April 2025 | Issue 9

Monthly News from CETL

IN THIS ISSUE

CETL Panel Series: Recordings & April Session
Adjunct Spotlight: Kathy Kabala
Reminder: Classic Quizzes Are Still Available in Canvas
Faculty Reading Corner: Strategies to Alleviate Student Stress
In Case You Missed It: VIVA Open Grant Webinars
Teaching Tactics: "Preparing Your Students for Final Exams"
Canvas Release & Deploy Notes
TILT and Growth Mindset Support
CETL Faculty Learning Opportunity (FLO) Recordings
Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor Webinars

CETL Panel Series: Recordings & April Session

Whether you're looking to deepen your expertise, connect with colleagues, or stay informed about emerging trends, the CETL Panel Series offers something for everyone. Mark your calendars and join us for these thought-provoking discussions. And feel free to bring your lunch!

Upcoming Panel:

Trauma-Informed Care & Pedagogy

Friday, April 25th at 12pm
No registration required
In-person in Massey LTC 138
Zoom attendance available

Submit a Question to Our Panelists!

Adjunct Spotlight: Kathy Kabala

Kathy Kabala

Adjunct Faculty

School of Business and Industrial Trades (SBIT)

I am passionate about coaching and mentoring students, helping them bridge the gap between theory and practice. As a seasoned paralegal and active member of my local paralegal associations, I stay engaged with the evolving legal landscape to bring real-world applications into the classroom.

My goal is to continuously elevate the curriculum, ensuring students gain not only knowledge but also the practical skills they need to succeed. Seeing students grow in confidence and competence is what motivates me, and I strive to create an engaging, supportive learning environment that prepares them for the realities of the profession.

Kathy E. Kabala is a distinguished legal professional and educator, serving as an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Business and Industrial Trades at Reynolds Community College. With a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) and an Organizational Development (OD) certification, Kathy brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to her students. She holds the Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) credential and is recognized as a Virginia Registered Paralegal (VARP), underscoring her commitment to excellence in the legal field.

Beyond her academic role, Kathy is actively engaged in the legal community. She has served as the 1st Vice President and Education Chair of the Richmond Paralegal Association (RPA), where she has been instrumental in coordinating educational webinars and promoting professional development opportunities for paralegals.

Kathy's dedication extends to community service as well. She has volunteered with organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, demonstrating her commitment to giving back and making a positive impact beyond the classroom. In her teaching role, Kathy specializes in courses such as Administrative Law and Torts, providing students with practical insights and a comprehensive understanding of these critical areas. Her extensive experience and active involvement in both professional and community spheres make her an invaluable asset to our paralegal program and a mentor to aspiring legal professionals.

S. Nicole Terry

Paralegal Studies Department Chair

Reynolds Community College

Nominate an Adjunct

If you know of an adjunct faculty member whose dedication to teaching and learning deserves recognition, consider nominating them for our monthly 'Adjunct Spotlight'! It's a great way to celebrate the hard work and commitment of our adjunct faculty. Send your nominations our way, and let's shine a light on their success!

Nominate an Adjunct

Reminder: Classic Quizzes Are Still Available in Canvas

A gentle reminder for our teaching faculty that Canvas Classic Quizzes are not going away. Canvas removed the deadline for transitioning to New Quizzes several semesters ago, and Classic Quizzes will remain available for the foreseeable future.

While no new features will be added to Classic Quizzes, it will continue to be maintained with critical fixes when needed. Faculty are invited (but not required) to use New Quizzes when it makes sense for their teaching needs.

Learn More in the Canvas New Quizzes Hub

Faculty Reading Corner: Strategies to Alleviate

Student Stress

Cover of Life Sciences Education journal showing a purple and yellow microorganism

"Instructor Strategies to Alleviate Stress and Anxiety among College and University STEM Students"

This article highlights practical, evidence-based research on how instructors can help mitigate student stress and anxiety. It provides actionable strategies for each of their five main categories:

Learning and preparing to act
Connecting with students
Building an empowering atmosphere in the classroom
Reducing testing anxiety
Promoting effective academic skills

Hsu, J. L., & Goldsmith, G. R. (2021). Instructor Strategies to Alleviate Stress and Anxiety among College and University STEM Students. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(1).

https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-08-0189

Read the Article

In Case You Missed It: VIVA Open Grant Webinars

Looking to lower textbook costs and expand access to your course materials? The VIVA Open Adopt Grants are now open for proposals for courses running Fall 2025 through Fall 2026. These grants support instructors adopting Open Educational Resources (OER)—a win for student accessibility and affordability!

Need help navigating

the application process?

Attend one of VIVA’s upcoming webinars:

Wednesday, April 23 at 9:30am

Need some 1:1 assistance?

Email vivapub@gmu.edu to receive the Zoom link to the OER Office Hours
Contact a Reynolds librarian with assistance in finding OER materials for your class

Deadline to apply: May 2, 2025

Submit Your Application!

Teaching Tactics: "Preparing Your Students for Final Exams"

Final exams are a high-stakes component of any course, but the stress doesn’t have to be overwhelming. This article offers practical advice to help instructors design exams that are both fair and reflective of what students have truly learned. From understanding the importance of clear objectives to evaluating exam drafts, this article equips you with tools to improve the final exam experience for both you and your students.

Media: New Media Player with Improved Accessibility and Usability

The media player playback experience has been improved with enhanced accessibility, adaptive streaming, and privacy features.

This update provides better usability, accessibility, and integration, offering a more intuitive design, improved navigation, and greater compatibility with Canvas. These updates streamline the user experience while maintaining familiarity and long-term support.

Canvas Release Notes (2025-04-19)

New Quizzes: Multiple Sections in Hot Spot Questions

Instructors can enable multiple selections in Hot Spot quiz questions:

Instructors can define multiple correct hot spot areas.
Students can select multiple areas on an image in response to the quiz.
Autograding will evaluate the student’s selections based on the defined correct answers.
The feature supports regrading functionality.
User response attempts are limited to the number of hotspots set by the instructor.

Canvas Deploy Notes (2025-03-25)

Example of a hot spot quiz type showing a map with different shapes outlined. Under the map, it says that clicks within the shapes will be considered correct.

TILT & Growth Mindset Support

CETL would like to remind faculty to reach out to Jennifer Hitchcock with any questions about applying TILT or growth mindset strategies in your courses.

For more information on TILT and growth mindset strategies, please check out the following CETL curated resources:

Request Support

CETL Faculty Learning Opportunity (FLO) Recordings

Missed a FLO? We probably recorded it.

CETL understands that many faculty juggle teaching with other commitments and may not always have the flexibility to attend our Faculty Learning Opportunities (FLOs) during regular working hours. That's why we make every effort to record as many FLOs as possible, allowing you to access valuable professional development on your own time. Be sure to check out our library of recorded sessions to stay engaged and enhance your teaching skills when it fits your schedule!

CETL instructional designers CJ Bracken and Deverick Strand on stage giving a presentation about accessibility in course design

CETL's instructional designers CJ Bracken and Dev Strand presenting our FLO on Accessibility in Course Design at New Horizons 2025.

Check out recordings of our Accessibility FLOs on YouTube!

Visit our FLO Recordings Library

Visit CETL's YouTube Channel

LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor Webinars

Date/Time

Description

This comprehensive training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use.