Reminder: There is still time to register for the upcoming Virtual Conference on Jan. 15 to explore tools and techniques for teaching in the digital age. Registered attendees can log in to view presentations by local experts in the field, including transitioning from Blackboard to Canvas, Canvas Gradebook Essentials, as well as taking a deeper dive into the world of Canvas. Registration is open and free to UMKC faculty and staff.
The Virtual Conference will begin at 9:35 a.m. with an introduction from Dr. Molly Mead, Assist Vice Provost of Academic Innovation, and will conclude at 3:00 p.m.
An eighth session has been added to the agenda: UM System (and UMKC) Open & Affordable Resources Initiative. Those logging in to attend the session will learn about the University of Missouri System Affordable & Open Educational Resources Initiative, the approaches to working with faculty to expand campus conversations around affordable and open educational resources for classes, and have a discussion on what OER are and the advantages and disadvantages of using them for class.
The Canvas 101 session will focus on navigation and customization basics. At the end of the training, participants will be able to customize their Canvas profile, navigate the Canvas LMS and Canvas course sites, communicate with their students via the Inbox, make their courses and course content available to students, add and edit content, and adjust course settings.
During the Transitioning from Blackboard to Canvas session, attendees will learn how to export their Blackboard course and upload their course into the Canvas LMS platform.
In the Canvas Gradebook Essentials session, attendees will learn fundamental tips to navigate Canvas Gradebook.
Turnitin is a plagiarism prevention and etection tool. Those attending the Using Turnitin Plagiarism Detection session will be able to explore two ways to use Turnitin in Canvas courses and evaluate the benefits of the two methods.
Using Canvas and UMKC Connect for Student Retention will discuss student retention and how attendees can create early warnings using Connect’s “zoom in” feature with Canvas.
In Conducting One-On-One Student Interviews with Canvas Calendar and WebEx, the presenter will demonstrate how she uses the UMKC Connect calendar, embedded in Canvas, to make appointments that are then conducted online via WebEx with students. This method of scheduling meetings can be used to advance step-by-step assignments or consulting on research, with online or face-to-face students.
Those who attend the Critical Thinking, Canvas, and Research: Designing Thought Provoking Online Research Assignments will be able to explore the various ways students go astray when approaching research assignments, and how instructors can guide them to more thoughtful, critical engagement with information sources and the research process. The presenter will discuss where critical thinking intersects with information seeking, common misconceptions and shortcuts, and practical strategies for assignment design that will help students avoid them.
