CTL Blog
Important Notices
Scribd Issues Resolved
For many of you the start of class brought some technical difficulties with the Scribd Preview feature in Canvas. Scribd is the service that allows for file documents to be viewed within Canvas. In the first week of class, this feature was not rendering documents correctly, and so users (students and instructors) were receiving error messages that documents were deleted or unavailable.
This issues has now been resolved and previews should be working normally. Keep in mind that the availability of document previews is always subject to the volume of users uploading and viewing documents across the entire Canvas system. This can cause the previews to delay or even temporarily not display. Some of you may better recognize this phenomenon by the characteristic “bicycle wheels” that never seem to stop spinning when you try to open a document! To help alleviate confusion It is important to let students know about the download option for any files that you share.
New User? More about document previews.
When viewing an uploaded file shared in Canvas, users will have the option of a magnifying glass icon to open the file in the Scribd preview OR a pop-out icon to download the file to their computer.
GUIDE: Files Supported by Scribd
Canvas Connections User Group
Don’t miss the next meeting Tuesday, February 4, 12 noon – 1:00pm, CTL Team Spot – AS Bldg
New and seasoned users are welcome to join us to:
- Connect! Stay on the inside track with all things Canvas.
- Share! and Learn! with others.
- Engage! in some great conversations over lunch.
This informal user-focused group will meet bi-monthly to discuss: Features, Best Practices, Upcoming Changes, Issues/Bugs, Teaching Strategies, Design and Feature Requests.
Users should bring their own lunch. Snacks and desserts may be provided.
Join Now!
Canvas Update Cycle
Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The beta (preview) release for this cycle was on 1/27, production notes followed on 2/3 with the release and documentation to follow on 2/8. For information about Canvas updates follow the release page.
February 8 Release Preview – Amazing Features! Big Changes!
Canvas will be implementing a Production Release on February 8. Here are some highlights of the new features, updates and changes. Note: Features are subject to change based on testing! Some features may be selectively released by MCCCD.
Draft State
The Draft State feature will allow content in Assignments, Quizzes, Modules, Pages, and Discussions to be in an unpublished (draft) state even if the course is published. Draft content will be invisible to students and excluded from grade calculations. Draft State is a Course-level feature option, and will be available on a course-to-course basis once MCCCD decides to enable the feature at the institutional level.
The Draft State feature will impact all of the major user interfaces within Canvas (for instructors only).You are strongly encouraged to log-in to the beta environment to explore the features within Draft State to see what this new world will look like! Here is an overview guide to prepare you for the change: Canvas Feature Options: Draft State PDF. Additional documentation will be available in the Canvas Guides when Draft State is officially placed in the production environment.
Join us for this special webinar!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 – 12:00pm – 1:00pm MST
AS175, Center for Teaching & Learning Lab Room; AS Building – Southern & Dobson Campus
Register Now
Presenter:
Loraine Schmitt, Director of Distance Education
Karen Sorensen, Accessibility Advocate for Online Courses, Portland Community College
Session Description:
Are your online courses accessible? Hear about Portland Community College’s strategy and the lessons staff learned when they addressed accessibility with more than 400 instructors who teach approximately 2,400 sections of online classes within a complex four-campus college. The presenters will share the process they used to roll out their initiative, accessibility guidelines, and their phased approach for reaching the college’s goal of ensuring all online classes are accessible.
Specific strategies include: creating an awareness campaign, developing and implementing faculty training, including accessibility in the new course review process, analyzing the resources needed to retrofit existing online courses for accessibility, and instituting discipline-specific collaboration among online faculty. The presenters will share online resources and review tools.
Sponsored by:
Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction
Hosted by:
Mesa Community College Center for Teaching & Learning
Learn More about the ITC (Instructional Technology Council):
http://www.itcnetwork.org/
Register Now
http://mcli.maricopa.edu/online_accessibility
This event will be archived and made available for a limited time after the presentation.
Questions or Concerns?
Contact the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning
Email: ctl@mesacc.edu
Telephone: (480) 461-7331
14 Years Supporting Quality Learning
Academic year 2014-2015 will be the fourteenth year of the Learning Grants program that supports projects designed to:
- enhance student learning
- promote student success
- further innovation in teaching and learning
Learning grants are flexible and intended to support ideas and projects at the appropriate stage of development. Qualifying proposals will range from formative ideas that explore learning concepts to fully tested models ready to be adopted and disseminated.
Grant Deadline Information:
2014-2015 Application Submission:
JANUARY 16, 2014 through MARCH 7, 2014
Application Deadline:
4:30 p.m., Friday, March 7, 2014
Award Status Notification: April, 2014
Who Can Apply For Learning Grants?
All faculty, residential, adjunct, and one-year-only (OYO), administrators, and staff are eligible to apply.
