Countdown to Fall: 2 Weeks to Go!
Fall quarter is two weeks away! The University has committed to going paperless and each course is required to have a robust Canvas presence so that we will be prepared if we need to pivot online. So, as you are planning your courses, start with Canvas. The OTL is here to support you, and we have many resources, tips, and webinars that will help you get your courses ready for fall.
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Welcome to Dr. Christine Vega and Lexi Schlosser!
The Office of Teaching and Learning is excited to welcome Dr. Christine Vega, IRISE Post-Doc, and Lexi Schlosser, Faculty Developer of Online Learning! Visit the OTL Staff page for contact information and to learn more about our team.
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Dr. Christine Vega,
IRISE Post-Doc
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As a postdoctoral research fellow, I work directly with the directors of Inclusive Teaching Practices and Academic Assessment to implement inclusive pedagogies, critical theories in teaching and learning and contribute innovative lenses of analysis and praxis. I also enjoy being a sounding board for ideas and implementation and bringing projects into fruition. I love teaching and mentoring one-on-one or with groups of people. |
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As a teacher-scholar-activist, I am passionate about employing innovative pedagogies of action to empower folks to see their own agency, become excited, and grow inquisitive about conducting thoughtful and ethical work.
I am a first-generation, Chicana-Indigena Feminista from Pacoima, California. Last year I earned my Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with formal training in the fields of Social Science and Comparative Education of Race and Ethnic Studies. This accomplishment although very personal, is a major feat for my community and family. I am an interdisciplinary teacher-scholar-activist specializing in Critical Race Theory and Chicana/Latina Feminisms. I hold an A.A. from Los Angeles Mission College, B.A.’s in Chicana/o & Women Gender Studies from UCLA, and an M.Ed. from the University of Utah. My research is centered on Motherscholars of Color movidas (hustles) while co-leading two collectives: Chicana M(other)work Collective and Mothers of Color in Academia (MOCA) de UCLA.
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Lexi Schlosser, Faculty Developer of Online Learning
As the Faculty Developer for Online Learning, I provide an array of support around online and remote teaching and learning. I work closely with our team of Instructional Designers to provide quality support for faculty. I share best practices by facilitating online teaching and learning workshops, webinars, and short courses. I am also available for faculty consultations around instructional design, canvas support, and online teaching and learning strategies for engagement and beyond.
I have a B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences and M. E.D. in College Student Services Administration, both from Oregon State University. While at OSU, I worked in student support roles as well as faculty focused support and organizational roles. These experiences have provided me unique perspectives regarding online teaching and learning. My pedagogical approaches align best with Universal Design for Learning, Backwards Course Design, and Reflective Practice.
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Farewell to Dr. Karen Swanson, Director of Faculty Learning Groups and Scholarship |
The OTL is so sad to say goodbye to Dr. Karen Weller Swanson, Director of Faculty Learning Communities and Scholarship, after a year and half of dedicated service. She has been a fabulous collaborator and fierce advocate of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Faculty Learning Communities and inclusive teaching. |
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She has brought innovation to our office in a variety of ways, including spearheading the addition of Graduate-level work studies, and creating a "mothership" IRB so that the OTL can document our work and take a scholarly approach to measuring our success. Thank you, Karen, for all you've done for the OTL and DU faculty. You will be missed! |
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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.
Getting overwhelmed by all of the different terms you hear related to online teaching and learning? Visit OTL’s glossary for definitions of key terms.
Visit this OTL web page for helpful links to resources such as Canvas guides and Knowledge Base articles organized by task, as well as a video walking you through setting up your Canvas course. These resources can be helpful no matter how you offer your courses this term.
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.
Visit our Sample Syllabus Statements webpage for optional statements to help you communicate with students your policies around wearing masks in class, social distancing, attendance and participation, and more. Be sure to reach out to your Dean, Chair, or Director with any questions or for clarification around the use of these statements in your syllabus.
