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Smeal Academy Newsletter

WE ARE…Grateful – Fall 2021 Newsletter 5

Fall 2021 Resilience – Newsletter 5

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.

thankful to be stuffed with knowledge

November is the month of gratitude. Here in eLDIG, we are often grateful to work with amazing staff and faculty to create courses that make a difference to our students.

In our work, we can get tired and stressed. In some ways, in this pandemic era, we have more pressure on us than ever before. Mitigating that stress and pressure can be achieved by practicing gratitude. When someone asks what we are grateful for we think of family, friends, opportunities, etc. Gratitude is something that we accept we should do, but that we rarely talk about how to do. When someone practices gratitude, what do they actually do each day? It is really just about the small things. Someone might:

  • Say one small thing they are grateful that happened in their day before a meal
  • Keep a gratitude journal
  • Include an act of kindness in your life each day
  • Look up from your phone or work and notice the beauty in nature each day
  • Avoid negative media and movies with destructive content
  • Commit to one day a week when you won’t complain about anything
  • Say thank you for the little things others do for you, things you normally take for granted.

Conlon C. (nd) 40 Simple Ways To Practice Gratitude, Lifehack

Gratitude in Teaching and Learning

A growing body of groundbreaking research shows that gratitude has the power to heal, energize, and transform lives by enhancing people psychologically, spiritually, physically, and cognitively. Gratitude can impact focus and resilience in class and when experiencing difficulties. Wilson (2016) found that “when students intentionally practice gratitude toward learning, they tended to report better focus during class, while studying, or taking an exam. This increased focus may be linked to a more positive attitude about learning as well as a reduced stress level. Since college academics often produce stress, these findings are worth considering. Energy that might be taken up feeling stressed or anxious may be able to be redirected to focusing on and making sense of new information after a student mindfully chooses a grateful spirit. Another benefit for students who intentionally practice gratitude is experiencing added strength to sustain effort when learning feels challenging. This resilient spirit is rooted in students’ appreciation that challenges can help them grow as learners. Thus, rather than closing down one’s mind when faced with challenges, a student with a grateful spirit may view those challenges as an opportunity to learn.” (p. 9)

With this in mind, we can be role models and consider embedding gratitude practices into the classroom. A study by Howels (2014) found that when teachers embed this practice it has positive impacts in areas of relationship between teachers and students. Thereby increasing student wellbeing and a positive atmosphere. Some gratitude activities you could try in the classroom include:

  • Model gratitude yourself
  • Start the day with positive affirmation
  • Have students make a social media post about something they are grateful they learned in class that day
  • Thank a student when they make an excellent observation of the materials in class
  • Provide opportunities for students to show gratitude to peers in their class
  • Ask students to complete one act of kindness in their day, and to tell you how that went
  • Celebrate students’ growth and achievement in class
  • Encourage student independence
  • Ask a student to describe why and how they expressed gratitude
  • Have students reflect on the past, express gratitude and recognize their changes over time

With our own gratitude practice at the heart of our pedagogy, we create the right environment for gratitude to flourish.

Howells, K. (2014). An exploration of the role of gratitude in enhancing teacher–student relationships. Teaching and Teacher Education, 42, 58-67.
Howells, K. (2004). The role of gratitude in higher education. Research and Development in Higher Education, 27(2), 164-173.
Wilson, J. T. (2016). Brightening the mind: The impact of practicing gratitude on focus and resilience in learning. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(4), 1-13.

Current News

Canvas Training Sessions available through ITLD

Penn State IT Learning and Development is offering Canvas training sessions via Zoom on a variety of topics, from designing effective content to empowering students to collaborate using Canvas groups. Join them in for one of these upcoming sessions:

November

Canvas: Transition your Canvas Course to a New Semester
Thursday, November 18, 10 a.m. ET
Identify essential and recommended tasks to complete at the beginning and end of each semester.

December

Canvas: Empowering Your Students to Collaborate Effectively Using Canvas Groups
Wednesday, December 8, 11 a.m. ET
Learn to identify how students can use Canvas Group Tools to collaborate with peers.

For more information or to register visit the ITLD page here.

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Smeal Academy Session: The Finish Line – Strategies for Ending the Semester Strong As we approach the end of the semester, there’s so much to do to ensure a smooth and successful finish. Come for a discussion about some practices and time-saving tips to end the semester strong! We’ll explore tips related to Canvas, grading, student communication and feedback and more. Please feel free to enjoy your lunch while we meet. Join us Monday, November 15th from Noon–1 via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

  • Tip #1: Make sure that important dates and information are provided in multiple modalities, such as on Canvas, in the syllabus, and on slides or other visual means of communication.
  • Tip #2: Check in on your students’ understanding. Use a minute paper, exit tickets, and online discussion forums or social annotation tools to check for students’ understanding after class. If you discover after class that students did not understand a key course concept, take time to review it at the start of the next class session.
  • Tip #3: Encourage students to engage with the course and collaborate virtually. Many of the tools that instructors use when teaching remotely can be brought into the face-to-face classroom, allowing students to interact with each other virtually while in the same space. These tools also allow instructors to monitor student work in real-time and offer feedback and guidance.

Rice University (nd) “Can you hear me in the back?”: Strategies for teaching (and learning) while wearing a mask.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Video, Pedagogy, and Kaltura (oh my!) – Fall 2021 Newsletter 4

Fall 2021 Resilience – Newsletter 4

Video has become more and more a part of our lives, from visiting family in distant places to education and entertainment. In this newsletter, we’ll take a look at how student learning can benefit from this powerful medium. We’ll look at survey data and best practices to help hone your video skills and we’ll also review Penn State tools available to help craft your instruction.

