Category Archives: For Instructors

Celebrate April Fools Day with LinkedIn Learning

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Looking to have some fun and learn how to harness humor as a skill to relieve tension, shift perspectives, and bring people together? Look no further!

Dive into these bite-sized tips and tricks to get started:

Want to know more? Check out the full course: Humor in the Workplace (Full course 45 min)

April 2022 @ LTC – General Campus Technology

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Google Workspace

“Google Drive and Apps Essentials” – April 8 at 9:00AM

Learn about how to effectively use Google Drive and Apps for collaboration and file-sharing. This workshop offers an overview of Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Presentations, Forms, Drawing, and Sites. Learn the basics of each program to get you up and running quickly with Google applications as well as some helpful tips and tricks!

Interactive Polling with Slido

April 12 at 9:00AM

Webex Meetings now has an interactive polling feature built right into the meeting so you can easily engage with your participants. In this session, you will learn: how to create, activate, and share content; view results; add collaborators; and more!
Access your Slido account from https://slido.com 

Suggestions for Effective Online Meetings & Webinars

April 19 at 9:30AM

Do you know how to schedule a Webex Meeting and/or Webinar, but are looking to make them more smooth, efficient, productive, and comfortable? We’ll cover some pre-meeting details that can help as well as and facilitation techniques to help you and your attendees have better virtual meeting experiences. We’ll focus on tips and tricks for Webex Meetings and Webinars to take your baseline skills to the next level.

New to Campus? Need a refresher?

“Campus Technology: Resources to Help You Succeed” – April 14 at 1:30PM

The goal of this session is to create awareness of the campus-supported communication, collaboration, and work productivity tools that apply to all staff and introduce participants to support resources.

Can’t make it at the scheduled time? Check out our on-demand technology orientation!

Getting Started with Webex

April 26 at 10AM

Webex, formerly known as Webex Teams, is ideal for ongoing communication and collaboration among teams, departments and work groups. Interested in learning how to utilize Webex? This session will help you understand the basics of Webex (Teams) including the new Calling features, best practices for use, and how to get others on board with using it.

Microsoft Outlook – Tips and Tricks

“Outlook Email/Calendar Basics (and Tips & Tricks)” – April 27 at 9:30AM
Open to both Windows and Mac users, this training will cover strategies to manage email messages, calendar scheduling, and more!

Deadline Extended!

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There is still time! We have extended the deadline for the Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference Call for Proposals to April 11, 2022.

Submit your Proposal Now!

We invite submissions from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater instructors and staff to share their innovations, scholarly teaching results, or information on how they’ve connected to the Wisconsin Idea. Possible themes include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • Academic technology, connections and challenges
  • Assessment and program evaluation
  • Innovative student services and experiences 
  • Online program development
  • Project-based and community-based learning opportunities
  • Strategic enrollment and program development
  • Something Else!

Concurrent presentation sessions will last 45 minutes. You are welcome to structure time to fit your presentation. Remember Q&A! A typical session consists of approximately 35 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for questions and answers.

For additional information, please contact The Learning Technology Center.

April 2022 @ LTC – The Student Experience

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What is the student experience in your course? How do they view their interactions with reading assignments, discussions, and assessments? This April, join the Learning Technology Center as we re-center the student experience!

Starting April 1! Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) encourages us to improve our teaching and students’  through a philosophy of “multiple means” of representation. This collection of workshops will explore the fundamentals of UDL as a means to engage all learners.

What Students Want in Canvas

April 5, 2022 at 1:00PM (via Webex)

This training will focus on making a series of small, easy, and optional, shifts from your current course design to a setup backed by feedback from student panels conducted right here at UW-Whitewater. The goal is not to change how you teach, just how students view the course. This training session will focus on four areas:

  • Matching your Assignments and Grades area to your course syllabus
  • Reorganizing Modules to a chronological layout
  • Getting assignments and tasks populated to student calendars
  • Utilizing the description area of Quizzes and Assignments

A recording of this training is already available!

UW System Administration “Digital Learning Environment” – Student Survey

April 15, 2022 at 1:00PM (via Webex)

In 2021, a student usability study of the UWS digital learning environment (DLE) was conducted. This workshop reviews those results and discusses ways to improve your classroom and teaching to incorporate specific suggestions from the research.

Building Better Syllabi

Join us on either April 19 (1:00PM) or April 20 (9:00AM) – Register by April 13, 2022!

What makes a good syllabus, and what makes a good syllabus better? This session will talk about what can be done to improve an existing syllabus, and interesting reworks from the ground up. You can get started on your own with these great resources.

