Teaching News

Dear Colleagues,  

Faculty teaching awards deadlines are coming up in February and March and we want to make sure you know how to participate: 

The Williams Fund: Nominate a colleague as a Williams Fellow for outstanding teaching and collaboration: due Feb. 15. Submit a Williams Instructional Proposal to fund your innovative teaching idea: due March 15. Download nomination and application forms here.  

Learn all about the Instructional Proposal process—and be inspired by grantees Computer and Information Sciences' Kathleen Freeman and SOJC’s Ed Madison at the Williams Showcase event Friday, Feb. 4, 1-2 p.m., hosted on Zoom. (Register here.) 

Distinguished Teaching Awards: Nominate colleagues across career stages and for excellent online teaching and other specialized pedagogies: due Feb. 15. (Nominate colleagues here.)  

Sustainability Teaching Award: Share a letter and syllabus indicating how you or a colleague have developed pedagogy and curriculum to advance principles of sustainability: due March 4.

Covid-Impacted Winter Teaching

Here is an overview of the instructional adaptations UO faculty and GEs are making this term, including step-by-step guides to making simple recordings of your voice and presentation in any UO classroom and visuals and ideas for clearly communicating modality shifts to students. 

Large-class instructors: Did you know you can apply for an undergraduate student to be assigned to your course to offer regular technological support during class? Sign up here.

And all faculty and GE instructors who have questions or need classroom technology training in advance of your teaching, please create a ticket at Classroom Technology Support.  

Midterms: Faculty and GEs can adjust assessment structures in courses so long as learning outcomes are met, according to Academic Council’s guidance. If you’re thinking of making a change, alternative assessment ideas are available for your consideration. UO Online offers step-by-step guidance for creating Canvas exams. These resources for supporting academic integrity are available for you. 

Grading Policy Updates: The Academic Council is considering a temporary adjustment to the grade change option for students who might want to select P/N for flexibility. Look for a decision on this in the Week 7 Teaching News.

Supporting Student Success with Canvas Commons Resources

Many faculty and graduate instructors are seeking to support students by bolstering study skills and college knowledge to address pandemic learning loss.

Student Success Teaching Toolkit activities from the teaching.uoregon.edu website are now available to you in Canvas Commons (image below) to make it easier than ever to draw on and adapt pre-made activities that may work for your class. 

In addition to the Toolkit activities, Canvas Commons now includes a Student Wellbeing Resources page. As instructors and student services continue to see an increase in mental health and other well-being challenges for students, instructors may wish to highlight support by simply importing the page of resources into their course. (These links will work for you once you’re logged into Canvas.)

New Canvas Video Tutorials

Looking for ways to make your Canvas site more streamlined, accessible, and intuitive for your students? UO Online’s ten-minute video on Canvas Best Practices will walk you through the use of Canvas modules, wayfinding measures, and accessibility features. 

If you need just-in-time help with Canvas basics, UO Online has created a playlist of short videos on basic Canvas functions. 

Winter Invitations

Science Teaching Journal Club: What Inclusive Instructors Do 

Teaching Towards Access Reading Group 

Enhancing Student Engagement with Collaborative Annotation Tools
Faculty panel and hands-on practice with Perusall and Hypothesis 

  • Friday, Feb. 18, 2-3:30 p.m. 
  • DREAM Lab Knight Library 
  • Register here

Consultations TEP and UO Online are here to support you in your teaching. Request an individual consultation.