GSA eLearning News

    OER repositories There are many repositories of OERs publicly available on the internet. A large proportion of these showcase OERs associated with particular educational institutions or projects, but there are several repositories which aggregate material from a range of sources. Here is a list of some of them – an internet search for ‘OER repositories’ will reveal more. Solvonauts    – a search engine that searches across repositories (they also provide open repository software for institutions wanting to set up their own repository of OER). MERLOT    – tens of thousands of discipline-specific learning materials, learning exercises, and content builder webpages, together with associated comments, and bookmark collections, all intended to enhance the teaching experience of using a learning material. All of these items have been contributed by the MERLOT member community, who have either authored the materials themselves, or who have discovered the mater...

This week's 2 Minute Tech Tip is actually a 1 Minute Tech Tip! It shows you how to hide or minimise your desktop icons in Windows 10. This is useful if you would like to quickly clean up your desktop prior to a Zoom meeting or video recording where others may see your screen.  For help with this tip or any other Learning Technology issues, please contact us at LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk

This week's 2 Minute Tech Tip shows you how to easily play music or sound on your computer over Zoom. This is useful if you are showing videos to students, or if you have sound featured in a presentation that you are giving.  For further help with sharing audio over Zoom, or any other Learning Technology issues, please contact us at LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk

  This week's 2 Minute Tech Tip introduces staff to the built-in Accessibility Checker Tool in Canvas. The tool enables users to quickly scan their page content for any accessibility issues, and fix these from within the tool, prior to publishing. Issues that the tool checks for include; correct use of formatting styles, colour contrast, image alt-text and duplicate links, in addition to many other common issues. It is recommended that all staff use the tool before publishing any content.   Detailed information on the tool can be found in the Canvas Guides , and more information on creating accessible content can be found on GSA's Using Canvas for Staff pages. Remember staff and students can contact us at LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk for any learning technology queries. 

This week's 2 Minute Tech Tip explores the integration of Zoom and Screencast-o-matic . The integration provides a quick and easy way to edit your Zoom recordings prior to sharing with students. If you require a GSA Staff account for Screencast-o-matic please contact the  GSA IT helpdesk . For help with this tech tip or any other learning technology issues remember you can contact us at LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk . 

This week's 2 Minute Tech Tip explores how to use the Polling feature in Zoom. Polling can be used to get feedback and other useful information from participants in your Zoom sessions. For further information, please see the Zoom support pages on Polling  or email us at LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk

In this week's 2 Minute Tech Tip we show you how to request control of a screen in Zoom. This is a great tool for collaborative working, giving feedback or proving assistance to someone over Zoom.  Full details of the feature can be found on the Zoom support pages . For help with this or any other Learning Technology issues, please contact us at LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk .  

In this week's two minute tech tip, we show you how to use the annotation tool in Zoom. Annotations is a useful tool that can enhance collaboration and could also be used provide feedback to students. Detailed instructions for using the annotations feature are available on the Zoom support pages . Further information on accessing Zoom at GSA can be found on the GSA Staff Intranet .  Information for students on how to access and use Zoom can be found on the GSA Student Intranet. For assistance getting Zoom up and running on your computer you can contact the GSA IT Helpdesk , or for help using Zoom once you have it installed, you can contact us at LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk . 

This week's 2 Minute Tech Tip shows staff how to use Discussions to facilitate learning and teaching in Canvas.   Discussions can be powerful tools for interaction, but can also be difficult to get students to contribute. Think about the following hints and tips when setting up and managing discussion:   Be clear about the purpose of the discussion. Discussions work best when linked to a specific activity or task. Be clear about what it is you want your students to post e.g. initial thoughts ideas or well considered and thoughtful written responses / resolved works. Ensure you have a clear structure and timeline – Who will post, what will they post, and when should they post. Set interim deadlines for initial posts, follow up posts or comments and final responses. Ensure you have given enough time for posts to be formulated Allow for different types of media to be used e.g. video, audio, graphics, animations, links, minds maps, documents etc.  Clearly signpost your role i...

Get ready for a new improved editor in Canvas! Canvas has updated the rich content editor (RCE) so it is more accessible and user friendly on mobile devices. It's coming into all courses in January.  If you want to turn it on in your course now to see how it looks, the RCE can be enabled by teachers (it is currently off by default). It looks similar to the existing RCE but includes some improved functionality. It will replace the current RCE in January, 2021 so you are encouraged to begin using it now. To enable the new RCE: Open your Canvas course Click Settings from the navigation menu Click Feature Options. Find "RCE Enhancements" on the page and move the slider to the "ON" position.  Click the Save Changes button.  If you have a teaching team on the course, please let them know beforehand as this feature will be turned on for the whole course. Rich Content Editor - new features: Expands to the full width of the browser The toolbar includes a condensed, more ...

LinkedIn Learning has loads of useful videos for your students, and now you can embed them directly into your Canvas course. All LinkedIn Learning (LIL) videos have HTML embed codes that allow you to display individual videos directly in Canvas Pages, Assignments, Discussions, etc. Anywhere you see the Rich Content Editor, you can access the   Insert/Edit media   button. The Insert/Edit media button allows you to embed a LinkedIn Learning (LIL) video into your Canvas content. NOTE: The embed option is only available to those who have connected their LinkedIn account to their LinkedIn Learning account. See instructions for doing this in this guide , or follow the steps below: Login to linkedin.com/learning Select any course Navigate to the Q&A tab Select the button Connect 'My LinkedIn Account' and sign in with your personal LinkedIn profile credentials. Limit There is a limit of five embedded videos per month. If you want to share multiple videos or an entir...

