Canvas Update (01/15/2022)

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On Saturday January 15, Instructure deployed the latest release to the Canvas environment. The highlights of this release are listed below. The full release notes are also available.

  • New Quizzes – Content Import Terminology Adjustment:  The Import Assessment Content as New Quizzes checkbox has been replaced as the Import Existing Quizzes as New Quizzes checkbox.
  • Gradebook – Missing Status Removal: When a grade is entered manually for a missing submission, the missing status is removed.
  • Courses – Course Navigation Menu State: The Expand/Collapse state of the Course Navigation Menu now persist throughout all Canvas Courses.
  • Modules – Modules Link State: When an External URL or LTI tool is added to a module, the state of the Load in New Tab checkbox is retained for all additional link entries. 
  • SpeedGrader – Unposted Comment Warning: Graders are notified about unposted comments when attempting to navigate away.

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.

Spring 2022 @ LTC

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The Learning Technology Center is offering a full roster of learning opportunities ranging from training on the nuts and bolts of Webex and Canvas to rethinking traditional student learning and engagement. Consult our full calendar to see all sessions and to register in advance. LTC workshops are open to faculty, staff, and student employees.

Can’t join at the scheduled time or missed a session? No problem, schedule an individual meeting with the LTC. Links to previously recorded materials are often available too. 

Don’t see a session on something you would like to learn more about? Let us know! We look forward to meeting your needs as best we can – email ltc@uww.edu with your request. And, don’t forget, LinkedIn Learning offers thousands of industry-vetted on-demand courses!

Click any session title below to see dates and links for registration.

General Campus Technology

Instructional Workshops

Close-up view on white conceptual keyboard - Register Now (blue key)

Webex

Canvas

Getting Started Each Semester: 

Assessment and Feedback

Course Navigation and Design

Learning Analytics

Flipped Learning Fundamentals

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Pexel’s Photography – Alena Darmel

In a “flipped classroom”, teachers “flip” the traditional approach of presenting and explaining new information in the classroom and assigning some sort of practice at home to the opposite.  The instructor asks students to read or view material on the new concepts at home and then uses class time to actively engage with the material through solving problems, group work, or other active learning models.  

This workshop series will examine the fundamentals of flipped learning to design your course in a hybrid manner to support the flipped classroom, apply active learning techniques, and discuss methods to engage students. Additionally, we’ll examine technologies that can support your flipped classroom.

Flipped Learning Fundamentals

  • Small Changes You Can Make Now to Flip a Class
    January 27, 3:00 pm
    • Introduction to the “Flipped Learning Fundamental Series,” and part of the Flipped Learning Pathway. Why it is important, what steps you can do to flip your classroom, the advantages and disadvantages, and hands on tips to better utilize your students time in class. 
    • Sign up: https://my.uww.edu/SignUp/Registration/Details?id=17105

  • Flipped Learning Fundamentals: Hybrid Course Design
    February 3, 3:00 pm
    • This workshop explores one of the first fundamental of flipped learning…hybrid course design.  Come join us as we look at the transformation process of “the sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side” and engage in flipped learning techniques.  
    • Sign up: https://my.uww.edu/SignUp/Registration/Details?id=17106

  • Flipped Learning Fundamentals: Active Learning
    February 17, 3:00 pm
    • This workshop explores the second fundamental of flipped learning…active learning. Come join us as we look at how to use class time to support active learning in a flipped model. Join us for techniques and activities to support assessment and authentic learning.
    • Sign up: https://my.uww.edu/SignUp/Registration/Details?id=17107 

  • Flipped Learning Fundamentals: Student Engagement
    February 24, 3:00 pm
    • This workshop explores the third fundamental of flipped learning…student engagement. Come join us as we look at strategies to engage your students during your classroom time to support a flipped learning model.
    • Sign up: https://my.uww.edu/SignUp/Registration/Details?id=17108

Additional Workshops Supporting Flipped Learning

  • Interactive Polling Overview (Slido, PollEverywhere, and Turning)
    Two sessions: January 25 1:00 pm and February 23 9:00 am
  • Google Apps for Education: Essentials  
    Two sessions: February 2, 9:00am and March 1, 1:00pm
    • 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.
    • Sign up: https://my.uww.edu/SignUp/Registration/Details?id=17046

Universal Design for Learning

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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. 

This workshop series explores the principles of UDL: provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. Additionally, we will answer the following questions:

  • How can I engage all students in my class?
  • How can I present information in ways that reach all learners?
  • How can I offer purposeful options for students to show what they know?

Workshop Details

  • How Universal Design Helps Everyone
    March 4, 1:00 pm
    • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The human-centered approach to design that Universal Design supports is user-friendly and convenient, but is also respectful of user dignity, rights and privacy. Learn about how incorporating UDL into your classroom helps everyone!
    • Sign up: https://my.uww.edu/SignUp/Registration/Details?id=17117
  • Next Level Design: Action and Expression
    April 8, 1:00 pm

LinkedIn Learning Challenge – 2022!

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Back by popular demand, UW-Whitewater and LinkedIn Learning have teamed up yet again to bring the 2022 LinkedIn Learning “New You” Challenge! Complete the challenge to win cool prizes!

LinkedIn Learning is a video- based learning platform available to all UW-W faculty, staff, and students, that offers the latest academic, creative, business, and wellness skill development through high-quality instructional videos by industry experts. Often these courses are accompanied by exercise files, handouts, and other resources to support your growth.

