Category

Smeal Academy Sessions

Let’s Talk: Online Discussion Tools

In this session we discuss 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 discussion!

Session Resources:

Canvas New Quizzes: Importing and Quiz-Building Basics

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

Link to Session Slides

Inclusive Tricks & Treats

In this session we give out an array of inclusive classroom treats that can be shared with your students to help everyone feel a greater sense of belonging. You will leave the session with a variety of tools you can implement right away!

Helpful Resources

New Quizzes Benefits

 

Canvas is transitioning to a new quiz platform and all of our courses will be migrating to New Quizzes in the next year. This session provided a very basic introduction to Canvas’s New Quiz engine. We also demonstrated some tips, strategies, and considerations for quiz setup using New Quizzes.

Link to Session Slides

Accessibility Tips for Everyday Instructors


In this session especially designed for instructors and staff who support courses, the eLDIG team shared some strategies to improve the accessibility of your course(s).
Link to Session Slides

Accessible Smeal-Branded PowerPoint Templates

Smeal Community Shield
This template includes both 4:3 and 16:9 versions.
Download PowerPoint: Smeal Community Shield Template
Smeal Corner Shield
This template includes both 4:3 and 16:9 versions.
Download PowerPoint: Smeal Corner Shield Template
Smeal Lion Shrine
This template includes both 4:3 and 16:9 versions.
Download PowerPoint: Smeal Lion Shrine Template

Final Touches for Fall

This session was designed to help faculty and staff who support faculty to put the finishing touches on Canvas for the upcoming semester. We cover some Canvas basics, a checklist of items that you don’t want to forget before publishing your course(s), and some best tips and practices to get the semester off to a great start.

Link to Session Slides

New Quizzes Overview

Penn State will be moving to “New Quizzes” that can be used in your live courses beginning in 2023, with a plan to sunset the Class Quiz Engine in 2024. Come hear about New Quizzes and how the new quiz engine compares to classic quizzes. We will also discuss some considerations, tips, and strategies for planning your migration to the new quiz engine.

Link to Session Slides

Helpful Resources

Engaging Students via Microlearning

Link to Session Slides

Engaging Students via Microlearning

Are your students mentally stuffed to the gills from your course content? There are things you can do to help them!In this interactive Smeal Academy session, we’ll look at Microlearning (providing small, bite-size chunks of information in a timely manner) and how you might apply it to your course content. We’ll look at the theory behind Microlearning, provide some examples, and see how to apply it in Canvas.

Helpful Resources

Microsoft Bookings Tips & Tricks

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.

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

Inclusive Course Design

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 5 specific things everyone can do to promote a feeling of belonging in our classrooms.

“HOW-TO” RESOURCES:

GENERAL RESOURCES AND TOOLS THAT FOSTER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION : 

PHOTO RESOURCES THAT FOSTER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: