19 4-6 pm

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Rebecca Davis

Please join us for the 2019 Faculty Recognition Gathering to recognize your colleagues’ accomplishments.

Tuesday, April 30
4:00–6:00 pm
Mabee Ballroom

The program will open at 4:00 p.m. with the awards presentation. The ceremony will be immediately followed by a reception with food, wine, other drinks, and the music of St. Edward’s Band.

Those individuals who will be recognized include:

the Distinguished Teaching Awards for Full-Time Faculty and Outstanding Teaching Award for Adjunct Faculty recipients and finalist;
the Sr. Donna Jurick Distinguished Career Award recipient;
the Hudspeth Award for Innovative Instruction recipient and finalist;
the Center for Teaching Excellence Mission-Informed Teaching Champion awards;
those who were promoted and/or tenured;
the 2019-2020 Innovation Fellows;
the 2019 Technology for Innovative Learning & Teaching Pilot Project Grant recipients;
those who have piloted new technologies on behalf of the university in the 2018-2019 academic year;
the 2019 Presidential Excellence Research Grant recipients;
and those who have applied for grants, both external and internal.

This gathering is sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Department of Instructional Technology, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and the Office of Academic Affairs.

Discussion Board Best Practices

Posted on March 28, 2019 by dcuevas1

Discussion boards are a great way to enrich the learning of your students in a course and create an active learning environment where students take their understanding of the content and create their own connections and meaning through discussions and the sharing of experiences.

The goal of discussions is to have your students think critically about the topic, form an understanding of how it relates to the real world and be exposed to different perspectives through peer to peer interaction.

Below are some best practices for creating and managing a discussion board.

Setting Up Your Discussion

Write a specific discussion prompt which encourages students to think about the content in a real world context.
Provide students with suggested peer response questions (ex: When replying to your peers think of the following questions: 1. …).
Use Specific guidelines to make it clear what the expectation of their response should be (response must be within 300-500 words, support your response with something from your readings, etc…).
Ensure students respond before seeing their peers’ posts by selecting the ‘Users must post before seeing replies‘ in Canvas so that they can write their response without peer influence.
Have students respond to at least 2 of their peers. This exposes them to different perspectives on the topic and also allows them to provide a different perspective to their peers.
Give a specific due date for both the initial response and peer response. This allows them time to review the content and respond to their peers and keeps them accountable for staying on track.

Continue reading →

20 Minutes to Launch Series

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Michael Weston

Faculty,

Come join us as we launch our new series: “20 Minutes to Launch”. Each week, we’ll teach you one new technique that you can use in your teaching practice right away, and we’ll strictly adhere to the 20 minutes time limit. Of course, snacks will be provided.

We’ll offer each session twice per week:

Tuesdays at 12:30pm in HCH101 (1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 03/5, 3/13, 3/27, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16)

Wednesdays at 11:30am in JBWS180 (1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17)

Session topics include innovative features in Canvas and Gsuite (Google) that help Instructors save time, try new things, and improve student engagement:

Make Online Discussions Manageable by Grading with Rubrics –

Facilitated by Rebecca Davis (1/22 – 1/23), http://bit.ly/2R5uBea

How to use Comments, Assignments, and Tasks in GSuite –

Facilitated by Joana Trimble (1/29-1/30)

Using Drive folders for classroom efficiency –

Facilitated by Mike Weston (2/5 –2/6)

Slides vs. PowerPoint: Moving from PowerPoint to Google Slides –

Facilitated by Jenny Cha (2/12-2/13)

Canvas Student analytics –

Facilitated by Brenda Adrian (2/19-2/20)

How to use Comments, Assignments, and Tasks in GSuite –

Facilitated by Joana Trimble (2/26-2/27)

Make Online Discussions Manageable by Grading with Rubrics –

Facilitated by Rebecca Davis (3/5 – 3/6), http://bit.ly/2R5uBea

Creating basic websites using Google Sites –

Facilitated by Mike Bell (3/12 – 3/13)

