Preparing for Finals
Are you preparing your final exams or projects? Visit our webpage Assessing Learning Effectively for tips and resources on assessing your students.
Finals and student accommodation support
Do you have students who need support with finals accommodations? Learn more about administering accommodations on the Student Disability Services (SDS) website.
Turnitin and AI Writing
Turnitin now has detection capabilities for AI writing, including writing that comes from ChatGPT. You will not have to do anything new for your Canvas assignments that already have Turnitin enabled.
Keep in mind that this technology is not perfect, and it is still important that you review these reports carefully and communicate thoughtfully with your students. Learn more about Turnitin and its new AI detection capabilities in our updated blog post Checking the Checkers: Guidance for Using Turnitin (Including its Artificial Intelligence Detection Tool).
If you are interested in using Turnitin with your Canvas assignments, learn more by visiting our Knowledge Base article How to Use Turnitin for Faculty.
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OTL Faculty Survey
Thank you if you’ve already responded. If not, there’s still time to help the OTL understand your needs and wants for programming in the coming year. Please take a moment to complete our brief needs assessment survey.
OTL Faculty Survey
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Impact of the Neurodiversity Institute
This past February, we conducted a ripple effects mapping (REM) session with facilitators from the Butler Institute to assess the impact of participation in the Neurodiversity Institute (NDI) on individuals, departments, and students. We extend our deep gratitude to all who contributed their invaluable stories and experiences, and we are pleased to share the full REM report with you. Key themes that emerged include expanding participants’ perspectives on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) practices, enhancing student experiences through discussions of neurodiversity issues and making curricular changes, increasing participants' knowledge and confidence in meeting the needs of neurodiverse students, creating a common language around accessibility and neurodiversity, and fostering a supportive community for accessing resources for both neurodiverse students and neurodivergent faculty.
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ePortfolio - Digication Updates and New Resources
Our new ePortfolio platform, Digication, is now Digication Kora! This upgrade brings exciting new features, especially for Canvas users, including:
- New dashboard widgets: Stay organized with new dashboard widgets displaying "My Assignments and Activities," "My Works," "My Courses and Groups," and even a section for ePortfolios created in the previous Digication version.
- Streamlined grading: Score assignments directly within Digication Kora and see those scores reflected in your Canvas gradebook.
- Effortless assignment creation: Easily create assignments from your course templates for more opportunities to scaffold assignments and give feedback on student work.
Learn more in OTL’s new blog Connecting the Dots with ePortfolios Part 1: Digication Tools and the Power of ePortfolios. This is the first part of a four-part series exploring how ePortfolios can be leveraged for assessment. Be on the lookout for Part 2, where we will explore using ePortfolios for formative assessment.
Looking for help?
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Join the ePortfolio Innovations Circle (ePIC) for AY24-25
This year-long opportunity is a collaboration between the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) and the DU 4D Experience, as part of their ongoing work with the AAC&U's Institute on ePortfolios, personal websites that provide a space for reflection as well as evidence of skills and learning. Through this initiative, you'll join a community dedicated to enriching student learning, gain insights that may support your teaching, and contribute to best practices in ePortfolio implementation across DU. ePIC will provide:
- A space for knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning.
- Insights and ideas for using ePortfolios to promote student reflection and growth
- Opportunities to contribute to the development of a framework (guidebook) to support wider ePortfolio implementation in support of student reflection and integrative learning
- Support and guidance in promoting and scaling ePortfolio use within your departments and programs.
For more information and to apply, please fill out the application for ePIC.
Deadline to apply: Thursday, June 6th, 2024
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Help Students Thrive: Take a Coach Approach Training with the Office of Academic Advising
Join the Office of Academic Advising for Help Students Thrive: Take a Coach Approach! This no-cost two-day interactive training will provide you with effective coaching strategies to help students overcome setbacks, navigate challenges, and achieve their goals. Coaching centers the student as the expert in their own life and supports the development of accountability and self-management. You will build foundational coaching skills, such as asking powerful questions to inspire self-awareness, problem solving, and action. An optional micro-credential and digital badge is now available!
This training is open to any DU faculty or staff who provides individual advising or mentoring support to students. Please register using the link below only if you will attend both days. Another session will be offered during winter break. Questions? Please contact Allison.Weihrauch@du.edu.
