What's happening in the world of FASE EdTech this month? As we head into the long weekend with pie (see Inga's Pumpkin Pie in the banner) on our minds, we're also thinking about mid-terms. If you’re using Crowdmark this year, see Tip 05 for information on upcoming Fall webinars and Tool Tip sessions. This issue is surprisingly Clipchamp heavy (a blog post and a tech tip!) - it's unusual for a new tool to get so much attention from the ETO, but there are a few things we really like about it (including that it's available to the U of T community via Microsoft 365). As promised, we're sharing the final output of a quick video project with Prof. Chong (really proud of our improved lighting set up on this one). Our last big share this month is the wide-release of the Quercus Data Insights dashboard. Previously in pilot, this new tool visualizes Quercus data far beyond what is available in Quercus; for more, jump to Tip 03.
What's happening over the next few months? Last week, the ETO held a project kick off meeting for the Economics and Finance (E&F) online course. Starting a new production cycle is always a jolt to the system; we're optimistic that the supports we've put in place - and some improvements, like using MS Project for Web for our project management needs - will see this chunk of work completed on schedule.
If you do one thing after reading this newsletter, try trimming a Stream video using Clipchamp. Instead of sending a long video, chunk out the exact piece you want to share to your students or others. |
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CAPTURE
1. Check out Clipchamp (a new Microsoft light-editing tool)
In September, a new video editing app called Clipchamp became available to the U of T community. While this light-editing tool compliments some of the functionality currently found in TechSmith SnagIt (e.g., screen capturing content), the major update with Clipchamp is that you can now trim and edit videos directly in Microsoft Stream without needing to download them (see this month's Tech Tip that describes the workflow between Stream and Clipchamp; for more, see CTSI's Clipchamp tool guide). Seeing many time-saving opportunities in this tool, we (the ETO team) knew we wanted to put the new tool through its paces.
We took a look at Clipchamp's big features, including:
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Recording camera and audio using the teleprompter
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Adding media to the editing timeline
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Applying effects and adding stock media
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Reducing recording time with text-to-speech
For other editing and recording options, see our guide to comparing and selecting what video and recording software works best for your project.
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Try Clipchamp
You can access Clipchamp the same way that you access your other Microsoft Applications. Note that you do need to be logged into your U of T 365 account. Personal accounts may have different applications.
How to open Clipchamp
1. Use the Microsoft 365 App Launcher (the waffle menu at the top left of Microsoft applications) to expand your application options.
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ELEVATE
2. See the difference new lighting can make (for a video)
Last month, we mentioned we were working on a one-off video with Prof. Alan Chong. It's done! We're sharing in the hope that this might spark something for you; do you have a concept or topic that you'd like to record for your students? We encourage starting small; recording a video per term (or even per year) leads to a video library more quickly than you'd think.
Watch Two Quick Tips for Better Presentations
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We used three-point lighting for Professor Chong—a key light, a fill light, and a rim light. Both the key light and the fill lights were 85cm parabolic softboxes each mounted on the 120D COB light from SmallRig. |
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ANALYZE
3. Leverage your Quercus Data Insights dashboard
Announcing wide-access to a new Quercus Data Insights Dashboard! Instructors and staff affiliated with the University of Toronto (U of T) who teach a course using Quercus have access to the Quercus Data Insights Dashboard (see how to access the dashboard; access to a course’s data is restricted to users with a “Teacher” role on that specific Quercus course). This PowerBI dashboard exists outside of Quercus (and its built-in Analytics tools) and gives valuable insight into student activity. This project was collaboratively developed by the Vice Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education (VPIUE), Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), Academic, Research & Collaborative Technologies (ARC), Institutional Research & Data Governance, and Digital Learning Innovation.
Learn more on:
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Accessing the Dashboard. Details on who has access to the dashboard and step-by-step instructions on how to access it.
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Available Data Reports. An overview of the report pages and filters available on the reports.
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Inquiry and Data Insights. Support implementing learning analytics inquiry by formulating questions and identifying data.
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Instructor Case Studies. A collection of case studies with step-by-step processes for addressing the challenges posed within them.
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Quercus Course Set up. A guide with tips and strategies on how to set up your Quercus course shell to maximize data.
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QUICK TECH TIP
Edit your MS Stream videos using Clipchamp
Clipchamp makes it easier to make quick or small edits to existing video content, right from Stream. Once you've finished your edits, you can re-save it to Stream (the original version still exists). This is especially helpful for videos like meeting recordings where you might want to remove sections of the recording or trim the beginning or end.
How to use Clipchamp to edit an existing MS Stream video
After finding and opening the video in MS Stream,
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Select "Clipchamp" from the menu option above the video. If Clipchamp does not show beside Record, Upload, etc., you can expand your screen to see all the options or use the "..." settings menu to expand the tools available to you.
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Select "Copy Now." Your video will be exported to Clipchamp for editing. This can take a few minutes, depending on the length and quality of the video.
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INFORM
4. Keep an eye out for MS Copilot interface changes
Do you ever use an application, go to click on something, and find that there's a change? Or worse, that you think there's been a change but now you're not sure? For example, if you use Microsoft Copilot, you might have noticed that you can no longer upload an image. This isn't you; this is Microsoft. Microsoft is making several updates and changes to Copilot's interface over the next few months. While we do not have a clear road map of these changes, we do know that interface changes will be happening and again - it's not you, it's Microsoft. For more support, see CTSI's tool guide for Microsoft Copilot.
