UM's Mastery of Online Course Design Badge Program
Go beyond the basics and build better online courses.
Program Overview
Want to create online courses that students thrive in? The Office of Academic Outreach offers training for online instructors to earn digital badges to demonstrate expertise in online course design.
Over the course of one academic year, online instructors can complete three topic-based badges—Course Design Practices, Digital Accessibility & Universal Design, and Student Engagement Strategies—culminating in the UM Mastery of Online Course Design badge.
This optional advanced pathway builds on the required Online Teaching Endorsement.
Timeline
Complete the program within one academic year.
Time Commitment
| 6 self-paced workshops | 1 hour each |
|---|---|
| 6 assignments | 30-60 minutes each |
| Total | 9-12 hours |
How to Earn the Mastery Badge
First Step
Enroll in the Online Course Design Badge Program.
Sign-up to receive updates on assignments and the program.
Second Step
Earn Three Topic-Based Badges.
Complete all three specialized areas of online course design: Course Design Practices, Digital Accessibility & Universal Design, and Student Engagement Strategies.
Third Step
Receive Your Mastery Badge.
Once you complete all three topic badges, you'll be awarded the UM Mastery of Online Course Design badge.
Fourth Step
Share Your Achievement!
Badges are verified through our credentialing partner, making them easy to share on LinkedIn, in courses, and other professional contexts.
Earning a Topic-Based Badge
There are three specialized topic areas:
- Course Design Practices
- Digital Accessibility & Universal Design
- Student Engagement Strategies.
For each topic area, you'll:
- Complete Self‑Paced Workshops.
- Choose 2 of the 3 self‑paced workshops for each topic.
- Each workshop should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
- Complete Assignments
- Each workshop includes an assignment at the end.
- Submit your assignment in the corresponding Blackboard folder.
- Assignments should be submitted soon after finishing each workshop and no later than the end of the semester in which the workshop was started.
Ready to Get Started?
Join us and start leveling up your team online course design!