Category: Teaching News

Dedicated to news and announcements for the CELT community.

Six must-knows about Canvas right now (Teaching Tip)

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In response to changes made by Canvas and faculty feedback, here are six must-knows about Canvas right now. This information will assist you whether you are new to teaching with Canvas or have many years of experience.

  1. Represent grades accurately in Canvas. To align the student and instructor views, make sure you assign students a ‘0’ (zero) score rather than ‘-‘ (dash) as appropriate. Learn more by reading the CELT guide to grade posting policies, reviewing the Canvas student grade visibility flowchart (PDF), and following the steps to hide assignment grades and hide grades from SpeedGrader.
  2. Extend assignment deadlines. To provide an extension for individual students, follow the Canvas extend deadlines guide. If a student needs extra time on a quiz, see the setting up accommodations in Canvas page.
  3. Monitor the status of the New Quizzes tool in Canvas. ISU will not enable the New Quizzes tool until New Quizzes includes support for proctoring tools, has garnered substantial support from our fellow R1 peer institutions, and obtains feature parity with the existing Quiz tool.
  4. Review the Concluded Course status in Canvas. Courses created before fall 2020 are now automatically changed to the concluded status. Read about the process via this course conclusion announcement.
  5. Find answers. Discover the most frequently asked questions for October 2020 received via celt-help@iastate.edu, which creates a ServiceNow ticket for easy tracking. This month’s top items included grading schemes, the grade posting policy, Studio in Canvas, Webex, and more!
  6. Address academic integrity. Academic integrity and responsible behavior are a part of learning and teaching, no matter the course modality (online, hybrid, or face-to-face). Focus on prevention through these academic integrity strategies.

With a joy for teaching,
Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Five essential things to know about Canvas right now (October 20, 2020 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for October 20, 2020 (PDF).

Iowa State’s course in personal and family finance passes quality certification

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jeannanationphotoIowa State’s course in personal and family finance passes quality certification: The course, HDFS 283, taught by lecturer Jeanna Nation, recently passed its three-person external course review and can now be referenced as a Certified Quality Matters course. Nation is working through the final paperwork to receive the actual certification, but that should be completed in the next week or so. The course scored 97/99 and an 84/99 was required to pass. Contact Jeanna Nation in human development and family studies or call 515-294-8644.

 View original post on College of Human Sciences Announcements website

More information

For more information about participating in Quality Matters programming, contact CELT assistant director Allan Schmidt, 294-5357.

Visit Quality Matters Tracks for Faculty Development at Iowa State website.

Demonstrating the Team-Based Learning (TBL) teaching approach in Math

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In 2016, CELT visited with professor of mathematics Elgin Johnston and senior lecturer of mathematics Heather Bolles as they were using the Team-Based Learning (TBL) teaching approach in their MATH 166: Calculus II course. The course is held in an active learning classroom (213 MacKay Hall). Math faculty examine numbers to improve student learning (Inside Iowa State).

Below is an excerpt from a March 23, 2017 Inside Iowa State article by Paula Van Brocklin that describes Johnston’s and Bolle’s successes. The full Inside Iowa State web article is available at Math faculty examine numbers to improve student learning,

On to calculus

Over the past few years, professor of mathematics Elgin Johnston and senior lecturer of mathematics Heather Bolles have transformed their calculus sections for greater student success using team-based learning (TBL).
What is TBL?

TBL is a form of active and small-group learning that can be implemented in a large classroom. It requires students to do assignments before class in order to inspire more engaging classroom discussions. During class, students work on significant team projects, applying calculus concepts. With support from a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant, Johnston and Bolles, with input from faculty in science and engineering, have spent years developing and refining their TBL materials.

Johnston and Bolles assign their students readings, videos and a quiz prior to class. When class convenes, students work in their assigned groups of five to seven individuals, and take the quiz again.

“They almost always do better after the team quiz,” Johnston said.

Greater student success

Bolles said one of the positive outcomes of TBL is that more students physically come to class.

“We’ve had significantly higher attendance rates,” Bolles said. “We had rates as low as 60 percent before the TBL implementation, and now we’re at 85 to 90 percent.”

Johnston attributes the increased participation to students feeling accountable to their teams.

“Some teams get very close by the end of the semester,” he said.

Like McNicholl, Johnston and Bolles measure students’ calculus knowledge at the beginning and end of the semester. What they’ve found is that the students in TBL sections score higher than students in non-TBL classes. In addition, TBL students earn higher scores, on average, on the departmental midterm and final exams.

