This guide applies to a range of course design or revision techniques. You might use the Rule of 2’s: Simple Course Design Template to make…
Imagine this: You visit your local market to pick up some peanut butter, but it’s no longer where you expect it. You ask for help, but still…
In blended and hybrid courses (with the terms used interchangeably in this article), students complete activities both in the classroom and online.…
Online students can find it challenging to stay motivated and engaged in learning. Here are steps you can take when building online activities to…
A well-made video can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning. Instructor-made videos can help online students feel more like they are…
OAI offers support around integrated and dynamic media for the classroom. Well-conceived and carefully integrated multimedia can help students…
An effective syllabus is both relevant and accessible for all students. Along with complete information, it needs organization and…
Research has long found that students often don’t retain most lecture material. For example, Donald Bligh reported that when students were not…
Assignments in Canvas is both a specific kind of assessment and any Canvas activity associated with a grade. This video provides a basic overview:……
A community is a group of people who share a common purpose. In the context of an online course, a community includes not only students, but also the…
From basic settings to content organization, this course design checklist outlines the top tasks to make sure your Canvas course is ready for…
Having trouble keeping a handle on all of the Canvas settings? We have a Quick Guide you can now download and use for easy reference. You are welcome…
OAI supports only faculty, but here are some ways for students to get help with Canvas. The Learning Center has self-paced learning resources for…
Canvas has several ways to communicate with your students. Here are two of them: Announcements are course-wide. Inbox messages may be private…
Instructors have a lot to think about before, during, and after each term. Be sure to accomplish these essential tasks. Pre-Term(at least two weeks…
When course materials — readings, videos, slides, websites, etc. — are accessible, all students benefit. Students with disabilities can engage with…
Online discussion is a mainstay of online courses, and for good reason. Compared to face-to-face communication, online discussion has many benefits…
Fostering Student Choice and Decision MakingThose who do the work do the learning. If this maxim is true, how can we structure our classrooms so…
When educators think of the Internet as an extension of the classroom, the possibilities are endless. Strategic approaches to activity design can…
Canvas In the winter 2022 term, PSU moved to Instructure’s Canvas learning management system. Kaltura Media Space Media Space is where you can…
Discussions are threaded conversations on a single topic. They are asynchronous, which means participants do not have to be online at the same time,…
What are diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how are they related to higher education? You have probably encountered these terms a lot over the…
Many students are anxious for information about their classes before the term starts. By communicating early, you can help establish an encouraging…
Academic integrity is not only about holding students to high standards and creating consistent expectations through course policies. More…
Research shows that the more we give students qualitative feedback and withhold quantitative grades, the more students are able to absorb that…
As you near the end of the term, it is a good idea to make sure the Canvas grades accurately reflect your students’ work and that all…
Large classes pose unique challenges for instructors and students alike. Active, personalized learning is often best — but difficult in a large…
This guide introduces a few pedagogies you can adopt into your inclusive teaching practice. They can help facilitate connections and conversations…
When adapting your course to a new format, it can help to review instructional strategies. This article looks at different ways to provide content,…
In this curated teaching guide, you will find a variety of sources to support your exploration of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, build…
Course AccessTo access your PSU Canvas account, go to canvas.pdx.edu. You will be prompted to authenticate with your PSU Odin name and password. This…
The Gradebook stores all information about student progress in the course, measuring both letter grades and course outcomes. This video provides a…
Growing with Canvas is a self-paced training course to introduce the main Canvas tools. You can self-enroll through the Canvas learning system.…
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a flexible pedagogical framework to minimize barriers and increase accessibility for the fullest range of…
Canvas has many features and tools for teaching a course. But you also need these “under the hood” functions for managing your course…
Commons is a learning object repository (LOR) that enables educators to find, import, and share learning resources in their Canvas courses. Commons…
Using any tool for the first time can be overwhelming. This guide can help focus your attention on what matters most when getting started with…
Canvas has several tools for adding content to your course: Pages: Canvas-specific pages created within Canvas or imported from Commons Files: PDFs,…
Place-Based Engagement: Featuring KSMoCAAt PSU, we “let knowledge serve the city”, but how? To what end? Who benefits? What does it mean…
Though you and your students may use the terms “test” and “quiz” interchangeably, Canvas calls this type of assessment a…
This article outlines a few things you can do to make sure you’re ready for the new term. Reflect on Past Terms Before opening your course…
Science labs often are either integrated components of larger lecture courses (lab sections) or smaller, self-contained courses. Either way, it’s…
Early and regular communication with your students is very important. This guide offers key contact points and ways to help students get the support…
Being present in your remote course is key to keeping students engaged, leading to overall student success. Here are a few ways to stay connected to…
Student interaction plays an important role in learning and overall sense of community. Whether you’re teaching fully online, blended, or in-person,…
Students had a range of responses to the sudden shift to remote learning during Spring term 2020. While many students expressed appreciation for…
There is a growing movement to not only include but also involve students in curricula decisions. Students in higher education have challenged the…
The classroom can be a place to explore controversial topics including equity, identity, religious beliefs, and political views. These topics may…
In inclement weather, PSU may have a delayed start, an early closure, or a full-day closure. Here’s how to: Reduce impacts to class meetings and…
If you’re new to teaching online at PSU or just want to refresh your skills, this guide can help. It’s specifically for the “Online – No…
Digital class meetings are sessions that some or all students attend via Zoom or another virtual meeting platform. Such meetings may be recorded for…
Assessment is discovering students’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, competencies, and habits of mind, and comparing them to what’s expected…
OAI recommends using Modules to develop course organization and navigation. Correctly using Modules simplifies navigation for your students. Modules…
“Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources released under an open license that permits their free use and…
When students log in to your course for the first time, they need something friendly and welcoming that orients them and explicitly communicates what…
As the term concludes, you may want to complete the following tasks. Canvas GradebookIf you’ve been using the Canvas gradebook, make sure you’ve…
As the campus pivots to remote teaching due to COVID-19, you may be wondering how you can conduct many of your regular class lecture activities…