Once videos are recorded in Zoom, they’re automatically sent to Kaltura–Penn State’s Media Management Platform. Many of you are already aware of this because after you finish recording a lecture through Zoom, you receive an email from Kaltura saying that a recording is available to view on their platform.

After accessing a video directly on Kaltura’s site, you can edit many aspects of the video, such as the title, description, and length. You also can share the recording through a URL link or embed the video directly into your Canvas course(s). We’ll go over how to do all of this and more in our live session on October 15th at 9:00.

Helpful Links Related to Educational Video Strategies:

Current News

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • How to enhance pedagogy through video and integrate video into Penn State’s learning systems.This session will discuss numerous ways to enhance pedagogy through video and best practices to manage your video library and Canvas integration.Join us October 15, from 9 to 10 a.m. via Zoom.
  • Smeal Academy Session: Learning Analytics Tricks and TreatsCome trick or treating with the eLDIG team and collect some creative basic learning analytics treats to inform and guide our teaching and learning efforts. We will have several doors to knock on from the Canvas house to the Zoom family…. and we may even check out what the Top Hat home is giving out this year. You never know what tricks might be up our costume sleeves or what haunted houses we’ll need to avoid as we wander through the analytics neighborhood. Come and join the fun as we collect some trick or treat loot (hopefully, there’ll be at least one or two full-sized candy bars)! Costumes are optional!Join us Tuesday, October 26 from 12 to 1 p.m. via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

  • Tip #1:  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 their classes, and it also supports advisors as they guide their advisees.
  • Tip #2:  Aim to keep your instructional videos no more than 5-7 minutes long.
    According to Techsmith, 52% of viewers prefer instructional and informational videos that are between 3-6 minutes in length. When the eLDIG team reviews Kaltura video analytics for Smeal courses, this preference is reflected in student video completion rates – the longer the video, the less the students watch. They also tend to watch the beginning, middle and end of the videos, so be sure to use these points to convey key information.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Midterm Motivation – Fall 2021 Newsletter 3

Fall 2021 Resilience – Newsletter 3

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 weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we share resources that can help you with student motivation.


During COVID we used more video than ever before. Students can find the use of video helpful, especially for second language students and students with disabilities.  This week, we will be talking a bit about the use of video in the Smeal Academy Sessions. Check out the list below for more information.

We all know it is important to motivate our learners and ensure the continuity of the motivation during the semester’s instruction. ARCS is an instructional model developed by John Keller and focuses on motivation.

There are four components of the ARCS model and stands for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction.

  1. Attention: This refers to the learners’ interests. It is critical to get and hold the learners’ interests and attention. Some ideas for capturing student attention include:
    • Using video to allow for hearing the content again.
    • Providing real-world, related, and specific examples about content.
    • Using humor.
    • Going against learners’ past experience or providing an opposite point of view.
    • Using hands-on and role-playing activities.
    • Including brainstorming and critical thinking activities.
  2. Relevance: The learning process should show the usefulness of the content so that learners can bridge the gap between content and the real world. Some ideas for making content relevant to students include:
    • Explaining why and how this content helps the learners today or in the future.
    • Allow learners to choose their own paper topics or other ways to personalize their assignments.
    • Give learners continuity by establishing connections between new information and prior learning.
  3. Confidence: This component focuses on developing success expectations that allow learners to be in control of their learning processes. Some ideas for helping to build confidence in students include:
    • Use rubrics and checklists so that they can establish positive expectations and achieve success on your assignments.
    • Give learners’ early, and frequent feedback about their improvements/deficiencies during the course so that they can adjust their performance.
    • Allow learners the opportunity to be successful by providing multiple and varied assessment experiences. Avoid having only a few exams to measure understanding, instead include other assessments to vary the ways students can earn points.
  4. Satisfaction: There is a direct relationship between motivation and satisfaction. Learners should be satisfied with what they achieved during the learning process. Some ideas for making the content satisfying to students include:
    • Encourage intrinsic enjoyment of the learning experience so that learners have fun, continue the learning process without expecting reward or another kind of external motivational elements.
    • Extrinsic Rewards: Provide learners with positive feedback, rewards, and reinforcements. Be careful about scheduling reinforcement. It is more effective when you provide reinforcement at non-predictable intervals.
    • Maintain consistent standards and consequences for success. Check that there is consistency between yourself and your TA when sharing grading responsibilities.

References

Current News

  • Reminder: How to get your Zoom Recordings into Canvas
    If you missed last month’s session on getting your Zoom recordings into your Canvas Course using Kaltura. Be sure to look back at the sessions and watch these helpful videos.

  • Canvas Course Archiving took place  September 28
    Penn State IT will perform its regular archiving of older Canvas courses. You may choose to delay particular courses from being archived by using the in-Canvas Course Archive Manager tool. This can be found in the right navigation on your Canvas. Dashboard. Archiving includes: All LionPATH courses taught prior to and including Summer 2020 (LionPATH term 2205). All LionPATH courses that you may have previously opted out of archiving. Non-LionPATH courses, including Master, Manually Created, and Sandbox courses will not be archived. Full details, including instructions on how to opt a course out of archiving, are available on the Penn State Canvas website. This is a regular occurrence, please keep an eye on the notifications at the top of your Dashboard for future notices.
  • Spring Student Registration Has Begun
    Penn State undergraduates can view the full schedule of courses for Spring 2022. The LionPATH enrollment shopping carts opened Sept. 22. The first day of registration for graduate students is October 12, and undergraduate students is October 13. Encourage your students to talk to their advisors about what to take next.
  • Canvas Training Available
    As we begin to return to campus for the Fall semester, Penn State IT Learning and Development (ITLD) is offering Canvas training sessions via Zoom on a variety of topics, from designing effective content to empowering students to collaborate using Canvas groups. Register and check out the complete schedule of training sessions for Fall 2021.

