By Emma Larkins, Center for Teaching and Learning
Get winter term off to a successful start!
Preparing for the term and setting the tone in the first few weeks of the course are important to both the instructor and students. Here are tips and strategies from considering a welcoming syllabus, to setting up your Canvas course site with your students in mind, to getting to know the OSU Media Hub. These will help ensure a successful start to the Winter term!
- Build an Engaging Syllabus: Have you finalized your course syllabus? See Creating a Syllabus That Students Want to Read. Check the OSU syllabus requirements and templates for various types of courses. In addition, the Basic Needs Center provides sample language for a Basic Needs Syllabus Statement and the Center for Teaching and Learning offers guidance for writing a warm-toned syllabus.
- Canvas Course Checklist: Seeking more effective ways to use Canvas to support student learning? Now is a great time for a quick check to see you have the basics covered on your Canvas course sites. The Canvas Course Checklist will help you simplify your course navigation menu, organize your weekly modules, align the gradebook with your syllabus, and much more.
- Canvas Course Calendar: Getting ready for winter term? As you work on your Canvas site, utilize the calendar feature for your course. Assignments created in Canvas will automatically be added to a student’s calendar of due dates for all of their classes. Once your Canvas site is ready, be sure to publish it in a timely manner for students to access.
- Integrating Media: Need to brush up on creating and using media to augment your teaching before the term begins? See Using Media. Do your students need media equipment or training to complete assignments? Check out the OSU Media Hub, the one-stop shop for multimedia support and resources for students, staff and faculty.
About the author: Emma Larkins (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University. Her professional background is in qualitative research, higher education assessment and evaluation, and advancing equity.
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of Timely Teaching Tips posts to provide just-in-time predagogical techniques, strategies, and guidance to support OSU instructional faculty. For daily Timely Teaching Tips throughout the academic year subscribe to OSU Today.
Image generated with Microsoft Bing.
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