“TBL lets students be actively engaged in the classroom, and their learning is better for it,” Johnston said.

Team-Based Learning at Iowa State

Iowa State has an active and vibrant group of faculty and graduate students involved in team-based learning. Each semester, CELT offers a team-based learning workshop to help teachers implement this flipped classroom method. CELT also supports an ongoing faculty learning community. After completing the TBL workshop, participants are invited to join the Team-Based Learning Community for additional support from others who are also using TBL in their courses.

To learn how you can get involved with TBL, visit CELT’s Team-Based Learning website.

Follow-up: Tips, tricks & opportunities for grading in Canvas (ISU Online Learning Community)

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Below please see the notes from the ISU OLC meeting on grading in Canvas which took place on Friday, March 12:

Grading in Canvas

Drs. Amani Elobeid (Economics) and Cristina Bonaccorsi (Chemistry) shared their tips on grading in Canvas:

Stay on top of your grading:

Know how Canvas calculates student grades:

Grade Submission via ISU Admin Tools in Canvas

CELT and ITS collaborated to bring very useful changes to the midterm submission process via ISU AdminTools inside your Canvas courses. Please review the ISU AdminTools: Submit Grades resource on the CELT website.

Canvas Updates

  • Spring 2021 midterms are due Mar. 19 by 2:15 p.m.
  • Math questions in quizzes: math formulas are now rounded correctly.
  • Numerical questions with precise answers in quizzes: no more autogenerated decimal places in precision answers.
  • New Quizzes: CELT continues monitoring this new feature before it is implemented in ISU’s Canvas instance.
  • For more updates, please check out the CELT Instructional Tools News and Updates page on the CELT website.

Have a suggestion for the next OLC meeting?

Please email Lesya Hassall at lesya@iastate.edu.

Subscribe to or unsubscribe from the ISU OLC list

Canvas is the new learning management system

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Canvas has been chosen as Iowa State’s new learning management system (LMS).

The selection comes after an extensive review process that included multiple rounds of input from campus stakeholders, vendor demonstrations, and the migration of several existing Iowa State courses to let faculty see how finalists’ systems work in real-time.

“The transition to Canvas is a great opportunity for faculty to reimagine courses and content, make sure materials are accessible for all learners, and to ‘bake in’ continuous course improvement through real-time learner analytics,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert.

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) and Information Technology will be working over the summer to prepare for the transition to Canvas. Initial plans are for 100-150 instructors to use a limited version of the new system for their Fall 2017 courses.

All instructors teaching courses in Spring 2018 will use the full version of Canvas, with extensive user support and integration of student data. Workshops and resources will be available during the fall semester to help instructors prepare their spring courses.

CELT Director Ann Marie VanDerZanden noted that Canvas is well-positioned to evolve alongside new computer applications and technology platforms, ensuring faculty can take advantage of the latest instructional tools. The transition is also an opportunity for faculty who did not use BlackBoard Learn to take advantage of the capabilities of an LMS to support their teaching.

Visit the LMS review website for more information on the transition to Canvas.

Read the original announcement Canvas is the new learning management system article (June 9, 2017) on Inside Iowa State website.

 

Lists of features for faculty, students

  • Intuitive interface design and easy navigation
  • Flexibility for a variety of instructional approaches
  • Integrated accessibility features
  • Highly functional mobile interface
  • Excellent user (faculty, staff, and student) support

View The Cool Things You Can Do with Canvas YouTube video.

Visit the MyCanvas Frequently Asked Questions website.

Visit the MyCanvas Instructor Orientation website.

Preparing for the Switch to Canvas for Spring 2018

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On January 5, 2018, Iowa State University will be turning off all access to Blackboard. All Spring 2018 courses, that use ISU’s centrally supported LMS, will be taught in Canvas. Therefore, now is the time for you to learn Canvas using the MyCanvas Teacher at ISU website. Two important resources found in this guide include:

Canvas Open LabsA Panda with the Canvas (ISU's new learning management system) Logo

Drop in and get support related to quality course design, and effective teaching practices in Canvas. Bring your work, and your laptop (this is a must). Open labs are planned for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday through December 8 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Rotunda of Parks Library (near 281 Parks Library).

 

Watch for info about Teaching and Learning Academy, Teaching Partners Program, and SoTL Scholars!

