EdTech Tools & Course Delivery

We’re excited to introduce our new Insights & Bites series: shorter lunchtime sessions packed with practical tips you can implement immediately. This quick session resurrects overlooked Canvas features, conjures up time-saving shortcuts, and reveals a few magical tricks to make your teaching less frightful.

RESOURCES:

• Session Slides: Insights + Bites October 2025.pptx

On May 7, 2024, Canvas’ Discussions and Announcements Redesign will be forced on for all Penn State courses. There is no migration or transition needed from the old discussion format to the new one, but this change will affect the look and feel of Canvas discussions. In this session, we review the updates and talk about how to maximize their potential in Canvas

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RESOURCES:

• Session Slides: Discussions and Announcements Redesign SP24.pptx
• Instructions for Trying It Out: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-use-Discussions-Redesign-as-an-instructor/ta-p/469515

Penn State now supports the creation of quizzes using Canvas’s New Quizzes​ ​tool. Are you ready to jump in?

Join the eLearning Design & Innovation Group (eLDIG)in the Smeal College of Business as we gather to learn from an instructional designer who has successfully navigated the transition to New Quizzes!

Becky Moulder, Senior Instructional Design Project Leader from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, will be leading a session on New Quizzes from an ID perspective. She will share advantages, stumbling blocks, and the potential for New Quizzes to engage learners. We will also hear Wharton’s recipe for success when supporting faculty in making the switch!

This session will help you get started with new quizzes and includes a basic overview of how to enable, import, and create new quizzes in Canvas. We also discuss some comparisons between Canvas classic/current quizzes and new quizzes.

Link to Session Slides

Link to Session Slides

How to Enhance Pedagogy Through Video and Integrate Video into Penn State’s Learning Systems

In this Smeal Academy session, we discussed numerous ways to enhance pedagogy through video. All of these pedagogical methods are supported by survey data and best practices. After this, we discussed how to manage your individual video libraries through platforms including Zoom, Canvas, and Kaltura. We also discussed the specifics of accessing, editing, sharing, and embedding videos and Zoom recordings.

Helpful Resources

• Nine ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning
• NCBI: Practices to maximize student learning from educational videos
• How to avoid death By PowerPoint | David JP Phillips | TEDxStockholmSalon
• Smeal Academy Video Tech Tips
• Zoom Recording Tips and Tricks from Smeal’s RIIT Group

Clickers Be Gone: Now What?

With iClicker support at Penn State ending in Spring 2022, this session explores alternative technologies and strategies for interactive polling in your courses and explores some considerations as you transition away from iClicker use. This session discusses the University’s decision to discontinue iClicker, identifies potential criteria for an ideal alternative, compares popular/available tools against ideal criteria, and introduces Top Hat – the University’s recommended replacement for iClicker – by providing an overview of the polling and attendance functions and discussing considerations for use.

Top Hat resources referenced:

• Teaching and learning w/Top Hat
• Log in and set up your account
• Quick start guide
• Live Demonstrations
• Top Hat ITLD Training

Top Hat Tricks and Treats: In September 2020, Penn State adopted Top Hat, a tool that tracks attendance while creating engaged learning environments for students. In this session, the eLDIG team reviews some Top Hat tricks and treats, including Canvas integration grade syncing and Top Hat engagement tools like polling and whiteboards.

Session Resources

• Penn State’s TopHat Overview
• Creating a Sample Student Account
• Presentation Slides

Session PowerPoint Slides

Using iPads as Whiteboards in Remote Learning:
This July 22, 2020 session, led by Mark DeLuca, explored strategies and best practices for using iPads as whiteboards when leading remote classes via Zoom.

Whiteboarding Solutions by Level of Difficulty:

1. Low-tech: Use a drawing pad and hold it up to the screen.
2. Mid-tech: You can use the Zoom Whiteboard for simple things.
3. High-tech: For more complex things (equations, formulas) you could use a touchscreen PC, or a tablet (iPad or Android). You then log into the same Zoom room on both your computer and touchscreen devices and share your screen on the touchscreen device when needed.

If you have an iOS device, Zoom has additional ways to share your screen.

Whiteboarding with an Android Tablet

General How-to’s

Penn State ITLD Capturing Instructional Content with Video

Capturing Instructional Content with Video (PSU IT Learning & Development) Video
PSU IT Learning and Development (companion website to above video)
This 23-minute video covers how to capture live video in an in-person class, live video when you are teaching remotely, and pre-recorded video for asynchronous delivery. Topics include:

• Compare Recording Options for Capturing Instructional Content
• Set Up Your Recording Space
• Choose Your Tool
• Record, Prepare, and Share Your Content

Not interested in the whole thing? There are “jump” links that let you go only to the information you seek! Or check out the companion website.

Zoom Whiteboard Guide

UCSF’s Zoom Guide for Facilitators Using Whiteboard Options

Additional Tools and Resources

Jamboard is a collaborative whiteboard available in our Penn State Google Education Suite

Duke University Tools for using screen annotation and handwriting

DIY Document Camera

Link to Session PowerPoint

Office 365 isn’t just Office Suite

This session, led by Jessie Sorensen on July 8, 2020, discussed how participants can get the most out of your Office 365 subscription with a deep dive into some new features from Microsoft.