OTL Syllabus Statements and UDL Support

Sample Syllabus Statements

As we are getting closer to the start of the quarter, you may be creating or editing your syllabus and course content. The OTL is here to help, and we have many resources available to you any time on our OTL website!

While preparing your syllabus, visit our our Sample Syllabus Statements web page for statements you can use to communicate course requirements to your students. These statements have been updated this summer to reflect the most recent DU policies.

Faculty Resources in the New MyDU!

DU is currently transitioning from PioneerWeb to the new MyDU platform! The major benefit of MyDU is the user-friendly dashboard, and you will have access to many faculty resources including:

Course Rosters
Schedule
Grade Entry

More information can be found at the MyDU Portal information page. PioneerWeb is going away on September 1, 2022, so start familiarizing yourself with MyDU. IT will be holding a MyDU Show & Tell on September 15 at 1:00 p.m. You are invited to see a complete walkthrough of all the new features of the portal and provide feedback. Please register to attend the MyDU Show & Tell.

Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility Support for Your Students

UDL Your Course Series

The UDL Your Course Series is designed to support faculty members on their exploration and understanding of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines. UDL is an inclusive model for teaching that centers the needs of students with disabilities with the overall goal of creating a learning environment that is accessible to all students without the need for accommodations. Throughout the Fall Term, four different virtual workshops will be facilitated by Ellen Hogan, Accessibility Technologist for Learning and Instruction, with support by OTL staff. The workshops will focus on breaking down the UDL Guidelines and coming together as a community to learn more about Accessible Course Materials, Assistive Technology and the Canvas Course, Inclusive Participation, and Flexible Assessment. Visit the OTL Calendar to register and learn more.

Accessibility Tip

As you prepare for the start of the Fall Term it is important to consider the digital accessibility of your course. Visit the DU Ed Tech Knowledge Base to learn more about accessibility, Canvas tips, and educational technologies. Check out articles like “Top 8 Characteristics of an Accessible PDF” to learn how to remediate current content to enhance accessibility.

Kurzweil3000

Did you know students could use Kurzweil3000 to have accessible PDFs read aloud? Kurzweil3000 is a text to speech software that is available to all DU students, staff, and faculty members. Join DU’s Kurzweil3000 program by navigating to Kurzweil3000.com, selecting “Log in with Microsoft” and using your @du.edu email credential to create an account! An email from Kurzweil3000 will be sent your DU email with more information. Learn more about using Kurzweil on both Microsoft and Mac systems through the resources on Kurzweil3000 Academy.

4D Faculty Initiatives

4D Innovations Cohort

The 4D Innovations Cohort serves as an incubator of creativity and connectivity in the co-curricular space. Comprising faculty and staff from across campus, the 4D Innovations Cohort will meet weekly in the 2022 Fall Quarter to collaboratively reimagine, design, and integrate models and practices that further embed the 4D across the co-curriculum through a design-thinking process. In this cohort, participants have the opportunity to focus on belonging, purpose, and/or the second-year experience.

For its members, the 4D Innovations Cohort offers an invitation to gain professional development in design thinking; take a more expansive, cross-cutting approach to their work; and collaborate with partners across campus around the shared purpose of designing for students' needs and amplifying the 4D.

Apply to the 4D Innovations Cohort by Friday, September 2nd

4D Infusion Grants

The 4D Infusion Grants support faculty, staff, and co-curricular educators in conceptualizing, developing, and implementing a specific project that enhances student learning and development around the 4D. These projects may take a variety of forms and may apply towards either curricular or co-curricular educational design within an academic year. Projects will be evaluated on the basis of potential impact; integrative or collaborative design; and scalability.

Applications may be submitted either by individuals or by teams (no more than three people). Successful applicants will receive 1) individual stipends to support the time and effort dedicated to designing and completing the project, 2) funds for programmatic activities, which are disbursed as budget transfers to the recipient's office or departmental budget.

Read more about the 4D Infusion Grants

Apply to the 4D Infusion Grants by Friday, September 2nd

Inclusive Teaching Practice Programs

FIIT and FIIT Cohorts

The Faculty Institute for Inclusive Teaching (FIIT) has been revised to a five-module format. Please note that FIIT has moved from Canvas to Pioneer@Work. Please review the FIIT website for instructions on accessing any of the modules. All faculty are welcome to fill out an application to join a FIIT Cohort, which entails the completion of the curriculum while meeting weekly with a supportive community of peers for engaged discussion on inclusive teaching practices. If interested, faculty can apply their work with the FIIT Cohort towards earning a "Teaching for Inclusion and Equity" Foundational badge.

Teaching for Inclusion and Equity Micro-credential Program

The Office of Teaching and Learning is now offering the Teaching for Inclusion and Equity (TIE) Micro-credential Program, which provides faculty with research-based strategies to design and support a culture of equity and inclusion in their classroom. Participants in the TIE Program will learn how to assess and respond to bias and microaggression in the classroom, engage in communication about race and equity issues in the classroom with their peers, and design inclusive classroom practices that address differentiated support for a wide diversity of learners. Please review the TIE website for the program requirements or attend a TIE introduction session (September 9th or September 22nd). Applications are open for the Foundational and Intermediate badges until December 1st, 2022.

Any questions about these ITP programs can be directed to Dr. Becca Ciancanelli at Becca.Ciancanelli@du.edu.

Upcoming Events

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

Teaching with Video (Zoom and Kaltura)

Monday, August 29, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Online

Equity Workshop #1: Designing an Accessibility Survey

In-person session:

Tuesday, August 30, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

OTL Conference Room (AAC 345)

Online session:

Wednesday, August 31, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Every Term Needs a Plan

Thursday, September 1, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Tentatively hy-flex - more information will be provided to participants closer to the event date.