Using Drive folders for classroom efficiency –

Facilitated by Mike Weston (3/26 – 3/27)

Virtual Reality: Using Google Expeditions —

Facilitated by Eric Trimble (4/2 – 4/3)

Slides vs. PowerPoint: Moving from PowerPoint to Google Slides –

Facilitated by Jenny Cha (4/9 – 4/10)

How to use Comments, Assignments, and Tasks in GSuite –

Facilitated by Joana Trimble (4/16 – 4/17)

Learning Portfolio Pilots 2018 – 2019

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Rebecca Davis

The Office of Information Technology is conducting a pilot of technology to support the creation of Learning Portfolios. Learning Portfolios are collections of student work and other evidence from their career in higher education (often accompanied by reflections) that demonstrate broad skills and competencies possessed by the students. In other words, learning portfolios showcase student learning.

Making Connections and Reflecting

The general education program at St. Edward’s University has identified the learning portfolio (also known as the eportfolio) as a useful tool to help students make connections

across the general education curriculum;
between general education, major, and elective courses, as well as
with co-educational experiences like work, civic and volunteer activities, and personal interests.

Learning Portfolios are also a place for students to reflect on what they have learned. Some majors have students assemble examples of work done in their major, select works that illustrate what they have learned in the major, and reflect on their learning. These portfolios are also useful repositories to draw on in conversation with prospective employers.

Portfolium

The potential use of learning portfolios in general education means that every student will need their own portfolio, so it makes sense for the university to consider providing a portfolio tool at the enterprise level (a tool that everyone on campus can use). Before we can select that tool, we need a better understanding of technology requirements. And before we can determine requirements, the new general education curriculum, which launched in Fall 2018, needs to work out the process and practices of learning portfolios. To enable that work, the Office of Information Technology has licensed a product named Portfolium for the 2018 – 2019 academic year. Instructional Technology chose this tool with input from pilot faculty because it is easy to use and plugs into Canvas. We will use this pilot to help determine requirements for future tool selection, which we hope to accomplish in Spring 2019. Regardless of what tool the university ultimately uses, students will retain their Portfolium profile free for life.

Pilots

Six faculty who teach general education courses have already volunteered to begin using Portfolium in the Fall 2018 semester once Portfolium becomes available in October. Two other history faculty will be piloting the use of portfolios in the history major. We have plenty of licenses for Portfolium, so we are seeking faculty volunteers for Spring 2019, as well. If you are interested in trying Portfolium or have questions about this pilot please contact Rebecca Davis or Brenda Adrian in Instructional Technology.

If you would like to pilot Portfolium with one of your courses or in some other way, please fill out this brief google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchv8G_7aJ7LF87dTQpkKX5dOjhYMs071WEW1Xf3ZKU18VX4A/viewform?usp=sf_link

More information about the pilots is available to members of the St. Edward’s community in this folder in google drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15rqf4Lh6TUp4WIoz8b6YpK6yrHPCrnFN?usp=sharing

Access the Portfolium FAQ here: https://support.stedwards.edu/customer/en/portal/articles/2956430-what-is-portfolium-?b_id=14595

Using G Suite

Posted on September 4, 2018 by joanat

Welcome back, faculty! As you get started with the new semester we wanted to keep you informed about a few new features you will see within your St. Edward’s Google account.

Some of the new features, you may or may not have seen, include:

Gmail has a new interface:

Snoozing emails until later, respond to colleagues or students when you are ready
Using suggested replies and follow-ups, save time on replies
Working offline in Gmail, work offline while you travel for conferences

Wait, there is more! You now have access to most of what G Suite has to offer including:

Google Drive – Store class documents in a class folder or share folders with students
Google Docs, Sheets, Presentations – Create class documents, presentations, collaborate with students and colleagues
Google Keep and Tasks – Take daily notes and track things to do
Google Forms – Create basic surveys
And More

All to help you with your productivity as you work on your classes or collaborate with your students and colleagues. For more information about G Suite, visit support.stedwards.edu and search for G Suite or Google. Happy start of the semester!

