Smeal Academy Newsletter

AI Battles – Spring 2023 Newsletter 2

Smeal Academy Spring 2023 Connections Newsletter 2 – Artificial Intelligence and Academy Integrity: The Battle of the AIs

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip the Smeal Community with best practices and strategies for teaching and learning with technology to support Smeal’s business education and research needs. This newsletter provides resources, tips, and pointers as we move through the semester.

(Meme created by an AI Meme Generator, Supermeme.ai)

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the use of artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, in academic settings. These tools, which can generate large amounts of text that is difficult to distinguish from human-written text, can be used to cheat on assignments and exams. However, there are steps that educators can take to detect and prevent cheating, such as using plagiarism detection software and having a clear policy in place regarding the use of AI-assisted tools. It is important to use AI responsibly and to be aware of its limitations, particularly when it comes to generating content that will be distributed to a wide audience.

Did that introductory paragraph make sense? If so, we must confess that we cheated. We “wrote” it using ChatGPT. And if you have been paying attention to the headlines, you know that ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools make it much easier to cheat on written assignments. The eLDIG team has been experimenting with AI tools and evaluating their impact for Smeal. The subject is so important that we have scheduled a Smeal Academy session devoted to the topic on March 23rd at 12:00. But given headlines like ChatGPT passes MBA exam given by a Wharton professor, we wanted to provide quick tips to help you in the classroom right now.

The tools and their outputs are getting stronger and better in measurements of days and weeks (not months or years), so it is imperative that we wrap our human heads around their AI capabilities. (And rest assured, except for the first paragraph, all text in this newsletter was written by an actual human being.)

5 things to do now about AI Tools like ChatGPT

Don’t panic. As with anything, results may vary. Our experimentation has shown some ChatGPT results to be laughable and easily spotted. Some results are decent at first glance but wouldn’t pass any basic grading process. The problem is that some results are very high quality and could fool many of us. If you are concerned that AI tools could jeopardize the academic integrity of your assessments, brainstorm with the Instructional Designers at eLDIG ([email protected]) to come up with alternatives that might be more AI-proof. Sometimes subtle changes make a big difference.
Add a Syllabus Statement. Put a clear statement on your syllabus (or make an announcement to the class) about the use of AI tools and ChatGPT in your course. Formal language is in the works at both the Smeal and Penn State University levels and will be available soon. For now, make sure your students know if AI use constitutes a violation of academic integrity in your course. What are your policies and what are the possible outcomes if you suspect AI use? And if AI use is permitted in limited or creative ways, how should the resulting text be cited?
Test it out. Get an account and play around with ChatGPT (or other tools) and your assignments. What do they do well in your subject area and assignments? What do they do poorly? If you prompt ChatGPT with one of your writing assignments, what does it typically return? You will be more able to spot possible AI use by students if you are familiar with the range of outcomes that ChatGPT provides. Also, one thing that we realized when testing ChatGPT was that it cannot provide current citations, however, it sometimes provides old (or fake?) ones. A quick Google search showed that most links or sources provided came up as 404 Not Found Errors. And ChatGPT did give the caveat that some sources might not be real, although they appeared very convincing. So, check student sources too!
Talk with students. Have a frank discussion with your students about the tools. Are they using them? What do they think? Have they seen limitations? Students are often our best experts in new technologies and their opinions may surprise you. And don’t think writing is the only subject impacted. It is likely that your students are seeing (and using?) AI tools for image generation, code creation, and multiple other uses that impact their coursework.
Do some research. Read up on how to spot student use of AI and emerging tools to help. Here are some good articles and places to start:

Quick Ways to Make AI Less Attractive to Students

Focus on current events if possible. For now, ChatGPT uses data from 2021 and before. It does not tackle current events well or even at all.
Flip the script and think about embracing ChatGPT. For example, you could give students a writing assignment and tell them to use ChatGPT. Their assignment is to then grade the writing product and pick out factual errors, biases, or problems with the final product. Ask them how they would improve upon ChatGPT’s output.
Focus writing assignments on an iterative process rather than the end result. Make students show evidence of their work along the way including research notes, outlines, and rough drafts. At the end, ask them to write a personal reflection to sum up what they learned during the process. Or throw students curveballs halfway through the writing process. Ask them to integrate citations or references that aren’t well-represented in current data on that subject.
Ditch the tech. If class size allows, you might ask students to perform writing tasks in person without technology. Blue Books, anyone? Alternatively, ask students to write an outline for a writing assignment during class (without notes or technology) and turn it in. After you have graded the outline, the student can write the essay using technology, but only using that outline as the basis. It is much more difficult to force ChatGPT to write to a specific script or outline.
Oral Exams. Reserve the right to give a student an oral exam to evaluate their work if you suspect unapproved AI use. Ask students about specific terms used in their work and why they chose a certain citation or angle.
Security through obscurity. Get bogged down in the details (in a good way). Ask students to focus their writing assignments for very specific audiences. Or use fictitious company names or your own original case studies as background for questions. The more obscure the details or background, the less chance the answers that ChatGPT provides will make sense.