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • How to enhance pedagogy through video and integrate video into Penn State’s learning systems.This session will discuss numerous ways to enhance pedagogy through video and best practices to manage your video library and Canvas integration.Join us October 15, from 9 to 10 a.m. via Zoom.
  • Smeal Academy Session: Learning Analytics Tricks and TreatsCome trick or treating with the eLDIG team and collect some creative basic learning analytics treats to inform and guide our teaching and learning efforts. We will have several doors to knock on from the Canvas house to the Zoom family…. and we may even check out what the Top Hat home is giving out this year. You never know what tricks might be up our costume sleeves or what haunted houses we’ll need to avoid as we wander through the analytics neighborhood. Come and join the fun as we collect some trick or treat loot (hopefully, there’ll be at least one or two full-sized candy bars)! Costumes are optional!Join us Tuesday, October 26 from 12 to 1 p.m. via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

Motivating Yourself: Did you know that a faculty’s intrinsic or “autonomous” motivations predict greater use of proven, effective teaching methods — namely instructional clarity and higher-order, reflective and integrative, and collaborative learning? Faculty who teach because they enjoy and value it tends to teach in the most effective ways.

Stupnisky, R. H., BrckaLorenz, A., Yuhas, B., & Guay, F. (2018). Faculty members’ motivation for teaching and best practices: Testing a model based on self-determination theory across institution types. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53, 15-26.

  • Tip #1:  Attend professional development workshops about teaching
    Smeal faculty cherish the idea of continuous quality improvement in business. The same applies to the business of teaching. Collect the data you need to ensure you are making improvements. Then attend professional development workshops with teaching experts to improve your teaching methods.
  • Tip #2:   Allow yourself adequate teaching preparation time
    Preparation and planning are critical components of effective teaching. A common misnomer is that faculty only work a limited workday, but when the time for preparing and planning is accounted for, the time increases significantly. Teaching is not something you can do effectively on the fly. It requires a healthy blend of content knowledge, instructional strategies, and classroom management tactics. Plan days to weeks in advance if possible. Do not wait until the last minute to try to put content together. Doing so limits your effectiveness. Staying organized and budgeting your time can ease your stress.
  • Tip #3:  Connect with other teaching faculty
    Connecting with other educators is probably the best way to grow yourself as an educator. You can connect with other faculty through social media, in person, and in professional development sessions. Find a like-minded faculty member and truly connect to exchange ideas and make changes to your processes.

Meirovich, G., & Romar, E. J. (2006). The difficulty in implementing TQM in higher education instruction: The duality of instructor/student roles. Quality Assurance in Education.
Meador, D. (May 04, 2019). Strategies for Teachers: The Power of Preparation and Planning.
Heick, T. (nd.d). What Happens When Teachers Connect.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Wellness – Fall 2021 Newsletter 2

Fall 2021 Resilience – Week 2

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 weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we are sharing some strategies to support wellness for you and your students.

Pause and Take a Breath…

It is hard to believe that we are already a quarter of the way through the semester! Our lives are a whirlwind of activities, adaptations, and anxieties that cause us to feel anything from exhilaration to exhaustion, and everything in between.
First and foremost, remember to notice and accept whatever it is that you are feeling. That is information you need to respond in a way that best supports your well-being.

A recent blog post on BetterUp’s website outlined seven types of rest, as defined by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D. These include: creative, mental, physical, social, emotional, sensory, and spiritual rest. Often, sleep is not the only “time-out” your brain and body need in order to recover from the constant pressures of daily life. You may be excited to learn that a wide variety of activities can give your nervous system the break it needs to recover. These ideas, which span all seven types of rest, include:

  • Take a walk in nature (creative rest)
  • Put your devices aside for a while (mental rest)
  • Sleep (physical rest)
  • Turn down an invitation and recharge on your own (social rest)
  • Write in a journal (emotional rest)
  • Meditate or pray (sensory rest)
  • Volunteer for something meaningful (spiritual rest)

Finally, take just a moment to pause – relax your shoulder blades down your back body – sit up tall – take a deep breath in – exhale – and savor this moment of being human. Sometimes a little breath can go a long way.

Resource

Cooks-Campbell, A. (2021, August 11). 7 types of rest (because you need more rest in your life). BetterUp.

Current News

  • Smeal Academy Video Tip: Accessing Zoom Recordings Through Kaltura
    Are you trying to figure out how to access your Zoom recordings in Kaltura? Check out this web page and watch the short video to learn the basics of how to access your Zoom videos.
  • New Analytics Now Available in Canvas
    New Analytics gives instructors the ability to evaluate student performance in published courses, track and analyze participation, identify at-risk students, and determine the effectiveness of various teaching strategies.  More information about monitoring student performance with analytics is available in Penn State’s Canvas Learning Path.

