Summer 2023 Programming
Join our Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) team and your fellow instructors and teaching assistants this summer as we explore the physical and remote class environments and new educational technologies. These sessions are designed to provide support across the spectrum of course delivery methods, with a particular focus on technologies supporting hybrid lecture delivery and student assessment.
On-going sessions, specific programming for May, June, July and August, and personalized sessions are available.
Gradescope Drop-Ins
Date & Time: Ongoing
Location: Online (Zoom)
Gradescope, a new educational technology at the University of Guelph and the University of Guelph-Humber, has replaced Test Scoring application and Scantron technology, effective Fall 2022.
This new technology offers up-to-date assignment design opportunities—for both online and in-person formats—and provides assessment features that can increase grading efficiency and consistency and deliver extensive feedback to students.
If you are interested in using Gradescope to set up an existing or new assignment, learn bubble sheets, or just have some general questions about the technology, please stop by one of our Gradescope Drop-Ins.
Gradescope Drop-Ins are scheduled via Zoom every Wednesday from May 3 to August 23 (no registration required!).
More information on Gradescope and the various assignment types are available via OpenEd’s Instructor Gradescope Support documentation.
Drop-In Session Zoom Links:
Web Conferencing Classroom Orientations & Practice Sessions
Date & Time: Ongoing (by appointment)
Location: Day Hall, Room 118
If you are assigned to a Lecture Web Conferencing or Seminar Web Conferencing Classroom, you may be interested in an orientation or practice session in our demo room in Day Hall.
Our 30- to 45-minute, in-person orientation sessions are facilitated by an instructional technology specialist (ITS), and include a walkthrough of the classroom technology, a chance to try out your laptop in the room, and an opportunity to better understand the in-person and remote student experience.
Alternatively, if you are already familiar with the web conferencing classrooms from a previous semester, you may also use the registration form to book time in our demonstration room to practice and test on your own by selecting the Practice Session option.
To register, complete the Demonstration Classroom Booking Form. You will be asked to provide three potential availability windows when requesting an orientation or practice session. Our team will make every effort to accommodate your availability.
Online Workshop: Get Started with Gradescope
Date & Time: Ongoing
Location: Online (Zoom)
Offered directly by our partners at Gradescope, these hour-long workshops are available on various dates and times throughout the semester.
Gradescope's team of trainers provide thorough demonstrations and answer questions about the platform. Please note that the trainers are not affiliated with the University. If you have a question about Gradescope specific to our institution, please contact CourseLink Support or stop by one of our weekly Gradescope Drop-Ins.
In the Get Started with Gradescope workshop, you learn how to:
- Set up assignments where students can submit freeform work (no printers or templates needed)
- Grade your existing exams and homework on Gradescope
- Make rubric changes as you grade—changes apply to previously graded work to maintain consistency
- Write each comment only once—apply previously used comments with a click
- Use ‘assignment analytics’ to gain insight into student learning
CourseLink Tool Spotlight: New Discussion Creation Experience
Date & Time: Thursday, June 1, 2023 | 2-3 p.m.
Location: Online (Zoom)
Register for CourseLink Tool Spotlight: New Discussion Creation Experience
A new create and edit experience for discussion topics has been released by D2L and is now available in CourseLink. The goal of the new creation experience is to simplify common tasks for first-time or infrequent users, while giving easy access to the advanced features that are popular with experienced users. The update also brings additional consistency to the create/edit workflows across various activities in CourseLink such as Content, Dropbox, and Quizzes.
In this session you will:
- Discover the redesigned create and edit screen for Discussion topics
- Compare the new Discussion creation experience with the recently updated creation experience for Dropbox and Quizzes
- Explore various interface and option updates as well as wording changes for some features in the Discussions tool
Gradescope - Stories from the Classroom (Session 3)
Date & Time: Wednesday, June 7 | 3-4 p.m.
Location: Online (Zoom)
Register for Gradescope - Stories from the Classroom (Please select the option for the June 7 session.)
Led by Gradescope’s faculty consultants, this session showcases how other instructors use Gradescope to:
- Design formative and summative assessments without constraints around logistics and grading capacity
- Develop smarter workflows, whether grading alone or coordinating a multi-section course with 20+ graders
- Gain insights to support student learning, understand trends, and improve teaching
Please note that this session will cover the same content as the May 10 session.
Gradescope Midterm Exam Assistance Drop-Ins
Dates & Times:
Thursday, June 8 | 10 a.m. to noon
Monday, June 12 | 2-4 p.m.