It is a brave new world out there, and we all know that various technologies have disrupted the educational process before. Calculators, spell check, the computer, and even the blackboard were once thought to be the end of education as we know it. But as we have witnessed, the tools became integrated in the learning process, and we have all managed to keep teaching and learning with them. So, back to the first point: Don’t panic.

The eLDIG team is here for the Smeal community. If you want to discuss an idea or need for your course(s), please don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation at [email protected].

Upcoming Live Sessions

Smeal Academy Session: Leveraging Media to Increase Student Engagement
Come to this session where we will explore strategies and tools to increase student engagement and take your content creation to the next level. We will discuss faculty- and student-created content as well as tools and tips to enhance your course media game while maximizing the accessibility of your course content. Please join us Wednesday, February 15 at Noon EST via Zoom.
Smeal Academy Session: Artifical Intelligence and the Future of Learning
If ChatGPT passed a Wharton MBA exam, could ChatGPT pass Smeal classes? ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools make it much easier to cheat on assessments. The eLDIG team has been experimenting with AI tools and evaluating their impact for Smeal. Please join us as we discuss the brave, new world of Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity. Please join us Thursday, March 23 at Noon EST via Zoom.

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG Website.

eLDIG ID Tips

Tip #1: Tip #1:  Explore ChatGPT for Your Discipline .
Ask ChatGPT some discipline-specific questions to become familiar with the tool. Or, if you’re brave, see how it does on one of your actual course assessments – you might be surprised.
Tip #2: Set up Thresholds in Starfish .
To make Starfish reporting easier, be sure to set up your grading thresholds in Starfish (and your gradebook and grading scheme in Canvas). Check out this Knowledge Base article for instructions. Students have indicated that Starfish feedback helps them better understand how they’re doing in classes, and it also supports advisors as they guide their advisees which is particularly important as we approach the late drop deadline.

Contact Us

Email us at [email protected] or fill out the eLDIG Contact form and we will be in touch.

Michael Christie In

Springing Into the Spring Semester – Spring 2023 Newsletter 1

Smeal Academy Spring 2023 Connections Newsletter 1 – Springing into a New Semester

eLDIG’s 5 Things

5 Things from the eLDIG Team:

As we get started with a new semester, we wanted to share the following five things with the Smeal community:

eLDIG has welcomed three new team members:
1. Chris Coyne, Instructional Designer, joined the team on October 3 and came to us from Penn State’s Ag Extension.
  Fun fact about Chris: He’s related to Grace Kelly (his great-grandmother was a Kelly) and has been to Greenland.
2. Francesca Joyce, Multimedia Specialist, joined the team on December 5 and came to us from Geisinger’s Commonwealth School of Medicine.
  Fun fact about Francesca: When she was younger, she wanted to be a horse veterinarian but after spending a summer at horse camp decided to choose a different (less smelly) career path!
3. Whitney Chirdon, Instructional Designer focusing on executive programs, joined the team on December 12 and came to us from Penn State’s School of Public Policy.
  Fun fact about Whitney: She produced and hosted a TV show about Downtown Abbey called After Abbey. Whitney has also only attended Penn State sports games while producing talent as a stage manager or in the production truck for ESPN, BTN, ABC, and FOX sports. She did run on the field with the Blue Band during a game while producing a documentary.
Check out eLDIG’s new video assessment series. Topics include:
1. Assessment basics
2. Formative and summative assessments
3. Assessment best practices
4. Writing quality exam questions
5. Canvas quizzing
6. Exam security
7. Alternatives to exams
8. Rubrics
Top Hat’s new “Presentation Tool” that mimics the “quick polling” iClicker functionality is now available in General Purpose Classrooms at Penn State. Quick polling allows a PowerPoint slide to be the basis of a poll – if you want to learn more, reach out to us and we’re happy to help get you started.
Just a quick note that Canvas courses will be archived on January 24th. All LionPATH courses taught prior to, and including, Fall 2021 and ALL non-LionPATH courses, regardless of creation date, including Master, Manually Created, Sandbox courses, and Prides will be archived unless you opt-out.
Do you struggle to keep up with syllabus policies? eLDIG keeps a Smeal Residential Syllabus, Part 2 up to date based on the semester instructions from Undergraduate Programs. You are welcome to use this for your syllabi now or in the future.

