Puget Sound recently launched Canva for Campus. Faculty & staff can learn more at pugetsound.edu/canva-campus and sign up here for this opportunity. Students are provisioned with free accounts, which can be accessed via login.pugetsound.edu. Refer to the links below to learn more about Canva’s online video editor.

Course Building Considerations

Your Canvas course layouts should be simple, clean, and uncluttered. The course navigation should be clear and consistent. Headings should allow for quick scanning and always be descriptive.

Use these features for accessible formatting

Alt Text is read by screen readers. It describes embedded images and displays when the image cannot display.
Descriptive hyperlinks give students context to links, provide clarity on link destination, and should always be underlined
Headings help all students navigate course materials, assist when using screen readers, and provide structure for content.
Tables should display data & information, and should not be used to create layouts.
Text emphasis helps text stand out for visually impaired students. Use bold, italic or underlined text. Never use color for emphasis.

Additional resources:

• Canvas Course Accessibility Checklist
• How to Use the Accessibility Checker in the Rich Content Editor
• Accessibility in Higher Education: Building a Better Student Experience

Welcome back for the 2022 Fall semester! We hope you’ve returned to campus refreshed and excited for the coming semester. We’ve seen a few changes over the summer.

Canvas

We’ve enabled new features in Canvas, like Final Grade Override and Enhanced Gradebook Filters. See here for a full list and information on all of them.

Need a quick start guide for Canvas for the semester? Check out our Beginning of Course Checklist.

Need OCR (optical character recognition) services for readings added to Canvas? Check out Collins Library’s OCR for Canvas resources.

Puget Sound now has a new way for students to update their pronouns and chosen names. Previously, this was done directly in Canvas. Now, students can update their pronouns in myPugetSound, after which they’ll be imported into various campus systems, including Canvas. Please see https://www.pugetsound.edu/chosen-names-and-pronouns for more information. Faculty & staff: you will be able to make changes to your myPugetSound profile later this fall.

You may have noticed that your Canvas courses now have an “Academic & Administrative Policies” navigation link. This was done in partnership with the Academic Deans Office in response to faculty feedback about the length of syllabi and a desire to make information more accessible to students.

As a reminder, Chrome and Firefox are the recommended browsers for Canvas. Safari and Internet Explorer are not recommended at this time.

Classrooms

As a fully functional Zoom Room, room LI-017 in the lower level of the Collins Library can be used for remote instruction if desired. The room contains two wall-mounted cameras, ceiling drop mics, two wall-mounted displays, and a digital whiteboard. The room is reservable through 25Live Room Scheduling. Contact your Ed Tech for a demo.

If you plan on using classroom technology, such as projectors or podium computers, we recommend testing your classrooms. If you have any questions about how to use technology to enhance your teaching or research, please contact your Ed Tech or edtech@pugetsound.edu.

Zoom Updates

After an update, the Zoom desktop client now includes native closed captioning. Make sure to update your Zoom client to take advantage of this feature. See enabling or disabling closed captioning – Zoom Support for more information.

Zoom Focus Mode is now available. This is a mode that shows only hosts and co-hosts’ videos and profile pictures during a meeting. Focus Mode can be found in the “More” menu in the in-meeting toolbar and can be enabled when scheduling a meeting. See here for instructions to enable to disable Focus Mode.

Other Important Contacts

The Technology Service Desk is the main point of contact for any assistance needed with campus technology. Email servicedesk@pugetsound.edu or call 253.879.8585.

Media Services handles equipment loans and manages classroom equipment support, troubleshooting, and repairs. Various technologies available for checkout can assist in your coursework. Please inquire with Media Services for further details. Email media@pugetsound.edu or call 253.879.3963.

Student Technology is located on the lower level of the Collins Library. They assist students with antivirus requirements for the campus network and provide students with technology troubleshooting and support. Email ts_support@pugetsound.edu or call 253.879.8585 #2.

Next week, the majority of us will return to teaching and learning on campus. However, some students and faculty may still need to isolate.

When deciding how to proceed with a quarantining student, you may want to consider one (or more) of the following options:

Conduct a Hybrid Class

A hybrid class allows isolating students to attend class remotely while the remainder of students still attend in-person. Most classrooms on campus are outfitted with a webcam that can be used with the room’s podium computer or your laptop.

Additionally, you could consider moving the in-person contingent of your class to room LI-017 in the bottom floor of Collins Library. LI-017 is a fully functional Zoom Room, including built-in mics, speakers, and displays and is bookable through 25Live. LI-017 can accommodate approximately 20 people.

If conducting class this way, you could consider designating an in-person student or TA to assist with chat comments in the Zoom meeting sent by remote students.

Possible benefits: may maintain normal class schedule and limit disruptions for majority of students.

Challenges: in-person students may be able to identify who is joining remotely. May add a layer of complexity to teach both to in-person and remote groups at the same time.

Conduct a Fully Remote Class

In a fully remote class, all participants would join via Zoom. You could teach from your normal classroom, your desk, or remotely (if, say, you are the one who needs to isolate). Room LI-017 could also be an option.

Possible benefits: protects confidentiality; does not single out the isolating student(s). May promote equity as all students have the same experience.

Challenges: [consider your experiences over the past two years]

Conduct Class as Normal and Record

For this option, you would conduct class as normal and record the session. After class, you would upload the recording to Google Drive and link to it in Canvas for later viewing. Isolating students could meet with you during virtual office hours or provide written responses to class discussions and reading to fulfill participation credit requirements, if applicable.

Recording Option 1

Connect the webcam to your laptop or the classroom podium computer. Start a Zoom meeting. Press record, which will capture screen shares as well if you present slideshows in class. At the end of class, stop recording. After the file has finished processing, upload to Google Drive and link to it in Canvas.

Recording Option 2

Low tech option: use the voice memo app on your phone to record an audio-only version of your class (or ask a student to record the class using the voice memo app on their phone). After class, upload the file to Canvas along with any presentation materials (PowerPoint, images, etc.).

Recording Option 3

Hold class in LI-017. Pair your laptop with the Zoom Room. Start a meeting from your laptop and press record. At the end of class, stop recording. After the file has finished processing, upload to Google Drive and link to it in Canvas.

Possible benefits: isolating students can access content on their own schedule if they are ill and unable to remotely join a class session. Other students can view class recordings after class session as well. Less potential disruption to your teaching (especially if using LI-017). May be able to use recordings in the future.

Challenges: may not adequately capture seminar-type discussions.

Individual Student Consultations

For this option, you would conduct class as normal with no different technological interventions. Students missing class could address missed content in a number of ways: collaborative note-taking with class, one-on-one virtual meetings during office hours, contributing to Canvas Discussion Boards, or writing short reading responses.

Possible benefits: no additional technology setup required.

Challenges: potentially isolating for long-term absences. May add more time for one-on-one meetings.

Best Practices and Thoughts

• Consider providing alternatives to receive class participation credit (such as brief reading responses or Canvas Discussion Boards).
• Recommend students meet with you one-on-one during virtual office hours in lieu of class participation.
• Consider recording class sessions and allowing students to view them on their own time regardless of manner of teaching (remote, hybrid, etc.)
• Move in-class assessments online with Canvas Quizzes for all students, not just those isolating.
• Clearly communicate expectations for deadlines and participation to students.
• If needed, request equipment from Media Services to support your teaching (such as iPads, Wacom tablets, webcams, and USB microphones)
• Consider joining a Zoom meeting using your mobile device or an iPad/tablet to have a second camera angle. This may be useful for lab or art demonstrations.
• Be flexible!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to your Ed Tech or to edtech@pugetsound.edu.

It’s been some time since we went remote! Here’s a few pointers.

Canvas

Have you…

• Cross-listed multiple sections of your course (if needed)?
• Enabled Zoom and Scheduled your Zoom sessions in Canvas?
• Imported previous semester’s content (if needed)?
• Published your course?

Optional: check your Canvas course against Canvas’s Course Evaluation Checklist v2.0.

Zoom Best Practices

• Check for Zoom updates
• Restart your computer prior to meeting
• Close unneeded software
• Disconnect unneeded devices from your network
• Use a microphone and headphones
• Encourage participants to remain muted when not speaking (larger groups)
• Do a test run – if you’re you’re teaching in a classroom, does it have the equipment you expect?
• Look at your camera angle – what’s on screen?
• For full functionality in Zoom, use the application, not the browser version
• Encourage use of “Gallery View” to see multiple faces at once

Additional Resources

• Equipment for checkout through Media Services: iPads, Wacom tablets, webcams, and USB microphones
• Collins Library room LI-017 (Zoom Room reservable through 25Live)
• Summer 2020 workshop recordings and Canvas course
• Google Drive for storing and sharing large documents