What’s New in Campus Technology This Fall

Posted on August 27, 2018 by nhill4

Transitioning from summer to the fall semester can be tough, particularly when there are changes to the technology you use to teach. To help get you on track for a great semester, we wanted to highlight some updates across the Office of Information Technology you need to be aware of.

G Suite Has (Finally) Arrived

Yes, it’s true! All faculty, students and staff have access to these core G Suite applications:

You’ll notice there’s overlap between some of these services and other tools at the university — notably Google Drive and Box. Sometimes, that overlap is perfectly fine; at other times, we may find we can condense our tools into one. We’ll be looking at each area individually.

That said, a note about Google Classroom: Despite its name, Google Classroom is not a full Learning Management System. You are welcome to use it, if you think it’s a fit for your class, but the only supported LMS at St. Edward’s is still Canvas.

For more information — including comparisons of functionality with existing tools — search “Google” at support.stedwards.edu.

A Reminder About Your Password

In the spring, we rolled out a new university Password Policy. As part of this policy, everyone at the university is required to change their password once a year. (For 30 days before your password expires, you’ll get notifications when you log in.)

Want to get ahead of the game? You can find out when your password is set to expire and reset it at any time by logging in to account.stedwards.edu.

Having trouble logging in? Your password may have expired over the summer. We can get you back into your account at (512) 448.8443 or Moody 309.

Introducing myHilltop Mobile

Available for both iOS and Android devices, the new myHilltop mobile app makes getting things done on the go even easier. In the app, you can search myHilltop tasks (mobile-friendly tasks appear by default) and find contact information for campus offices. There’s also a handy link to the campus map and an easy button to get to Canvas.

The app is in active development, so it will continue to grow and evolve. For now, consider it a fast pass to the university’s one-stop shop.

Some Things Never Change

Like us! If you need help starting your semester, ending it or just managing the middle, we’re here to help. Our Instructional Technology staff is a key resource when it comes to your courses, but they’re not the only place you can turn to for assistance.

Help Desk
The first line of defense against technology issues and the router of all things OIT support.
Moody 309
M-Th: 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
F: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
S: 9 a.m.-noon

Instructional Technology Hub
Faculty-focused support in a faculty-centric space.
Holy Cross 101
M-F: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Digital Media Center
Lights, camera, action! Digital production education and execution in a high-tech space.
Munday Library 246
M-F: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Not on campus? Search support articles or submit a case at support.stedwards.edu or give us a call at 512-448-844. To stay in the know throughout the semester, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, where we post updates and events.

Are Incoming Freshmen Digital Learners?

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Rebecca Davis

It’s that time of year again when all the reports come out to tell faculty about this year’s incoming freshman class, like Beloit’s Mindset List which annually reminds us all of how old we are. The Office of Information Technology partners with our summer orientation programs to survey all incoming freshmen about their technology habits. This year we had 523 responses to the survey. Follow this link to see all eight infographics and read on for highlights: Freshmen Technology Survey Infographics

Generation Z

Some of those reports tell us that our freshmen are members of Generation Z and describe them as “connected since birth” (Cheryl Faux. “Generation Z: Connected From Birth.” 27 February 2015.) Our survey results bear that out–100% of survey respondents report owning a smart phone. In past years, there was always at least one who did not; but this year we’ve crossed the threshold to full ownership. That constant connection comes out in their digital habits–they spend their time online on social media (85%, with Instagram and Snapchat as the leading apps), 63% check their email at least daily with another 19% checking when notified, and 64% manage their to do lists with reminders on their phone. A staggering 90% of students video chat, with 75% using Facetime (82% have iPhones). Take a look at all eight infographics (also linked from the thumbnail below) to gain more insight into how they take notes, manage deadlines, and prefer to communicate with instructors. Continue reading →

Canvas Start of the Semester Checklist

Posted on August 20, 2018 by brendaa

Welcome back! Here are a few things to check as you set your courses up in Canvas for the semester. The Canvas Community is a great resource if you have questions about using Canvas. You’ll also find answers to many questions on the Office of Information Technology Support site.