Grant Preparation & Information Session:
Prior to submitting your grant proposal, you are required to discuss your project idea with your Vice President of Academic Affairs. You may also want to discuss your idea with your faculty development coordinator and department/division chair.
A grant information session will be held at Mesa Community College on Tuesday,February 4, 2:00 p.m. – 4:o0 p.m. in the Center for Teaching & Learning. Informal Q&A in CTL Lobby from 2:00 p.m. followed by a formal presentation at 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the CTL Conference Room (AS-170). Don’t miss out!
Don’t Miss Out! Canvas Conversations: Creating Your Masterpiece Program Announced
Hosted by Gateway Community College
Gateway Community College, Copper Room
Friday, January 31, 2014
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Register Today: http://mcli.maricopa.edu/events/canvas-conversationsconference
Description: Please join us for the 2nd Annual Canvas Conversations. Now that nine colleges have officially migrated to Canvas, it is time to reflect on our experiences, learn best practices and fine-tune your Canvas courses. Faculty will present their lessons learned, engage in round-table conversations and dialogue with Canvas experts.
Conference Program:
| Time |
Event |
Location |
| 8:15 am |
Registration Begins |
Outside Copper Room(IE 1302) |
| 9:00 am – 9:15 am |
Welcome from Gateway Community College |
Copper Room |
| 9:15 am – 10:00 am |
Webinar from InstructureHear about Canvas updates from the Instructure crew. |
Copper Room |
| 10:15 am – 11:00 am |
Concurrent Sessions |
Reference Schedule Below |
| 11:15 am – 12:00 pm |
Roundtable Topics |
Copper Room |
| 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm |
LunchLunch generously hosted by MCLI and SMCC |
Copper Room/Outside(your choice) |
| 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm |
Concurrent Sessions |
Reference Schedule Below |
| 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm |
Concurrent Sessions |
Reference Schedule Below |
| 2:45 pm – 3:00 pm |
Closing remarks and raffle prizesTurn in your name badge at 2:45 in the Copper Room for a chance to win great prizes, including a massage, lunch at the PC Cafe Oso and Canvas swag. Must be present to win! |
Copper Room |
2013-2014 Innovation of the Year Awards
mcli.maricopa.edu/innovate
Call for Nominations
Answer the Call for Innovations for the 2013-2014 Innovation of the Year Awards Program! The Maricopa Community Colleges and the League for Innovation in the Community College co-sponsor the annual Innovation of the Year (IOTY) Awards to recognize an employee or teams of employees who have designed and implemented a significant innovation that has had a positive impact on the education of students. One innovation is selected from each College and the District Office. From those winning innovations, a District-wide innovation will be selected to receive the Dr. Paul M. Pair Innovation of the Year Award, which includes $2,000 to be used to further the winning innovation.
All employees are invited to nominate innovative projects and programs that you have worked on over the past year. To get started, review the Innovation of the Year Program information and criterion on the website, http://mcli.maricopa.edu/innovate. Note: If you have previously submitted an innovation that may not have been selected to receive the Dr. Paul M. Pair Innovation of the Year Award, you are welcomed to resubmit. Then complete NEW online Innovation of the Year Nomination Form: mcli.maricopa.edu/innovate/apply to put in your submission.
Online nominations are due Friday, March 7, 2014.
The Process: A winning innovation team selected from each College and District Office will make a presentation to the Innovation of the Year Final Selection Committee on Friday, March 28, 2014, at the District Office. A review committee will identify the one innovation that will receive the 2013-2014 Maricopa Community Colleges Innovation of the Year and that will be the recipient of the Dr. Paul M. Pair Award.
The Celebration: All selected innovations will be celebrated at the Innovation of the Year Awards Program Reception that will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at the Rio Salado College Conference Center.
If you have questions, please contact:
Can’t Make the TechTalks? Watch them Live on January 24!
If you are unable to attend TechTalks, you can watch a live feed beginning tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. through this ustream link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/scottsdale-community-college
8:30am – 12:30pm
TechTalks 2014 will feature a series of live, 18-minute, presentations about technology and the learning/teaching process with the end result being a morning of inspiring, entertaining, and touching stories with the power to change student success outcomes. The format will be similar to the highly acclaimed TED Talks. Presented by SCC’s Instructional Strategic Technology Advisory Committee and sponsored by Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction.
JOIN US FOR THE FIRST
MCC Canvas Connections! Meeting
Wednesday, January 22
12 noon – 1:00pm
Join the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning *NEW Canvas Users’ Group – Canvas Connections!, a Lunch & Learn Community!
Join Now!
New and seasoned Canvas users are welcome to join us to:
- Connect! Stay on the inside track with all things Canvas.