More Information

The LTC offers individual and small group consultations on a variety of topics and services.

If you require assistance or have questions on campus technology, please feel free to contact the Help Desk. Outside of Help Desk hours, we invite you to search our Knowledge Base for helpful articles on using and troubleshooting campus technology.

Canvas Update (03/19/2022)

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On Saturday March 19, Instructure deployed the latest release to the Canvas environment. The highlights of this release are listed below. The full release notes are also available.

  • Gradebook – Enhanced Gradebook Filters:  When the Enhanced Gradebook Filters feature preview is enabled for a course, instructors can create filters that can be saved or used one time.
  • Rich Content Editor – Equation Editor Update: When a user creates equations in the Rich Content Editor, the Equation Editor displays an updated user interface.
  • New Quizzes – Item Bank Filtering Terminology Adjustments: In New Quizzes item banks, the All My Banks and All My Course Banks filters have been replaced as the All Banks and Banks Shared to Course filters. Additionally, the This Course filter has been added to the filter options.

If you have any questions or concerns about the service pack updates, or even just curious about how they can help you, please contact UW-W Canvas Support.

[RESOLVED] Canvas Video/Access Issues

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Canvas logins were unavailable on Sunday March 6th between 8AM and 11AM for planned maintenance. There was an additional issue after that outage window which impacted Canvas logins until 1:55PM.

In addition, embedded streaming.uww.edu videos restricted to “All Users” or “Course Teams” inside of Canvas were not loading correctly due to an issue as a result of the Sunday maintenance. A workaround was put in place for this issue on Tuesday, March 8th at 9:30AM. Some users may be prompted to login again to view the video.

We apologize for any inconvenience that these additional issues may have caused for your courses.

Call for Proposals: Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference 2022

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At this year’s Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference, we invite participants to “Explore the Wisconsin Idea” by reflecting on ways their teaching engages with the “Wisconsin Idea” alongside new visions and aspirations for teaching and learning on our campuses, both brick-and-mortar and online. The Conference will be held Wednesday, May 18, 2022 in the University Center on the UW-Whitewater Main Campus. It is sponsored by the LEARN Center, Learning Technology Center, and Office of Academic Assessment.

We invite submissions from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater staff and faculty to share their innovations, scholarly teaching results, or information on how they’ve connected to the Wisconsin Idea. Possible themes include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • Academic technology, connections and challenges
  • Assessment and program evaluation
  • Innovative student services and experiences 
  • Online program development
  • Project-based and community-based learning opportunities
  • Strategic enrollment and program development
  • Something Else!

Concurrent presentation sessions will last 45 minutes. You are welcome to structure time to fit your presentation. Remember Q&A! A typical session consists of approximately 35 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for questions and answers.

Applications close March 27, 2022 April 11, 2022 and notifications of acceptance will be received no later than April 11, 2022 April 15, 2022.

Submit your Proposal Now!

For additional information, please contact The Learning Technology Center.

What is “The Wisconsin Idea?”

In 1905, Charles Van Hise, then president of the University of Wisconsin, declared that he would “never be content until the beneficent influence of the University reaches every corner of the state.” Thus was born the “Wisconsin Idea,” a guiding principle of the University of Wisconsin System that continues to this day and is expressed in the mission of the University of Wisconsin System – to develop human resources, to discover and disseminate knowledge, to extend knowledge and its application beyond the boundaries of its campuses, and to serve and stimulate society by developing in students heightened intellectual, cultural, and humane sensitivities, scientific, professional and technological expertise, and a sense of purpose. Inherent in this broad mission are methods of instruction, research, extended training, and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition. Basic to every purpose of the UW System is the search for truth.

2022 Cisco/Presidio Teaching with Technology Honorarium

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The Cisco/Presidio Teaching with Technology Innovator Honorarium is a recognition that will be bestowed upon an instructor who displays an outstanding commitment to leveraging learning technologies to solve common teaching challenges related to creating rich learning experiences to increase student success.

For 2022, finalists for this award need to be willing to present at the Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.  The instructor selected as the Teaching with Technology Innovator will receive a $1000 honorarium.  The other finalists will receive $250 honorariums.  These awards are paid for by private donated funds.

Eligibility and Expectations

There is an open call for applicants for this recognition. Any individual who applies must have taught at least six credits for the past year to be eligible. If selected as a finalist for the Teaching with Technology Innovator, the individual will receive a $250 honorarium and must agree to present an interactive session at the Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference (May 18, 2022), where they will also be recognized.

