CETL and MSU Online offer a variety of professional development opportunities to support faculty in their online instruction. These programs are designed to help you design your courses, improve student engagement, create better student learning outcomes, and enhance your teaching career.
Fall 2026 Programs
Asynchronous Programs
Advanced Course Quality
Advanced Online Course Quality is designed for faculty who want to move beyond basic online course setup and strengthen selected aspects of their own online courses. Participants will complete at least two of the first seven content modules based on their teaching context, course needs, and professional goals. These modules address evidence-based practices related to online presence, course organization, alignment, interaction, feedback, assessment, accessibility, learner support, and responsible use of AI. All participants will then complete the required course review module, where they use feedback to revise selected elements of their course and explain how those changes support student learning, engagement, navigation, accessibility, and overall course quality.
Regular and Substantive Interaction
This three-module asynchronous faculty professional development opportunity is designed to help raise instructor awareness about the importance and implications of having meaningful instructor interaction in online courses and to consider best practices in their own courses
Synchronous Workshops
Meet the UEC/CETL Instructional Designer/What is Instructional Design?
Meet Chris Daniel, UEC/CETL’s instructional designer, and learn how instructional design can support your teaching. This session introduces the role of instructional design, the types of assistance available to faculty, and practical ways an instructional designer can help strengthen course organization, alignment, accessibility, engagement, assessment, and the effective use of instructional technology.
Interactive Objects for Student/Technology Engagement
Discover how H5P can make online courses more engaging through interactive videos, knowledge checks, presentations, branching scenarios, and other activities. This training introduces practical ways to use H5P to support learning, provide immediate feedback, and encourage students to interact more actively with course content.
Alternatives to Traditional 1-2 Discussion Boards
Explore alternatives to the traditional “post once, reply twice” discussion format. This training introduces more purposeful, engaging approaches to online discussion that promote meaningful interaction, critical thinking, collaboration, and authentic application of course concepts.
Branching Scenarios with Microsoft PowerPoint
Learn how to create interactive branching scenarios using Microsoft PowerPoint. This training introduces a practical, accessible approach to designing decision-based activities that allow learners to explore choices, receive feedback, and experience the consequences of their decisions.
Visually Engaging Content
Learn techniques to create better organized, and visually engaging pages in Brightspace. This training introduces practical techniques for formatting text, adding links, structuring content, and making simple page edits without requiring advanced coding experience. Ready-to-use templates will be provided so participants can quickly adapt and apply what they learn in their own courses.
Course Maps for Alignment, Clarity, and Student Retention
Learn how to create a course map that connects learning objectives, materials, activities, and assessments. This workshop explores how course maps can strengthen alignment, clarify the student learning experience, identify gaps or redundancies, and support student persistence and retention.
Promoting Academic Integrity in the Age of AI
Explore practical approaches to academic integrity in the age of generative AI. This training examines why students may misuse AI, how clear policies and thoughtful assessment design can reduce academic integrity concerns, and how instructors can guide students toward transparent, responsible, and learning-focused uses of AI.
Practical and Ethical use of AI for instructional support
Explore practical and ethical ways to use generative AI to support instructional work. This training introduces strategies for developing course materials, generating ideas, improving feedback, and streamlining routine tasks while maintaining accuracy, transparency, privacy, accessibility, and appropriate instructor oversight.
Faculty Champions Series
The Faculty Champions Series highlights the expertise, experience, and practical perspectives of Minnesota State University, Mankato instructors and campus professionals. Each session features colleagues with advanced knowledge in a specific area who can share strategies, examples, and insights that are directly relevant to teaching and supporting students at Mankato.
Getting started in online teaching
Build a strong foundation for teaching online with practical guidance on course organization, communication, engagement, accessibility, and student support. This training introduces essential strategies and campus resources to help instructors create a clear, welcoming, and effective online learning experience.
Moving from 16 to 8?
Learn how to redesign a 16-week course for an 8-week format without simply doubling the workload or pace. This training explores practical strategies for prioritizing essential outcomes, adjusting assignments and due dates, organizing content, managing student workload, and maintaining meaningful interaction in an accelerated course.
Handling large enrollment sections
Explore practical strategies for managing large-enrollment courses while maintaining clarity, engagement, and meaningful support for students. This training examines approaches to communication, assessment, feedback, course organization, and instructional technology that can improve efficiency without sacrificing course quality or student connection.
Teaching students with unique needs
Explore practical strategies for supporting students with diverse learning needs, backgrounds, and circumstances. This training examines inclusive course design, flexibility, accessibility, communication, and campus resources that can help instructors reduce barriers while maintaining clear expectations and academic standards.
