Validation of Online Teaching Certification (OTC)
The Distance Education (DE) Coordinators will review any faculty documentation of external DE training from accredited institution based on each of the four (4) current standards for online teaching in the community college system:
- Regular and substantive interaction (RSI)
Importance of teacher-student communication; demonstration of effective communication in various ways within the course. - Accessibility
Implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act; ensuring accessibility of all course material. - Assessment
Design and use of a variety of formative and summative assessments to help students achieve the course learning objectives. - Course Design
Current effective practices for online teaching that support student success; application of such practices to the design and implementation of course.
OTC Validation Request Guidelines
Faculty who have completed distance education training should submit appropriate documentation (e.g., copy of completion certificate/badge; transcripts and course description) to the Distance Education (DE) Coordinators via email.
Please send documents to DE Coordinators and use the subject line “Online Teaching Certification.”
Documentation must include:
- Name of training and institution
- Date of completion (must be post 2020)
- Instructor’s name
The DE Coordinators will review faculty submissions to verify that the training addressed the four mandatory standards: Regular and Substantive Interaction, Accessibility, Assessment, and Course Design.
Training completed at institutions outside the community college system may require the submission of course artifacts related to these key components.
Faculty whose certifications do not meet the requirements will be required to complete the Cerritos College Online Teaching Certification.
Next Steps After Documentation Review
Upon review of the submitted documentation, faculty will be notified via email whether their training has been validated as meeting Cerritos College distance education requirements. Faculty will either be approved to proceed with completing the required RSI training at Cerritos College or will be referred to complete an approved online teaching certification program in addition to the Cerritos College RSI training requirement.
Certifications that meet the required standards do not require re-certification through Cerritos College. However, faculty must complete the required Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) training at Cerritos College to qualify to teach distance education courses. Upon completion, the DE Coordinating Team will document the completed certification through Academic Affairs.
Certifications that do not meet the required standards will require completion of additional distance education training, such as the Cerritos College Online Teaching Certification (OTC). The Cerritos College OTC includes the required Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) training. Faculty who complete an online teaching certification through another institution will still be required to complete RSI training at Cerritos College to be eligible to teach distance education courses. For more information on how to obtain certification, please review the online certification options.
Please direct all questions to the Distance Education Coordinators via email.