The eLDIG team is here for the Smeal community. If you want to discuss an idea or need for your course(s), please don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation at [email protected].

Upcoming Live Sessions

Smeal Academy Session: Let’s Talk – Course Discussion Tools and Strategies
Come learn about tools, best practices, and strategies for online course discussions. We will give an overview of Canvas, Packback, Piazza, and Yellowdig discussion tools. Come with your questions and input for our discussion! Join us Friday, January 27, 2023, 9 to10 a.m. EST via Zoom.
NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG Website.
Register Now for the 2023 TLT Symposium on March 18, 2023
The Penn State Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology is an annual event to showcase ways that technology can be used to enhance teaching, learning, and research. Our intent is to give faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to share how they are using technology in unique ways, network with other colleagues, and generate new project ideas.The TLT Symposium is a free event that welcomes all Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Please be sure to use your Penn State email when registering.

eLDIG Teaching and Learning Tips

Tip #1: Remember to set up your Canvas grading scheme to match your syllabus. Here’s a Smeal Academy Video Tech Tip explaining how.
Tip #2: Customize Your Canvas Dashboard. If your Canvas dashboard is cluttered or this semester’s courses aren’t showing up, here’s how to customize your dashboard.

Contact Us

Email us at [email protected] or fill out the eLDIG Contact form and we will be in touch.

Michael Christie In

Inclusive Teaching Practices – Fall 2022 Newsletter 2

Smeal Academy Fall 2022 Connections Newsletter 2 –Inclusive Teaching Practices

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

5 Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms from the eLDIG Team

It’s always important to consider how we can cultivate classroom environments that make everyone feel welcome. The following suggestions can be easily incorporated:

Consider representation in the resources you provide students. There are so many fantastic repositories of free images available for use in your classroom materials. The following are just a few: Women of Color in Technology, Disability Inclusive Stock Photography, and Beyond the Binary.
Add your pronouns to your Canvas and Zoom profiles. Recommend that students do the same and provide support documentation: Canvas: Add Gender and Identity Pronouns to Your Name and Zoom: Add Gender or Identity Pronouns to Your Zoom Profile.
Remember the importance of connection before content. Learning is social! There are lots of great tools for encouraging interpersonal connection within your class that make your content more meaningful. These virtual question cards from WeConnect are a great free resource for encouraging conversation.
Solicit student feedback frequently, including personal reflections on their learning. This is a great way to support students and keep your finger on the pulse of their classroom experience. Tools like Canvas Surveys and Microsoft Forms are great ways to gather this feedback.
Remember the power of microaffirmations! Microaffirmations include behaviors as simple as: nodding and making eye contact with students while they’re talking; making sure to call on students of different races and genders equally; referring to every student by his or her name; using inclusive language — for instance, talk about “families” instead of “parents;” openly giving praise for a wide range of actions; and staying enthusiastic when interacting with students. (Rastegari & Shafer)

Rastegari, I. and Shafer, L. (2016, December 22). Accentuate the Positive: The transformative power of small encouragements and welcoming interactions. Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The eLDIG team is here for the Smeal community. If you want to discuss an idea or need for your course(s), please don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation at [email protected]

Upcoming Live Sessions

TLT Creating Community via Technology,1:30 to 3 pm on Nov. 8th or 9th. Register via the Creating Community via Technology Registration Form.
Lab Virtualization Considerations and Strategies, 2-1 pm on November 30th. Come learn about Smeal’s lab virtualization approach to ensure that students and faculty have the software and apps they need for their courses. Smeal faculty will share some of their experiences with virtual labs. We will also discuss the next steps for faculty considering the use of virtual labs as we increase our virtualization offerings via Zoom.

