Distance Education February 2024 Newsletter
Greetings to the incredible family that makes Taft College a beacon of inspiration! To our dedicated faculty, your passion for teaching and commitment to student success drive our academic excellence. To our brilliant students, your pursuit of knowledge and resilience in facing challenges inspires us daily. To our steadfast staff members, your unwavering support and tireless efforts ensure the smooth functioning of our vibrant community.
Distance Education Team
Canvas Updates
- New Quizzes
In New Quizzes, additional question types are included in the Answer Frequency Summary in the Item Analysis Report.
In New Quizzes, when a course is copied that includes a new quiz with an item bank, the item bank is shared with the new course automatically.
- Canvas Calendar & Rich Content Editor Adds
When creating or editing an event in the Calendar, users can manually input event times and the drop-down menu time options are changed to 15-minute increments. The observer pairing code CSV export includes SIS ID’s. In the Rich Content Editor (RCE), users can hover over the file name to view the full name when viewing course files with long and similar names. Additionally, in the RCE, when using HTML width and height attributes on <source> are supported.
In the Calendar, users can create and edit duplicate events for different sections of a course.
- Cookies Notice & Google LTI’s
In the Dashboard, a Cookie Notice link is available to users. In Global Navigation, the All Accounts, All Courses and All Groups links display first in the Admin, Courses and Group trays. In Google Drive and Google Meet LTI, a banner displays that the Google Apps LTI is no longer supported as of June 30, 2024.
Faculty Corner
- Engaging Learning EnvironmentsFaculty members who incorporate interactive elements, multimedia, and varied instructional strategies create engaging learning environments. Engaged students are more likely to stay motivated, participate actively, and retain the information they learn.
- Diverse Learning ResourcesOnline courses can leverage a variety of digital resources such as videos, podcasts, interactive simulations, and online databases. Faculty members who curate and integrate diverse learning resources enhance the richness of the learning experience for students.
- Cultivation of Digital LiteracyAs technology becomes increasingly important in various professions, faculty members who integrate technology into their courses help students develop essential digital literacy skills. These skills include information literacy, critical thinking in a digital context, and proficiency with digital tools.
Student Tips for Success
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Never miss a due date! Set your Notification preferences in Canvas to receive alerts for new assignments, due dates, discussion replies, instructor feedback, and more. Learn how here: Setting Notifications in Canvas
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Google Chrome is preferred when using Canvas and other online learning tools. Many Canvas features are limited when using the Canvas app or other browsers. Download Google Chrome here
- Utilize your free Microsoft Tools such as Word, Excel, and OneDrive through your Taft College student email. Watch this quick video to get started: Access your Free Microsoft Office Products
Accessibility Tips and Tricks
- Canvas AccessibilityWe offer a public Canvas Accessibility Basics resource to assist you with creating accessible course content and materials, utilizing accessibility tools in Canvas, and learning the minimum accessibility requirements that reference Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 A/AA standards (WCAG).
- Mindfulness
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 Americans have a disability. Keep in mind that disabilities can be “invisible.” It was estimated that 10% of people who claim a disability status have an invisible disability such as ADHD, brain trauma, epilepsy, ADD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.
- Multimedia
Be mindful of those that that are visually impaired, hearing impaired, or have learning disabilities.
- WCAG 1.2.2: Provide 99% accurate captions with proper grammar and spelling for all videos used in lectures, discussions, assignments, and quizzes.
- WCAG 1.2.1: Provide an audio description, or text alternative, for all audio-only used in lectures, discussions, assignments, and quizzes.
- Text Formatting
Be mindful of those that are colorblind, poor-sighted, or dyslexic.
- Text can be hard to read when it does not meet the color contrast requirements.
- Use text that is a minimum of 12-point font, so it is easy to see to most, if not all, users.
- Minimize the use of all caps and italics for emphasis. Instead, use bold text for emphasis so it is easier to read.
- Look Ahead
- PDF Accessibility (with PAC 2024)
- Word Accessibility
- PowerPoint Accessibility
Upcoming Events
- February 1st Pope Tech Dashboard
Presented by the CCC
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2024Time: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, Pacific
- February 2nd Skill-Up
Building an Accessible Module in Canvas
When/WhereDate: Friday 2/2/2024Time: 11:00-12:00Location: T-14
This Skill-Up aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to create modules that meet accessibility standards and provide an inclusive learning experience for every student.
- March 15th Skill-Up
Looking ahead DE (in collaboration with IT) will present on website design for accessibility.
This Skill-Up is open to all faculty and staff members interested in enhancing their understanding of web accessibility and incorporating best practices into their digital content creation.
Feedback and Suggestions
For the Faculty Corner, DE would like to present stand-out faculty (faculty members who went above and beyond the call of duty). DE would like to share their successes with Taft College. If you have a faculty member in mind, please send an email to Jon Farmer and inform Jon how this faculty member went above and beyond the call of duty.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for our department's monthly newsletter, please email or call our director Jon Farmer ([email protected]) directly.