Congratulations on reaching the end of the Spring ‘23 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 ‘23.
Important Reminders
Wrapping Spring ‘23
- Submitting Grades & Incompletes: Course grades for all students should be submitted by May 15 @ 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 ‘23
- 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 ‘23 Cohort. The course runs from May 8 - 26.
- Summer Courses Open to Students: ATD Team members will open Fully Online and Blended courses on May 8, 2023 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 15, 2023.: 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.
Teaching Tips
Instructor Presence in Discussions
- The Instructor Presence in Discussions presentation from this year’s UAPS faculty meetings is now available to all CCAPS instructors. This brief slide deck examines how your presence & participation in course discussions enhances the student learning experience.
Active Learning in the CCAPS Classroom
Looking to mix it up in your classroom with some new short activities? Explore the Active Learning Assignment Examples article on the ATD Instructor Resources website!
ATD Highlight
As part of our Digital Accessibility series, in this Highlight we are showcasing Headings and Accessibility! The idea of making headings to chunk-up text is not a new idea but chances are you may have been formatting your headings incorrectly. This article explores headings, how they work and how you can begin using them to make the digital documents you produce accessible for all of your students!