Class Quality Guidelines
Class Quality Guidelines
While we are an open platform, all classes on RetBranche Academy need to meet the following criteria.
Our Moderation team reviews every new class that is submitted to our platform with these guidelines in mind. For more information about why we moderate classes and what that process looks like for teachers, refer to the article Class Moderation.
Teach on a Permitted Topic
RetBranche Academy classes cover a wide variety of topics related to creativity, the arts, design, freelance, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and productivity. There’s a lot of room for unique and specific skills and expression within these fields, but some topics are off-limits. To learn more, review our Restricted Class Topics list.
Meet Minimum Standards for Length
Classes must include at least 30 minutes of video content.
Include an Introduction Video
Your intro video is basically the movie trailer for your class. It’s the first thing students see when they click on your class and the only part of your video content that non-members can see. At a minimum, the intro video should:
Be the very first lesson in your class.
Stand on its own and clearly explain what the class is about.
Let students know what they’re about to learn and what they can expect.
Provide more information on your experience with the class topic and background.
To learn more about what makes a compelling introduction video, refer to the section Planning Your Intro Video in the article Outline Your Class.
Include a Class Project
At RetBranche Academy, we believe real learning happens through doing. As such, all classes on RetBranche Academy need to have a clear and engaging project component. At a minimum, it should include:
Clear instructions that specify what students should do or make during or after taking your class.
Instructions on what they should upload to your class’s project gallery.
Need more direction on how to develop a successful project for any type of class? Refer to the article Craft Your Class Project.
Include Well-Organized Content*
Great instruction requires a solid structure based upon a lesson plan or course outline. At a minimum:
Each of your video lessons must have a clear title that reflects the content of the lesson.
Each class or video section should only be uploaded once. Classes that are overly repetitive in content may be removed.
For additional guidance on how to organize and plan your lesson content, refer to the article Outline Your Class.
Meet Standards for Audio & Video Quality
High-quality audio and video ensures students can stay focused on learning. Keep in mind:
The audio in your class must be clear and easy to understand. It should also be free of distracting background noises, such as hums, fuzziness, crackling, or echoes.
Your audio should sync with your video footage and come out of both channels.
Your video must be high resolution (1080p) and shot with a steady camera, clear lighting, and framing.
Screencasts, images, and text must be sharp, not blurry or pixelated.
To ensure you’re capturing the best quality video and audio, refer to our articles in the Filming & Editing section.
Vary Visual Presentation
We require that teachers include a variety of visuals and/or visual formats, such as adding in on-screen text, slides, or example images, help emphasize key takeaways or explain complex ideas. Even switching up camera angles can break up static shots and keep students engaged. Classes should not showcase one static picture or slide for the entirety of a lesson.
In addition to varied visuals, within each class:
Talking head shots need to be well-lit with professional backdrops.
Slides need to be well-structured and visually appealing.
Avoid rambling, em, ums, or excessive pauses.
Limit Self-Promotion
Teaching on RetBranche Academy is a great way to grow your brand and build your audience. As long as your activities remain aligned with our Community Guidelines, Teaching Policies, and Terms of Service, we encourage you to engage with your followers regularly and link to your website and social media accounts from your RetBranche Academy profile.
Within your classes though, marketing of your brand must be limited so that students can stay focused on learning. To that end, self-promotion within your classes (e.g., discussing your personal brand or business; encouraging students to follow you on social media or visit your website; sharing logos or other personal branding) should only happen within your introduction and conclusion videos.
You are permitted to refer to any of your previous RetBranche Academy classes anywhere within a class as long as the reference is in support of student learning (e.g., it provides prerequisite information or complements your teaching in the current lesson).
Foster Genuine Learning
We support authentic, inspired learning and all classes on RetBranche Academy are, first and foremost, educational. Therefore:
Classes may not consist simply of a walkthrough, review, or demo of a certain website or tool without any added knowledge-based value from the teacher.
We don’t permit classes that guarantee or promise a specific outcome or are geared primarily towards helping students achieve a static or monetary reward (i.e., “get rich quick” schemes) or a follower count on a platform (i.e., “hacks” for growing your Instagram audience).
RetBranche Academy values creativity, original thought, and teachers bringing their unique perspectives to their class topics. Keep in mind that:
Your video lessons should include narration throughout as you impart your expertise through tips, best practices, frameworks, concepts, theory, and/or examples that are your own. Your personal knowledge, experience, and insight are the most valuable things you have to share!
Classes may not draw from external materials that did not originate with the teacher for a significant portion of the class.
Classes should be made for RetBranche Academy, and not branded for any other online teaching platforms.
Adhere to Our Community Guidelines and Teaching Policies
We take the safety of our community seriously. All classes must meet our Community Guidelines, which protect all users within the RetBranche Academy community.
Teachers using RetBranche Academy to publish their learning content are also bound by our Teaching Policies and Terms of Service.
