Resources to Prepare for Winter Term and Starting Your Courses Remotely

As we all prepare to wrap up 2021, we hope that you find time to rest and relax during the winter break. This is our final newsletter of the year, and while we hope you are able to find time to rejuvenate, we know you may also be planning ahead for the winter term and how you will start your first classes remotely. The OTL is here to support you.

First, visit our blog No sweat remote start: Top tips for success to read more about how you can effectively begin your classes online. Don't forget that you can schedule a 1:1 with an OTL Instructional Designer, or reach out to [email protected] with questions. As a reminder, the OTL observes DU's winter holiday closure. Our office will be closed the week of December 27, reopening Monday, January 3, but we also have many asynchronous resources that you can access at any time:


Drop-In Hours January 3 - 5

Join us during our upcoming drop-in hours for support with:
  • Importing and updating Canvas course content
  • Developing and uploading your syllabus
  • Designing your assessments
  • Incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into your courses
  • And more!

Monday, January 3, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
In person - OTL Suite, Anderson Academic Commons, 350

Tuesday, January 4, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
In person - OTL Suite, Anderson Academic Commons, 350

Wednesday, January 5, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
In person - OTL Suite, Anderson Academic Commons, 350

Respondus Training Opportunities

Respondus is also hosting several training webinars throughout the month. You can also work directly with Respondus to schedule a free custom training by emailing [email protected].

Check the OTL Events Calendar for more information and to discover other upcoming events!
Canvas Updates and Reminders

New Canvas Template

Last year, the OTL launched its first Canvas template, now renamed the OTL Advanced Canvas Template, which utilized CIDI Labs Design Tools to create an eye-catching, aesthetically streamlined course shell, complete with weekly modules and templates for the syllabus, assignments, discussions, and more.

To address the shift back to largely face-to-face courses, along with DU’s minimum requirements for Canvas courses outlined in the Covid Classroom Protocol, the OTL has developed a new “Basic” template. Learn more about each template and which one is right for you in our new blog Introducing the Basic and Advanced Canvas Templates. Both templates are available to add to your winter courses through the Canvas Commons. To import the templates in your course, please visit our Knowledge Base for step-by-step instructions. Once you import the template, you will find additional resources within the course for how to use the templates.

Having trouble finding your winter courses in Canvas? Visit our Ed-Tech Knowledge Base to learn how to easily access your courses and add them to your dashboard.

Don't forget to publish!

Once your winter course is ready, don't forget to publish your Canvas course to provide access to your students. You have the capability to publish your course at any time between now and the start of the term. Publishing your course before the first day of classes gives your students a chance to start the term prepared!

New Quizzes Now Available

DU's Learning Management System (LMS) will be replacing the current quiz functionality known as “Classic Quizzes” with an update called Canvas New Quizzes. This is an update to Canvas that is being directed by Instructure, the company that designs/maintains Canvas LMS software. Learn more about New Quizzes in our new blog Canvas Update: What's New About "New Quizzes" and our Knowledge Base article, Canvas: New Quizzes v. Classic Quizzes Feature Comparison.
 
Faculty can now use the functionality of both New and Classic quizzes. When an instructor goes to create a new quiz they will be presented with the option of creating a New or Classic Quiz, and both types can be used in a course. Information on using New Quizzes can be found in our Knowledge Base article How to create a quiz using Canvas New Quizzes.

The current quiz functionality will be available to Instructors until July 2022 after which Instructure will start to restrict some features in Classic Quizzes as updated in the New Quizzes Launch Timeline. While instructors will be able to create/edit Classic Quizzes until July 2022, Instructure will eventually remove all Classic Quiz functionality. Currently this is slated for June 2023. We recommend that faculty migrate any Classic Quizzes in their course to New Quizzes before the deprecation date of June 2023. Information on this can be found in the OTL Knowledge Base: How do I migrate a Classic Quiz to New Quizzes? You can also visit Instructure’s New Quizzes FAQ page.
Library Updates

Submit your reserves request now

It is time to submit your Winter Quarter 2022 requests for e-reserves and physical reserves through University Libraries in the Anderson Academic Commons. We encourage you to submit requests as soon as possible to ensure time for processing. All requests sent before December 17, 2021 will be given priority. For more information regarding reserves and how to submit your request, visit the Faculty Guide to Reserves webpage.

Redesigned University Libraries' website has launched!

University Libraries has redesigned the library.du.edu website. Please explore the new site prior to the start of Winter Quarter, both to familiarize yourself with the new structure and to create new URLs for your class materials if needed. Note that this only applies to https://library.du.edu. Databases, research guides, and other library tools will keep the same URLs. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Erin Elzi, Design & Discovery Librarian, at [email protected].
Teaching with Canvas Short Course starts January 10

Over the month of January, we are offering the Teaching with Canvas Short Course for all instructors interested in advancing their Canvas skills and knowledge.

The short course contains readings, assignments, and multimedia to help participants learn how to design and facilitate courses using Canvas effectively. All classes, even if there is a face-to-face component, will require a robust online presence, and the resources and tools in this course will help with the creation of those components. The course will run from January 10 until January 31 and is entirely self-paced. Instructors who complete all course requirements will receive a stipend. Please contact Lexi Schlosser with any questions.

Upcoming ePortfolio Focus Groups

The DU Portfolio replacement project is underway and we want to hear from you! In partnership with Information Technology, we will be conducting several focus groups in January to gather feedback as we select the next e-Portfolio software. Register for an upcoming focus group session and visit the DU Portfolio Decommission website to learn more about the project.
Teaching Resources

This OTL web page contains important links, resources, checklists, and FAQs to help you as you prepare for this upcoming winter term.

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.