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Supporting Distressed Students
    CAPS will help lead a session about Supporting Distressed Students and Red Folder Resources. The Red Folder initiative is a guide to help faculty, staff, and others who interact with students to recognize, respond effectively to, and refer distressed students at Penn State.Join us Tuesday, September 28 from 12 to 1 p.m. am via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

  • Tip #1:  Mindful Making
    Penn State’s Mindful Making and Health Promotion and Wellness teams have created a beautiful website with a variety of activities that you may try yourself and/or in your classroom. Looking for journal prompts or an idea for a walking meditation? They have it all here along with many other activity ideas.
  • Tip #2:  Explore Mindfulness
    Penn State’s Health Promotion and Wellness Team has also curated a website devoted to mindfulness resources. Check out this amazing list of apps, books, podcasts, and websites that can support your mindfulness journey.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Welcome Back  – Fall 2021 Newsletter 1

Fall 2021 Resilience – Week 1

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 weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

Here’s hoping you had a wonderful Labor Day holiday! This week, we are sharing some back to campus tips and pointers to keep your semester running smoothly.

Return to Campus Is In The Books

We know that members of the Smeal community – faculty, staff, and students alike – are juggling so much at the start of this semester. It’s great to be back and it’s also an adjustment. The following are some resources and reminders to get the semester off on your best foot.

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. Typically, people who can’t hear won’t be comfortable speaking up to let us know. eLDIG encourages our community to mic up when teaching and presenting – all General Purpose classrooms have them. For more information on GPC technology, check out the list of Classroom Technology. Contact TLT if you’d like to schedule a consultation to better utilize your classroom technology. Speaking of using a mic, try to make a habit of repeating student questions so everyone can hear them.
  • 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 COVID-19. 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.

Resources

Check out the following resources for more information:

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.
  • 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.

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

 

Current News

  • eLDIG Continues to Grow! This week we would like to introduce Matt Mignogna to the eLDIG team. Matt joins eLDIG as an Instructional Designer after serving as one of Smeal’s Undergraduate Programs advisors. He brings a wealth of expertise in teaching and learning theory, course design, and video creation. Check out his YouTube channel for videos ranging in topics from things he should have learned in school to gaming. Welcome to the team, Matt!
  • Smeal Academy Video Tip. Are you trying to figure out how to make the switch from Zoom to Kaltura video recording and sharing? Watch this short video to learn the basics of how to share your Zoom recordings with Kaltura: Editing and Sharing Zoom Recordings in Kaltura

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Who Moved My Zoom?
    This session will discuss recent changes to Penn State’s Zoom recording storage. We will share tips and strategies for creating and sharing recordings with your students and for student-created video assignments using Kaltura, Penn State’s video hosting platform.
    Join us Monday, September 13 from 12 to 1 p.m. via Zoom.
  • Supporting Distressed Students
    CAPS will help lead a session about Supporting Distressed Students and Red Folder Resources. The Red Folder initiative is a guide to help faculty, staff, and others who interact with students to recognize, respond effectively to, and refer distressed students at Penn State.
    Join us Tuesday, September 28 from 12 to 1 p.m. am via Zoom.

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

 

Tips of the Week

  • Tip #1:   Use videos for announcements and grading feedback.
    Let’s face it – we are becoming a more video-based culture. Consider adding videos to your Canvas announcements or providing video feedback in Canvas assignments. It might even save some time and increase the likelihood of students listening.
  • 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 eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Who Moved My Zoom? – Summer 2021 Newsletter 4

Summer 2021 Resilience – Week 4

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 teaching challenges of this time. Throughout the summer, we will be sending emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

Last week we discussed reshaping your Fall semester. This week, we share resources that can help you utilize Kaltura for your video storage and sharing needs.

Who Moved My Zoom?

Penn State is urging you to do a “Summer Clean Up” of Zoom storage. This announcement reflects a shift in the University’s video storage and delivery policy away from Zoom and towards Kaltura. Recording in Zoom is still recommended.

Accompanying the request to delete unused recordings from Zoom will be other changes coming this Fall which could change workflows related to sharing video content with students.

To ease the transition from Zoom to Kaltura for video storage and delivery we’ve provided an overview of Kaltura and its integration with Canvas below. We will also be conducting a “Who Moved My Zoom?” Smeal Faculty Academy session in the near future to discuss some of the Fall changes and updated best practices in more detail.

What Is Kaltura?

Kaltura is Penn State’s tool for storing, publishing and streaming media. It’s cloud based and works in conjunction with Zoom and Canvas to help incorporate digital content into coursework easily and seamlessly. The Penn State Web site that hosts Kaltura is named Mediaspace – so you may read articles that mention it.

Why Zoom Video Storage is Transitioning to Kaltura

  • Zoom storage is expensive. Penn State needs to reduce our costs.
  • Zoom videos are already automatically transferred to Kaltura for storage/delivery.
  • Providing captions to videos is easier in Kaltura.
  • You can structure your Kaltura videos into Playlists for easy access.
  • You can easily integrate your videos and Playlists into Canvas.
  • You can view robust viewer analytics on Kaltura videos.

How Zoom and Kaltura Work Together

  • Video content recorded in Zoom is automatically stored in Kaltura as well.
  • While Kaltura does have a tool to record video, it is not an optimal recording solution. We recommend recording videos using Zoom then using Kaltura to publish, store, and deliver video content through its seamless integration with Canvas.

How to Access Kaltura

  • You can go to the Kaltura Web Site.
  • You can access it directly at the Mediaspace Web Site.
  • You can also view your Kaltura videos from Canvas by clicking the “My Media” option on your Canvas Main Navigation.

