Reading Time: 3 minutesIt’s time to dive back into the Canvas Accessibility Checker and chat about the rest of the issues it checks for. This week, we’ll be taking a closer look at image alt text, tables, and lists. Alt text Canvas checks for a few different issues that can pop up with alt text – if an image has alt text, if the alt text is different from the file name, and how long the alt text is. Canvas does automatically assign the file name as alt text when you upload an image, so you should rarely get the “no alt text error.” For any of the alt text…
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Course Accessibility: Headings, Links, and Color Contrast
Reading Time: 4 minutesToday we’re going to start our dive into the new Canvas Accessibility Checker and tackle a few of the issues it checks for. We’ll cover the rest of the items next week, but for now, we’ll focus on the text-based items. Before we start looking at the individual items, let’s chat about how to get to this tool and run the report. In your course, find the “Accessibility” link in your course navigation and click it. The first time you go to this page, you’ll get a note that says you have not yet scanned your course and a prompt to scan the course. Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a graph detailing the kinds of issues and a list…
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Transform Your Teaching: The “Teaching Compass” with Dr. Nathalie Aelterman
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhat is the “Teaching Compass?” How can it be used as a tool to adjust our teaching to meet the needs of our students? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Nathalie Aelterman (Co-founder of Impetus Academy, a spin-off from Ghent University) about how to provide pathways that motivate students to learn. View a transcript of this week’s episode. Podcast links Resources Chat with us!
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Course Accessibility: Intro
Reading Time: < 1 minuteToday, we’re kicking off a new series on accessibility – Canvas has a new tool they’ve launched, and we want to take this opportunity to also revisit accessibility principles and how they apply to each of us – regardless of whether your class is online or face-to-face. While these may seem like they’re just “extra work” or something that doesn’t make a difference, they’re still best practice. And by preparing our courses and materials to be ready for whatever needs a student may have, we’re showing our love for others in action. Across this series, we’ll explore how Canvas tools can help us in this journey – as well as what they don’t cover but we still need to address. We’re excited to dive in and explore all this with…
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Transform Your Teaching: Fostering Motivation through Feedback with Dr. John Hattie
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHow can the feedback we give to students increase their motivation? How can understanding how they receive it help teachers give better feedback? Join Rob as he chats with Dr. John Hattie (Honorary Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne) about effective types of feedback and why one of them is not the feedback sandwich. View a transcript of this week’s episode. Podcast links Resources Chat with us!
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Transform Your Teaching: Why Use Bloom’s Taxonomy?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIs Bloom’s Taxonomy the best standard for creating learning objectives? What other taxonomies like Bloom’s exist, and where are they useful? Join Rob and Jared as they revisit the conversation on objectives with Jason Frieling (Instructional Designer with the Center for Teaching and Learning at Cedarville University). View a transcript of this week’s episode. Podcast links Resources Chat with us!
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Transform Your Teaching: Sleeping Habits and Motivation with Dr. Chao Liu
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHow can sleeping habits influence a student’s motivation? How does it affect cognitive abilities? What can instructors do to help? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Chao Liu (Associate Professor of Psychology at Cedarville University) about the effects of sleep on motivation. Please take this opportunity to fill out our 2025 wrap-up survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week’s episode. Podcast links Resources Chat with us!
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Transform Your Teaching: Self-Determination Theory with Dr. Erika Patall
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhat is self-determination theory? What role do autonomy, competence, and relatedness have in driving motivation? How can giving students the right choices increase their motivation? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Dr. Erika Patall (Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of Southern California). Please take this opportunity to fill out our 2025 wrap-up survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week’s episode. Podcast links Resources Chat with us!
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Transform Your Teaching: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhat are the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? Can extrinsic motivation be enough for students to succeed in a class? How can an educator move students to be intrinsically motivated? Join Rob and Jared as they discuss the benefits of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Please take this opportunity to fill out our 2025 wrap-up survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will remain anonymous. View a transcript of this week’s episode. Podcast links Resources Chat with…
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Transform Your Teaching: Why Does Motivation Matter with Professor Betsy Linnell
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhat factors are at play in motivation? Can showing the value of our content increase a student’s motivation? How important is it that students know their instructor is invested in them and their learning? Join Rob and Jared as they chat with Professor Betsy Linnell (a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Cedarville University). Please take this opportunity to fill out our 2025 wrap-up survey. This survey should take 5-10 minutes and your responses are anonymous. If you would like to be entered for the Uncommon Sense Teaching drawing, you can share your name and email address at the end of the survey. Even if you enter the drawing, your survey response will remain anonymous. View a transcript…