Summer Training Opportunities are Plentiful with UFIT

UF Information Technology (UFIT) is offering a robust training schedule this summer. Commit to enhancing your skillset over the quieter summer months! From May 13 through August 9, 2024, faculty and staff can select from many instructor-led, self-paced, and virtual workshops. There are options for using AI tools, improving Zoom meetings, understanding how DocuSign works, and learning Microsoft collaboration tools and applications. All UFIT training is free.

On the schedule this summer are three self-paced, introductory AI trainings:

  • AI in the Workplace
  • Introduction to AI Image Generator Tools
  • Prompt Engineering: Working with AI Text Generators and AI Image Generators

A two-part Qualtrics workshop series will also be offered twice, with participants who complete the series earning a Qualtrics certificate. For those looking to use non-research survey tools for administrative needs, registration is also open for Google Forms and Microsoft Forms web training.

UFIT Training provides year-round training on numerous topics to enhance the academic and professional skills and academic needs. Plan your summer training by starting with the IT service catalog listing: https://it.ufl.edu/services/it-training. Anyone with questions about our training or would like to discuss a custom training for their department is welcome to email ufit-training@ufl.edu.

Open: Summer 2024 Canvas Course Requests

Faculty can now request Summer 2024 Canvas courses via ONE.UF using these instructions. Only instructors of record may use ONE.UF to request courses. Faculty or staff requesting on behalf of instructors will need to do so via myUFL.

If someone normally requests courses for you, please let them know you are handling your own course request. If you do not need a course in Canvas this summer, then follow the instructions above and find the “Exclude Section from Canvas” instructions.

Course auto-creation for all Summer 2024 courses begins Wednesday, May 8, at 12:00 p.m.  Courses not requested or marked as “Exclude Section from Canvas” by that date and time will automatically be created. Instructors who need sections combined into one shell are advised to make their course request before Wednesday, May 8. Any course section added to the Student Information System after auto-creation will still need to be requested.

As a reminder, instructors cannot use Canvas Announcements or Inbox to communicate with students prior to the start date of the course and the course being published. Instructors that want to communicate with students prior to the start of the Summer A/C 2024 semester (Monday, May 13), may use the Class Rolls feature in ONE.UF to do so. Full course rosters will not load into Canvas until after the auto-creation date.

The e-Learning Support team is offering one-on-one consultations to help prepare your course for the upcoming term. Please schedule an appointment at http://go.ufl.edu/CanvasHelp. The consultations will be conducted via Zoom. Please reach out to the e-Learning Support team with any questions:

Upgrades to UFIT’s Video Production Studios

New equipment has been installed and is ready for instructor use in UFIT’s video production studios.

Instructors can now more easily share files and discuss visual concepts when filming their course videos. A larger green screen has been installed in one of UFIT’s studios, allowing for much wider shots than before, so the person being filmed has more mobility during their video shoot. Additionally, a 28″ Surface Studio was part of this recent equipment upgrade, providing a touchscreen-based personal computer, interactive whiteboard, and digital pen for use during your video shoot.

UFIT’s video production studios has multimedia specialists available for consult and who will support you and your project throughout the process. The studios are located on the second floor of the Hub. Filming can be done in-studio or in the field, so if you require location shooting for projects like welcome videos or the recording of in-class lectures, this isn’t an issue. Visit https://citt.ufl.edu/services/video-production/ to learn more, schedule a consult, or to book time in the studio.

Anyone with questions about the services offered is welcome to email UFIT Production Manager Greg D’angio

Tips for Importing Past Content in Canvas

Faculty often reuse past content by importing it into new e-Learning course shells. However, there are some vital considerations when dealing with imported course content:

Announcements and Calendar Events
When importing content, course-specific items like announcements and calendar events will be copied as well. To avoid unnecessary content, it’s recommended to use the “select specific content” option during the import process. This allows you to choose only the relevant parts of the course. In case you’ve already used “import all,” make sure to visit the announcement page and remove any announcements you won’t be reusing. For calendar events, access the Syllabus tool, locate the events in the course summary, and delete them from the event page, particularly if Zoom meetings are involved.

Groups and Group Assignments
During the course copy, existing group sets will merge into one set named ‘Project Groups’ and any group assignments or discussions will be associated with this group set. To prevent issues with group work, it’s essential to review all assignments and recreate the desired group sets as needed.