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Canvas New Quizzes Update. The Canvas vendor has informed Penn State that the New Quizzes migration timeline is on hold and will be sending an update in the coming weeks with more details. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
Tip #2: Set up Thresholds in Starfish. To make Starfish reporting easier, be sure to set up your grading thresholds in Starfish (and your gradebook and grading scheme in Canvas). Check out this Knowledge Base article for instructions. Students have indicated that Starfish feedback helps them better understand how they’re doing in classes, and it also supports advisors as they guide their advisees which is particularly important as we approach the late drop deadline.

Contact Us

Email us at [email protected] or fill out the eLDIG Contact form and we will be in touch.

Michael Christie In

Welcome Back – Fall 2022 Newsletter 1

Smeal Academy Fall 2022 Connections Newsletter 1 – Welcome Back

5 Resources from the eLDIG Team:

As we get started with a new semester, we have curated five resources we want to share with the Smeal Community:

Final Touches for Fall Session Recording
Check out our Smeal Academy Session Recording: Final Touches for Fall for some information that is relevant even after week 1 of the semester. You can also check out previous Smeal Academy sessions and newsletters on the eLDIG site. We will offer regular Smeal Academy sessions and resources targeted to address your teaching and learning needs.
Residential Syllabus, Part 2
Do you struggle to keep up with syllabus policies? eLDIG keeps a Smeal Residential Syllabus, Part 2 up-to-date based on the semester instructions from Undergraduate Programs. You are welcome to use this for your syllabi now or in the future.
Tips for New Faculty
Higher Ed Jobs Tips for New Faculty – Tips for success (and failure) for new faculty that are relevant to all faculty.
Canvas New Analytics
Want to get more out of Canvas analytics? Enable New Analytics in your course(s).
Canvas Grading Scheme
Remember to set up your Canvas grading scheme to match your syllabus. Here’s a Smeal Academy Video Tech Tip explaining how.The eLDIG team is here for the Smeal community. If you want to discuss an idea or need for your course(s), please don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation at [email protected].

Upcoming Live Sessions

TLT Dreamery Speaker Series with Tanya Joosten
The Dreamery Speaker series hosts experts from other institutions to address timely teaching and learning with technology topics. The first speaker in the series is Tanya Joosten, a Senior Scientist, the Director of Digital Learning Research and Development, and advisor to the Provost for innovation projects at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). On 9/27 & 9/28, 2022 Tanya will have interactive discussions focused on teaching (Approaching Intentionality: Factors That Influence Student Success) and learning design (Considerations for Equity-Minded Practices). Dreamery Speaker Series Registration.
TLT Prep & Practice: Top Hat for Course Engagement, Part 1
Dates of Offerings: Monday, 10/10, 1pm – 3pm & Thursday, 10/13, 1pm – 3pmDescription: New faculty are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) for sessions focusing on introducing Top Hat, an engagement platform for teaching and learning. These sessions provide participants the opportunity to get familiar with the Top Hat environment and understand the features that help learning be engaging, interactive, accessible, and connected. Prep and Practice Registration.
TLT Prep & Practice: Top Hat for Course Engagement, Part 2
Date of Offerings: Monday, 10/17, 1pm – 3pm & Thursday, 10/21, 1pm – 3pmDescription: New faculty are invited to join Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) to continue the conversation on Top Hat, an engagement platform for teaching and learning. The second part of the sessions will allow participants to build a Top Hat course and understand best practices for integrating the engagement features into courses. Prep and Practice Registration.

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Customize Your Canvas Dashboard. If your Canvas dashboard is cluttered or this semester’s courses aren’t showing up on your dashboard, here’s How to customize your dashboard.
Tip #2: Remind students to enable Canvas notifications. To ensure students are receiving Canvas notifications, show them how to enable them. The default settings in Canvas do notify students of announcements right away, but they might miss discussion notifications because those are set to be “off” by default.

Contact Us

Email us at [email protected] or fill out the eLDIG Contact form and we will be in touch.

Michael Christie In

Summer Reading Recommendations – Summer 2022 Newsletter 1

Summer 2022 Connections Newsletter 1 – Summer Reading Recommendations

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of teaching and learning during the Fall 2021 semester. Between now and the end of the Fall 2021 semester, we will be sending periodic emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.
This week, we are sharing our favorite books about teaching, learning, and life. Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading! Here are some of the eLDIG team’s current favorite reads.

