New restrictions for Google Workspace account holders under 18
Google Workspace account holders who are under 18 will begin to have restrictions on the usage and installation of third party applications, which are not developed or owned by Google . The change will be implemented by campus on the following dates:
- Crookston, Morris and Rochester: January 28
- Duluth and Twin Cities: February 11
As of these dates, when a Google Workspace account holder who is a minor attempts to install a third-party application using their account, they will see a message indicating that they are not allowed to install the application. When the account holder turns 18 and is no longer a minor, their access to third-party applications will be restored automatically and they will no longer have access restriction notices appear. Read more specifics about the University’s Google application policy in Google Apps: Acceptable Use and Data Security.
This change in access will improve data security and privacy for minors and will bring the University into compliance with Google best practices for access control by age.
Canvas Updates
Full width content area now turned on in Canvas
Starting February 13, you will see a change in how Canvas displays content. Canvas will now use the entire width of your screen rather than constraining it to a fixed width. Every page and type of content takes advantage of the expanded real estate. Discussions, Quizzes, even tools integrated in Canvas will fill the width of the page. Kaltura media embedded in Canvas will continue to default to 720x405 as that size is optimal for this tool.
FeedbackFruits Updates
FeedbackFruits enhanced features
FeedbackFruits has several updated features:
- AI-Enhanced Feedback Coach for Instructors
- Instructors can now use Feedback Coach in Peer Review and Group Member Evaluation activities. This AI feature offers real-time feedback comments, which instructors can edit or decline as needed before releasing to students.
- Collapsible Feedback Coach Panel
- Instructors and students can now temporarily hide the Feedback Coach panel, allowing them to focus on their work while still accessing AI-generated feedback when needed.
- “Select All” for Group Sets
- When setting up groups in Canvas and FeedbackFruits, instructors can now select entire group sets with one click, streamlining activity setup.
- Duplicating Activities and Templates
Instructors can duplicate and save activity templates in their preferred library within the FeedbackFruits. These templates can be reused or shared with others, making course planning more efficient.
Emerging Technologies Faculty Fellows Program participants share their experiences
In the final semester of the 18-month program, Emerging Technologies Faculty Fellowship Program, fellows are refining and implementing their projects, and sharing their experience with colleagues and the broader UMN community. Each month, interviews featuring faculty fellows will be posted on Extra Points as part of a GenAI Explorations series. This month features the following faculty fellows:
- Molly Vasich & Kris Cory, Associate Directors of First-Year Writing, share how they support instructors of University Writing, the only universally-required course for undergraduates across UMN-Twin Cities, in this moment of rapid change with generative AI.
- Al Fattal Anas, Assistant Professor of Marketing in Crookston’s Business Department,encourages his students to explore the impact of generative AI in their professional practice and continues to discover how gen AI tools help him be more efficient.
- Tim Doherty, Senior Lecturer of Chemistry at University of Minnesota-Rochester’s Center for Learning Innovation, helps students learn to use generative AI to write chemistry lab reports and reflect on their experience.
Student Perspectives on Generative AI
In November 2024, Academic Technology Support Services, in collaboration with academic technology professionals across the University of Minnesota system, convened student focus groups and asked about their use of generative AI technology. Focus group participants included students from multiple system campuses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. To learn more about student perspectives and actionable takeaways, read Student Focus Groups: When and Why Students Use Generative AI.
Use the new Resource Guide for Faculty and Instructors: Creating Accessible Digital Content
Digital accessibility removes systemic barriers encountered by disabled students, staff, and guests and enhances the digital experience for all. The University of Minnesota’s Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA) provides resources and support for faculty and instructors to create accessible course content. One such resource is the Resource Guide for Faculty and Instructors: Creating Accessible Digital Content. For assistance, contact your unit’s digital accessibility liaison or ODA. To learn more about ODA watch this five-minute ODA overview video: understanding Digital Accessibility.
Spotlight
Apply the 7 Core Skills of Digital Accessibility through the Canvas RCE
As you revise and build new content in Canvas, use Canvas’ Rich Content Editor (RCE) to create digitally accessible content in Canvas. This toolbar appears any time you are in the edit mode in Pages, Announcements, Discussions, Assignments, and Quizzes. With Canvas’ recent addition of an abbreviated RCE for student comments in Speedgrader, you can ensure your feedback to students is also digitally accessible.
So how can one toolbar be so helpful in creating digitally accessible content? The RCE toolbar has what you need to apply the 7 Core Skills of Digital Accessibility:
- Use Headings to Format Text
- Format Accessible Lists
- Use Accessible Color Contrast
- Write Accessible Link Text
- Create Accessible Tables
- Use Alternative Text (alt text) for all Images
- Use Accessible Media
Along with having the formatting tools available to create accessible content, the RCE also has an accessibility checker. This tool works similar to spell checker tools that we use all the time in our digital communication, giving your text in that area a quick once-over for common accessibility errors.
In fact, as you learn more about creating digitally accessible content, think of the 7 Core Skills as a checklist of things to double check as you create any digital content. Just like you’re probably used to reviewing documents and emails for misspelled words, build a new habit of checking your work to make sure you have applied the 7 Core Skills of Digital Accessibility in your writing. By applying these 7 skills whenever you are working with digital content, you are making your content largely accessible to others.
Canvas’ RCE has the tools you need to follow through with this new habit. Read Extra Points:Create Accessible Canvas Content: Applying the 7 Core Skills in the Canvas RCE to learn how to apply these accessibility essentials in your Canvas content.