How Much Do You Really Know About Student Self Assessment?
Self-assessment is an undersung hero in the online instructor’s toolbox. It can not only help students develop skills in critical analysis, research by Sharma, et al. (2016) found it can increase their interest and motivation level, leading to enhanced learning and better academic performance. How ‘bout them apples?! Watch on to learn more.
The Secret to Embedding a YouTube Link You Probably Don’t Know
When it comes to embedding a video on your Canvas page, you’ve got choices. However, you may not realize that when the video embed displays as a thumbnail image, it means you’ve got an added accessibility concern. In this Byte-sized episode, you’ll learn the trick to handle that.
What's All This Humanizing Stuff Everyone's Talking About?
While online classes provide students with more flexibility and new ways to collaborate, success in the online environment is directly related to how present and engaged the instructor is in the virtual classroom. In other words, making content available to learners is not the same as teaching. Human connections and human relationships are the fertilizer, if you will, that allows our students to learn, blossom and grow. Supporting our diverse students in this way helps create a more equitable learning environment.
Check out the Humanizing tab on Michelle Pacansky-Brock’s website for some great resources!
Want More Content Ideas? Try This!
Pssst! Want a simple way to find, import and share resources in Canvas? We gotcha covered. The Canvas Commons is a digital library full of educational content where you can share learning resources with other educators as well as import learning resources into your own Canvas courses.
Why We Love the Pope Tech Tool
Accessibility checker tools for our CA Community College system:
PopeTech available free to all CA community colleges
UDOIT - open source (free) OR cloud-based (premium)
The free open-source version of UDOIT requires hosting on a server. That could be somewhere on your college server, or, if that’s not possible, Heroku is a free cloud server option. Installation directions for UDOIT Installing Heroku There is also a cloud-based version of UDOIT which is hosted but requires purchase as part of Cidi Labs (some colleges have already done so - consider requesting that CidiLabs be added to the STAC list).
Ally (Blackboard) - fully funded for CCCs through June 30, 2021 If your CA community college would like to set up an Ally account, please contact support@cvc.edu.
3 Foolproof Tips for Using Images in Canvas
Images are a delightful way to increase engagement and reinforce written content in an online course. But if not used correctly, images can be problematic. From the way you embed to the size you choose, I’ll show you how to be an image master!
The Most Effective Way to Elimate Barriers to Students' Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for thinking about teaching and learning that offers flexibility in the ways students access course material, engage with it, and show what they know. UDL principles benefit all learners by building in responsiveness that can be adjusted for every learner’s strengths and needs.
3 Things to Love About the New Rich Content Editor
Canvas’ new Rich Content Editor is here! Well, actually it’s been here for several months already and it will soon be the default editing tool. The new editor has an updated layout and increased functionality. Learn how to make the most of the new design. It may take a little getting used to (“Now, where did they put the accessibility checker?”) but once you do, you’ll love what you can do with it.
Uh oh. . .Your Cognitive Overload Is Showing!
Ever heard of cognitive overload? Well, it’s real and it’s interfering with your students’ ability to absorb all your fabulous course content. In this Byte-sized session, we’ll look at what you can do to minimize this often-overlooked educational impediment.
Pages vs. PDFs: The Simple Way to Cure Accessibility Headaches
The HTML environment (meaning pages in a Canvas course) is the most user-friendly for both screen reader devices and mobile devices. On top of that, remediating Word, PowerPoint and PDF files to make them accessible is not something many instructors know how to do. In this episode of Byte-sized, we’ll show you the best way to resolve that dilemma.
Are you among the cadre of instructors who disables the Canvas Syllabus page in your course navigation? Let me show you a nifty way to organize your syllabus content so it’s easier for students to access (meaning they’re more likely to actually read it!). While we’re at it, I hope to change your mind about the much-maligned, often misunderstood Course Summary feature. C’mon along!
NOTE: Canvas has upgraded the RCE since I created this episode. Instead of the "Insert Content" panel mentioned, you'll use the Links icon in the RCE toolbar to create your "back to Syllabus" link.
I Did NOT Know That! (Redux)
So much Canvas, so little time! Today’s Byte-sized episode spotlights four nifty little Canvas tricks you may not have been aware of. We’ll look at a specific benefit of module requirements, restricting file types for assignments, the quiz auto-save feature, and customizing your dashboard.