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KATalyst Awards for Online Teaching

The KATalyst Awards celebrate excellence in online education at Sam Houston State University. These prestigious awards recognize SHSU faculty and instructors who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to high-quality online teaching through: 

  • Technical innovation in online teaching 
  • Excellence in student engagement 
  • Impact on student academic success 

By honoring these achievements, the KATalyst Awards promote a university-wide culture of excellence and continuous improvement in digital education. 

How it Works

Award Process Overview

The KATalyst Awards follow a thorough two-step review process designed to ensure that each nomination is evaluated fairly and in alignment with SHSU’s standards for online teaching excellence.

Initial Review

A subcommittee from SHSU Online’s Course Development team evaluates submissions to ensure alignment with the Online Rubric for Course Design.

Final Selection

The SHSU Distance Learning Committee completes the process by selecting recipients who exemplify excellence in online teaching.

Awards

Each KATalyst Award recipient receives the following.

  • A physical award (plaque or trophy)
  • A $1,000 one-time stipend
  • Recognition at the Digital Education Summit (DES), including:
    • A featured spot in the DES program
    • Acknowledgment during the Day 1 keynote

If you have any questions about the award nomination process, contact Jacob Spradlin, Executive Director of Instructional Development & Support for SHSU Online at spradlin@shsu.edu.

Becoming a Candidate

In order to be considered for nomination, be sure to follow the instructions below. 

  • Provide a one-page summary of the online course(s) as evidence of meeting category criteria. 
  • Two letters of support from:
    • Current or former online student and 
    • Current faculty member from your college or the university 
Complete Nomination Form

Deadlines & Timetable

March 27, 2026Nominations due
April 24, 2026Applicants and chairs notified of the results
June 25, 2026Recognition and Awards Presentation at DES26 

Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

General Requirements 

To be considered for the KATalyst Award, submissions must meet the Exemplary Practice standards outlined in the SHSU Online Course Design Rubric. Applicants are encouraged to review their course using the Online and Hybrid Course Checklist provided by SHSU Online.

Award nominees must submit to present at DES, sharing insights into their online teaching approach with a focus on their award category.

Candidate Eligibility

  • Open to all faculty and teaching staff involved in online or hybrid instruction, including tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track instructors.
  • Multiple nominations per department or college are permitted. Self-nominations are encouraged. 
  • Recipients may only receive KATalyst Award for a Category, once. 
  • Members of the Distance Education Committee are not eligible.  

Evaluation Criteria

To be considered for the KATalyst Award, submissions must meet the Exemplary Practice standards outlined in the SHSU Online Course Design Rubric. Applicants are encouraged to review their course using the Online and Hybrid Course Checklist provided by SHSU Online.  

Technological Innovation in Online Teaching

Purpose:

To honor faculty who creatively integrate technology to enhance learning, accessibility, and instructional efficiency. 

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Creative Use of Technology (40%) – Innovative application of digital tools (e.g., LMS features, AI, video, simulations) beyond standard practice. 
  • Impact on Student Learning (30%) – Demonstrated improvement in learning outcomes or skill development through technology integration. 
  • Scalability and Replicability (20%) – Potential for adoption by other faculty or scalability across programs. 
  • Quality of Evidence (10%) – Supporting materials such as screenshots, student feedback, and engagement data. 

Excellence in Student Engagement

Purpose:

To recognize faculty who foster accessible, interactive, and engaging online learning environments.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Interactive Course Design (35%) – Meaningful student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactions (e.g., discussions, group work, peer review). 
  • Accessibility and Community (25%) – Use of Universal Design principles and community building as part of course design. 
  • Student Feedback and Satisfaction (25%) – Positive student evaluations, testimonials, or survey results highlighting engagement.
  • Evidence of Creativity (15%) – Unique strategies for building community (e.g., virtual office hours, gamification, experiential projects).  

Impact on Student Academic Success

Purpose:

To celebrate faculty whose teaching practices significantly improve student achievement, persistence, and completion.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Measurable Success Outcomes (40%) – Data showing improved grades, reduced D/F/W rates, or increased retention/completion. 
  • Course Design Quality (30%) – Alignment with or exceeding SHSU Online course design standards (e.g., Quality Matters rubric). 
  • Responsive Teaching & Support (20%) – Evidence of support for elevated academic and high-need student populations. 
  • Reflection and Continuous Improvement (10%) – Demonstrated commitment to iterative course enhancement based on student performance data. 

Scoring Information

Each criterion is scored on a scale from 0 to 5, with detailed descriptors provided in the scoring rubric. A full scoring table is available as a separate page at the end of this document. 

Scoring Rubric

Technological Innovation in Online Teaching

Creative Use of Technology | 40%

  1. No evidence of innovation  
  2. Uses tools creatively but in limited ways  
  3. Demonstrates a unique, highly creative application with clear benefit to students 

Impact on Student Learning | 30%

  1. No evidence of improved learning  
  2. Some anecdotal evidence of student impact
  3. Measurable data showing clear improvement in outcomes 

Scalability / Replicability | 20%

  1. Idea is one-off or not transferable  
  2. Can be replicated with moderate effort 
  3. Readily adaptable by others, with potential for campus-wide use 

Quality of Evidence | 10%

  1. Minimal or unclear evidence  
  2. Includes screenshots/testimonials but limited data  
  3. Strong combination of analytics, course artifacts, and feedback

Excellence in Student Engagement 

Interactive Course Design | 35%

  1. No clear strategies for interaction  
  2. Some interactive elements included 
  3. Rich, ongoing interaction across multiple modalities 

Inclusivity & Belonging | 25%

  1. No attention to community or accessibility  
  2. Uses some accessible practices
  3. Demonstrates intentional, accessible, community-building design practices

Student Feedback & Satisfaction | 25%

  1. No data or poor ratings
  2. Mixed but generally positive feedback
  3. Consistently high ratings/testimonials emphasizing engagement

Evidence of Creativity | 15%

  1. Conventional strategies only 
  2. Some unique elements
  3. Highly innovative, energizing approaches that are clearly impactful

Impact on Student Academic Success

Measurable Success Outcomes | 40%

  1. No outcome data provided  
  2. Some evidence of improved grades/retention  
  3. Significant positive trend in data 

Course Design Quality | 30%

  1. Below SHSU design standards 
  2. Meets most design standards
  3. Exceeds standards with exemplary quality 

Responsive Teaching & Support | 20%

  1. No evidence of supporting high-need students
  2. Some attention to elevated academic needs  
  3. Strong impact on closing performance gaps

Reflection & Continuous Improvement | 10%

  1. No reflection or iteration 
  2. Some documented course adjustments
  3. Demonstrated, data-driven iterative process