Feeling the Fall Growing Pains

Now that we are well into the Fall quarter, the truth of the matter is that we are still working hard to make it work. And yet, one of my big takeaways was... that so much of what we learned over this previous year – not only about teaching, but about our students and ourselves – can still be so valuable and so relevant as we continue to move forward into this new and ever-evolving normal, writes Dr. Virginia Pitts in a new blog post, Using What We've Learned to Navigate Our New-But-Not-Yet Normal that details some of the highlights from this summer's Insititute “Don’t Lose It, Use It: Bringing What You Created for Your Online Teaching Into Your Face-to-Face Fall.” Read more to learn about recommendations for continuing to bring the best of what we've learned into the classroom.

As we continue to grow and adjust this term, mid-quarter (mid-semester for our Law friends) is a great time to seek student feedback. To learn more, visit OTL's web page Gathering Student Feedback on Teaching and continue with OTL's blog Designing a Mid-Quarter Student Survey for tips on hearing from students to evaluate your course and make adjustments.

As you prepare to return graded mid-terms to your students, consider using assignment or exam wrappers. Wrappers allow students to reflect on their study habits while focusing on the learning process rather than the content. This practice allows students to think through how they prepared for the exam or assignment and then adjust their strategies for the next one. Wrappers are an effective practice to help students with their learning.

If you are interested in brainstorming about any of these topics and more, please schedule a 1:1 consultation with our OTL Instructional Designers!
OTL Closed for Inauguration

The OTL is excited to celebrate Chancellor Jeremy Haefner's Inauguration on Friday, October 8! Our office will be closed from 9:15 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on that day in order to participate in the Inauguration events.
Accessibility Tip

Want to learn more about the Disability Services Program (DSP) Accommodation process? Visit the Faculty and Staff ADA Blue Folder to read more about the accommodation partnership with students with disabilities. Then visit the DSP's web page Faculty and Staff: How to Administer Accommodations to learn more about how to provide student accommodations.
Teaching Online Short Course Starts This Month!

Join us for an upcoming session of the Teaching Online Short Course! The Teaching Online Short Course contains readings, assignments, and multimedia to help participants learn how to design and facilitate online courses effectively. The course takes place asynchronously on Canvas so that participants can experience the structure of an online course as a student. As you prepare your upcoming courses, the resources and tools in this course will help with the creation of that online presence.

You should plan to dedicate about 5 - 7 hours per module (one module per week) to this online course. You can go through the modules at your own pace throughout each week. Participants who turn in the final assignment will receive a course review facilitated by an Instructional Designer. Upon completion of the course review, participants will receive a stipend. The course will run from Monday, October 25 to Monday, November 15.

DU Portfolio Being Decommissioned

In partnership with the University community, Information Technology and the Office of Teaching and Learning are beginning the process to replace the DU Portfolio portal with existing and new solutions. The process of process of assessing and adopting new platforms will take time, and we do not intend to fully decommission DU Portfolio until approximately summer 2023.

If you are interesting in providing your feedback, please complete the DU Portfolio user survey. This survey will ask about how you use DU Portfolio and will also provide an opportunity to be contacted for focus groups.
Re-Engaging Internationalization: Grant Opportunities for Faculty

All DU faculty are invited to reconnect with colleagues, learn more about DU's global engagement initiatives, and see how Internationalization Grants can support faculty with international/intercultural curricular and research activities. Hosted by the Office of Internationalization with updates from the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education, the Vice Provost for Internationalization, and past faculty recipients.

Friday, October 22, 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Community Commons 1700 or Zoom
Adobe EduMAX 2021: Together for Student Success around the Globe

The annual Adobe MAX Creativity Conference will feature a free three-day Adobe EduMAX event exploring the theme Together for Student Success around the Globe. The virtual experience features a a hands-on faculty development workshop for transforming teaching and learning. EduMAX takes place from October 19 - 21 and will cover such topics as:


  • How digital literacy increases engagement to bring faculty and students together
  • How faculty can integrate digital literacy across the curriculum for all students.
  • How schools and students can use creativity and digital technologies to push for social justice, equity in education, and empowerment for diverse voices.


Visit the Adobe EduMAX 2021 website to learn more and to register. Then learn how to access Adobe Creative Cloud at the University of Denver.
Upcoming Events

Canvas Coaching

Thursday, October 14, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
OTL Conference Room (Anderson Academic Commons 345)

Monday, October 18, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
OTL Conference Room (Anderson Academic Commons 345)


Heart of Higher Education

Wednesday, October 20, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Online

Thursday, November 18, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Online


University College Hosted Events

University College is hosting several workshops throughout the term as part of their Teaching Excellence Program. These are open to all faculty who would like to attend and feature presenters from across campus, including Megan Haskins and Alex Martinez from the OTL!

Friday, October 8, 12:00 -1:00 p.m.
Online
Facilitated by Alex Martinez, Office of Teaching and Learning, and Nicolas Pares, University College Teaching and Learning Specialist

Tuesday, October 12, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Online
Facilitated by Megan Haskins, Office of Teaching and Learning

Thursday, October 14, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Online
Facilitated by Alex Martinez, Office of Teaching and Learning

Wednesday, October 20, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Online
Facilitated by Sophia Kristjansson, University College Faculty, and Allison O'Grady, University College Director of Teaching and Learning

Constructive Grading Practices to Support Student Learning
Thursday, October 21, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Online
Facilitated by Jared Fox and Mandi Singleton, Teaching and Learning Specialists

Tuesday, November 2, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Online
Facilitated by Sarah Mooney, Dr. Jes Stroope, and Scott van Loo, Learning Effectiveness Program

Respondus is also hosting several training webinars throughout the month.

Visit our OTL events calendar to discover other events coming up!
Teaching Resources

This tool kit provides practical steps for readying your courses, no matter the modality. From Canvas basics to hyflex considerations, and complete with worksheets to guide you, this toolkit is a great starting point for course planning.

This Knowledge Base article provides helpful tips and tricks you can use as you create pre-recorded videos, lectures, and demonstrations to enhance the asynchronous components of your course. You can also learn more about the various tools you can use to create your videos, such as Zoom and Kaltura.

This web page provides access to the robust virtual services and resources that the Libraries provide along with a host of online services and resources.