For further assistance in preparing your course, consider scheduling a one-on-one consultation with an e-Learning specialist by visiting http://go.ufl.edu/CanvasHelp.

Submitting Grades for Spring 2023

The Spring 2023 grading period opens Friday, April 28, at 8:00 a.m. and closes Monday, May 8, at 12:00 p.m. There are many online resources available to help faculty and staff who enter final grades.

1. Use these instructions to finalize gradebooks. The instructions will help ensure that the grades displayed in Canvas matches what is sent to ONE.UF.

2. The UF Human Resources’ Grades Toolkit provides excellent instructional video and PDFs for faculty and staff who enter grades in ONE.UF and myUFL.

3. UFIT has a 50-minute webinar available that covers finalizing a gradebook and sending grades to ONE.UF through Canvas. Faculty and staff can also request a consultation with e-Learning Support staff for assistance with sending their gradebook to ONE.UF.

4. For questions regarding UF’s e-Learning environment, please do not hesitate to contact learning-support@ufl.edu. For questions about entering grades in ONE.UF faculty and staff should contact the Office of the University Registrar, grades@registrar.ufl.edu.

Classroom Technology Tech Byte – Dec. 8

Join UFIT to explore classroom technologies that can enhance your teaching. Faculty and TA’s with course teaching loads are welcome to stop by the Classroom Technology Tech Byte:

December 8 │ 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
CSE E231

Several instructional stations showcasing classroom technologies and teaching tools will be set up for quick assistance. Each station will focus on a classroom technology component, instructional design support tool, active learning strategy, and other teaching and learning services provided by UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT).

The December 8 event date was selected because it is a reading day with no classes scheduled. This Classroom Technology Tech Byte is open to the UF community. Anyone with questions about the services or events sponsored by the CITT is welcome to send a message to https://citt.ufl.edu/request-assistance/.

IT Info Page for New Students

Want to know what the student tech requirements are for UF? Learn them and be prepared for Gator academic life by visiting UFIT’s student resources site.

Bookmark the site to easily access information about technology services and systems, including:

UFIT Help Desk location and services
UF Canvas e-Learning system, used for most courses
UF email (GatorMail) assistance and how to get GatorMail on your phone
Where to get a Gator 1 Card (your campus ID)
Location of labs and learning spaces and what each space has available
Establishing two-factor authentication (2FA) for UF accounts
How to make the most of ONE.UF

UFIT wants to help students get a smooth start to academic life. Anyone experiencing a technical issue with their GatorLink account, having an eduroam internet connection issue, or other campus IT need may call (352-392-HELP/4357) or visit (132 Hub) the UFIT Help Desk. Help Desk in-person walk-in hours are posted here.

Course Accessibility Consultations Available

Instructors interested in improving their Canvas course’s accessibility score can request one-on-one consultations to learn how. UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) recently launched a new service to assist instructors remediate course files to make them more accessible.

Remediating course content provides access to students with disabilities while enhancing the usability of course materials for all learners. During the consultation,  instructional support assistants will explain how to use the Ally tool in Canvas. They will also provide an overview of accessibility concerns within the course, evaluate what content to remediate, and work with instructional faculty to improve the overall course accessibility score. During the consultation, the instructional support assistant will model remediation techniques for content in Canvas, including Word or Google docs, PowerPoint presentations, Google Slides, spreadsheets, videos, and PDFs.

Commit to creating classroom content for all students. UFIT has additional training and resources to help instructors build and update courses with accessibility needs in mind.  Submit an Accessibility Consultation request to get started. A member of the CITT staff will follow up with you to schedule a consultation.

 

Helpful e-Learning Tips for Students

The university’s online and in-person teaching and learning environment is once again in full swing. To help students make the most of their time learning online, UFIT created several short videos highlighting features in Canvas e-Learning in one minute or less:

1. Do’s and Don’ts for Using the Canvas e-Learning App
Know when to use the app or the web version.

2. Connecting Your Canvas e-Learning Calendar to Your Phone/Desktop Calendar
Never miss a deadline by syncing your Canvas calendar to a desktop/mobile calendar.

3. Viewing Grades in Canvas e-Learning
See all grades in one place instead of opening each course.

4. Using the Calendar Feature in Canvas e-Learning
Add personal to-do items and keep track of assignment deadlines by course.

We have a great team of e-Learning support specialists who can answer your questions about Canvas e-Learning. Call them at 352-392-HELP/4357 or email helpdesk@ufl.edu.