Page 9 - 2022 OIT Progress Report

has key technology and teaching expectations broken down for each tool. For example, under Canvas, some proficiency expectations include mechanisms for aligning assignments into categories that match the categories outlined in
a course syllabus. This allows students to better track their progress in the course using consistent campus technology tools. Faculty across campus receive consistent support on elements of academic technology tools that reflect optimal use of the tools. SMU students have repeatedly expressed
the desire for all faculty to use more elements of Canvas, and this practice helps ensure that OIT support personnel are aligned with training and student needs in a strategic way.
To further advance faculty usage of Canvas
and ensure online courses are maintaining
best practices, the in-house Online Production Services team has begun to implement an Online Production Services Course Refresh Tool. This resource allows departments or schools to submit requests to refresh any fully online SMU courses that have been used for over 3 years. SMU’s fully online courses must reflect current best practices, current technology resources, and relevance
to their world. The new process begins with an evaluation of a current online course. An Online Learning Experience Designer is then assigned to the faculty developer to improve and update the online course. OIT’s Online Production Services team is also developing a new service process to check accessibility for any online course content delivered within Canvas. Making technology-
hosted learning
content accessible
provides methods for
all students to engage
with instructional
content and fully
represent what they
know. Building
inclusive courses
means evaluating everything from captions on videos to the options students have to demonstrate what they have learned. OIT’s Online Production Services Team works with faculty to make digital courses accessible to all using SMU’s robust Academic Technology Services.
Faculty often experience obstacles in constructing courses and assignments in a way that provides critical data for accreditation needs. The assessment process must not only be thorough, but also approachable for faculty across
campus. Previous software platforms used for
this purpose at SMU have not met our greater institutional needs and provided sub-optimal faculty experiences. OIT has worked with the Office of Institutional Planning & Effectiveness
to identify a new tool, Anthology Portfolio, which is being implemented during this academic year to provide easy and cost-effective ways to achieve our operational needs and aspirational goals while providing robust reporting and analytics to help make future decisions.
EnhAncInG TEAchInG & lEARnInG wITh nEw TOOlS And SERvIcES
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