- Share! and Learn! with others.
- Engage! in some great conversations over lunch.
This informal user-focused group will meet bi-monthly to discuss:
- Features
- Best Practices
- Upcoming Changes
- Issues/Bugs & Challenges
- Teaching Strategies/Delivery
- Design
- Feature Requests
Users will be encouraged to present or share a specific topics/features. This group will have an informal agenda and will be run by the attendees.
January 22 Meeting Menu:
Appetizer – Welcome
Soup of the Day – Updates, Issues & More
Main Course – Chewing on Chat
Check Please! – Plans for future meetings
(more…)
Take CIS 236 & 237 at Mesa Community College
The CIS 236 and CIS 237 series is designed to help you get started in teaching & learning in the hybrid and online formats. First, experience the ‘student’ perspective and discover new digital teaching tools in CIS 236 and then explore course design and content creation in CIS 237. Instructors will complete the series with practical tips, researched pedagogy and a duplicative structure for building and facilitating an online or hybrid format class.
Advantages of the Open Entry / Open Exit Format
Mesa Community College is offering CIS236 and CIS237 in the Open Exit/Open Exit format for the Spring 2014.
Flexible Learning!
- Pick your own start date
- Set your own pace over an 8 week period
- No hard deadlines.
Enroll Today
Enrollment through My.Maricopa.edu.
- Complete your Student Information Form
- Register for Class
- Pay for class, Learn About MCCCD Tuition Waivers: http://www.maricopa.edu/publicstewardship/resources/tw.php
If you have difficulties registering or have questions about these courses, contact the instructor(s) listed below:
CIS 236: Web Based Teaching & Learning I (2 credits), Section #41725
Experience using a web-based learning environment from an online student’s perspective. Use communication tools, submit assignments, use evaluation tools, and navigate an online-learning environment. Introduction to the basics of online pedagogy and lots of hands-on experience with a web-based learning environment and digital teaching tools! Prerequisites: CIS133CA or CIS 133DA, or permission of instructor. Contact instructor for override code.
- Offered fully online during Spring 2014 (Open Entry/Open Exit) – Choose a start date between January 20 and March 7. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.
CIS 237: Web Based Teaching & Learning II (3 credits), Section #41726
Discuss theories, methods, and best practices for designing, developing, and delivering an online course including Classroom Assessment Techniques, Flipped Classroom, Quality Matters and more. Create an online or hybrid course module using a web-based learning environment. Prerequisites: CIS 236, or permission of instructor. Contact instructor for concurrent enrollment code (allowing students to take CIS236 and CIS237 simultaneously).
- Offered fully online during Spring 2014 (Open Entry/Open Exit) – Choose a start date between January 20 and March 7. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.
Register Now for the 2014 TechTalks at SCC
Friday, January 24 – Scottsdale Community College Performing Arts Center
8:30am – 12:30pm
TechTalks 2014 will feature a series of live, 18-minute, presentations about technology and the learning/teaching process with the end result being a morning of inspiring, entertaining, and touching stories with the power to change student success outcomes. The format will be similar to the highly acclaimed TED Talks. Presented by SCC’s Instructional Strategic Technology Advisory Committee and sponsored by Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction.
Register at:
http://mcli.maricopa.edu/techtalksFor more information contact: lisa.young@scottsdalecc.edu or call 480-423-6222
Curb Appeal: Course Redesign
eLCoP: eLearning Community of Practice Session at Paradise Valley Community College
Thursday, January 23, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Q Bldg Classroom 130
Sponsored by the PVCC Center for Teaching & Learning & MCLI
The eLCoP is composed of faculty and staff dedicated to the research, discussion and dissemination of best practices for eLearning at Maricopa. eLearning includes courses taught hybrid and online, those using a college Learning Management System and learning that occurs via alternative delivery methods. eLCoP is open to all faculty and staff who are interested in positively impacting student learning outcomes through the creation and adoption of eLearning best practices.
Register Today: http://mcli.maricopa.edu/elcop_jan14
Session Details:
This session will walk you through the redesign process of a traditional online course. The Instructional Design Team took an outdated look and feel of a traditional course and redesigned it with visual and graphic design elements. While the content has always remained relevant, the visual elements could have been better. Think of curb appeal, the outside may not represent the inside. Participants will be able to see how this course has morphed over time using strategies that can be duplicated and replicated in any course and delivery format.
Who Should Attend this Session:
Faculty and staff interested in best practices to improve student success. Do I need to be teaching an online class to attend? No! Library electronic resources can be used by any class format.
Don’t Miss Out! Register Today!
http://mcli.maricopa.edu/elcop_jan14
If you have any questions about registration, please contact Jeannette Schaffer at the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction. (480) 731-8297.
