KNOWN ISSUE: Some instructors report that Canvas Gradebook columns have been “hidden” from students even through the instructors did not choose that setting. Canvas is working on a fix for the issue. There is a workaround and more information available at: https://kb.wisconsin.edu/dle/news.php?id=10487
On Saturday, July 13, 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 Features
Grade Posting Policy. Located in the gradebook settings, the Grade Posting Policy can be set to automatic or manual. When set to Manual, grades are automatically hidden (muted) by default.
The Cisco Webex Connector is now available for use in Canvas! The Webex Connector allows you to interact with Webex Meetings and Webex Teams directly from your Canvas course. It can be accessed by clicking on “Cisco Webex” in the course navigation menu.
Between 7:35 PM CDT and 8:20 PM CDT on Sunday, April 28th some users were unable to access Canvas. The Canvas team found an issue with one of their backend services that caused multiple instances to become unresponsive. At this time the issue is resolved and Canvas is operating normally.
The LTC will be offering a full day of rotating workshops on Thursday, May 23rd, 2019. We also have a series of Hands-On Introduction and Canvas Construction Zone sessions scheduled for June. We will continue to offer workshops throughout the summer.
Canvas Hands-On Introduction (2 Hours) – Thursday, May 23rd We will cover the basic function of the core tools in the Canvas platform. There will be time to ask questions throughout the session. We will offer repeats of this workshop all day – so feel free to attend multiple sessions – or drop in at any time. Please register for any sessions that you may attend to help give us an idea for planning. Registration is not required and you are welcome to drop in the day of the event. Remote viewing options will also be available. Light refreshments will be available.
Canvas Hands-On Introduction (2 Hours) We will cover the basic function of the core tools in the Canvas platform. There will be time to ask questions along the way. If this is your first time touching Canvas, this workshop is the one for you!
Canvas Construction Zone (2 Hours) Are you ready to start digging into your course setup? Do you need help straightening up after moving a course from D2L into Canvas? Do you have questions on how to set things up? This is the session for you! This session will be 2 hours of lab time with support staff on hand to help you construct your course in Canvas. Don’t forget your hard hat!
Canvas Open Lab (2 Hours) We will be available to answer your Canvas questions during the sessions below! Whether you are working on your current course, or if you are getting ready to teach in Canvas for the first time – stop on by!
Canvas Deep Dives (1 Hour) We will focus on a single tool, and dive deep into various options and use cases for how that tool works.
Content: This is delivered on the concept of backwards design driving the look and feel of course setup. It is about taking what you already do and molding a better experience for you and your students.
Quizzes: This will touch on different question types, building in targeted feedback in auto-graded quizzes, and most likely spend the bulk of the time in the Question Bank area to help instructors get a feel for how Canvas Question Bank is different than D2L Question Library.
Rubrics: This will start by touching briefly on rubric creation, but will focus on techniques to maximize the amount of value you can get by building rubrics directly in Canvas.
Discussions: We will look at setup (including threaded vs unthreaded), visibility, the lack of a “Forum” in Canvas (compared to how D2L had it), group setup, and grading.
Grades: Weighting grades, Late policies, Muting Assignments, SpeedGrader, setting a default grade, and setting up extra credit.
The Online/Blended Teaching Institute consists of a series of interactive workshops focusing on designing and teaching courses in a blended or online format. There is an emphasis on developing appropriate online or blended content, assessment, and learning activities. Additionally, the Institute teaches best practices for managing instructor workload and supporting students in an online or blended environment. The Institute accepts applications from faculty or instructional staff. Deans select participants from their respective College’s pool of applicants.
online learning is fun!
The Summer iteration of the Online/Blended Teaching Institute prepares for the Spring 2020 semester. The Winterim iteration prepares for teaching in the Summer and Fall terms. Ted Witt, Teaching Learning and Technology Consultant, and Eric Loepp, Assistant Professor of Political Science are your 2019 summer co-facilitators.
Dates for the 2019 Summer Online/Blended Teaching Institute:
June 14: Face-to-Face meeting: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
June 21: Face-to-Face meeting: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
June 28: Online using WebEx: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
July 12: Online using Web Ex: 9:00 am – 12:00pm
Submission of final Institute content: July 26th
For any additional information or questions, please contact the LTC.
Learning Technology Center
(262) 472-1004 ltc@uww.edu
The UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center (LTC) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Summer 2019 Online/Blended Teaching Institute.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 15th, 2019. Deans will select participants from their College’s pool of applicants.
The Online and Blended Teaching Institute consists of a series of interactive workshops focusing on best practices for teaching online and blended courses. Ted Witt, Teaching Learning and Technology Consultant, and Eric Loepp, Assistant Professor of Political Science are your co-facilitators.
