University of Minnesota faculty, staff, and students currently have access to Microsoft Copilot . It describes itself as “your everyday AI companion” that provides better answers, greater efficiency, and new ways to be creative. When prompted, Copilot suggests that higher education professionals might use it for: Code assistance and learning Research and writing Collaboration Course material creation Accessibility and inclusivity  ATSS staff members completed the Enhance teaching and learning with Microsoft Copilot course to help us understand how to use the platform and to evaluate the course to determine if it would be helpful for the UMN community. This post provides an overview of the course, our exploration process, and key takeaways. Course overview This course delves into Microsoft Copilot for education by familiarizing yourself with its modes and features for designing effective prompts and analyzing results (source: AI x Education newsletter). It is one of three courses in Mi

This post summarizes the August 2024 Canvas Gradebook Set-up session facilitated by Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS). During the session, ATSS consultants presented an overview of getting started with the Canvas Gradebook and its settings, discussed streamlining grading throughout the semester, and shared resources for advanced tips and tricks. Key Takeaways The role of the Canvas Gradebook in addressing access and inclusion Challenges facing students: academic stress, student mental health, transparency, anxiety about grades and class performance Challenges facing instructors: burnout, grading and time commitments, transparency in grading practices and assessments, ungrading We do not intend to imply that simply using the Canvas Gradebook will single-handedly eliminate the previously mentioned issues. However, we bring them to think about a small change that could be taken to set yourself and your students up for a semester with more ease.  Canvas Gradebook settings Assig