Training and Experience Requirements

PCC requires the completion of one of following certification courses  in order to teach in an online/hybrid format at the college:

  • PCC Online Teaching Certification (OTC) course - free and fully online 8 week course

OR

  • @One's Online Teaching and Design (OTD) course - fully online 12 week course 

If you have taught online at another institution or have completed equivalent coursework you may be able to complete a Course Review for DE Equivalency and waive some training requirements.  

The PCC Online Teaching Certification (OTC)

The PCC Online Teaching Certification (OTC) is an 8-week fully online course that explores online learning theory, approaches to online course design, and strategies for supporting student success through Course Design, Interaction, Assessment and Accessibility. This course is for PCC faculty who are completing the college’s DE training requirement to become fully certified to teach online or hybrid courses at PCC.

This course, facilitated by PCC faculty and staff, is equivalent to the @One Online Teaching & Design course that also fulfills PCC’s Distance Education certification requirement.

How to register for PCC’s OTC course:

To find out when the next OTC course will be offered please refer to the Training and Workshops page. We will have one offered every term. If you do not see an OTC course listed on the calendar, please contact pcconline@pasadena.edu for details of when the next one will be available.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Develop a comprehensive course plan for a fully online or hybrid course
  • Use the core features of the Canvas learning management system to design an online or hybrid course
  • Develop an introductory orientation module
  • Develop a learning unit with clear objectives aligned to the course outcomes
  • Design accessible course content
  • Integrate Open Educational Resources or other material curated from the internet to support student learning
  • Design formative and summative assessments to support and measure student learning
  • Use a variety of communication tools, both within and external to Canvas, to support student success
  • Explain PCC policies and distance learning regulations

Format:
Fully Online

Duration:
8 weeks

Time Commitment:
Approximately 10 hours per week, for a total of 80 hours.

Level of Difficulty:

Intermediate. You need to be very comfortable using most features in Canvas. If you are still learning Canvas, it is strongly recommended that you take @One’s free Introduction to Teaching with Canvas course (either the facilitated or self-paced course) prior to enrolling in this eight-week course.

IMPORTANT: This is a very popular course and we have limited seating. Please only register if you can fully commit to this class during the full length of the course. If not, we recommend waiting till the next term when there will be additional training options available. This course is only open to current PCC faculty. When you register make sure to use your pasadena.edu email. Registering with a non-pasadena.edu will result in being dropped from the course unless your dean has contacted pcconline@pasadena.edu with a request to allow you in the course.

CVC@One Online Teaching and Design

The CVC@One Online Teaching and Design (OTD) course is a 12 week fully online course where you will explore online learning theory, approaches to online course design, and strategies for supporting student success from within the structure of the four sections of the Onine Education Initiative's Course Design Rubric.

CVC@One offers several sections of the Online Teaching and Design course every term. Please check their current course catalog for course dates. If you do not see a course listed in the catalog that may mean all the sections and their waitlists are currently full and closed for the term.

Registering for an CVC@One course:

  1. Access the CCC Online Network of Educators Course Catalog (CVC@One)  and click on the course of interest.
    1. If you have limited or no experience teaching in Canvas, it is recommended you take the facilitated version of the Introduction to Teaching with Canvas course prior to the OTD course. Not sure if you need the Canvas course first? Do a skills check by reviewing the course outcomes, which are  listed on the course information page.
  2. Click on the Enroll Now or Add to Waitlist button.
  3. Create a new account or Sign-in. You must use your pasadena.edu or other CA Community College email to register.
  4. If you have any questions or issues when registering for CVC@One courses please email their support staff at: support@cvc.edu 

After you successfully complete an CVC@One course:

Once you have successfully completed an CVC@One course and received your digital badge, please share it in an email and send to pcconline@pasadena.edu. In that email make sure to include:

  1. Your full name, pasadena email and department
  2. Your digital badge. Either share a link to your badge or attach the actual .png image of the badge you can download.  If you send a screenshot of the certificate it must include the QR code so the badge can be digitally verified.

The DE Dept. cannot reimburse the cost of CVC@One’s credit option through Fresno Pacific University (FPU), which can be used towards salary advancement at PCC. If credit units for salary advancement are needed, faculty must pay for all FPU course fees without reimbursement.

Experience/Training Waiver

Course Review for DE Equivalency

Previous Teaching

If you have taught online at another institution but not PCC or taken equivalent coursework , you may be eligible to waive some training requirements by completing a Course Review for DE Equivalency.  

1. Check for Exemption
First, please check if your completed certification is the same as the 12-week CVC Online Teaching and Design course. If it is the same course, please us know — an equivalency review is not required if you have completed the correct @One course.
 
2. Equivalency Review Process
If you completed a different course, you will need to go through the equivalency review process. Here is how that works:
  • Get Your Shell: PCC Online will create an Equivalency Review Shell for you.
  • Build and Verify: Copy a current course that you have designed (and ideally taught before) into that shell. Using the Equivalency Review Checklist, ensure all required elements are present in your course. This is an extensive checklist, so please take the time you need to develop the course further, if necessary.
  • Guide the Reviewers: Once you feel confident, fill out the "Evidence/Location" and "Page/Module Link" columns on the checklist. Pointing directly to your materials greatly expedites the review process.
  • Submit: After you submit the completed checklist, the review process typically takes 2 to 3 weeks, depending on request volume. If equivalency is earned at that time, then you will be eligible for online teaching, per the department's scheduling needs. If only minor revisions or improvements are required, we will set up a time to meet with you via Zoom to recommend revisions. If major revisions or course improvements are required, we will discuss whether the equivalency review process is a good strategic fit, and explore further training opportunities.