Dates for the 2019 Summer Online/Blended Teaching Institute:
June 14: Face-to-Face meeting: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
June 21: Face-to-Face meeting: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
June 28: Online using WebEx: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
July 12: Online using Web Ex: 9:00 am – 12:00pm
Submission of final Institute content: July 26th
Institute Objectives:
Develop a unit/module utilizing best practices in online/blended course design.
Demonstrate technological proficiency useful in facilitating online/blended courses.
Apply methods to facilitate assessment and evaluation.
Illustrate approaches to building community online.
Develop strategies for effective time management.
For any additional information or questions, please contact the LTC.
Learning Technology Center
(262) 472-1004
ltc@uww.edu
Adaptive learning offers a way to structure student learning activities and assessments. In adaptive learning, content and/or assessments continuously adapt based on how a student performs, providing feedback and additional learning material so the student can better understand, and master, the course material.
With Cerego, instructors can create content for students to learn course material through the use of various options including multiple choice and true/false questions, flashcards, fill-in-the-blank passages, and interactive figures. Based on the students’ correct and incorrect responses, the Cerego platform determines what individual students need to study next. If you think you might be interested in using adaptive learning in your course over the next academic year, please consider attending the LTC’s spring adaptive learning information session to find out if adaptive learning using Cerego might be a good fit for you, your students, and your course!
If you have any questions about the information session, or adaptive learning more generally, please feel free to contact the UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center.
The LTC’s Spring 2019 “Teaching with Webex Teams Bootcamp” takes place on a series of Thursday afternoons in April (4/4, 4/11, 4/18) from 3:30 pm to 4:15 pm at the UW-Whitewater campus.
Any instructor interested in using Webex Teams is welcome. Registrations are encouraged. You do not need to attend all sessions, but the second and third sessions build upon the information provided in the first session.
Webex Teams
Thursday, April 4, 2019: Why Should I Use Webex Teams?
This first session introduces participants to Cisco Webex Teams, and why instructors and students might benefit from incorporating it. Participants will be introduced to the concepts of “Teams” and “Spaces.” Facilitators will provide examples to help participants understand what Webex Teams is (and is not), how Webex Teams works, and the purpose in using Webex Teams.
Thursday, April 11, 2019: How Do I Use Webex Teams?
This second session provides participants with a hands-on technical training with Cisco Webex Teams. Participants will practice creating “Teams” and “Spaces,” as well using Webex Teams to communicate and collaborate with others.
Thursday, April 18, 2019: Now What Do I Do With Webex Teams?
This third, and final, session provides participants with a forum to discuss potential applications of Webex Teams in their teaching. Facilitators will provide participants with “best practices” for using Webex Teams based on recent pilots at UW-Whitewater.
Please note: The LTC does not provide a stipend for attending the “Teaching with Webex Teams Bootcamp.” However, if you complete all three sessions, you will receive a digital badge.
If you have any questions about the “Teaching with Webex Teams Bootcamp,” or any other LTC training or workshop, feel free to contact the UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center.
Welcome to a very special 25th issue of UWW Ted Tips! This special blog post takes the form of a video blog or VLOG! You’ll find a video recording below with an outline of notes.
The main purpose of the TED Tips blog this week is to provide some ideas of how to build a digital “lesson” and to show you some ideas how to do that inside of Canvas!
The main idea is to create a written outline or “to do” list associated with that idea. It is always a good idea to provide communications to students for a completed lesson — in this case, I’ve shown an announcement in Canvas for that page.
Inside of Canvas, you’ll want to create a page or a module as a “wrapper” to contain the content. It’s a good idea to include a purpose or objectives — what’s the key idea or essential learnings for the digital content.
Things to consider including in a lesson:
Summary of key points
Outline of main ideas
A review of previous content or how this connects to the larger course content
You can include a Video summary or note
(similar to what’s shown in the VLOG!) this particular vlog posts shows an introduction [timestamp 1:21]
an example is shown in the Vlog to a previous piece of digital content
Canvas supports Kaltura Capture which is an easy way to record simple videos or screencasts
Lecture notes
Powerpoint presentation
Related readings from a textbook or other course documents
TIP: It is always helpful for students to provide context and clear insights for what is important for students to review. Instead of just linking to a multimedia source or video, provide a timestamp and other clear guidance. [timestamp: 2:59]
Are you interested in using a new tool to facilitate student engagement in your Spring 2019 course? “Poll Everywhere” is a live polling tool that allows students to submit answers, in real-time, to closed or open-ended prompts that instructors create. Students can respond using the Poll Everywhere website, the mobile app, or even through text messages.
Introducing Poll Everywhere YouTube Video
If you are interested in learning more about using Poll Everywhere in your course, consider registering for the workshop on Friday, February 8th, at 8:30 am. You will need to enter your UWW Net-ID and password to register.
In-Person Registration
