On July 1, Flip (formerly Flipgrid) will no longer be available for use in the app or in Canvas courses. You will no longer be able to create new groups, topics, or videos after this date. Flip, owned by Microsoft, is limiting the use of this application to Microsoft Teams. The Flip.com website will go into view-only mode. You will be able to download previously recorded Flip videos through September 30, 2024. Refer to the complete announcement from Flip .  Flip is used for: Class introductions Small group discussions Video assignments If you use Flip in your courses, there are alternative tools to consider that can support similar activities. Below is an at-a-glance comparison of options available for your consideration. Activity selection criteria   Discussions with media recording in Kaltura Kaltura Video Assignment VoiceThread Google Assignment Integrated with Canvas Yes Yes Yes Yes Grading in SpeedGrader Yes ...

In this post, Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS) staff members continue our exploration of generative AI tools that could support our work as instructional designers and academic technologists. Previously, we  investigated the NOLEJ platform . This time, we looked at Bongo to investigate how it might be used in instructional design work to support teaching and learning.   Note: ATSS does not endorse the use of Bongo or any other tool that is not supported by the central Office of Information Technology. This blog post is part of an ongoing investigation of generative AI tools and their uses in teaching and learning.  Tool Overview Bongo is a video-assignment platform that offers an AI Coach with features for instructors and students. Used in education and industry, Bongo allows students to practice and receive feedback on video assignments (e.g., video presentations or practice interviews). Additionally, Bongo’s AI Coach provides options to generate assign...

The process of submitting final grades can be daunting. This post breaks down the grade submission process into discrete steps and provides guidance for each step of the way. Step 1: Check the grading scheme The grading scheme is the breakdown of percentages and letter grades and is used to calculate grades that students see in the Canvas gradebook. The default grading scheme in Canvas sites differs from the UMN Letter Grade Scheme. For example, the UMN Grade Scheme has an “A” at 93-100% whereas the default Canvas scheme has an “A” at 94-100%.  You may have already set the grading scheme at the start of the semester, so if you change it at the end, notify students as their grades may change from what they have been monitoring.  The first minute of the following video shows how to check/set the grading scheme in your Canvas course (the rest of the video shows Steps 2, 3 & 4). Step 2: Update gradebook scores All empty/blank grades need a score or another value like “EX” for ...

In a “flipped classroom” students get the course lecture or learning material before they come to class. Then, classroom time presents an opportunity to engage students in new ways. This strategy is one of many active learning strategies to more fully engage students in course materials.  We ( ATSS ) had the opportunity to talk with Victor Barocas about his experience “flipping” his classes. Professor Barocas, who teaches in the College of Science and Engineering, began by flipping a new class he was scheduled to teach in 2018. The experiment worked wonders. Today, he is working on flipping his third course because this method of teaching has elevated his students' learning and his own satisfaction as a teacher. Read edited excerpts from our interview below. What does your flipped classroom look like? Students watch a recorded video lecture before class. For the recorded video lecture, I talk for 15 - 20 minutes about the concept and then do a problem. Every video for my class ...

Co-authored by Lauren Marsh (ATSS) and Mary Jetter (CEI).  Are you wondering how and when your students should use generative AI? Are you exploring how to harness generative AI to augment your teaching? Many instructors are asking these questions as they contemplate using generative AI in their courses. Recently, the Emerging Technology Faculty Fellows were asked to try an experiment following these steps: Review resources that address the appropriate use of GenAI, for example, Appropriate Use of ChatGPT and Similar Generative AI Tools .  Then consider the web resource Advancing Meaningful Learning in the Age of AI,  which provides a revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy intended to help instructors evaluate and make changes to course assignments or assessments in light of GenAI.  Identify a single assignment from your course. Break the assignment into a series of sequential tasks. For each task, consider the following prompts: Decide whether or not students cou...

Similar to professionals in many fields, ATSS staff members are in the process of exploring generative AI tools to support our work as instructional designers and academic technologists.  Note: ATSS does not endorse the use of NOLEJ or any other tool that is not supported by the central Office of Information Technology. This blog post is part of an ongoing investigation of generative AI tools and their uses in teaching and learning.  We recently delved into the NOLEJ platform to investigate how it might be used with materials from instructional development sessions facilitated by our team.  The guiding questions we used for our exploration included: What are the platform’s privacy and terms of use, and how do they inform what content we would upload? What types of content can be uploaded, and what can be done with it? How might this platform enhance our professional development offerings? How might this platform inform our instructional design workflow/practice? Too...

 Navigating the digital landscape of higher education can be both exciting and daunting. Recognizing this challenge, staff from University Libraries and academic technology departments across the University of Minnesota system provide knowledge about start-of-semester tasks and course planning assistance to incoming and returning instructors and TAs through the Canvas Clinic. The Canvas Clinic is held at the start of each semester and provides one-on-one personalized assistance for instructors and TAs. Topics include setting up course sites, creating activities and assessments, and integrating media or other course resources into Canvas. Participation at the Canvas Clinic is typically higher during the fall semester. The chart below depicts the number of participants over the past five academic years. Key Features One-on-One Support: Instructors talk through their questions individually with knowledgeable staff.  Technical Troubleshooting: Recognizing that technology can disr...