A-Term Academic Technology News 

Welcome back faculty! We know that we still have a week or so left of summer before NSO activities officially kick off, but we’re excited to move forward with A-Term preparations. We’ve been busy all summer with training and new tech tools to ease the transition for Fall. As always, the ATC is here to support you every step of the way. 

 

Summary 

Canvas requests & support 

Upcoming Workshops 

Video publishing, storage, & sharing 

Echo360 Lecture capturing 

Zoom Web conferencing 

Classroom engagement & survey tools 

Contact Us 

 

Canvas Requests & Support 

Please use our form for all Canvas site requests: https://www.wpi.edu/+canvasrequest 

This includes adding TAs or staff to your course site, copying content from a previous term, merging sections into one site, or creating a new organization site.  

If you have a course that exists in WorkDay, a site will be generated automatically for you within Canvas. No need to take the time to request these! 

 

 

Upcoming workshops 

 

Canvas 

Sign up for a Coffee & Canvas session!  Need a quick refresher on Canvas basics? Want to do a deep dive into a specific Canvas tool? Grab your beverage of choice and book a 30 minute chat with a Canvas expert. Daily appointments available online (or in person upon request) now through September 10th. 

Booking link: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/CoffeeCanvas@wpi.edu/bookings/     

 

Zoom 

We are offering Zoom Basic Training for anyone who either needs a refresher course or is new to using web conferencing tools at WPI!  These are online trainings, so you can join from home or your office! 

Friday, August 20th: Basics with Zoom  

Monday, August 23th: Basics with Zoom 

 

 

Educational Media Trainings 

August 16, 10am – Closed Captions for Educational Media  

https://wpi.zoom.us/j/96412700910 

August 20, 10am – Classroom Lecture Capture  

https://wpi.zoom.us/j/93301501926 

August 23, 10am – Echo360 Basic Training  

https://wpi.zoom.us/j/93035952186 

 

Instructional Design  

Open office hours on Mondays 3-4pm, Wednesdays 9-10am, and Fridays 11:30am-12:30pm using this Zoom: https://wpi.zoom.us/j/393623552 

 

On Demand and Micro Trainings 

We’ve recorded and collected our best workshops, and other “micro training” sessions where you can learn a topic in 10 minutes or less! More will continue to be available on this page as we add them so bookmark and keep checking back! See more at On Demand and Micro Trainings 

 

Don’t see a micro or regular training session that you are looking for? Contact us at atc-ttl@wpi.edu to schedule a 1-on-1 session that works with your schedule. 

 

 

Tech Help 

Chat & phone support with Canvas are the best way for faculty to get immediate help for time sensitive things outside of business hours.  

Canvas Support via chat, phone, or email is available 24/7 for faculty by clicking the Help button in the bottom left-hand corner of Canvas. 

For email support, please contactcanvashelp@wpi.edu with any questions or issues! 

 

 

Video publishing & sharing options 

Recording Your Lectures 

 

Echo360 vs. Zoom from the Classroom 

Each classroom at WPI is now equipped with Echo360 Lecture Capture thanks to our amazing AV Services team.  But is Echo360 the tool you need? How does it differ from Zoom? Do I have to be in a classroom to record? Start here with our Recording Lectures FAQ post and this comparison chart. Even if you record using Zoom in a classroom, you can still use Echo360 by setting up an automatic connection between your Zoom recordings and Echo360. This connection enables your Zoom recordings to be stored in your Echo360 library on a more permanent basis than is currently possible with Zoom, as Zoom recordings are deleted after 100 days. 

To request Echo360 lecture capture, please fill out the form herehttp://www.wpi.edu/+echorequest 

 

Flexibility in Course Delivery 

Still thinking about your course and how you can support your students who might need more flexibility in A-term due to the ongoing pandemic? Check out this infographic and consider consulting with one of our Instructional Designers to help identify what asynchronous and synchronous teaching and learning activities you might consider incorporating into your course using either Echo360 or Zoom. 

 

Storing Videos & Lectures 

Are you maxing out your Canvas storage? Learn more about the options we have for streaming your lectures and uploading video or other media that connect into Canvas for a seamless experience for you and your students. 

 

For more information or to schedule a training on Echo360, contact atc-ttl@wpi.edu

  

 

Web conferencing 

If you are interested in: 

 

·                     Bringing a guest speaker to your classroom 

·                     Teaching your class from home due to inclement weather 

·                     Giving your students a tool to share and discuss ideas in real-time 

·                     Hosting an online, interactive class or meeting 

 

…you may be interesting in learning more about Zoom, one of WPI’s conferencing tools (the other being Microsoft Teams).  Zoom supports simultaneous screen sharing, video, and audio (telephone or computer audio), as well as a suite of collaboration tools, and many more features. You can find our Zoom resources and videos through the On Demand and Micro Trainings page on our blog, and scheduled trainings can be found on the Workshops page (and near the top of this e-mail!) 

To get started with Zoom, please contact Jolene Cotnoir at jcotnoir@wpi.edu. 

  

Classroom engagement & surveys 

Poll Everywhere is a web-based polling solution where students use their phone, tablets, and laptops to answer questions used for lecture engagement. You can even use it in Zoom!  If you do not currently have access to Poll Everywhere, please use the Polling Request form

  

Will your students be creating surveys and collecting data? 

WPI has a site license for the fully featured Qualtrics suite.  No need to use "free" online services for your surveys!  Qualtrics will be making changes to their survey building dashboard over the next couple of months.  Learn more about what to expect.  

 

If you would like to meet for 30 minutes via Zoom for a consult or training on Poll Everywhere or Qualtrics you can book online! 

 

Interested in enhancing your online class discussions?  

WPI has a free license to use FlipGrid, which allows for video discussion boards that can be enabled directly within Canvas.  Learn more about FlipGrid.   

 

Contact us 

Got a question or a problem? E-mailatc-ttl@wpi.edu and we'll be happy to help find a solution! 

   

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