The individual selected as the 2022 Teaching with Technology Innovator will receive a $1000 honorarium (instead of the $250 for finalists) and must also agree to the following conditions:

  • Have their name and picture highlighted in a Learning Technology Center blog post and in the ConnectIT newsletter;
  • Have their name and photograph displayed in the Learning Technology Center
  • Partner with the Learning Technology Center to highlight their work during the Fall 2022 and/or Spring 2023 semester.  

Please note: this honorarium counts toward the 20% base salary overload maximum. 

Submission of Application Materials

  • Application packages must include a: Personal reflection (1-2 pages) that includes the applicant’s teaching philosophy and the role technology plays in it, specifically discussing how they have demonstrated the innovative and effective use of learning technologies to create rich learning experiences for students that work to increase retention and success. 
  • Portfolio of 3-5 items that serve as evidence of their teaching philosophy and the role technology plays in it, as well as ways their use of technology contributes to student learning and success. Possible items include, but are not limited to: 
    • Letters of support from students, colleagues, or leadership.
    • Course evaluation data. 
    • Evidence of student impact (e.g., grades, learning, etc.) after trying a technology intervention. 
    • Examples of how the instructor contributes to their college, campus community, and beyond related to teaching and learning with technology.

Materials must be submitted through Qualtrics (http://uwwhitewater.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3eflnjKb810emUt) by March 27, 2022 April 11, 2022. If materials are missing, an individual’s application may not be considered.

Selection Process

Application packages will be reviewed by a committee composed of Learning Technology Center (LTC) Staff and members of the LTC Advisory Group (which is composed of 1-2 instructors from each college) after the deadline.  Notifications of the selected finalists will be made by April 11, 2022.  Finalists will be expected to submit a description of an interactive, synchronous session to be presented at the Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference in the University Center on the Whitewater Campus.

About the Sponsors 

This award is sponsored by Presidio and Cisco Systems in conjunction with UWW’s Division of Instructional, Communication, and Information Technology (ICIT) and ICIT’s Learning Technology Center (LTC). Presidio and Cisco are proud of their work with institutions of higher education to inspire learning and connect campuses to enhance student outcomes. ICIT and the LTC are dedicated to working with instructors to understand teaching challenges, explore solutions, implement strategies, and evaluate their effectiveness.

Questions? If you have questions, please reach out to the Learning Technology Center

Save the Date! May 18th – Celebrating Teaching and Learning

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The Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference will take place on May 18, 2022 from 8:30am-4pm at the University Center. 

Our theme this year, “Exploring the Wisconsin Idea,” asks participants to reflect on their engagement with the “Wisconsin Idea”: the notion that the benefit of higher education should extend beyond the boundaries of a traditional classroom or campus, and reach every corner of our state. Inherent in this broad mission are methods of instruction, research, extended training, and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition. 

Please keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks for the call for proposals!

If you have any questions about this conference, please contact the Learning Technology Center.

March “Teaching and Learning” Madness @ LTC

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March will be another busy month at the LTC as we reach the mid-point of the academic You’re at the mid-semester! This March, the LTC will focus on assessment and student feedback which are critical components of any course.

Faster, Easier Grading

Grading can take a long time, but it does not always have to. Learn how to easily create and consistently use rubrics in Canvas to streamline evaluation of student work, especially compositions and mid-term papers.

Canvas Lab: Rubric and Quiz Building, March 2, 2022 at 9am (online)

Canvas Open lab: Check Your Gradebook Settings!

Meet with our team to verify the numerous settings within your Canvas Gradebook to make sure everything is set as intended. Drop in to our any of our Canvas Grading Labs:

Learning Analytics to Support Student Success

A screenshot showing the banner of Canvas New Analytics

Learn the basics or dig deeper with Canvas Learning Analytics. Canvas Learning Analytics offer instructors detailed insight into student performance and engagement, especially useful to connect with under-performing students before it is too late.

Rethinking Design with “Universal Design for Learning”

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guides the design of learning experiences to proactively meet the needs of all learners. When you design through UDL, you assume that barriers to learning are in the design of the environment, not in the student. 

Read more about this series and register in advance for a presentation session!

More Information

The LTC offers individual and small group consultations on a variety of topics and services, please email ltc@uww.edu to learn more and get started! Subscribe to our blog for frequent technology updates and information about our workshops, campus events, and other announcements.

If you require assistance or have questions on campus technology, please feel free to contact the Help Desk. Outside of Help Desk hours, we invite you to search our Knowledge Base for helpful articles on using and troubleshooting campus technology.