Help Students Thrive: Take a Coach Approach
Tuesday, June 11th – Wednesday, June 12th
9:00am – 4:00pm
Community Commons 2600 (In-person only)
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Register for the Teaching and Learning Online (TLO) Foundational Badge Program
The Office of Teaching and Learning is excited to officially launch the Teaching and Learning Online (TLO) micro-credential program for Summer 2024. The TLO program will allow faculty participants to complete a set of criteria to earn a digital badge. Digital badges allow earners to showcase skills, competencies, or achievements gained directly from their learning experiences.
This year's program will begin with an asynchronous cohort community building and introductory course. Through this introductory course, faculty participants will be asked to unpack their understanding of online learning, connect with colleagues, and register for two short courses offered asynchronously throughout the summer. Faculty are able to apply for the TLO badge program up until the first short course begins on June 17.
This summer, we will be offering three total short courses including Creating Community Online, Digital Accessibility, and Teaching with Technology. Faculty do not have to be enrolled in the TLO program to take a short course. For more information about each course and to get registered, access each individual short course through the links below:
Creating Community Online Short Course – June 17-July 1
Digital Accessibility Short Course – July 15 – July 29
Teaching with Technology Short Course – August 12-26
To learn more about the program, check out the TLO webpage. To apply for the program, complete the Qualtrics application.
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Registration Now Open for Summer Course Design Institute!
Will you be designing a new course for the coming academic year, or are you wanting to make big changes to an old one? The Couse Design Institute, which takes place July 29-August 2, supports faculty in designing learning experiences that result in significant learning – that is, learning that has the potential to change students’ lives in lasting and important ways.
Learn more and register for this summer’s Course Design Institute!
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Workshop Opportunity: Teaching to Support Well-Being
Research shows that academic achievement and student well-being go hand in hand. In recent years, students have faced increasing challenges with mental health, and have high expectations of support from faculty. DU's 4D experience highlights well-being as one aspect of holistic student education, but faculty often feel under-prepared to support student well-being.
We invite you to join us on August 22 from 8:30-12:30 for a half-day workshop on "Teaching to Support Well-Being" led by Dr. Kateri McRae, Professor of Psychology and 4D Faculty Fellow of Well-Being. This workshop will focus on actionable teaching practices which are likely to support student learning via student well-being. The session will include a brief review of the empirical literature on what contributes to student well-being, resilience, and thriving; an introduction to best practices for supporting aspects of student well-being in the classroom; and time to brainstorm and workshop ideas about how to apply this knowledge to an upcoming class. We will also acknowledge the boundaries of the instructor's role in supporting student well-being, and provide resources for how instructors can support student well-being without sacrificing their own.
Register for the Teaching to Support Well-Being workshop.
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Thriving with AI Faculty Learning Community Call for Applications
Are you interested in learning more about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in community with other faculty members across DU?
The OTL is excited to offer a new Faculty Learning Community (FLC) specifically focused on AI in education for the 2024-2025 academic year.
An FLC can be defined as a year-long program with a cohort of faculty (10-15) that meets regularly (every 3-5 weeks) to discuss certain teaching topics, investigate teaching methods, and work towards integrating a teaching project.
For the Thriving in AI FLC, we will be covering topics related to AI in higher education including AI literacy, addressing bias in AI, accessibility considerations, ethics, creative/innovative use cases for AI in teaching and learning, and more. As a participant in this cohort, you will also be working towards a teaching and learning project related to AI, which you will plan to incorporate into a 2025-2026 course. You do not have to have a project in mind before applying as the program will be designed to support your development.
Before applying, please review all of the required meeting dates to confirm you are available.
Please direct any questions related to this application or participating in this program to the facilitator (lexi.schlosser@du.edu).
Apply now to participate in the Thriving with AI FLC for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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Upcoming Events and New Event Registration Process
As part of the DU-wide Event Management and Venue Management project, the OTL will be transitioning our event registration into CrimsonConnect.
The OTL and Office for Faculty Affairs will be piloting CrimsonConnect through the spring and early summer. For now, the OTL event system will still be in use. By fall, all OTL events will be in CrimsonConnect.
Learn more about CrimsonConnect:
Reach out to the OTL at otl@du.edu if you have questions about CrimsonConnect and registering for our events!
Upcoming Events
Creating Community Online Short Course
June 17-July 1
Asynchronous online in Canvas
Digital Accessibility Short Course
July 15 – July 29
Asynchronous online in Canvas
COIL Summer Institute
Tuesday, August 6, 9:00 – 3:00 p.m.
The Loft Classroom (AAC 340)
(Need help registering for this event in CrimsonConnect? See the CrimsonConnect resources above or reach out to us at otl@du.edu)
Teaching with Technology Short Course
August 12-26
Asynchronous online in Canvas
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