CTLD ReadyHow do you measure your own success? When you’re trying to learn something new or develop a new skill, you need to study and practice. Eventually, you’ll need to apply what you know to be sure you’ve mastered what you’ve learned. However, if you take shortcuts, you’re cheating yourself out of your education and may […]
Below is an archive of all of our Canvas Spotlights published in Early Bird. They are ordered by date of publication.
Imagine you’re cultivating a garden. You’ve planted vegetables, herbs, and flowers of all kinds. Most of them seem to be doing very well, but some are struggling to grow and thrive. Rather than scold the plant for failing to grow, you would instead want to understand why it was struggling. Too little sun? Too much […]
Have you ever sat in a classroom or a Teams call that featured a presentation that was littered with gimmicky transitions and images or graphics that had nothing to do with the content? How about sitting through a 45-minute video lecture that really only had about 15 minutes worth of relevant content? As viewers, these […]
Imagine you are putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Let’s say this puzzle has all the necessary pieces but they don’t have any images or colors on them. Alternatively, what if you have all of the images and colors on each piece to put them together, but you are missing a few pieces and some just […]
Incorporating UDL Principles At MSU Denver, we prioritize providing positive classroom experiences to all students. MSU Denver offers a variety of supports to help us create course materials that are accessible, such as content that can be ready by screen readers and videos that include closed captions. In addition to students with hearing or sight […]
“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” We’ve heard this saying time and time again, but isn’t that the point of a book cover? First impressions matter whether you’re choosing a new book or signing in to an online course for the first time. By creating a dynamic home page, you can engage students […]
Know thyself (γνῶθι σεαυτόν) is an ancient Greek maxim. It speaks to the importance of analysis of self and the connections made with others. When designing a course, it is equally important to know thine audience. Is the course for learners new to higher ed? Is it a capstone project? Will it fit the lives […]
What if your favorite restaurant only prepared and served one dish, regardless of the time or occasion? No matter the quality of the dish, the expertise of the chef, or type of cuisine, all parties involved will eventually find themselves disinterested and unengaged from the food. Maybe worse than becoming disinterested in your favorite restaurant […]
The adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) not only saves students money on textbooks but also allows instructors increased flexibility with their materials. (For more on OER adoption, please read Find OER and Use them in Canvas). To truly be beneficial to all students, OER should also be accessible for all learners, regardless of ability. […]