NEW STAFF ANNOUNCEMENT
Meet the new EdTech Office Senior Instructional Technologist

Please welcome Anna Limanni back to FASE!

Anna holds a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics (University of Toronto, 2014) and has taught a variety of courses at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University. She has also completed certificates in Adult Training and Development (OISE, 2014), E-Learning (University of Calgary, 2015), and Learning Experience Design (OISE, 2020).

Before joining the ETO, Anna worked as Faculty Liaison, Teaching, Learning, and Technology at the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation (CTSI). In that role, Anna provided training and support related to educational technologies and pedagogical best practices to faculty, staff, and TAs. Prior to that, Anna worked in FASE as Course and Educational Technology Assistant in the Engineering Strategies and Practice (ESP) course. There, she supported faculty, staff, and students in the use of various educational technologies.

FASE TEACHING ONLINE RESOURCES
Recently published resources to support your transition to online/remote teaching

1. Workload guide for instructors: Learning is hard work. Not all work is equally effective to promoting learning. An excessive workload can actually detract from learning, or simply encourage surface rather than deep learning. Thoughtful and accurate workload planning is central to course design and delivery. The scholarship and literature underlying this guide is described in this supporting document.
2. Building an inclusive virtual community: This guide provides guiding questions and support for thinking about how to engage students and build an inclusive community within online learning environments. To continue the conversation on this topic, visit the Building an Inclusive Virtual Community Discussion Forum.
3. How to film in teaching labs:  This guide aims to provide some guidelines when it comes to planning and executing the filming of lab videos (see specific safety guidelines for producing content and images in lab settings). Filming on location is more complicated than self-capturing or self-filming as you are often working with multiple people and filming a complex process. Having a plan for your video - equipment needed, storyboarding, creating a shot list, practicing editing, all are important to efficiently create videos filmed in teaching labs.

EXAMPLES FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES
Teach online with a pen and paper!

EDTECH WEBINARS
Upcoming EdTech "Lessons Learned" Webinars

1. Study Buddies in a not so dangerous virtual space/time: Creating course-based peer mentors to build community, engagement, and support (Prof. Elham Marzi | August 19, 2020 | 3 pm | Sign up here!) - This session will discuss the effectiveness of an in course-based Study-Buddy system to resolve three common challenges presented by online classes; 1. deterioration of community; 2. illicit sharing of coursework and assignments, and 3. accountability and participation in active and experiential learning exercises. Read more!
2. Preparing On-line Lectures for a Flipped Classroom (Prof. Sanjeev Chandra | August 20, 2020 | 1 pm | Sign Up Here!) - Preparing on-line lectures gives us an opportunity to reconsider how we teach courses. On-line video lectures can be a very effective method of conveying information to students, in an asynchronous format that they can replay as many times as they need to understand the material presented. Synchronous lecture times can then be used for a flipped classroom devoted to discussion, solving problems and other activities that reinforce concepts presented in on-line videos. This is a change that should persist beyond our return to in-class teaching and lead to better use of classroom time. We will discuss how to prepare on-line video lectures using PowerPoint for a second-year Thermodynamics course. These use animations and embedded videos to bring concepts to life and are combined with a recorded voice-over.
3. The Quirkiness of Quercus: Debriefing on building the U of T Engineering Academy (Clare Heymans (Outreach Office) | August 26, 2020 | 2 pm | Sign up here!) - Clare will share the experience of rapidly developing a Querucs course hub for FASE's first year incoming class, focusing on enhancing skills in math, physics, and chemistry. More details to follow!

EDTECH OFFICE BLOG
Recent blog posts

TRAINING AND SUPPORT
This week's top EdTech questions:

1. What websites and domains can be accessed via the Alibaba Network Service? While the Alibaba network service provides access to many services in China, it doesn't provide access to every site. It does NOT provide access to YouTube, for example. 
2. How can I replace an existing uploaded Quercus file without updating all the links? Cheat: Use the same name for the new version and select "replace" when uploading.
3. How do I cross-list a section in a course as an instructor? If you are teaching a multi-section course, you might want to combine (graft, in Blackboard terminology) your sections into one large section for easier maintenance and communication.
4. How do I pre-assign groups and use them for reoccurring BB Collaborate breakout groups?  This guide presents a workaround that while not fully automating the process allows you to make use of existing Quercus groups in your break out sessions.
5. What are some software-based teleprompter applications? If you are creating video content (especially if you are self-filming aka appearing on camera), a teleprompter can help make reading a scrip much easier.