Instructor Takeaways: Teaching with Technology Retreat

Discover key takeaways shared by instructors who participated in the August 2021 Teaching with Technology Retreat and access resources to help you apply those learnings in your own course.

The Teaching with Technology Retreat, designed to help instructors prepare their Canvas course sites for Fall Semester, was attended by 59 instructors from three campuses, representing disciplines from the sciences, humanities, and professional schools. Below, are key takeaways reported by instructors from each day of the retreat as well as self-help resources to put the takeaways into practice. 

  • Enhance your syllabus & welcome students
  • Organize your Canvas site for easy navigation
  • Create (or revise) online assessments & assignments 
  • Engaging online community & communication
  • Media & Canvas: Better together!

Enhance your syllabus & welcome students

The course syllabus sets the tone and expectations for your class; lays a plan for the course (telling the students what’s expected); provides a cognitive map (to help students make connections with concepts); and serves as a contract between the instructor and students.

Put it into Practice: Enhance your syllabus & welcome students

  • Use your syllabus to set an inclusive tone for your class. 
  • Use the Accessible Syllabus Checklist to format your syllabus so it is scannable; making the lengthy document easily accessible for all students
  • Create both a student readiness (intro) survey to gather information about your students and a syllabus (or course orientation) quiz which helps students understand what is expected.

Organize your Canvas site for easy navigation

Students value clarity and consistency in the Canvas learning environment. This provides them with intuitive course navigation that can be a roadmap to student success.

Put it into Practice: Organize your Canvas site for easy navigation

Create (or revise) online assessments & assignments

A valid assessment plan will provide a range of both formative and summative assessments. Providing students with clear and consistent assessment information will decrease the number of questions you receive, and let students focus on the learning.

Put it into Practice: Create (or revise) online assessments & assignments

  • Use an assignment template to provide important details about your assessments. 
  • Include information such as an assignment overview and rationale, detailed instructions, submission requirements, and information on grading and feedback. 

Engaging online community & communication

Active and timely communication will enhance your online presence and facilitate learners connecting with each other. Setting expectations and a communication cadence provide students with the information they need to succeed in the course.

Put it into Practice: Engaging online community & communication

Media & Canvas: Better together!

Balancing the use of synchronous and asynchronous media in your course to appropriately integrate and ensure your media is accessible to all your students.

Put it into Practice: Media & Canvas: Better together!