Congratulations on reaching the end of the Spring ‘22 term! CCAPS Academic Technology and Design has a few updates to help ensure your online, blended, and face-to-face instructional success as you prepare to wrap Spring courses and launch into Summer ‘22.
Important Reminders
Wrapping Spring ‘22
- Submitting Grades & Incompletes: Course grades for all students should be submitted by May 16 @ 11:59 PM. For guidance on this process, explore the Final grade entry page on the Academic Support Resources site.
- Student Rating of Teaching: Remind your students to complete the Student Ratings of Teaching (SRTs) through Canvas. The SRT link can be located in your Course Navigation panel. Read more about the SRT Process on the Office of Measurement Services website.
Launching Summer ‘22
- Onboarding Course: CCAPS ATD offers a short course that includes an overview of Canvas and information on grading, communicating, and guiding your students throughout the semester as well as access to just-in-time instructional resources. While intended for new instructors, any instructor wishing to refresh their knowledge is welcome to self-enroll to join the Teaching Online for CCAPS Summer ‘22 Cohort. The course runs from May 9 - 27.
- Summer Courses Open to Students: ATD Team members will open Fully Online and Blended courses on May 9, 2022 to start to provide time to acclimate to the online environment. Don’t forget to send a welcome message this week! Consult OneStop Dates and Deadlines for a list of all important dates for the Twin Cities campuses.
- May 16, 2022: 14 week UMN Courses officially begin. Face-to-face and Internship instructors should publish their courses by this date. How do I publish a course? provides directions if it’s your first time opening your course to students.
- Communicating with your students: It is a best practice to contact your students for the first time via MyU → Key Links → Faculty Center → Class Roster. Provide them with a link to the Canvas course site. Encourage students to update Canvas notification preferences to receive your Announcements throughout the semester.
- COVID-19 Updates: UMN’s Safe Campus COVID-19 Response site (Web page no longer exists, reference left for posterity) continues to be the best source for up-to-date information on campus policy concerning masks and in-person classes.
Teaching Tips
Closing Videos
Whether your course is blended, online, or face-to-face, a closing video that summarizes the instructor’s view of the course’s successes, key takeaways, and items for further exploration is a great way to end your work with your students. Canvas allows you to easily Record a Presentation with Kaltura Capture to post it as an Announcement in the final week of class!
The Power of Rubrics
Trying to set clear expectations for assessing student work? Explore The Power of Rubrics to learn how to leverage this powerful tool to guide your students through both assessments both major and minor.
Utilizing the Summer for Course Improvements - Requesting an ATD Consultation
Need to adjust a class before it’s offered again? Instructors or Program Directors who wish to request an ATD Consultation on a course prior to the Fall ‘22 semester should submit requests no later than Aug 9, 2022 through the CCAPS-ATD Service Request Form.
Technologies to Support Teaching
U of M instructors rely on technologies to support their teaching practice. Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS) can help instructors choose and use technologies. This month, ATSS is posting a rubric for exploring new technologies on its blog, Extra Points; hosting the Digital Sparks webinar (a fast-paced presentation about technology tools that might be new to you); and sharing good practices for evaluating a new tech tool.
ATD Highlight
Check out the article Proctorio and Exams Showing Written Work which explores Jason Hanlon figuring out how to do remote proctoring with Proctorio during the COVID-19 pandemic.