Keep the momentum going with a fresh start to 2022 with the LinkedIn Learning “New You” Challenge! Participation is simple and only requires 8-10 minutes per day:

  1. Download the 2022 Challenge Calendar.
  2. Complete each day’s assigned task (watch a video or respond to a written prompt). 
  3. Sign your initials when each day is done either by editing the PDF directly or printing out a copy. 
  4. Once each daily task is completed, upload a PDF copy of your calendar using the self-service portal of our helpdesk system (ServiceNow). 

The Challenge will run from January 10-28, 2022 with all submissions required to be uploaded into ServiceNow by February 4, 2022. 

ServiceNow can also be used to place requests for other items, open tickets for problems, and search information within our KnowledgeBase.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Learning Technology Center via email: ltc@uww.edu. 

Good luck and happy learning!

Updates to Cisco Webex in Canvas

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On Monday, December 27, 2021, Cisco released updates to the Webex Education Connector in Canvas that redesign the Office Hours experience for both instructors and students.

Instructor experience

Instructors now have a clearer view of their office hours settings and availability. In the Weekly Hours tab, instructors configure their weekly availability by setting their preferred meeting duration, meeting buffer, date range, time zone, days of availability, and hours of availability.

A Date range selector has been added that allows instructors to define a consecutive period of time for students to book office hours. Only dates within the date range indicated will be shown to students when scheduling. This provides the flexibility to restrict future bookings to a term, semester, or other time-defined period. In addition, instructors can modify their availability for a specific date without needing to update their general office hours availability, making it possible to reduce their availability on a date, increase their availability on a date, or mark themselves unavailable for an entire date.

The time zone selector allows instructors to set their preferred time zone for office hours meetings. This provides clarity and consistency for students when scheduling meetings. The default time zone for office hours is based on the time zone in the course where an instructor first enables office hours. If instructors are located in a different time zone, they can update the time zone for all their office hours.

Student experience

Students must now first select their instructor before available time slots are displayed, making it clear with which instructor a student is scheduling time.

For directions on how to set-up and use Webex Office Hours in your Canvas course, please see Setting Up Online Office Hours in Canvas (Instructors). Instructors may wish to share Scheduling Online Office Hours with your Instructor in Canvas with their students as an easy tutorial on how to use this feature.

If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please contact the UW-W Learning Technology Center.

Adaptive Learning Community of Practice

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How can we ensure that students with diverse abilities ALL arrive to class well-prepared and ready to take full advantage of class time? Join the Learning Technology Center as we re-explore adaptive learning strategies through the use of Realizeit!

February 17, 2022 at 2:00PM – 

“Adaptive Learning: Build Personalized Learning Experiences”
with Professor Meg Waraczynski (CoLS)

Advance registration requested

A Call for Explorers

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“The Higher Education We Deserve” 
Top 10 IT Issues, 2022

Come explore the Educause Top 10 IT Issues, with the LTC this Spring as we do a directed study at portions of the report to identify areas we can support campus operations to enhance student success.  Almost two years into a global pandemic, it’s clear the higher education we once knew will never return.

Top 10 IT Issues
Join the LTC this Spring 2022 as we explore Educause’s top 10 IT Issues.

The Top 10 IT Issues describe the way technology is helping to create the higher education we deserve. They highlight the work institutions are doing to develop a shared transformational vision and strategy, redefine higher education’s value proposition, and reshape institutional business models and culture to anticipate and serve the current and emergent needs of learners, communities, and employers.

In this “book-club inspired” Explorers Group, participants are expected to come prepared to explore issues, tackle challenges, and discuss how these issues impact student and institutional success, our shared vision, and sustainable business models. Bring an open mind and an explorer’s heart.  We will provide short key readings and discussion points inspired by the Top 10 Issues.  By the end of our sessions together we hope that you will be informed and prepared for how these IT issues transform our increasingly digital future.  Let’s build that higher education we deserve and shape that future.  Let’s help articulate that vision and ideate new models that support both student and institutional success. This group is appropriate for educators, leaders, administrators, and technologists.

https://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/research/top-10-it-issues-technologies-and-trends/2022

Excursion Dates and Time

Wednesdays 3:00 – 4:00 pm Spring 2022
McGraw Hall 19A and Online via Webex

Please register individually for the session you can attend.  For more information contact ltc@uww.edu 

LTC Tour Guides

Eric Loepp, Director of Learning Technology
Jeffrey Thomas, Assistant Director, Learning Technology
Ted Witt, Teaching Learning and Technology Consultant

Amazon Web Services Outage

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Resolved 5:31PM: Amazon has restored services and continue to monitor for any recurring issues. At this time Canvas and Respondus Lockdown Browser are working as expected.

Update 4:04PM: Amazon has reported a fix is in place and services are being restored. Amazon will continue to monitor the situation and we will provide another update once everything is fully restored.

On Tuesday, December 7th, 2021 beginning at around 9:45AM CST Amazon Web Services has been experiencing some intermittent outages. So far we know that this outage has impacted the following services:

  • Canvas
  • Respondus Lockdown Browser & Monitor
  • Respondus Studymate

As of 2:50PM, Amazon has identified the cause of the outage and is working on a resolution. We will provide updates as services are restored.

Please contact the Learning Technology Center if you have any questions about this outage.