How to Locate and Organize Your Kaltura Videos

  1. Locate Kaltura Videos
    Once you have logged into Kaltura or opened My Media in Canvas, you can search by keywords in Kaltura’s search functionality, or use search Filters to narrow your results.
  2. Organize Kaltura Videos
    Videos can be organized into Playlists (video collections in a list viewable by anyone) and Channels (video collections shared with specific users).
  3. Access Kaltura Analytics
    Instructors can view robust Kaltura analytics for both stand-alone videos embedded into course content as well as Course Media Galleries. These analytics can provide useful insights using metrics such as Plays, Minutes Viewed, and Completion Rate, to name a few. This data can be used to improve future content offerings, identify content that is under-utilized by students, and provide a means to hold students accountable for watching required content.
  4. Share Your Kaltura Videos in Canvas
    Rich integrations between the Canvas and Kaltura platforms streamline delivering video content to students. These integrations eliminate the need to log into multiple systems to find and deliver videos, reduce the chance of errors caused by copying long links or embed code, and provide the assurance that security, access, and analytics are at optimum levels.Videos can be organized within Canvas using the Course Media Gallery option. Each Canvas course contains a “hidden” Course Media Gallery. It must be activated by the instructor or other course editor within Canvas to be used. Using the Course Media Gallery ensures that analytics will capture individual student activity and that video permissions are set to allow students in your course to view video content.You can also embed individual videos into Canvas pages, announcements, quizzes, etc.

Upcoming Live Sessions

Clickers Be Gone: What Now?

With iClicker support ending in Spring 2022, this session will explore alternative technologies and strategies for interactive polling in your courses and explore some considerations as you transition away from iClicker use.

Join us Wednesday, August 11 from 12 to 1 p.m. via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

Tip 1: Access Help Docs About Canvas

Got a burning Canvas question and you need the answer NOW? Here are some ways to get that answer:

  • Access Canvas Docs: Visit the Canvas Community for great, step-by-step instructions on just about anything related to Canvas.
  • Access Canvas Help: In Canvas, click the Help button (a question mark) in the lower left area of the screen. From there you can text chat with or call an expert, access help documents, and more!

Tip 2: Write Better Discussion Questions

Match discussion questions with your learning objectives to evoke deeper, richer responses and interactions in online discussions. View this site on Online Discussions to learn more!

Tip 3: Use Low or No-stakes Quizzes to Elicit Learning

Research on low or no-stakes quizzes indicates that students perform better on the “real” quizzes and exams. It’s a great way for students to test themselves, discover their weaknesses and proactively address them.
Source: Ungraded Quizzes: Any Chance They Promote Learning? (2015). Teaching Professor, 29(5), 3.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Reshaping Your Fall Semester  – Summer 2021 Newsletter 3

Summer 2021 Readiness – Week 3

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 teaching challenges of this time. Throughout the summer, we will be sending emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

Last week we discussed the Lessons Learned from the pandemic. This week, we share resources that can help you look to the Fall and how you will reshape your courses to meet the demands of students, and the need to keep them engaged. During your teaching in the last year and a half, you may have started using technologies you never used before.

Collaborative Technologies

You may have used collaborative technologies like discussion boards, slides, notes, polls, whiteboards, collaborative documents, Zoom chat features, and videos as a way of engaging students in constructing their understanding of your content. You may be thinking about your Fall courses and wondering how you can take the best of what you did and mix it with your teaching methods used before the pandemic. Students often want to use their technologies in the classroom, anyway, so why not leverage their tech and put it to work?! Consider having students bring their devices and connect to some of these collaborative technologies while engaged in your face-to-face teaching.

Informal Course Communications

Using Zoom chat and discussion boards or other technologies that capture students’ responses has become a new way for students to connect with you and each other. You may have found in some classes that you were challenged to get students to “unmute” and be engaged. We find that at times students are as unlikely to unmute and share ideas in virtual classrooms as in-person students are to raise their hand in a live lecture. However, the chat stream may have been very busy essentially forming something we call the “backchannel.” This channel permitted you to engage in less formal ways. Students may have felt it was less risky to answer a question in the chat interactions. You can continue to capitalize on this channel in the coming year if it aligns with your course and student needs. When used purposefully and with inclusive and respectful communication, backchannels can offer an important communication mode for students to interact with course content, the instructor, and each other.

Breakout Rooms

During the pandemic, if you wanted to facilitate small groups, you may have turned to using breakout rooms for collaboration between students. You may have used breakout rooms to ask students information about their prior knowledge, to have them work on problems or cases, or to wrap up and identify points of interest or confusion. You can continue to use these tools in your face-to-face learning to garner the benefits of the additional tools that came along with them, like whiteboards, screen sharing, and internet searching. In socially distanced, mixed audiences and fully face-to-face classrooms, a student can put on headphones and get to work together on meaningful activities. You might be surprised to find them doing this even outside the classroom if you leave your digital space open to students.

Come to this week’s Smeal Academy webinar to learn more about ways to reshape your courses this fall.

Resources

Glantz, E., Gamrat, C., Lenze, L., & Bardzell, J. (2021, March 16). Improved Student Engagement in Higher Education’s Next Normal. EDUCAUSE Review.

Current News

Zoom Storage

Zoom, Penn State’s video conferencing solution, has limited storage capacity and is not intended as a long-term storage solution. Penn State IT asks that everyone reviews and deletes recordings stored in Zoom which are no longer needed. All Zoom recordings are automatically transferred to Kaltura and are currently stored on that platform. While temporary links to videos stored in Zoom are fine, permanent links should always direct your viewers to Kaltura. Later this summer more extensive plans will be shared to help manage Zoom storage, including matching links from Zoom to Kaltura, updating permalinks that you may have, and documentation and help resources. For now, we ask that you review your old Zoom recordings and delete those which are no longer needed. For more information how to delete recordings in Zoom, please refer to Zoom: Delete Cloud Recordings.

