Congratulations on reaching the end of the Fall ‘21 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 courses and launch into Spring ‘22. 

Important Reminders

  • Submitting Grades & Incompletes: Course grades for all students should be submitted by 12/29/21 @ 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.
  • 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 Spring ‘22 Cohort. The course runs from January 3-23, 2022.
  • Requesting an ATD Consultation: Need to adjust a class before Spring? Instructors or Program Directors who wish to request an ATD Consultation on a course prior to the Spring ‘22 semester should submit requests no later than Dec 21, 2021 through the CCAPS-ATD Service Request form.
  • UMN COVID-19 Updates: UMN Twin Cities continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation  on campus and in the surrounding area. For the most up-to-date information on policies, visit UMN’s COVID-19 Response site (Web page no longer exists, reference left for posterity) which includes information on the university face-covering policy, prevention and well-being, and on-campus cases.

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! 

Reflections to Synthesize Learning

Consider adding a short reflection to your course via Assignment, Discussion, or classroom experience to help students look back on what they have learned in the course, how they might use these skills going forward, and how their new knowledge integrates with their overall CCAPS learning experience. Need help building a reflection project? Request an ATD Consultation through the ATD-CCAPS Service Request form to start a conversation with an Instructional Designer.

7 Core Skills for Accessibility

As a part of the ongoing effort to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within CCAPS, ATD is highlighting Accessible U, a site that offers accessibility training from basic through advanced skills. We recommend that you Start with the 7 Core Skills, which are simple and effective ways to make your classes more accessible to everyone!

ATD Highlight

Explore ATSS Academic Technologist Jennifer Englund’s presentation on Getting Started with OERs to learn how Open Educational Resources, freely accessible alternatives to traditional textbooks and purchased resources, can enhance your students’ learning experience.