What is the eLDIG Team Reading?

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

Mark DeLuca recommends this book for anyone exploring checklists! The author looks at ways that checklists can be used to communicate information more effectively in a world that seems oversaturated with content that people do not seem able to take in.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Renee Ford recommends this best-seller. James Clear provides concrete advice for changing your habits. This book is full of practical strategies for forming good habits and breaking bad ones. His website includes some helpful resources that are available for free.

Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen

Emily Baxter loves how this book breaks down the fundamental concepts of instructional design in a visually engaging way. Have fun exploring ways to improve your own learning and better engage your audience – whether you are teaching in a classroom, presenting at a conference, or writing a blog post! The first edition of the book is also available online through the Penn State University Libraries.

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein

Matt Mignogna recommends this New York Times Bestseller. The authors of this book explore why people make bad judgments – and how we can all make better ones.

Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James Lang

This book is a favorite of many members of the eLDIG team. James Lang shares evidence-backed recommendations for small changes that can be made in your classroom to build community and help students retain more information. The first edition of this book is available as an e-book through Penn State Libraries: https://catalog.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/19435958.

What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching by Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek, Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell, and Mallory E. SoRelle

This book is part of our Smeal Academy Summer Book Club! If you are interested in reading along with us, you can find an e-book in Penn State Libraries. We love all the practical suggestions in the book for creating inclusive classrooms.

Upcoming Live Sessions

Smeal Academy Summer Book Club Kickoff Session
In this session, we will provide an overview of the book, What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching and talk about our goals for the summer book club.

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our SmealTLT Website.

Contact Us

Email us at: [email protected] or fill out the eLDIG contact form and we will be in touch.

Michael Christie In

End of Semester Tips – Spring 2022 Newsletter 4

Spring 2022 Connections Newsletter 4 –  End of Semester Tips

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of teaching and learning during the Fall 2021 semester. Between now and the end of the Fall 2021 semester, we will be sending periodic emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.
This week, we are sharing some tips for wrapping up your courses at the end of the semester. Hang in there! We are almost at the end!

FOUR End-of-Semester Tips

Encourage students to complete the SRTE.
Penn State’s Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence has provided several strategies for improving your SRTE response rates. These include:
- Guide students on how to provide helpful feedback.
- Reserve a block of time for students to fill out the SRTE.
- Remind students when SRTEs are active.
- Make it clear that you value student feedback.
Make sure your Canvas grades are prepared for LionPATH.
The following steps will ensure that your Canvas course is set up to successfully load your grades into LionPATH. As always, reach out to eLDIG if you would like to walk through the process with someone on our team.
- Create a Penn State compatible grading scheme.
- Prepare final grades for LionPATH. The other important tasks you need to complete in Canvas are entering zeros for all unsubmitted assignments and posting grades for hidden assignments.
- You should then be ready to import your Canvas gradebook into LionPATH. Alternatively, you may also manually enter your grades in LionPATH.
Reflect on what went well and what could have gone better.
HThe end of the semester is the best time to reflect on your semester. Everything that happened (or did not) is still fresh in your memory. This is a good opportunity to note resources you may want to add or eliminate; instructions that should be tweaked; ideas for new activities; or challenges you want to reflect on before the next time the course runs. The following list provides some good jumping-off points for reflection:What were some of your favorite moments of the semester? What happened that you would like to avoid in the future?What happened that you did not plan for?What did you do in the classroom to help students feel like they belonged? What more could you do in the future?With what activities and/or resources were students most engaged? When were they the least engaged?What surprised you about the students’ behavior?
Celebrate!
Though this time of year is busy, make it a point to do something to acknowledge and celebrate the end of this semester. Maybe you go out for a meal to celebrate with colleagues or family, or perhaps you schedule time to quietly reflect on the end of this semester before beginning the next. Whatever you do, remember that there is power in marking the passing of time and celebrating milestones.

Upcoming Live Sessions

Smeal Academy Session: Microsoft Bookings Lunch & Learn
Join us for a Microsoft Bookings Lunch & Learn facilitated by Jessie Sorensen and Carrie Marcinkevage. Several members of the Smeal College of Business utilize MS Bookings for admissions, coaching/advising, and individual appointments. Participants are invited to share their tips and tricks for maximizing MS Bookings’ value and use. If you have some MS Bookings success and tips, please come share and learn from peers! Join us Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 12-1 PM EST via Zoom.