In the first of our new series of 2 Minute Tech Tips, we show you how to create a virtual studio wall in  Padlet  so students can share images of their work as it progresses.  To access your Padlet Dashboard at GSA, please log into  glasgowschoolofart.padlet.org , and select "log in with Microsoft" using your usual GSA email and password.  For further information on using Padlet, please visit the Engaging with Students Online Canvas course, where you can find information on using Padlet in Canvas and also and recordings of pervious webinars  covering a range of subjects, including Padlet. 

Last week we shared a post that described a variety of strategies and software you can use when creating video content. Software for creating and editing videos includes PowerPoint, Adobe Premier Pro, Screencast O Matic, Planet eStream, and in-built tools in Canvas. To make it easier for you to choose which software to use, we have created a flowchart in Miro that you can use once you have created a plan for your video. Please click on See the Board below to view the flowchart in Miro.

How do I go about creating video content for my students? This is one of our most frequently asked questions, and it is often hard to respond to because there are so many possible answers. This post will provide an overview of the process and some of the tools that can be used to create and share video content with students at GSA.  The process can be split into six separate steps: Plan what you will record Record the content Edit  Upload  Create subtitles Embed and Share Each step in the process is detailed below with link to relevant resources: Plan It is usually very useful to write a script for your video. This will make the recording process easier, and keep your videos concise. Aim to keep your videos quite short, and if you have large amounts of information to convey, look for ways to break it up into smaller videos.   Decide what you would like your students to see in the video. You can use your webcam to record yourself, you may wish to narrate over pow...

Zoom and Virtual Classroom (aka Collaborate Ultra) are both video conferencing tools that we have access to at GSA. This blog post will provide an overview of both tools, their main features and how they can support your Learning and Teaching. Most teaching staff will likely be using both these conferencing tools either as hosts or participants, so its good to get acquainted with the interfaces of both tools. Zoom is ideal for meetings, either one-to-one or with large groups. It has a 'work' focus, and facilitates discussions very well. Virtual Classroom on the other hand is ideal for teaching and learning situations. It has a Classroom focus that facilitates learning and is fully integrated into GSA's Canvas VLE. Installation differences Zoom can run either in a browser, or as a standalone software application on your computer, mobile or tablet. The browser version has limited features, so it is suggested to install the app. New security settings in Zoom re...

Accessibility regulations require that all video content published within Canvas contains subtitles, sometimes referred to as 'closed-captions' or 'captions'.  A transcript of any dialogue based audio should also be provided. This applies to podcasts and other audio based formats as well. Providing these additional accessible materials allows users to use screen readers and text-based search functions to easily locate specific information within a video or audio file, and also helps increase accessibility. At GSA, we recommend hosting any audio or video content on GSA's Planet eStream account. Planet eStream allows users to upload subtitle files to videos and upload transcripts to accompany videos. So how do I get subtitles on my video? Here are two suggested methods for generating captions for your audio and video. Option 1. Otter.ai  Otter.ai provides auto-transcription of audio and video files, and can create transcripts. A free accoun...

For teaching staff at GSA Digital Accessibility is about ensuring the online learning environment and resources are easily accessible for all students and staff, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences. All staff at GSA should have an awareness of the importance of accessibility, and strive to create accessible learning materials. This post contains links and guidance on how staff can create accessible digital learning materials and best meet the requirements of the UK Governments's Accessibility Regulations.  (Links to an external site How do I create accessible content? Structure Content  Structuring digital content correctly helps make text compatible with screen reader software. This allows users with visual impairments to quickly find the most appropriate part of a document using a screen reader. By using text styles (headings), tables and lists appropriately when inputting text you can create accessible content in Canvas pages...

The Zoom desktop app Zoom is a video conferencing service that is fast becoming one of the most popular tools for online meetings, lectures, seminars, webinars and video calls. It is simple to use, yet loaded with advanced features. With a few simple steps you can get set up to host or participate in online meetings. What hardware and software do I need? A laptop with a built in-webcam and microphone is the most common (and simple) hardware setup. If you don't have a laptop Zoom will run on an iPhone or Android mobile via the Zoom App. You also need to hear audio either via speakers or headphones. If you don't have a microphone you could use the text-based chat feature to participate. You can use a desktop computer but you may need an external webcam and microphone. As usual, try to keep your web browser up to date to avoid any problems. Here are the detailed system requirements for Zoom.  Do I need an account? Participants in meetings do not need...

Photo by Andrew Neel This blog post explains some of the ways GSA staff can continue to support students off-campus. Tutors can communicate with students and provide access to many types of learning materials via Canvas and other integrated tools. Detailed information about the methods listed below is available on the GSA Canvas for Staff guide . For further help or advice please contact LTHelp@gsa.ac.uk . Communicating with students Maintaining good communication with your students vital. The easiest way to communicate with your entire class is to post an announcement from within Canvas. Students will receive an email notification (if they have not changed their notification settings), and will also see the announcement when they log into Canvas. Here is a useful Canvas guide to making announcements. Online conference tools There are two options available to staff at GSA for web conferencing available within Canvas: Virtual Classroom and Canvas...

Screen recordings are a great way to demonstrate complex software-based tasks to students with narration. They can also be used to capture lectures, tutorials or powerpoint presentations.  There are 3 main ways to create screen or webcam recordings for use in Canvas, which are detailed below.   1. Browser-based (Mac or PC)  The GSA Planet eStream web recorder is a useful Chrome extension tool that can be used to create webcam or screen recordings. To access the recorder on Planet eSteam click the Create menu and select 'Web Recorder' or access the link here . The enoder is only compatible with the Chrome browser.  You will be prompted to install a browser extension which allows the recorder to capture your desktop, webcam, or a specific window (or windows) of your choice. Once recording is complete, the video will be available in your Planet eStream account where it can then be edited, shared or embedded into Canvas.   (Links...