USU's ETE 10 Program Nationally Recognized by Badgr

Utah State University’s ETE10 Pathways program is receiving national recognition. The program was recently featured in an article published by Badgr. The article details USU’s creation of the ETE10 Pathways program, which allows USU faculty, staff and students with a teaching roll an opportunity to continually improve their teaching and learning.

“We sought to create a culture of teaching excellence that centered on reflective practice and ongoing improvement,” said ETE Assistant Director Travis Thurston in the article. “Our team provided multiple entry points for instructors to design their own professional learning pathways and submit their reflections. While giving our learners the ability to earn badges for their efforts was important, our team wanted to ensure that we were also building a community of practice.”

Participants in the ETE 10 program earn digital badges, or micro-credentials, designed in a three-tiered framework based on documentation of teaching improvement activities. The badges are earned after engaging in instructional development, implementing evidence-based strategies into their classrooms, and contributing back to the teaching and learning community at USU. All classes are taken using Badgr for Canvas.

“I appreciate my experience with ETE10 because of the multiple opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and to self-reflect on my teaching and learning about teaching,” said USU Intensive English Associate Professor Ekaterina Arshavskaya. “I believe the ETE10 team is incredibly relatable and eager to help along the way. I would highly recommend this program to all instructors and hope to see it grow and become even better.”

The ETE 10 program is aligned with USU’s mission statement, fostering the principle that academics come first. The badges build upon each other, with 10 badges for the Teaching Scholar Certificate leading into 10 additional badges to earn the Master Teacher Certificate.

For faculty and staff interested in enrolling in an ETE10 Pathways course, visit www.usu.edu/empowerteaching/implement/ete10.