eLearning Newsletter for Winter 2024

Tech Talks

Feb. 13 @ 1:05pm: Putting Students in the Driver Seat with Canvas Pages
Most of us are accustomed to using Canvas Pages to convey course content, such as text, images, videos, and links; however, Pages can also be used for student-led and collaborative purposes, including group projects, peer feedback, resource compilation, and brainstorming. In this Tech Talk, we'll show how to enable student page editing, discuss use cases for student-editable pages, and consider policies and practices that might be appropriate when using Pages in this way. Join us as we explore a different way to use Canvas Pages.
Join the Feb. 13 conversation on Zoom Links to an external site.
Watch the Feb. 13 conversation on YouTube Links to an external site.

Feb. 20 @ 1:05pm: Saving Time on Canvas Feedback
We know that instructor feedback on student work is a critical part of teaching and learning, and one of the most effective forms of Regular & Substantive Interaction. But the process of giving detailed feedback is time consuming, and can feel frustrating when students don't view it or use it. In this session we'll look at some tools and techniques that can help you improve your feedback while also saving time and effort!
Join the Feb. 20 conversation on Zoom Links to an external site.
Watch the Feb. 20 conversation on YouTube Links to an external site.

Feb. 27 @ 1:05pm: Best Practices for Designing Group Assignments
Most careers and industries are filled with collaboration, networking, and the need for teamwork. So why are group projects so dreaded in college? In this Tech Talks we'll deconstruct some of the common pitfalls of group assignments, and describe some best practices for making group assignments productive, authentic, and relevant.
Join the Feb. 27 conversation on Zoom Links to an external site.
Watch the Feb. 27 conversation on YouTube Links to an external site.

March 5 @ 1:05pm: Collaboration in Canvas
In this second session in our sequence focusing on group assignments, we'll share some example collaborative assignments using the tools that are available in Canvas. Through our examples, we'll also discuss the importance of incorporating transparency, structure, and support, building in individual and group accountability, and exploring appropriate types of tasks and levels of assignment complexity.
Join the March 5 conversation on Zoom Links to an external site.
Watch the March 5 conversation on YouTube Links to an external site.

March 12 @ 1:05pm: Office 365 for Collaboration (ft. Leslie Dawson)
In this third session about collaborative work, we're excited to have Leslie Dawson from IT join us as we explore Microsoft 365. We'll focus on the different collaboration tools that are available within 365, some ways they might be employed for productive and engaging group work, as well as permissions and options for sharing. 
Join the March 12 conversation on Zoom Links to an external site.
Watch the March 12 conversation on YouTube Links to an external site.

Canvas Updates

Spring 2024 Canvas Shells

Spring 2024 term shells will be available in Canvas starting February 9.

Class rosters will begin loading February 16.

Course shell merge requests

We strongly recommend that you submit your merge requests before you start adding content. If you have already added content to your shells and you need to cross-list or merge them, make sure you identify the shell that you want to retain. If both shells have content and you do not specify which shell is the primary, we will ask for clarification which will delay the process. A link to the Merge Request Form can be found on the Canvas Help Menu.

Course Merge Reminder: Only classes that meet the following FERPA exceptions can be merged in Canvas:

• Merging a lecture with a lab
• iBest courses
• The students in the courses are in a cohort
• This is a Learning Community
• These courses meet during the same time at the same physical location
• These are clustered ITV courses

We cannot merge class shells just for the convenience of the Instructor. When it doubt, come talk to eLearning about your class situation and possible course management options.

Introducing the Canvas Survival Guide

We've developed a new Canvas training resource with the goal of helping faculty and staff become more familiar with the platform, and to explore well-established best practices related to course design, instructional strategies, and communication with students. This Canvas guide is for instructors who are new to Canvas and for those who have some Canvas experience but would like additional training and helpful design tips. 

The Survival Guide is organized into four modules:

• Getting started
• Interacting with students
• Assessing students
• Grading students

Each module is self-contained so that you can choose the content you need, when you need it. This course is publicly accessible, and can be shared with new faculty and staff even before they're assigned to their courses. This new guide is intended to replace our old Foundations of Canvas course. Take a look when you need some Canvas help or if you just want to explore!

Access the Canvas Survival Guide here.

Canvas and Faculty/Employee Email Addresses

There are situations where you may need to double-check and manage the primary email used for notifications by Canvas on your account.

• If your CCS issued email address recently changed for any reason (name changes, marriage status changes, etc.), please check your Canvas account settings. Changes to employee email addresses in ctcLink do not update automatically to Canvas, and you will need to manually update your Canvas account.
• If you are a CCS employee and you signed up for classes at CCS through ctcLink — or you signed up to use the Fitness Facility — and you used a personal email address, you should also check your Canvas account. When an employee signs up for classes in ctcLink, the system will update your Canvas account to make your personal email address the default in Canvas.
• Former students who become full-time employees also need to check their Canvas accounts and update their email addresses, as well.

Non-eLearning Updates That May be of Interest

The CCS IT Office has announced that during the Winter quarter, CCS will be phasing out the use of GuestNet for Wi-Fi access on Campus. All users will need to access on campus Wi-Fi via CCSNet, which requires users to log in with the network credentials (CCS issued email address and password). For more information or assistance please contact the IT Help Desk at 509-533-4357, option 2, or via email at helpdesk@ccspokane.freshservice.com.

eLearning Department Contacts

Instructional Technology Support
Rick Suhr Instructional Media Specialist I can help you create video and other media for your courses and projects Rick.Suhr@ccs.spokane.edu  509-533-3443	Jerry Troupe LMS Administrator I can help with eLearning technical support and software training Jerry.Troupe@ccs.spokane.edu 509-723-6241
Instructional Design Support We can help faculty with course design and instructional strategies
Caleb Hutchins Instructional Designer Caleb.Hutchins@ccs.spokane.edu	Nick Taylor Instructional Designer Nick.Taylor@ccs.spokane.edu
Melanie Coyan Instructional Designer Melanie.Coyan@ccs.spokane.edu
Student Support We can help online students solve problems and reach their academic goals
Julie Hands Online Success Coach Julie.Hands@ccs.spokane.edu 509-222-8522	Karen Sandall Online Success Coach Karen.Sandall@ccs.spokane.edu 509-808-0935
Devonte Gorman Online Success Coach DeVonte.Gorman@ccs.spokane.edu	Shay McConnell Online Success Coach Shay.McConnel@ccs.spokane.edu
Administrative Support We help launch, implement, and support eLearning projects and initiatives
Ben Whitmore Director of eLearning Ben.Whitmore@ccs.spokane.edu