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Keep Teaching

Utilizing Digital Learning for Incident Planning

The Canvas Learning Management System and integrated tools such as Zoom, VidGrid, and TurnItIn, are well-equipped to deliver course content virtually in the event of a short-term or long-term incident:

KeepTeaching.UNOmaha.edu

Keep Teaching Together Summer Series (Begins June 3)

Keep Teaching Summer Series is hosted by the Office of Digital Learning with select sessions featuring faculty co-presenters. Faculty may earn $100 for attending up to 4 workshops as part of the Digital Learning Faculty Incentive program. Zoom links and additional events can be found on the Center for Faculty Excellence and Digital Learning event calendar. Please email uno.its.digitallearning@unomaha.edu with questions.

Event Listings, Dates and Times

Canvas, Zoom, Vidgird and Other Apps

  • Canvas is cloud-based and runs off of Amazon Web Services (99.99% uptime).
  • All UNO course sections already have Canvas shells created.
  • UNO has 24x7 Tier 1 support for Canvas through the vendor, where any user can chat/email/call with basic questions and support needs.
  • Approximately 75% of UNO courses already publish their Canvas shell and utilize the LMS in some capacity.
  • Canvas has a high degree of interoperability with our other cloud-based systems that enables users to seamlessly use tools like Zoom meetings, VidGrid video creation, TurnItIn plagiarism review, integrated publisher course content, and many other tools/resources.
  • Zoom is available for all faculty, staff and students at UNO, where anyone can host a meeting for up to 300 people at one time.
  • Canvas and its integrated tools are supported by a dedicated team of UNO professional staff who are familiar and comfortable with both slow- and fast-paced faculty support needs. This team is already well-versed in strategies to support faculty in a face-to-face or virtual environment.
  • Canvas has outstanding communication channels built into the system, including global and class announcements for messaging all or a subset of users, Commons for sharing resources across multiple sections/instructors, a built-in Inbox for messaging individuals and groups, etc.
  • Mobile apps (called Canvas Teacher and Canvas Student) can be downloaded for on-the-go use.
  • Virtual test proctoring and plagiarism detection tools such as Respondus, TurnItIn and Examity are available and can be accessed through Canvas. 

What Should We Do Now to Prepare?

Core Use

All faculty are asked to utilize Canvas in a minimum of a “core” capacity. Core use is defined as a syllabus posted, assignments created, and grades posted in the system. With core use in place, our ability to move into a short- or long-term digital learning environment is substantially improved during any sort of incident or disruption. Core use of the LMS has been supported by UNO Student Government resolutions two of the last four years. It is already the #1 request that students would like to see their instructors do in Canvas.

Utilize Resources

A Canvas course full of resources is being created at keepteaching.unomaha.edu. Anyone can enroll now by clicking “Join the Course” and, if needed, we can easily enroll all faculty in this course. Items of note:

  • Training materials, step-by-step tutorials, etc. are beginning to be placed into the shell for faculty to easily access to help with using Canvas and integrated tools.
  • Instructions for how to access packaged resources will be made available here so instructors can easily add them into their own courses and share with students, as needed.
  • By enrolling all faculty in this shell, we can also use it as a communication platform for all faculty if we switch to a fully digital learning environment.

Training

The Digital Learning team is increasing and targeting training and support for faculty currently not using these key systems to increase awareness of how to use the variety of features in Canvas, and encourage/help/demonstrate what types of materials instructors should begin creating now.

  • The Digital Learning team has already been doing “Digital Learning Day” sessions where we train faculty in how to easily have materials ready to deploy in Canvas in the case that UNO closes for a weather-related issue and they want their class to continue working through digital materials.
  • All Digital Learning trainings will be done in person, streamed live, and recorded and placed into keepteaching.unomaha.edu for ongoing referral and support 24x7x365.

Support

Support is available for faculty to begin using Canvas, or to expand their use of Canvas for a broader range of course activities. The Digital Learning team is most easily reached at uno.its.digitallearning@unomaha.edu. More about the Digital Learning team.

What Would It Mean to Shift into Digital Learning Mode?

If needed, we could quickly shift into digital learning mode, utilizing three core systems: email, Zoom and Canvas. Faculty would continue on with course activities using one of the three platforms. If a course moves into email mode, it means the instructor would minimally be in regular communication with students through email.

  • Online courses would continue on in regular mode via Canvas.
  • On-campus courses would move into using the Canvas Learning Management Ecosystem to move forward with continuous operation.
  • On-campus courses that are atypical, such as thesis, dissertation, independent study, internship, semester exchange courses would move into email and/or Canvas.
  • On-campus labs/lessons would move into email and/or Canvas and would likely need creative new approaches to delivering content.
  • Off-campus course activities, such as service learning or practicums, would be communicated via email. Off-campus course activities could reasonably occur if the partner site was continuing its business operations.
  • Zoom would be utilized for a wide range of activities, including within Canvas, for virtual office hours, to hold departmental meetings, etc. Ongoing communication and virtual support would be incredibly important in digital learning mode.
  • Global Announcements within Canvas would be utilized to regularly communicate with faculty and students.
  • The UNO Digital Learning team would run point on providing ongoing faculty support for the Canvas Learning Management System and related teaching tools. We’re here to help! The Digital Learning team is here to support faculty every step of the way.

Stop by our space in Eppley 113 (open 8-5, M-F) or reach out anytime for support or to schedule an appointment with a member of our team at: uno.its.digitallearning@unomaha.edu.