Piazza Model Change

The Piazza vendor informed individuals at Penn State with Piazza accounts that they are reversing course on placing ads in its discussion platform as previously announced, however, Piazza will be shifting to a paid model. A free version of Piazza can be used, but starting August 1, 2021, premium features such as polls, statistics, and class locking capabilities will only be available in the paid version. Check out the full story in Penn State News.

VoiceThread New Assignment Interface

VoiceThread’s New Assignment interface is being turned on university-wide on June 30, 2021. Until that date, instructors may, if they choose, enable New Assignments on a per-course basis. After June 30, the New Assignment interface will be turned on for all VoiceThread users and the old interface will no longer be available. Read this article on how to enable VoiceThread New Assignments. To learn about the new features, check out the following resource: VoiceThread: Using New Assignments. Please refer to our knowledge base article How to Incorporate Learning Tool Integrations (LTIs) in Your Course to learn how to activate VoiceThread or any other integration into Canvas. If additional support is required, please email [email protected].

Top Hat

Top Hat is a cloud-based student engagement platform that leverages student’s devices to increase in-class engagement and real-time feedback. Instructors can engage students in and outside of the classroom with interactive slides, graded questions, customized content, discussions, polls, and assessments. Top Hat is free for all Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Additionally, Top Hat offers free and low-cost textbook options to increase affordability for students. If you are interested in learning more about Top Hat, ITLD and Top Hat are offering “bite-sized” classes on how to help you get acquainted with the tool a little bit at a time. Visit the ITDL events calendar to get started.

Upcoming Live Sessions

Scaling Courses for Growing and Changing Enrollments

Student enrollments are beginning to shift to reflect the long-term desire of some students for flexible learning with the option of accessing the robust remote learning designs you offered during the pandemic. Enrollments may increase or may vary in delivery mode with students attending class from multiple audiences (face-to-face, hybrid, and/or online/asynchronous). In this session, we will discuss how to respond to the growing demands for your class and best practices in scaling your course for continued engagement shifts, regardless of course size or delivery mode.

Join us Tuesday, July 27 from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Give more feedback with fewer grades.

A letter grade will never help a student grow the way specific and timely feedback from you will. You might give a lot of grades because you feel a certain number of points or letter grades should be posted on a regular basis. If you want higher quality learning to happen in your classroom, consider emphasizing more focus on student feedback as much as you can. Assign students more robust, collaborative, project-based tasks, develop strong grading rubrics, and prepare specific feedback to student’s submissions. Canvas now allows you to save frequently used comments in Speed Grader to make student feedback more efficient.

Tip #2: Offer open-resource tests and quizzes.

Offer students more open resource (“book”) tests, let them use a variety of non-print resources that they now have available to them. Academic Integrity continues to be a critical issue. Information is readily available in books, articles, online, and through many other resources and, as a result, memorization is becoming much less necessary. What we should be asking from our students is doing something WITH that information—like developing and defending an opinion about it or higher order tasks that require a level of originality that can’t simply be memorized. If designed well, our assessments could be open-book, open-note, open-resource, and still be an excellent measure of what our students have learned.

Gonzalez, J. (2021) No More Easy Button: A Suggested Approach to Post-Pandemic Teaching, Cult of Pedagogy, June 29, 2021.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Inclusive Design for Mixed and Hybrid Delivery – Summer 2021 Newsletter 2

Summer 2021 – Designing for Students in Multiple Delivery Modes

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 teaching challenges of this time. Throughout the summer, we will be sending emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we share resources that can help you consider strategies for teaching courses to a mixed mode of students who will be joining your course both in person and online. A number of our students will not be able to return to campus this Fall due to the Pandemic and have indicated their need to participate remotely through the “Raise Your Hand” initiative in Starfish.

The future is flexible!

Flexibility in delivery modes is probably here to stay. According to the 2021 Chloe 6 Report, 83% of public universities expect to see an increase in undergraduate, online enrollment as a part of the long-term impact of the pandemic (NOTE: Study sample size = 361 schools: 26% Public 2 year; 35% Public 4 year; 35% Private 4 year; 21% For Profit). As we think about how this will affect teaching and learning, consider that we are entering a new normal where students are entering our classes with the experience and likely an expectation or need for some flexibility in participation modes and digital access to resources. The new normal is shaped by our experiences over the last 15 months, so remember that all learners (and instructors) will benefit when we continue some of the best practices we’ve adopted during this time.

Build Community

If we are not intentional about building community in our classes (regardless of delivery mode), students are more likely to:

  • Earn lower grades,
  • Withdraw from your course or dropout from school altogether, and/or
  • Have increased feelings of social isolation (Ali & Smith, 2015).

Though some courses have a “no technology” policy, when you have students who will be participating in your course both in person and from a distance, technology can help connect students both in the classroom and online and level the playing field. Here are a couple of strategies you might consider:

  • Use a tool like Top Hat for polling for synchronous and asynchronous participants with the same poll.
  • Group students with a mix of in-person and remote participants so they can get to know each other,
  • Use social icebreakers,
  • Consider merging sections in Canvas to connect students using Canvas tools, and
  • Extend conversations beyond the classroom by using tools like Canvas, Top Hat, or Packback discussions. This can help foster reflection, synthesis, and community-building.