Please note that rather than a first-time training for MS Bookings, this facilitated sharing session assumes basic knowledge and use.

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our SmealTLT Website.

Contact Us

Email us at: [email protected] or fill out the eLDIG contact form and we will be in touch.

Michael Christie In

Spring Cleaning – Spring 2022 Newsletter 3

Spring 2022 Connections Newsletter 3 –  Spring Cleaning for Your Courses

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of teaching and learning during the Fall 2021 semester. Between now and the end of the Fall 2021 semester, we will be sending periodic emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.
This week, we are sharing some spring cleaning tips for courses and Canvas spaces.

THREE Spring Cleaning Tasks Worth Tackling Now

Create a Canvas Master Course for your Spring Cleaning
A Canvas Master course can be used as a space to clean up and prepare your course in a space other than your live courses with LionPath enrollments. Are you worried that your students might see changes, or do you need a place to make changes in between semesters? Request a Canvas Master course and then import course content to make your changes in a more secure editing environment. Another great use for Canvas Master courses is to import, save, and organize content from previous semesters.
Delete Old or Unneeded Files
One common issue in courses is that there often are several files no longer in use and/or the Canvas “Files” tab is cluttered or disorganized. You can delete Canvas files and you also can organize and move your Canvas files. Note that if you’d like to delete multiple files, you can do that: From “Files,” if you click one item (or folder) in the right-side menu, and then press CTRL+A or Apple/Cmd+A, you can then press the delete key to delete everything selected. It is much faster than going one by one.
Review Your SRTEs and student feedback
Have you taken the time to review the feedback received from students? Take a moment to look through your SRTEs and other student feedback (student emails with questions, anecdotal comments, your own student evaluations for feedback). Reflect on the information you have received. Are there any trends or common issues that should be addressed before the next time your course is offered? Make a list of what you’d like to keep the same, change, and/or remove based on your feedback and experiences. Check out this article outlining 10 Ways Faculty Can Support Student Success if you’re looking for inspiration or guidance.

Upcoming Live Sessions

Smeal Academy Session: Inclusive Classroom Practices
Join Jamie Campbell and Olivia Lewis from Smeal’s Office of Diversity Enhancement Programs as they share tips and strategies to make our classes more inclusive for Smeal’s diverse student body. We will discuss five specific things everyone can do to promote a feeling of belonging in our classrooms. Join us Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 12-1 PM EST via Zoom.
Smeal Academy Session: Microsoft Bookings Lunch & Learn
Join us for a Microsoft Bookings Lunch & Learn facilitated by Jessie Sorensen and Carrie Marcinkevage. Several members of the Smeal College of Business utilize MS Bookings for admissions, coaching/advising, and individual appointments. Participants are invited to share their tips and tricks for maximizing MS Bookings’ value and use. If you have some MS Bookings success and tips, please come share and learn from peers! Join us Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 12-1 PM EST via Zoom.

Please note that rather than a first-time training for MS Bookings, this facilitated sharing session assumes basic knowledge and use.

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our SmealTLT Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Course Announcements. Consider using announcements for course communication to inform the entire class about something. It is easier to use than course mail for sharing global information – but you have to tell students at the beginning of the course to check announcements frequently!
Tip #2: Remind students to enable Canvas notifications.
To ensure students are receiving Canvas notifications, show them how to enable them. The default settings in Canvas do notify students of announcements right away, but they might miss discussion notifications because those are set to be “off” by default.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the Teaching and Learning with Technology at Smeal website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

Email us at: [email protected] or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

clt16 In

Welcome Back to the Arctic! – Spring 2022 Newsletter 1

Spring 2022 Connections Newsletter 1 –  Ready or Not, Here We Go!!

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of teaching and learning during the Fall 2021 semester. Between now and the end of the Fall 2021 semester, we will be sending periodic emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.
This week, we are sharing some beginning-of-the-semester tips and pointers to get your semester off to a great start.

Welcome Back! We hope you had some downtime before the launch of the new semester.
We know that members of the Smeal community – faculty, staff, and students alike – are juggling a lot at the start of this semester. It’s great to be back and we are still navigating all the regular semester challenges along with COVID-19 changes. The following are some resources and reminders to get the semester off on your best foot.