While we are an open platform, all classes on RetBranche Academy need to meet the following criteria.
Our Moderation team reviews every new class that is submitted to our platform with these guidelines in mind. For more information about why we moderate classes and what that process looks like for teachers, refer to the article Class Moderation.
Teach on a Permitted Topic
RetBranche Academy classes cover a wide variety of topics related to creativity, the arts, design, freelance, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and productivity. There’s a lot of room for unique and specific skills and expression within these fields, but some topics are off-limits. To learn more, review our Restricted Class Topics list.
Meet Minimum Standards for Length
Classes must include at least 30 minutes of video content.
Include an Introduction Video
Your intro video is basically the movie trailer for your class. It’s the first thing students see when they click on your class and the only part of your video content that non-members can see. At a minimum, the intro video should:
Be the very first lesson in your class.
Stand on its own and clearly explain what the class is about.
Let students know what they’re about to learn and what they can expect.
Provide more information on your experience with the class topic and background.
To learn more about what makes a compelling introduction video, refer to the section Planning Your Intro Video in the article Outline Your Class.
Include a Class Project
At RetBranche Academy, we believe real learning happens through doing. As such, all classes on RetBranche Academy need to have a clear and engaging project component. At a minimum, it should include:
Clear instructions that specify what students should do or make during or after taking your class.
Instructions on what they should upload to your class’s project gallery.
Need more direction on how to develop a successful project for any type of class? Refer to the article Craft Your Class Project.
Include Well-Organized Content*
Great instruction requires a solid structure based upon a lesson plan or course outline. At a minimum:
Each of your video lessons must have a clear title that reflects the content of the lesson.
Each class or video section should only be uploaded once. Classes that are overly repetitive in content may be removed.
For additional guidance on how to organize and plan your lesson content, refer to the article Outline Your Class.
Meet Standards for Audio & Video Quality
High-quality audio and video ensures students can stay focused on learning. Keep in mind:
The audio in your class must be clear and easy to understand. It should also be free of distracting background noises, such as hums, fuzziness, crackling, or echoes.
Your audio should sync with your video footage and come out of both channels.
Your video must be high resolution (1080p) and shot with a steady camera, clear lighting, and framing.
Screencasts, images, and text must be sharp, not blurry or pixelated.
To ensure you’re capturing the best quality video and audio, refer to our articles in the Filming & Editing section.
Vary Visual Presentation
We require that teachers include a variety of visuals and/or visual formats, such as adding in on-screen text, slides, or example images, help emphasize key takeaways or explain complex ideas. Even switching up camera angles can break up static shots and keep students engaged. Classes should not showcase one static picture or slide for the entirety of a lesson.
In addition to varied visuals, within each class:
Talking head shots need to be well-lit with professional backdrops.
Slides need to be well-structured and visually appealing.
Avoid rambling, em, ums, or excessive pauses.
Limit Self-Promotion
Teaching on RetBranche Academy is a great way to grow your brand and build your audience. As long as your activities remain aligned with our Community Guidelines, Teaching Policies, and Terms of Service, we encourage you to engage with your followers regularly and link to your website and social media accounts from your RetBranche Academy profile.
Within your classes though, marketing of your brand must be limited so that students can stay focused on learning. To that end, self-promotion within your classes (e.g., discussing your personal brand or business; encouraging students to follow you on social media or visit your website; sharing logos or other personal branding) should only happen within your introduction and conclusion videos.
You are permitted to refer to any of your previous RetBranche Academy classes anywhere within a class as long as the reference is in support of student learning (e.g., it provides prerequisite information or complements your teaching in the current lesson).
Foster Genuine Learning
We support authentic, inspired learning and all classes on RetBranche Academy are, first and foremost, educational. Therefore:
Classes may not consist simply of a walkthrough, review, or demo of a certain website or tool without any added knowledge-based value from the teacher.
We don’t permit classes that guarantee or promise a specific outcome or are geared primarily towards helping students achieve a static or monetary reward (i.e., “get rich quick” schemes) or a follower count on a platform (i.e., “hacks” for growing your Instagram audience).
RetBranche Academy values creativity, original thought, and teachers bringing their unique perspectives to their class topics. Keep in mind that:
Your video lessons should include narration throughout as you impart your expertise through tips, best practices, frameworks, concepts, theory, and/or examples that are your own. Your personal knowledge, experience, and insight are the most valuable things you have to share!
Classes may not draw from external materials that did not originate with the teacher for a significant portion of the class.
Classes should be made for RetBranche Academy, and not branded for any other online teaching platforms.
Adhere to Our Community Guidelines and Teaching Policies
We take the safety of our community seriously. All classes must meet our Community Guidelines, which protect all users within the RetBranche Academy community.
Teachers using RetBranche Academy to publish their learning content are also bound by our Teaching Policies and Terms of Service.
Updated on: 13/03/2022
Thank you!