Make your course available to students

Check the Start and End Dates for your classes. By default, students cannot view classes outside of those dates, even if the course is published. Make sure to set the course end date so that students can use it to study for finals, submit final projects, and to check their final Canvas grades. We recommend setting the end date for three weeks after the last course meeting date. Go to the Course Settings to check and change the dates. Click on the Update Course Details button to save the changes.
Publish your course by clicking on the Publish button in the upper right menu of the Home page

Rename your course to add the semester and year

Appending the semester and year to your course name will make it easier to identify in Messages, when copying your course and when combining sections. Go to Course Settings to change the name.

Import Content from another Canvas course

Go to Course Settings for your new course and click on the button to Import Content into Course
Under Content Type select Copy a Canvas Course
Search for the course name
Choose All Content unless you want to only copy over specific content or want to exclude Announcements created in your prior class. Note that Announcements from the prior semester are automatically included in an “All Content” import. These announcements will be available to students in the current course unless you delete them from Announcements. If you have announcements we recommend choosing “Select Specific Content” and not importing announcements.
If you want Canvas to try and adjust your Due Dates on Assignments, also select Adjust Events and Due Dates
Click on Import
Complete instructions with screenshots are available in the Canvas Community

Check for Broken Links in Your Class

If you have imported material from another Canvas class, it’s a good idea to check for broken links before publishing your course. The links may work for you, but not for your students. Links to external resources may have changed since the last time the course was taught.
Go to Settings and click on the last button on the right for Validate Links in Content

Combine multiple sections of a course

If you teach more than one section of the same course, you can combine these into one Canvas course. Please be aware of potential FERPA issues if you combine course sections that do not meet together. You can take some steps to protect students’ privacy by removing People from the menu, and not combining discussions. Instructions for combining courses are available from the Canvas Training Center.

Add TA’s, Non-grading TA’s or additional instructors

Go to the People link in the course menu and select +People. Enter the TA(s) email address, change the role to TA, Non-Grading TA, or Teacher and click on Next. Verify the correct person is being added and click on Add. Complete details on permissions for each role may be found in this support article on adding people to Canvas.

Send a message to your students

Send a message to your students via the Inbox or Conversations.
Post an Announcement.
Note: The course must be published and the Start Date must have passed for students to receive messages or notifications.

Meet with Instructional Technology

We’re available to help you design your Canvas course, set up your grades, learn how to use new tools such as Google Drive, video conferencing and lecture capture, and to answer questions. Contact us at support@stedwards.edu.

Gradebook Time Savers

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Michael Weston

Here are 4 quick tips for making the Canvas Gradebook more convenient and easier to use:
	1. Mute Assignment: Muting an assignment allows you to work on grade entry without the students being able to see the grades. Un-mute the assignment when you have finished grading so that students can view their grades and feedback.
	2. Grade Totals next to Student Names: When there are multiple grade book columns, it might be preferable to have the total column on the left side next to the student names. This makes it much easier to see the student’s grades.
	3. Organizing Columns and Rows: Arranging Columns by due date allows you to sequence the columns in chronological order. You can click the column heading to sort the rows. For example, clicking the total column header will sort the students by total grade.
	4. Dash vs. Zero Don’t forget that the dash indicates no submission, while the zero indicates that you’ve given the student a zero. The dash won’t count toward their grade, the zero does. Some instructors are unaware that dashes don’t count against students.

Trustee Hall Computer Lab Renovation

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Laura Lucas

Over Spring Break, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) completely renovated the computer lab in Trustee Hall 109. This renovation gives students a fresh, modern, multifunctional space on campus to study or work, using either university-provided desktops or personal laptops and devices.

All new multifunctional space