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REGISTER
5. Expand your Crowdmark knowledge
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Crowdmark offers ongoing training opportunities. If you're looking to learn more about Crowdmark's features and functionality, try:
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Tuesday Tool Tips. Every Tuesday during the academic year, Crowdmark will shine a spotlight on one of their features in a weekly 15-20 minute session. See the Fall 2024 schedule to register.
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Administered Assessments Training Sessions. Instructors who are interested in learning more about the in-person, paper-based exam workflows will want to attend the Administered Assessment training.
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Assigned Assessments Training. Instructors who are interested in learning more about online assessments (submitted digitally), join the Assigned Assessment training.
We're also happy to help you set up your Crowdmark assessments - book some time with us or send us an email (fase.edtech@utoronto.ca) with your question(s). |
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Looking for something on Generative AI Assessment design?
December 06, 2024 | 10 am to 12 pm | Blackburn Room, Robarts Library | Register now! Building on the foundation laid in our first workshop, this hands-on session focuses on translating reimagined learning outcomes into practical, AI-aware assessments. As we navigate the evolving landscape of education in the age of generative AI, it is important to align our assessment strategies with the distinctly human skills and AI literacy we aim to foster.In this interactive, in-person workshop, instructors will work collaboratively in small groups to revise and develop assessments that reflect their updated learning outcomes. We will explore innovative approaches to assessment that not only acknowledge the presence of AI tools but may also leverage them to support student learning.
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EXPLORE
Faculty questions of the week
Each week we answer a real question that we've received about Quercus and other Academic Toolbox tools, keeping the questions timely and relevant to you. You can select on the question to read the full inquiry and response or see all previous faculty questions of the week.
Read the faculty questions of the week
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Why isn't SpeedGrader loading in my course? (Sept. 19, 2024) | The TAs in my course are trying to grade a student assignment, but it won’t load, and we’re getting an error message. We have a large class (over 1000 students), but I don’t know where to find the Large Course Settings mentioned in the error message |
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What apps or software can I use on my Mac computer to self-capture? (Sept. 05, 2024) | I would like to create an introduction video for my course that includes slide content and myself on camera. I'm familiar with QuickTime, can I still use that? |
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New (or updated) ETO technical guides
We usually update our technical guides as questions come in, changes are made to systems, or as we come up to certain dates in the academic calendar.
Here's what we've been up to over the past month:
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Compare and select what video and recording software works best for your project. The revised guide now includes an overview and comparison table of TechSmith Snagit, Stream, PowerPoint, and (new tool!) Clipchamp. This guide was originally published when the U of T community had less access to recording tools; you'll notice now that that guide focuses more on Academic Toolbox solutions. We do include a few non-toolbox options (e.g., Camtasia, Quickplayer) in a text call out but they are no longer part of the comparison.
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Select a no-cost software editing tool. In this update, we replaced Blender with iMovie because, while the former has video editing capabilities, it is primarily a 3D modeling program. It is not beginner-friendly for video editing purposes. iMovie, in comparison, is a video editing program designed to be beginner-friendly. For those on Mac, it is a better option than the rest on the list because it comes pre-installed with plenty of useful features for video creation and runs exceptionally on macOS.
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EXPAND
Worthwhile clicks from the Web
Looking for something to read/watch/listen to? Each month we round up things that we've interacted with that we think are worth sharing:
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Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions. From the authors: Our goal with this edited collection is to present nuanced discussions of AI technology across disciplines, the chapters collectively acknowledge or explore both possibilities and tensions—including the strengths, limitations, ethical considerations, and disciplinary potential and challenges—of teaching in an AI era. As such, the authors in this collection do not simply praise or criticize AI, but thoughtfully acknowledge and explore its complexities within educational settings.
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Challenging the Transactional Mindset (Inside Higher Ed). From the article: Students struggle with agency. Without it, it’s hard to accomplish anything, learning-wise.
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The chatbot becomes the teacher (Vergecast Podcast). On The Vergecast: Steven Johnson tells us about NotebookLM, the AI-assisted future of learning, and how to teach an AI bot to tell the truth.
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Centers for Teaching and Learning with Mary C. Wright (The World of Higher Education Podcast). Listen to a podcast as Alex Usher talks to Mary C. Wright about her new book on Centers for Teaching and Learning (Transcript also available).
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AI Pedagogy Project - Part 3: Resources (metaLAB (at) Harvard). From the website: This guide is meant to provide an introduction to the current AI tools that are relevant for use in educational settings, and to demystify some of the hype surrounding AI. It will help you consider whether you might integrate AI into your teaching, and how to do so responsibly.
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Curious about the photos in the banner?
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This month's banner images are a few photos taken by the ETO team (and friends) during the past month:
Row 01: Left: First Pumpkin Pie (Inga Breede)
Row 01: Right: Fluffer spotted on a walk (Allison Van Beek)
Row 02: Left: Hurley's 14th Birthday (Inga Breede)
Row 02: Right: Mia Burrito (Anna Limanni)
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