Structure Your Course for Success

Have you ever had to go for a test at the hospital, been taken through various hallways and rooms and then tried to follow the signs to the exit, hoping you’d find your way out (and felt relieved when you found your way out)? Sometimes, there aren’t enough signs, and you can become anxious that you might be going the wrong way. Sometimes, you need to ask for help because you feel lost. Just as we don’t like feeling lost in a physical space, it’s important to ensure that students can navigate our course spaces with ease as well.

Imagine what it’s like for a student to enter your Canvas space for the first time. Do they know where to begin and is there an adequate road map that’s easy for them to follow so they know where things are and how the course is organized? There is nothing more frustrating than for students to feel like they are on a scavenger hunt when trying to navigate their way through their courses. Here are three things you can do that will help all of your students find their way in your courses:

  • Put your syllabus in the syllabus tab. Though this may seem obvious, not everyone does this.
  • Organize your content into modules and use Canvas pages to provide the instructions necessary to understand your expectations/requirements, locate and complete all activities and assignments successfully. Please refer to our Smeal Academy Canvas Space if you’d like some ideas about how to structure your course(s). Do not hesitate to contact eLDIG if you would like to talk about your course needs.
  • Use Canvas Announcements to reinforce key tasks and information. Students receive notification of announcements on their dashboards, in the Canvas inbox, in your course Announcements tab and/or “Home” page, and via email (if they have set up forwarding notifications). Canvas announcements can’t be lost or easily overlooked as easily as an email.

Resources

Current News

Canvas SpeedGrader: Comment Library

Instructors and graders can save frequently used comments to a Comment Library in SpeedGrader for reuse across multiple students and assignments.

New Penn State Sign In to replace WebAccess on July 7

Beginning July 7, Penn State Account holders will log in to applications such as Canvas, LionPATH, and Workday by entering their “[email protected]” through a new Penn State sign-in screen. Read more on Penn State News.

Learning Design Summer Camp

Penn State’s learning design community, including instructional designers, instructional production specialists, librarians, faculty, educational technologists, educational web and multimedia developers, are cordially invited to register for this year’s online version of LDSC. Registration is open now and available until July 12.

This year, LDSC is scheduled for two half-day virtual format sessions on July 19 and 20. As in years past, the camp will be an informal, University-wide effort to explore innovative and creative ways to improve teaching and learning at Penn State. Join us to share what we’ve learned as crucial agents of change through the pandemic, and to explore how we’ll use the lessons we’ve learned.

Upcoming Live Sessions

Yes, You Can Keep Doing It! Lessons Learned from the Pandemic

As we prepare for the new normal in teaching and learning, let’s pause to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned over the past year. We will be joined by a panel of Smeal faculty sharing what they plan to carry forward into their teaching next semester.

Join us Wednesday, July 14th from noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom.

Scaling Your Teaching for Growing and Changing Enrollments

Enrollments by students may begin to shift to include their long-term desire to continue to have access to the robust remote learning you created during the Pandemic. Enrollments may be changing format to mixed audiences or be growing. In this session we will discuss how to answer the growing demands for your class and how to use best practices in scaling your course for continued engagement regardless of its size.

Join us Tuesday, July 27 from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Use a Canvas Master Course to Prepare Your Class for Fall

You can request a Canvas Master Course to design and prepare your course for Fall in the safety of a space that does not have enrolled students.

Tip #2: Remember to De-Stress This Summer

This resource by the Faculty Education Subcommittee can help guide you to reduce stress and burnout.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Lessons Learned from the Pandemic – Summer 2021 Newsletter 1

Summer 2021 Lessons Learned from the Pandemic

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 teaching challenges of this time. Throughout the summer, we will be sending emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we share resources that can help you reflect on the lessons we have learned from teaching through a pandemic.

As pandemic-related rules and restrictions continue to ease in our communities and campuses, we find ourselves needing to make decisions about how to move forward and prepare for the next semester in our classrooms. While we may anticipate the return of some beloved rituals and routines from our “pre-pandemic” practice, it is important to also reflect on all that we have learned over the past year, and how some of those practices may continue to be implemented to invigorate and enliven our return to on-campus teaching! The following are a few examples, as well as links to resources that may support your reflection.

Keep communicating!

Never has the importance of effective communication been more apparent than over the past year. Students will always appreciate clear communication plans and defined expectations around course participation delivered via Canvas. That will never change.

Not only that, but we have all shared in healthy collaboration around teaching and learning across the college, the University, and beyond. That sharing has made us all better educators. Let’s keep the conversations going!

Bring technology back into the classroom with you!

Yes, you can (and should) bring technology back into the classroom with you! Maybe now you manage Zoom breakout rooms like a pro or set up Google Jam boards with the best of them. Leverage that technology expertise to allow for greater flexibility in your classroom! The more ways in which students and instructors can participate in the classroom, contribute to discussions, and share their ideas, the more learning improves.

Focus on what matters most

Many of us found this year that we had to be very intentional about what to include in our classes due to time constraints. Continue to focus on what matters most. That is good guidance for teaching — and life!

Speaking of what matters most…

Our patience and compassion muscles have been majorly tested and strengthened through our pandemic experiences. We may be going back into the classroom and workplace, but we now have much more appreciation for the challenges we all face. Let’s continue to hold that in mind.

Resources

If you would like to read more reflections from educators preparing to return to the classroom, you may want to check out one of these articles. Also, join us in July for a Smeal Academy Session focused on what our teaching faculty plan to continue into the next semester.