Schedule time with an OTL expert for assistance with Canvas, Zoom, inclusive teaching, and other technical or pedagogical questions.
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The OTL's 'Investing in Faculty' Enhanced Services
As part of the $2.2 million dollars DU is committing over the next year to support expert teaching in complex times, OTL is expanding some of its existing services, as well as adding new staff and services. Of the Six Paths to Teaching Innovation, OTL is principally administering three: #1: Direct support from the Office of Teaching and Learning, #2: Peer Teaching Mentors and Consultants, and the training related to #5: Classroom Assistants for HyFlex and Large Courses. Visit our Investing in Faculty web page for more information.
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Hyflex Course Design Institute: Self-Study Version
Are you planning your fall course and wondering how you might best go about that, given our current context? Were you wanting to take the Hyflex Course Design Institute this summer but the timing just didn't work out? The self-study version of the Hyflex Course Design Institute will be available on Monday, August 31st. This self-paced, asynchronous online experience focuses on designing hyflex courses that result in significant learning. While the primary focus of this self-study is on designing hyflex courses (that is, courses in which students can choose between face-to-face and online modes of participation), this self-study will also be supportive to faculty members who are designing hybrid courses, as well as those who are designing “pivot ready” face-to-face courses in the coming academic year. While this is self-paced, it is designed so that participants who are teaching this fall (and would therefore benefit from completing the entire self-study before the fall quarter begins) could complete the entire self-study in 2 weeks by spending an average of 2-3 hours per day on course activities.
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Canvas Pro Tips
Check out the resources and tips below to enhance your Canvas knowledge:
Did you know that Canvas has a built-in accessibility checker? This tool checks common errors within the Canvas editor and helps you make your course content more accessible for your students.
As a University, we have access to Cidi Lab DesignPLUS tools. These Canvas-integrated tools improve the quality, consistency, and accessibility of your course content while saving you time. Visit our DesignPLUS Knowledge Base article for samples and the DesignPLUS User Guide for more information.
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Upcoming Events with the OTL
Using Zoom Properly Within Canvas?
Are you using ZOOM properly within Canvas? In the webinar, we will focus on:
- Getting started with ZOOM using SSO
- Scheduling recurring meetings in Canvas
- Canvas ZOOM student calendar
- Sharing your slide tips
- Taking attendance using ZOOM
- Poll Question
- Breakout rooms
- Annotation tools
- Using ZOOM as a video recorded tool for asynchronous videos
Register for the session you are interested in attending by clicking on the links above.
UDL Coffeehouse Sessions
As we prepare for the upcoming fall term, join colleagues from across campus to discuss Universal Design for Learning (UDL). These coffeehouse sessions will provide time and space to learn UDL principles and strategies together. Register for this session using the link above. Stay tuned for more UDL Coffeehouse dates!
Creating Videos using Kaltura Capture in Canvas
This workshop will cover how to create, edit, and post videos into your Canvas course using our Kaltura video platform. Topic includes:
- Designing instructional videos
- How to create videos using Kaltura Capture
- How to edit videos
- How create an interactive video quiz
- How to post videos in your Canvas course
Heart of Higher Education
The Heart of Higher Education (HOHE) is an opportunity to gather as a DU community to share the challenges and opportunities of transcending the institutional, professional and personal choices that tend to separate core identity/integrity from day to day actions. The meetings are open to all faculty (of any rank) and staff (of any title). The Conversations are facilitated by Dr. Paul Michalec, OTL Faculty Teaching Fellow, and Clinical Professor in the Morgridge College of Education. The Heart of Higher Education Conversations create a positive and constructive space where staff and faculty can explore ways of re-connecting calling with professional responsibilities. In this academic year we will investigate the themes of uncertainty, impermanence, and resilience in academia. We will have sessions each month of this term, so if you are unable to join us in September, keep your eye out for future sessions.
Please visit our OTL Events Calendar for all of our upcoming events!
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