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We will be sharing the 2021-2022 information for the following programs in the upcoming weeks:
  • SoTL Scholars is a year-long program that provides a framework and mentorship to help a faculty member (term, tenure-track, tenure) complete a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) research project.
  • Teaching and Learning Academy is a year-long program that addresses course design, evidence-based teaching strategies, inclusive classroom practices, peer-review of teaching, and documentation of teaching effectiveness. Local experts on college teaching and learning will lead sessions during the academy. Instructors from all disciplines are encouraged to apply for this cohort-based teaching and learning community.
  • Teaching Partners Program matches two or three second- or third-year tenure-track faculty or term faculty with a senior faculty member (a successful, experienced teacher) from another discipline.

These programs are led by CELT Faculty Fellows and provide important professional development opportunities related to teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Add a line on your curriculum vita, new knowledge, and new connections!

Quality Matters (QM) resources you can use any time 

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As an institutional member of Quality Matters, you can access valuable resources to guide your online course design and improve student experiences. Create an account on the MyQM website and check out an impressive list of the following resources: 

  • Accessibility and Usability Resource Site (AURS): Browse this resource and receive reliable information, tips, and tricks on addressing key accessibility and usability concerns in your online courses. 
  • QM Success Stories Webinars: Attend synchronous virtual meetings with experienced instructors who designed and delivered successful online, blended courses. No time for synchronous webinars? Access the QM Success Stories archive on your own terms! 
  • Online Learning Webinars: Join QM experts and quests to discuss various topics related to building success with QM, online learning, and professional growth. 
  • Research Webinars: Explore the latest research on the impact of quality course design on learning. 
  • Bridge to Quality: A QM Online Course Design Guide: This course design guide provide a roadmap for designing courses with the QM Standards in mind.

Join a new Teaching and Learning Community focused on Argument-Based Learning

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This method uses argumentation (critical thinking + discourse) to deepen student learning. It pushes students to defend their thinking and reasoning, and in the process, become more aware of their misconceptions and biases. It’s been tested and shown to be effective in STEM courses, especially in K-12 classrooms. This learning community will explore its feasibility and effectiveness in higher ed.

For more information, contact Rema Nilakanta, Manager Instructional Design & Delivery (Engineering-LAS Online Learning) via email rema@iastate.edu.

Strengthen scholarship & energize your pedagogy (Teaching Tip)

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While CELT provides various resources to support your teaching, we hope to help strengthen your scholarship. The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) involves faculty framing and systematically investigating student learning questions to improve their classroom and advance practice beyond it (See the Faculty Handbook covers SoTL under Promotion and Tenure Evaluation and Review, section 5.2.2.3.2). The essentials shared in this Tip focus on SoTL, publishing in the new CELT Teaching Brief, funding opportunities, and upcoming winter session professional development programs.

  • Discover how Dr. Jessica Ward, Early Achievement in Teaching Award-winning Associate Professor, Phyllis M. Clark Professorship in Veterinary Cardiology, motivated and engaged students in implementing innovative teaching techniques in a very content-dense field. Attend Ward’s webinar: Implementing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in your classroom, Oct. 13 (12:10-1 p.m.) via this Webex registration form.
  • Authors at any stage of their academic and teaching careers are welcome to submit to the CELT Call for Teaching Briefs: Teaching through the Pandemic, effective practices from Iowa State University’s instructors, and online and hybrid course modalities. The collection focuses on practical advice, solutions, and implementations, exploring the topic from a broad array of academic disciplines and perspectives. Learn more about the process, CELT’s ISU Digital Press site (Submissions are due on Oct. 30)
  • Miller Faculty Fellowship Program: Are you interested in scholarly work to develop innovative approaches to enhance student learning? Consider submitting a Miller Faculty Fellowship Program proposals (Due on Dec. 18).
  • Do you teach large enrollment courses (50 students or more) and want to learn more about building community, effective assessment, active learning techniques, and course design? Apply for the CELT Winter Course Design Institute (CDI) 2021. The CDI is an online interactive, hands-on, and collaborative opportunity for ISU instructors to build skills and have time and space to design or substantially revise their courses in the online or hybrid environment. The CELT Winter CDI includes four 75-min sessions (held on January 4, 6, 11, and 13 from 9-10:15 a.m., followed by an optional 30-minute guided discussion and scheduled consultations).
  • Plan your winter session (Dec. 14, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021), download the CELT 2020-2021 Winter Session Programming (PDF).

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Strengthen scholarship & energize your pedagogy (October 1, 2020 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for October 1, 2020 (PDF).

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