Darby, F. (2021, May 5). 7 Dos & Don’ts for Post-Pandemic Teaching with Technology. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Glantz, E., Gamrat, C., Lenze, L., & Bardzell, J. (2021, March 16). Improved Student Engagement in Higher Education’s Next Normal. EDUCAUSE Review.

Gooblar, D. (2021, March 24). Our Slimmed-Down Pandemic Pedagogy. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Current News

New Penn State Sign-In

Penn State will replace its WebAccess portal with a new sign-in method starting July 7. For more information, please see this article.

Learning Design Summer Camp

Penn State’s learning design community, including instructional designers, instructional production specialists, librarians, faculty, educational technologists, educational web and multimedia developers, are cordially invited to register for this year’s online version of LDSC. Registration is open now and available until July 12.

This year, LDSC is scheduled for two half-day virtual format sessions on July 19 and 20. As in years past, the camp will be an informal, University-wide effort to explore innovative and creative ways to improve teaching and learning at Penn State. Join us to share what we’ve learned as crucial agents of change through the pandemic, and to explore how we’ll use the lessons we’ve learned.

Upcoming Live Sessions

Inclusive Design Strategies for Mixed Audience Classes

Not all students will be able to return to campus this Fall. Will you be teaching students both in the classroom and online? Come hear some best practices to ensure a great learning experience for all students (while keeping things manageable for you).

Join us Tuesday, June 24 from noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom.

Yes, You Can Keep Doing It! Lessons Learned from the Pandemic

As we prepare for the new normal in teaching and learning, let’s pause to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned over the past year. We will be joined by a panel of Smeal faculty sharing what they plan to carry forward into their teaching next semester.

Join us Wednesday, July 14th from noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Collaborative Documents

Did you use collaborative documents like Google Docs or Jam boards to monitor remote synchronous group work? Keep using those in the face-to-face classroom! Collaborative documents are a great way to see what groups are talking about, especially in cases where students may “clam up” when you try to engage them in face-to-face conversation. It is an effective way to determine which groups might need some redirection, as well as capture and record what happens in small groups.

Tip #2: Engaged Classroom Strategy

Continue to make your classroom time active! Consider providing students with short, recorded videos ahead of class so that they come prepared to engage in more active-learning and discussion exercises in class. Note: Remember to make sure that you do not post video recording from prior semesters that include student names/comments/responses. All student images, names, chat, and other data must be deleted.

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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

Resources for Remote Teaching – Spring 2021 Newsletter 2

Resources for Remote Teaching – Spring 2021 Newsletter 2

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 in teaching during this time. Throughout the semester, we will be sending emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we share our list of top 5 best practices for mixed audiences. It can be challenging to have some students in the classroom and some students remote. But there are some suggestions that can help.

  1. Communicate clearly. Use Canvas tools to clearly and concisely communicate your expectations for student participation. Make sure that students know what you expect them to do.
  2. Make class time active! Consider posting lecture videos online and making your synchronous class time an active learning experience by incorporating strategies such as small group discussions, case-based learning, or brainstorming. This will be an opportunity to have students apply their learning from your lectures and readings during class time
  3. Technology is your friend. Tools like Top Hat, G Suite, and Office 365 can be your friend when creating interactive opportunities in your classes.
  4. Class time can be group time. Consider dedicating some of your synchronous class time for groups of students to work on projects face-to-face and/or in Zoom break-out rooms. Students can collaborate using digital tools such as Microsoft Teams or Google that provide workspace, communication, and file sharing.
  5. Check learning! Develop a participation survey/quiz for students to complete after each synchronous session. Ask students to either expand on content discussed or ask questions they would like covered in future sessions.

Current News

  • Sage Publication Resources
    Looking for cases to use with your class? Have you checked out Sage Business Cases? The Penn State community has FREE access to a wide variety of business cases and videos through the Penn State Libraries. You can explore them on the library website and/or reach out to one of our business librarians.
  • New Canvas Rich Content Editor
    The Rich Content Editor in Canvas now includes a pretty HTML editor in addition to the raw HTML editor. More information can be found on the Penn State Canvas website.

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Smeal Academy – Optimizing Zoom PowerPoint Presentations
    Ready to take your Zoom PowerPoint presentations to the next level? During this session led by presenter Jessie Sorensen, participants will learn best practices for sharing content and we will discuss tips and tricks to help you feel more confident and comfortable during Zoom presentations.Join us Thursday, March 11 from 10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom.
  • Refresh and Recharge — Virtual Coffee and Conversation for Instructors
    Date: Friday, March 12, 2021
    Time: 3 to 4 p.m. (EST)
    Presented by: Faculty Advisory Group

Thirsty for more? The Penn State Faculty Advisory Group invites all Penn State instructors to reconvene mid-semester to reconnect. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and share your successes and challenges this semester at this low-key discussion. Instructors will have the opportunity to divide into smaller groups to exchange ideas with faculty from across the University. We would love for you to join us — and bring a colleague along!

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

Tips of the Week

  • Tip #1:  Add your pronouns to Canvas and Zoom
    In accordance with Penn State’s AD84 Preferred Name and Gender Identity Policy and the guidelines set forth by the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Canvas and Zoom users have the option to add gender and identity pronouns to their display names. This article includes links to helpful instructions.
  • Tip #2:  Check that your assessments are set up to promote academic integrity.
    A recent Keep Teaching webinar highlighted strategies to promote academic integrity, engage students, and reduce stressors that lead to

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

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