Productivity Tips

Use Available Tech Tools. Get to know the tools available to us at Penn State. Schedule a meeting with someone from the eLDIG team or check out Penn State’s Ed Tech Advisor to learn more about available tools to enhance your teaching and learning.
Compose Ahead and Delay Posting of Canvas Announcements. Instructors are carrying an increasingly heavy workload and balancing all the new intricacies of teaching can feel overwhelming. When possible, consider composing your regular course tips and announcements ahead of time using Canvas announcements and delaying posting so that they are ready when you need them.
Explore suggested teaching strategies in residential courses for temporary instructor or student absence in order to be prepared (as much as possible) with contingency plans. Note: This is a resource Felisa Preciado-Higgins shared with us during a recent Smeal Community meeting.
Schedule Grading Time On Your Calendar. Just as we schedule meetings and office hours, scheduling time for grading can help ensure that you can reserve time for grading and still have time for work-life balance.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the eLDIG team.

Tech Tips for Teaching with Masks

Use the Mic. No one thinks they need a microphone. But even in non-masked situations, it’s best to use microphones when they are available. It’s essential when teaching with a mask so people can hear. Just use it – all General Purpose classrooms have them. Checkout the list of Classroom Technology for more information on GPC technology.
Use Tech Tools to Gauge Emotions and Build Community. Masks make it difficult to see nonverbal cues. You can use tools like Top Hat to generate a word cloud at the beginning of class so students can let you know how they’re feeling. You could have a simple prompt like “Describe your current mood in one word.” It is as important as ever to build connections with our students.
Model the Correct Way to Wear Masks. Our ability to continue in-person instruction depends on all of us to do our part to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Consider reminding students that this is part of upholding the Smeal Honor Code. To reinforce mask adherence, have students agree (via a Canvas or Top Hat quiz) at the beginning of each class to abide by PSU’s masking requirements completely to receive full participation credit for the day. You can also add a slide at the beginning of each class to remind students how to correctly wear masks. Note the new mask guidelines this semester – check your inbox for a January 11 email from Yvonne Gaudelius, Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education and Kathryn Drager, Interim Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

Resource

Check the following resource for more information: Effective ways to teach in person with a mask on (opinion).

Here are some additional Top Hat Teaching Tips for the beginning of the semester.

Current News

Canvas Archiving – Opt-Out Before January 25, 2022

On January 25, 2022, Penn State IT will perform its regular archiving of older Canvas courses. Beginning December 7, 2021, you may choose to delay particular courses from being archived by using the in-Canvas Course Archive Manager tool. Please be sure to opt-out of any courses you do not want archived before January 25th.

Archiving on January 25 will include:

All LionPATH courses taught prior to, and including, Fall 2020 (LionPATH term 2208) will be archived.
All LionPATH courses that you may have previously opted out of archiving will be archived.
All non-LionPATH courses, regardless of creation date, including Master, Manually Created, Sandbox courses, and Prides will be archived.

Full details on the long-term archival storage and instructions on how to opt a course out of archiving are available on the Penn State Canvas website.

Register Now for the 2022 TLT Symposium on March 19, 2022

The Penn State Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology is an annual event to showcase ways that technology can be used to enhance teaching, learning, and research. Our intent is to give faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to share how they are using technology in unique ways, network with other colleagues, and generate new project ideas.

The Symposium is a free event that welcomes all Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Please be sure to use your Penn State email when registering.

Upcoming Live Sessions

ITLD Session: SharePoint – An Introduction to File Storage and Collaboration in the Document Library
Are you new to SharePoint for Office365? Do you have an existing SharePoint site you don’t quite know how to leverage for file storage and collaboration? Join us to learn how to navigate SharePoint online. We’ll cover file sharing and how to leverage your document libraries to collaborate effectively. We will also discuss how SharePoint interacts with Teams and OneDrive to simplify your work and collaboration. Register by January 25th for the session being held Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM EST
Smeal Academy Session: Contingency Planning – Coming Soon
We will be holding a Smeal Academy session to explore and discuss strategies and tools for contingency planning. More to come in next week’s newsletter!

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our SmealTLT Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Course Announcements. Consider using announcements for course communication to inform the entire class about something. It is easier to use than course mail for sharing global information – but you have to tell students at the beginning of the course to check announcements frequently!
Tip #2: Remind students to enable Canvas notifications.
To ensure students are receiving Canvas notifications, show them how to enable them. The default settings in Canvas do notify students of announcements right away, but they might miss discussion notifications because those are set to be “off” by default.