Teaching Support Available
As you prepare for Fall Semester, check out the refreshed Teaching Support website! Your one-stop-shop to:
- Request teaching support available to UMN instructors at no charge.
- Find professional development opportunities on the Teaching Support Events calendar.
- Discover a curated list of resources to help you with teaching and learning needs.
- Enroll in the Online Teaching & Design Program with facilitated or self-paced options and an opportunity to earn a digital badge.
Knowing where to go for support can be confusing at such a large institution. Teaching Support offers UMN instructors a simple solution: Submit one request to receive coordinated support from University central and local teaching support professionals.
Google Drive Security Changes - Update Access to Shared Files
On Sept. 13, 2021, Google will apply a security update that may require you to update links to some files you want to share. While Google files such as Docs, Slides, Sheets, or Forms will not be affected, links will be affected for other file types you store in Drive, such as PDFs, JPEGs, XLSX, etc. To see which of your files will be impacted by this security update, visit https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive and select the "See Files" link in the blue banner at the top of the page.
If the blue banner does not appear on your account, use advanced search to find your impacted files. Then, follow these steps to update your links. If you do not update the links on impacted files you store in Drive, and leave old links on Canvas or other public spaces, you may receive requests for access from people who have not previously accessed the files. Learn more about the Google Drive security update.
Technology Tools Updates
Canvas
Instructure releases updates to Canvas each month. July highlights include:
- New Quizzes / Modules Workflow Improvements
- Canvas SMS Retirement
See the complete list of Canvas updates released on July 17, 2021. The next Canvas release will be August 21, 2021.
Kaltura
Kaltura usage has grown exponentially over the last year (December 2020 was up 882% over December 2019) due to remote teaching. As you continue to use Kaltura to store and share your media, you may want to review recent updates:
- Kaltura in Canvas is now available in the maroon global navigation menu, making your media accessible to you anywhere in Canvas. My Media is the library of Kaltura media that you own or manage, so it makes more sense to access it from your Account profile. My Media will be removed from the course navigation menu on Thursday, September 30.
- If you create a Kaltura Video Quiz and wish to re-use it in another Canvas course or carry it forward to another term, learn how to Reuse Kaltura Video Quizzes Across Courses.
Zoom
There are several updates to Zoom that can help with online teaching and learning. Note: These new feature options require client version 5.7.3 or higher.
- To enhance the transparency of how data you provide in a meeting is being shared, the Active Apps Notifier lets all participants see if a portion of the Zoom meeting is being recorded using an app.
- The coffee cup “I’m away” option in the reactions panel is back!
- Participants can now select and use emojis directly in the in-meeting chat panel.
Do students benefit from prompts that offer study tips and reminders? Do those nudges lead to student success?
In Spring 2021, the University of Minnesota started a two-year pilot to investigate these questions. Learn how ECoach, a tailored messaging system that has the potential to personalize learning, is being implemented in large gateway courses at the University of Minnesota.
Google Calendar RSVP Options
To make Google Calendar more flexible in the hybrid workplace, Google recently introduced new RSVP options for Calendar invitations. With this update, you can indicate how you plan to join a meeting: in the meeting room or virtually. Check out the Google Workspace Updates.
Canvas: Cross-List (Merge) Course Sites or Sections
- Do you have multiple sections for the course you are teaching this fall?
- Is the content the same for all the sections?
- Wouldn’t it be easier if they were all in one Canvas site?
Solution:
As the instructor, you can Cross-List (Merge) Course Sites or Sections yourself by following the steps in the linked article. We recommend you have the course site renamed to include the sections in the title. Contact [email protected] to request a title change that reflects the cross-listed sections.
Teaching with Technology Retreat: Reflect, Review, Revise
Academic Technology Support Service (ATSS) invites instructors to attend one or more sessions of the Teaching with Technology Retreat. These half-day online workshops are informed by the Guidelines for Online Teaching and Design, Insights learned from U of M student focus groups, and Instructors’ Reflections and Recommendations for Future Instruction. These hands-on sessions offer instructors time and support as they ready their course sites for Fall 2021.
- See retreat topics and enroll in one or more sessions.
- See all ATSS Instructional Events, Workshops, and Webinars.
Canvas Clinic
Get personalized help setting up your Canvas courses for the Fall Semester from the comfort of your own home. The Canvas Clinic is an opportunity for faculty and instructors across the University system campuses to get hands-on support and consultation as they work on Canvas course sites.
This year, we are asking all interested participants to register for the Canvas Clinic that will be held virtually via Zoom:
- Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, September 2, 2021, 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The updated UMN Canvas Learning Center is designed to provide you with easy access to fundamental Canvas information. Use the self-enrollment link to get started.
UMN Self-help guides
These guides offer step-by-step instructions and extra guidance to help you complete your tasks.
- Zoom: Teach, Meet, and Learn with Zoom
- Canvas: Communicate with Students
- Canvas: Integrate Media Using Kaltura