Course Design - Home Page Open Lab
Join COLRS staff to work on your course home page or syllabus using the CidiLabs Design Plus tool.
Department URL
Course Design Matters
Join COLRS to learn about how course design can impact student learning. We'll cover some research findings, CidiLabs Design Plus, and how to customize our UIS syllabus template.
Semester Launch Info - Spring 2024
Key Dates
- New to Canvas? Learn with us. Join the Canvas Basics Zoom workshop on January 11th at Noon.
- Students added to Canvas on Friday, January 5th
Canvas Basics
Join COLRS staff to learn about navigating the Canvas interface and the foundational tools for organizing and building a course at UIS. Topics covered include: navigating, communicating with students, creating modules and assignments, and gradebook.
Copying Canvas Content
Canvas allows instructors to copy a single piece of content, a module, one type of content, or an entire course. It is very flexible!
You will only be able to import content from a course in which you are listed as an instructor.
HyFlex Pedagogy
HyFlex (Hybrid Flexible) is a pedagogy and teaching modality that allows students a high degree of flexibility — the content is available in a physical classroom, synchronously via web conference during class meetings, and in a recorded asynchronous format. Originally conceived by Brian Beatty and his colleagues at San Francisco State University, the HyFlex model provides students more flexibility while maintaining high quality instruction for all students.
In HyFlex format, students choose among three modes to engage with their instructor, peers, and the content:
There’s No Place Like Home (Pages) for the Holidays
As we wrap up the fall term and prepare to begin intersession, we would like to wish you all a wonderful winter break. We are thankful for all you do to make UIS a great place to learn and work!
Happy winter break!
The COLRS Team: Michele, Carrie, Taylor, Scott, and Emily
Copyright
The United States government states, "Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works." This law was updated most recently in December 2022.
Open Educational Resources
What are OERs?
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are freely accessible, openly licensed documents and media. OERs may be an individual module or learning object or entire courses or textbooks. Lower textbook costs have been attributed to increased access and better learning outcomes for students.
High Engagement Practice: Tying It All Together – Reflection and Learning Transfer
At the start of term, we spend a lot of energy planning the first interactions of a course and setting our students up for successful learning – introductions, building community, and understanding outcomes and expectations. Our choices at the end of the term are just as important. Summarizing, reflection, and making connections to the bigger picture are critical for long-term transfer of learning, or applying learning from one situation to a completely different context.