Reimagining Learning

I came across a TEDx video recently that does a great job of summing up many of the issues relating to education today, especially how technology can help us be more innovative in the classroom and provide more personalized learning experiences to students. The speaker is Richard Culatta of the US Department of Education.  This 15 minute video is well worth watching. He discusses learning challenges that we face today, the use of learning analytics to personalize instruction, and the dangers of simply digitizing educational tools without changing the way we approach education.

Please feel free to comment below after viewing the video and share your thoughts with us.

Using Canvas on an iPad

In today's world it's more important than ever to stay connected while on the go. Tablets, such as iPads, are a great way to bring your internet connect with you wherever you go - they're more portable than a laptop, but have a larger screen than a smartphone.  Many faculty are also starting to experiment with using iPads in the classroom. One of our earlier blog entries featured information and resources about the educational use of iPads.

If you're using an iPad and want to use it to access Canvas when you're away from your computer, or if you have been trying to use Canvas through the iPad's Safari browser and are experiencing some difficulties, there are a couple apps designed to help you. The mobile Safari web browser has problems displaying some times of websites, including Canvas.  If you've tried to use Canvas in Safari you may have experienced some issues with scrolling, for example.  We generally recommend using the Google Chrome browser on iPads and iPhones because it works better with a wider variety of websites than Safari, but when it comes to Canvas, you will have the best experience on your iPad using the apps.

Canvas for iOS

The Canvas app for iOS allows you to view your activity stream and "to do" list; access your inbox; view the schedule, discussions, other parts of your Canvas classroom; and access grades.  The app doesn't provide the same level of access as the full version in your web browser, but it's a good tool to quickly access your course on the go.

SpeedGrader for iOS

The SpeedGrader app is a great tool for grading on the go.  It allows you to use the Canvas SpeedGrader app from your iPad and eliminates the problems you would most likely encounter when using Canvas in Safari.

If you happen to be an Android user, there is a Canvas app for Android that just came out in January.  All of these apps will make your life easier if you're trying to access Canvas while away from your computer.  Give them a try and let us know what you think.

Seeing Things from the Student's Perspective in Canvas

While working within your Canvas classroom, how many times have you asked yourself, “I wonder what this looks like to my students?”  Chances are, this question has come up at least once or twice.

Did you know that you could view your Canvas classroom exactly as your student would see it?  Or that you could even participate in your classroom as a test student?  Well, you can with “Student View”! 

The “Student View” feature in your Canvas classroom allows an instructor to see a Canvas course just as a student would see it.  This feature creates a “Test Student” in your Canvas classroom that every instructor in the course has access to.  You can use “Student View” to:

•       View the course as a student

•       Post to a Discussion as a student

•       Turn in an Assignment as a student

•       View Grades as a student

•       View People in the course as a student

•       View Pages as a student

•       View the Syllabus as a student

•       View Quizzes as a student

To access “Student View”, click on “Settings” from inside your Canvas classroom (located in the left-hand navigation menu).  Next, click on the “Student View” button in the upper-right corner of the Settings screen. 

Canvas will let you know that you are in “Student View” by way of a persistent bar on the bottom of the screen.  Note that you can reset your “Test Student” by clicking on “Reset Student” in this bar.  Resetting the test student will clear all history for the test student and allow you to view the course once more as a brand new student.  Click on “Leave Student View” when you are done using this tool.

The details for the Student View feature have been sourced from Canvas’ User Guides.  Please feel free to contact the Center for Online Learning at Bay Path College (online@baypath.edu) for any questions you may about using Canvas for your Bay Path class.

Some Ed Tech Resources

Here are some interesting and informative ed tech articles and resources I've come across recently:

List of Online Resources - The article is a list of resources that the author discusses as great tools for online learning, but many of them have excellent uses in in blended and face-to-face courses.  The list is worth scanning; you may find something new and exciting for use with your students.

Assistive Technology Resources - especially of interest to OT and special ed students and faculty, there are lots of great technology resources available to help students with disabilities.  This article gives a few highlights and some links to other resources.

Canvas MOOCs - You've probably heard of EdX, Coursera and Udacity, but have you heard of the Canvas Network?  Canvas has partnered with institutions to offer MOOCs on their platform.  Here you can see what is currently being offered as well as sign up for a free course.

Another Great Blog to Follow - If you're interested in learning more about Canvas and ed tech, I suggest you check out Instructure's Canvas blog.  With posts by Instructure's CEO, Josh Coates, and co-founder Brian Whitmer, along with other members of the Canvas team, this blog provides great information, often with a humorous spin.

MOOCs and Online Course Quality

A lot of "buzz" has been swirling around over the past year about MOOCs - Massive Open Online Courses. These courses are offered for free through various organizations - including Udacity, Coursera and EdX - in partnership with universities and professors. These courses are challenging the status quo of higher education, offering anyone the chance to learn the same material taught on campuses across the country without paying tuition (or receiving credit). Many people are questioning the value of MOOCs and the future of the phenomenon. While a lot is still unknown about the future of MOOCs, they have been receiving a great deal of attention in the press.

The most recent big story to hit the web about MOOCs came out this weekend and involved course quality.  Coursera cancelled a MOOC a week into the course because of quality issues. Ironically, the course was Fundamental of Online Education.  Rather than screening for quality before the course launched, the Internet was buzzing with all sorts of stories about problems with the course. Unhappy students from the course were tweeting about technology issues and poor course organization. Without warning, Coursera pulled the plug on the course and cancelled it without providing notice to students.  Tweets and blog entries spiked again as students complained about the course cancellation and lack of information.

So what happened?  It's still unclear - so many rumors as buzzing around that it's not easy to tell what is true. It's been said that Coursera plans to fix the issues and reopen the course, but the damage has been done.  All the chatter has impacted the reputation of the instructor, her university (Georgia Tech) and MOOCs in general. Because MOOCs reach such a large audience, even the smallest glitches and issues can reach a very large audience. Over 40,000 students were enrolled in this MOOC.  Compared to the number of students in a typical higher ed course, a large group like this can really do some serious PR damage.

So what is the lesson to be learned here?  Course quality is so important.  Quality control in course development can not be ignored.  There has been a major emphasis on quality in online education, with programs such as Quality Matters promoting quality online learning for a number of years. When educational institutions don't take the time to ensure quality in their courses and programs, it can really damage their reputation.  But more importantly, the reason that it harms institutions' reputations is because students are smart consumers who are seeking a quality learning experience.  Colleges owe it to their students to give them the best possible educational experience.  Quality is key and attention to detail is important in preparing an online course. It takes time, but satisfied students who meet the learning outcomes of the course are a reward that makes the time spent well worth it.