OTL Teaching and Course Design Resources

It's hard to believe that it is now September! As you begin to teach your fall classes, the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) has tips and friendly reminders to share. Don’t forget that you can also reach out to us with questions or schedule a consultation by contacting OTL staff directly or booking 1:1 time with the OTL Instructional Designers.

General Information

• Our Prepping for Next Term webpage provides important links, guides, and answers to frequently asked questions.
• Visit the OTL Sample Syllabus Statements web page for course policies language you can copy, adapt, and edit.

Canvas

• Access your fall courses and add them to your Canvas Dashboard.
• Utilize our updated OTL Canvas templates so that you can get a head start on building out your Canvas courses.
• Import Canvas course content if you have content from a previous course that you would like to use again this term.
• Edit your course navigation menu to make sure the organization is clear for your students.
• Ensure that all Canvas course materials are accessible. 
• Visit our OTL Canvas web page for resources, our Canvas Knowledge Base and the Canvas Help guides for step-by-step instructions, and contact Canvas Help for 24/7 support.
• Don’t forget to publish your course to ensure your students have access!



Accessibility and Student Accommodation Support

• Student Disability Services (SDS, formerly Disability Services Program) is happy to answer any questions you may have about implementing accommodations or navigating the Faculty Accommodate Portal. You can book an appointment by emailing dsp@du.edu. More information about the student accommodation process can be found on the Student Disability Services webpage.
• The Office of Teaching and Learning provides support in Instructional Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Schedule an appointment with Ellen Hogan, OTL Faculty Developer of Instructional Accessibility today!
• Designed to enhance the inclusivity of your Canvas Course experience, UDOIT Accessibility offers comprehensive feedback on the digital accessibility of your course content and materials. This tool is already integrated into your Canvas courses! Schedule an appointment with one of our OTL Instructional Designers or Ellen Hogan, OTL Faculty Developer of Instructional Accessibility to learn more.

Share Your Teaching Memories as the OTL Celebrates 25 Years!

The OTL is collecting artifacts to celebrate our 25th anniversary as an office at the University of Denver. We are looking for artifacts and stories from colleagues across campus about the transformation of teaching and learning over the past 25 years.

Please fill out our OTL Artifact survey to share your memories! If you are not sure what to share, email otl@du.edu or drop by the OTL suite in AAC 350. We are looking forward to celebrating with you throughout this year!

Teaching Excellence: Apply for Department Action Teams Starting September 12!

The OTL and the office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (VPFA) extends an invitation to participate in Department Action Teams (DATs), an R1 Our Way initiative that seeks to expand how we measure and reward teaching excellence at DU.

Each DAT consists of 3-5 faculty and staff who will work with a facilitator to guide the department through a 10-month program aimed at sustainable change. Participating departments/programs will determine ways to apply the Teaching Quality Framework and ensure three voices (self, student, peer) are reflected in teaching evaluation for annual and consequential review.  

Proposal submission deadline: Monday, October 9th

Learn more about Department Action Teams and apply starting September 12.

DU Libraries' Support for AI Hallucinations

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are exciting resources that have the potential to streamline the research process. Like any resource, there are strengths and weaknesses that should be considered to use AI tools effectively. One potential pitfall is AI “hallucinations”—content created by AI that is factually incorrect or incomplete. At the Libraries’ Research Center, we’ve run across an increasing number of hallucinated citations generated by AI. We want to encourage students using tools like ChatGPT to vet and verify citations to make sure those items really exist. Want help introducing your students to library resources or tips for verifying citations? Use this form to request a library workshop. You can also direct your students to contact the Libraries’ Research Center or schedule a research consultation with a librarian to get help tracking down citations.

Other colleges and departments around campus have also been exploring AI and how to support faculty on the use of these tools. University College has new Guidelines for Student AI Use in Courses. You can also visit the OTL Sample Syllabus Statements web page and our AI in the Classroom web page for more guidance and resources.

Technology Updates

Respondus

Do your students use LockDown Browser or Respondus Monitor? Make sure they update to the latest version before they need to use it for their next exam! Screen recording is only available for exams that use both LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor and only on the most updated versions. Students using iPads for their exams will not be able to record their screen. Learn more about LockDown Browser updates on the Respondus Updates website and visit the web page screen recording for Respondus Monitor to learn more about Respondus Monitor.

If you use Respondus 4.0 Quiz importer to add test bank questions to Canvas, it is time to update your license information. Visit the Respondus 4.0 IT Knowledge Base for the new installation password. You will have to click on the Log In link in the upper right corner, then log-in with your 87 DU ID number and password to access the information.

Respondus offers several webinars each month about each of its products. Learn more about these webinars and register on the Respondus Webinars website.

McGraw Hill Connect

Do you use McGraw Hill Connect within Canvas? They are updating their Canvas integration! They are not making any changes to your existing content - the update is to improve the way that McGraw Hill Connect communicates with Canvas.

A McGraw Hill representative is happy to work with you to migrate your content to the updated application. Schedule an appointment to receive McGraw Hill migration support. You can also contact McGraw Hill Digital Technical Support if you have specific questions or issues.

Upcoming Events

The OTL and the VPFA are hosting several events throughout the next month. Join us to learn more about teaching strategies and academic technology, and visit our Events Calendar to discover other upcoming events this term!

Part-Time Faculty Lunch & Learn

Wednesday, September 13, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Community Commons 3700

Teaching with AI Workshop Series: Incorporating AI into Course Assignments

Wednesday, September 20, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Hyflex - Join us online via Zoom or in the OTL Conference Room (AAC 345)

UDL Your Course Series: Problem Solving Accessible Course Materials

Monday, September 25, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Online

Thursday, September 28, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Online

Teaching with AI Workshop Series: Building Rubrics with AI

Tuesday, October 3, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Hyflex - Join us online via Zoom or in the OTL Conference Room (AAC 345)