Last updated on February 13, 2024
Did you know that 75% of MSU Denver’s students take at least one online course? Or that 98% of all students access their online/hybrid courses from a laptop and 45% access their courses from a mobile device? While many of us have become comfortable or even highly skilled in teaching online, there are simply too many facets of virtual education to master them all. But how to fill in the gaps in your online teaching skills with your busy schedule? Enter CTLD’s Rapid Ready Training (RRT)!
Contents
What is this training?
Rapid Ready Training is a collection of self-paced, online trainings covering a wide variety of online teaching topics. The entire library of trainings is built around you, your schedule, and your interests. Each one takes roughly an hour to complete, and you can engage with as many or as few of them as you like.
What’s special about this training opportunity?
Unlike many traditional trainings or workshops, you are in complete control of how you interact with your training. Complete topics in whatever order works best for you, and work at your own pace. The trainings cover a myriad of instructional topics, from basic technical skills in Canvas to theoretical methods for developing learner engagement in courses.
Another great feature of RRT is the built-in support system. While the training is self-paced, you’re not alone in your learning. We are available to provide feedback and live support during weekdays from 10 AM – 3 PM.
These trainings have also been designed for all faculty, from the new adjunct instructor who needs a quick starting point at the start of a new semester, to the online teaching virtuoso who is curious about new aspects of instruction they can put into practice. The self-paced and flexible nature of this training course, coupled with the live support and feedback from support specialists, creates a uniquely valuable training experience tailored to your needs and busy schedule.
Here is a full list of the modules available for you to take in the CTLD RRT Canvas course:
- Getting Started in Canvas
- This module provides a comprehensive introduction to Canvas, including essential tools and resources for new instructors at MSU Denver to teach online effectively.
- Page Creation
- You’ll learn the ins and outs of creating pages and the easiest way to present content like readings and videos to your students.
- Module and Course Organization
- A successful course is well-organized and easy to navigate, which you’ll be able to ensure with the tools explained in this module.
- Gradebook Training
- After this training, you’ll feel confident in using the Canvas Gradebook to deliver the most important feedback students receive in your course: their grades.
- Speedgrader Training
- Grading is a time-consuming process. This module helps you use the Speedgrader tool in Canvas to make grading efficient and effective.
- Creating a Course Team
- Microsoft Teams is your best tool for setting up synchronous class meetings with your students, so this module provides an in-depth guide to using it to its fullest potential.
- Communicating with Students
- Effective course communication is critical. This module teaches effective communication with students in courses using Canvas’s Inbox Messages, Announcements, and “Message Students Who” features.
- Creating, Editing, and Sharing Videos with YuJa
- YuJja is MSU Denver’s video hosting platform, and this module will introduce you to using it to create and upload video content to enhance your course.
- Group Work
- Building peer-to-peer interaction in your course can dramatically enhance student learning, and you’ll learn how to do that in Canvas with this training.
- Improving Student Outcomes Through Engagement (Parts 1 and 2)
- This 2 part module offers strategies for enhancing student engagement and interaction in online courses.
- Integrate Canvas with a Face-to-Face Course
- In this module, you’ll learn how to apply the tools in Canvas to improve the student experience in your face-to-face course, like sharing files and accepting assignments.
- OER Adoption and Creation (Parts 1 and 2)
- Online Educational Resources (OER) are free resources that can potentially save time and bring additional value to your course content. This two-part module shows you how to find good OER for your course and adapt them to your needs.
- Online Course Standards
- Teaching in a virtual environment presents its own unique challenges. This module helps you create a positive and enriching learning experience addressing those challenges.
- Quiz Creation
- Quizzes are the primary tool for delivering assessments in Canvas, this module guides you through creating effective assessments that leverage quiz features and align with your course’s learning objectives.
- Sharing Course Files/Copying Courses
- Being able to effectively move content between courses will make your experience easier and free up time for more important activities. This course will familiarize you with those tools.
- Tools to Check for Academic Dishonesty
- This module covers the best tools you have available in Canvas to maintain academic integrity in your course, an important objective for any educator.
How can you sign up?
Sign-up is easy! Complete the brief survey by clicking on the button below. Fill in your information and topics of interest, and you’ll be added to the course within a business day.
Once you have access to the course, it’s entirely self-paced. You will be given student access to the RRT site, and all content will be available from the Modules course navigation link. You can then go to any given module (or modules) of your choice, engage with the content, and then take a series of assignments to practice what you’ve learned.
For some assignments, you can practice the skills learned in a module by creating course items in a Canvas sandbox dedicated to RRT activities. Please be aware that we do recommend that some of the modules be completed before others. That information is mentioned at the beginning of those modules. Our CTLD staff will then check any work submitted in the RRT course and provide helpful feedback as appropriate.
Remember, You Have Support!
Throughout the process, you’ll have access to our Instructional Design Support Specialist team via Drop-in Support to help troubleshoot issues, answer questions, and brainstorm complex design solutions. Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 3 PM.
We’re excited for you to sign up for the CTLD Rapid Ready Training and take the next step in mastering the online learning experience!