Presentation Title
Weekly Canvas Tips: Targeting Faculty Needs Through Microlearning
Carly Papenberg and Elizabeth Reyes, Temple University
Summary
In addition to workshops and weekly "Lunch and Learning" opportunities, Temple University sought out a solution for advancing faculty's understanding of Canvas and created Quick Tips emails.
Details
On Wednesdays, a short email is sent to all faculty. Since 2017, 47 of these Quick Tips have been shared. Topics generally depend on the school year and the current needs of the faculty. For example, finalizing grades was featured at the end of the semester.
Unfortunately, this email doesn't reach everyone. Based on the analytics recorded by Survey Monkey, They have approximately 50% open rate. Considering that the Quick Tips go to all faculty and staff, that's a fairly decent ratio.
Each email is branded and designed consistently. The subject, heading, colors, and action icons are all the same from email to email.
Within the email, there is an overview of the content, a brief overview of the process or topic, steps to complete the process or topic, an image of the process or topic, and then a link to an official Community resource. They also list upcoming campus events which support faculty with their technology and Canvas use.
Here are just a few of the topics they have covered:
- Canvas Bio
- View Student Group Homepages
- Mute a column while grading
- Add announcements to your home page
- Copy a course
- Rubrics
- Quiz statistics
Template archives their Quick Tips on their website. It makes it easy for faculty to return back to those emails and the content!
Carly and Elizabeth shared that they are constantly looking in the Canvas Community for ideas. They also pay attention at conferences to collect tips to share in their emails. Additionally, on their website, there is a place for faculty and staff to submit their own suggestions. This encouragement supports and rewards engagement!
Conclusion
I really liked to see that institutions are creating "bite-sized" professional development! I enjoy this concept as it's a nudge; it's not intrusive. The analytics help their Canvas team get a better understanding of who is exploring shared content, and it helps influence other professional development offerings.