Location: Online (Zoom)
- Join the Thursday, June 8 Midterm Exam Assistance Drop-In
- Join the Monday, June 12 Midterm Exam Assistance Drop-In
Is it your first time running a midterm exam using a Gradescope bubble sheet instead of Scantron? Do you have questions about how to integrate Gradescope with your CourseLink course site? Are you unsure where to find blank Gradescope Bubble Sheets to distribute to your students? Are you looking to create, process, or assess a Gradescope Exams & Quizzes assignment and need advice?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, or have other Gradescope-related questions, please pop by one of our two online Gradescope Midterm Exam Assistance Drop-Ins. No registration required.
Can’t make it to either of the Midterm Drop-In sessions? Feel free to pop by the Weekly Online Gradescope Drop-In (Wednesdays at 2 p.m.), view our Gradescope support documentation, or contact CourseLink Support.
CourseLink Tool Spotlight: Rubrics
Date & Time: Thursday, June 15 | 2-3 p.m.
Location: Online (Zoom)
Register for CourseLink Tool Spotlight: Rubrics
Rubrics are valuable tools to provide detailed and transparent feedback on student work. Rubrics not only save instructors time during the assessment process, but they also provide students with concrete criteria for improving on work. This session will explore the value of rubrics and their practical use within CourseLink.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Understand the benefits of rubrics and the benefits of the Rubrics tool in CourseLink
- Create, manage, and copy rubrics in CourseLink
- Associate rubrics with dropbox folders, discussion topics, and grade items
- Perform assessment of student work using rubrics
JULY
Gradescope Final Exam Assistance Drop-Ins
Dates & Times:
Thursday, July 27, 2023 | 10 a.m. to noon
Monday, July 31, 2023 | 2-4 pm
Location: Online (Zoom)
- Join the Thursday, July 27 Final Exam Assistance Drop-In
- Join the Monday, July 31 Final Exam Assistance Drop-In
Is it your first time running a midterm exam using a Gradescope bubble sheet instead of Scantron? Do you have questions about how to integrate Gradescope with your CourseLink course site? Are you unsure where to find blank Gradescope Bubble Sheets to distribute to your students? Are you looking to create, process, or assess a Gradescope Exams & Quizzes assignment and need advice?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, or have other Gradescope-related questions, please pop by one of our two online Gradescope Final Exam Assistance Drop-Ins. Not registration required.
Can’t make it to either of the Final Exam Drop-In sessions? Feel free to pop by the Weekly Online Gradescope Drop-Ins (Wednesdays at 2 p.m.), view our Gradescope support documentation, or contact CourseLink Support.
PERSONALIZED SESSIONS
Are you looking for a session on a specific supported educational technology for your college, department, or instructional team? Our ITS team offers personalized sessions for large and small groups and will work with you to tailor a session to your needs.
To request a session, please contact the ITS team.
PAST SESSIONS
May
| DE Course Facilitation Workshop I: CourseLink Tools and Facilitation Best Practices |
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Date & Time: Wednesday, May 3, 2023 | 10-11:30 a.m. DE Course Facilitation Workshop I: CourseLink Tools and Facilitation Best Practices In this workshop, OpenEd specialists from the Distance Learning and Instructional Technology teams will introduce you to the navigation of your distance education course in CourseLink (Homepage, Navbars, Content) , communication and student management tools (Announcements, Classlist, Email, Discussions, Groups), and essential assessment tools (Grades, Dropbox, and Quizzes) through demonstrations and discussions of best practices. You will have opportunities for discussion and Q&A during the workshop. Intended Audience: This workshop is open to Summer 2023 distance education instructors and teaching assistants (including those in University of Guelph degree DE sections, continuing education, the executive programs, and at the University of Guelph Humber). By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
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| DE Course Facilitation Workshop II: Advanced CourseLink Tools and Facilitation Strategies |
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Date & Time: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 | 10 a.m. to noon DE Course Facilitation Workshop II: Advanced CourseLink Tools and Facilitation Strategies In this workshop, OpenEd specialists from the Distance Learning and Instructional Technology teams will demonstrate advanced application of several CourseLink tools, including Class Progress, Groups, Intelligent Agents, Rubrics, Discussions, Respondus, and the Final Grades Export tool, through demonstrations and discussions of best practices for the pedagogical uses of the tools in a distance education context. You will also participate in an interactive activity with other participants. You will have opportunities for discussion and Q&A during the workshop. Intended Audience: This workshop is open to Summer 2023 distance education instructors and teaching assistants (including those in University of Guelph degree DE sections, continuing education, the executive programs, and at the University of Guelph Humber). By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
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| Gradescope - Stories from the Classroom (Session 2) |
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Date & Time: Monday, May 8, 2023 | 3-4 p.m. Led by Gradescope’s faculty consultants, this session showcases how other instructors use Gradescope to:
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