain language writing
This sprint teaches the quick drafting method to unlock your creative potential and craft a set of directions or a teaching philosophy statement that conforms to plain language standards.
Sprint 1.E Sensational synchronous sessions
In this sprint, you will design a lesson plan for an engaging, quality synchronous online class.
Sprint 1.F Typography
Learn about selecting and using fonts and typefaces appropriately to design beautiful documents.
Sprint 1.G Presentations perfected
Review best practices and work with a designer to create a new (or modified) presentation that captures attention and effectively communicates information.
Sprint 1.H Designing HyFlex multimodal learning environments
In this sprint you will learn about the purpose of using HyFlex, as well as the benefits and challenges of implementing it in your class.
Area 2
Assessment
Complete the 3 sprints in this section to earn the Assessment Master Badge.
Sprint 2.A Learning outcomes: Edujargon or educessity?
Learning outcomes serve as the road map for a course. In this sprint, you will use Bloom’s Taxonomy and the SMART technique to create or revise course- and module-level learning outcomes.
Sprint 2.B Active learning
Active learning is an instructional method that engages students in the learning process beyond listening and passive note taking.
Sprint 2.C Centering relevance with authentic pedagogy
In this sprint, you will develop (or revise) an authentic activity that encourages meaningful and relevant learning experiences.
Sprint 2.D Academic integrity
This sprint discusses how to create a learning environment that supports academic integrity in any modality.
Area 3
Community
Complete the 3 sprints in this section to earn the Community Master Badge.
Sprint 3.A Inclusive online teaching
In this sprint, you will apply the Peralta Online Equity Rubric to assess your online course design and teaching.
Sprint 3.B Less Zoom doom, more engagement
In this sprint, participants will discover a variety of high-engagement, active learning strategies for effective class discussions that they can employ in (and around) their synchronous meetings by taking advantage of tools already available in Zoom and Canvas.
Sprint 3.C Effective online group work
In this sprint, you will learn about practical and effective strategies to address the common challenges of online group learning.
Sprint 3.D Engaging asynchronous discussion boards
In this sprint, participants will explore best practices for asynchronous online discussions and consider varied approaches to these discussions.
Area 4
Inclusion
Complete any 3 sprints in this section to earn the Inclusion Master Badge. Note that these courses are also included:
Sprint 4.A Digital accessibility for Canvas
Dive into the world of digital accessibility as you learn how to create accessible Canvas pages and related multimedia.
Sprint 4.B Open Educational Resources (OER) and open pedagogy
In this sprint, you will search for, evaluate, and/or create OER or an outline of a renewable assignment inspired by open pedagogy.