Welcome to the Weekly UTLC Newsletter |
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Teaching Tips: Managing Online Classes |
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Online classes - are they the same as face to face classes, or do you need special tactics to work with online classes? It's a little bit of both - many of the broad ideas are the same, but the implementation may be a little different. Please see below for tips on working with online classes (that also often apply to face to face classes as well):
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Be present in the classroom. This may feel more challenging in an online environment, especially in asynchronous classes. However, there are many ways to be present in your online classroom. Providing a welcome video reminds students that you're human and helps to break the ice, promoting connection with your students from the very beginning. Participating in classroom discussion boards can show students that you are interested in their contributions. Regular announcements are a chance to share more information with students and engage with them.
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Provide regular, meaningful feedback. Providing regular, meaningful feedback to students is one of the most important parts of our interactions with them - and often feels like the heaviest lift we make. There are ways to make this lift lighter, however. Rubrics speed up grading and make it more likely that we are consistent from student to student. You can save comments - as students often have the same questions or concerns about assignments - and copy and paste them, then editing for the original student. You can consider using voice notes or video feedback, which can also increase that sense of connection between you and students.
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Tailor your assignments and other class materials to the online environment. The temptation to just repeat what we do in our face to face classes is high, and understandable. However, what works face to face may not work online - and vice versa. What can you accomplish in an online environment can be very flexible. Stanford has suggestions for engaging synchronous online activities. Saint Louis University has suggestions on how to structure discussion boards. You can encourage case studies, concept maps, and even experiential learning.
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Hopefully these tips will help spark ideas for you on how to manage your online classes. In addition, the UTLC is also always happy to consult with instructors to develop solutions in collaboration with you that work for your specific classes and teaching style.
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Tech Tips: How to Record Announcements in Canvas Studio |
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Do you want a quick way to connect with students and keep everyone on track? You can try recording weekly video announcements using Canvas Studio. Short videos help personalize your course, clarify expectations, and boost student engagement. Here's a quick step-by-step on how to do this:
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- In your Canvas course, click Studio in the global navigation.
- Select Record to capture your webcam, screen, or both.
- Keep it short: 1 to 3 minutes is a good length.
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Add a clear title (e.g., Week 3 Announcements).
- Caption your video (studio can auto‑caption) to improve accessibility
- Embed the video in an Announcement, Module, or Home Page.
- You can record once and reuse announcements for future courses when possible.
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You can also look at this guide from ITS Learning Technology for more info!
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Community Engagement Book Club |
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Please join the University Teaching and Learning Commons, the Institute for Community and Economic Engagement, and the University Community Engagement Council as we collaborate and sponsor the Spring 2026 Community Engagement Book Club. Together we will be reading Rewriting Partnerships: Community Perspectives on Community-Based Learning by Rachael Shah. The book invites us to rethink our partnerships, emphasizing the potential for valuable knowledge co-creation. Drawing on interviews with partners and examples from courses and research projects, Shah shows how community-engaged teaching and research are enhanced by ethical collaboration with the community at program design, implementation, and evaluation.
There will be 3 meetings total on March 5, March 26 and April 23. We will be meeting 2:30 to 4:00ish, but please feel free to drop in and out depending on your needs. Location is TBD. Coffee and light snacks will be provided.
There are a limited number of print books available. Please register by February 13 to be entered into a drawing for a print book. The ebook is available through the UNCG library.
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We are pleased to share that the UTLC is now active on social media. We encourage you to follow us on Instagram (@utlc.uncg), Facebook (UNCG UTLC), and LinkedIn (University Teaching & Learning Commons) to stay informed about weekly teaching tips, upcoming events, and resources that support teaching and learning at UNCG.
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Open Office Hours with ITS |
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Open Office Hours with ITS: Learning Technology’s Instructional Design Team: Tuesdays 10am–12pm
Drop in for a conversation with an instructional designer! We can assist with course and assessment design, discuss teaching questions, and help with Canvas, Teams, and other learning technology.
No registration is needed; you can just join online.
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Spring 2026 Graduate Teaching Assistant Network Meetings |
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We are pleased to announce the Spring 2026 GTA Network dates! The GTA Network is open to all graduate teaching associates and is a space to connect, learn from colleagues, and receive collaborative support.
What can you expect at GTA Network Events:
Fresh Ideas & Teaching Tips – Explore new strategies, tools, and approaches to elevate your teaching practice.
Real-Time Demos – Get walk-throughs on essential processes like submitting grades, using Canvas tools, and more.
Timely Updates – Stay informed about important UNCG events, deadlines, and teaching-related resources.
Safe Space for Sharing – Bring your questions, wins, and challenges. This is a judgment-free zone where your voice matters.
Campus Connections – Learn how to collaborate with key support offices and student services across campus.
The meetings are all on Mondays: February 9, February 23, March 23, April 6, and April 20 from 2 to 3pm.
You can access the MS Teams call through the GTA Network Teams Channel or .
If you have questions, please contact Judy Fowler at JAFOWLE3@uncg.edu.
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| Free Subscription to The Teaching Professor from Magna Publications |
Magna Publications has a weekly newsletter with teaching tips, strategies, and the latest best practices of teaching offering approaches on a wide range of teaching topics, such as:
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- Planning and designing courses
- Promoting academic integrity
- Increasing student engagement
- Responding to course evaluations and feedback
- Developing effective activities and assignments
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| Access to Quick Teaching Workshops with Magna Publications |
Magna Publications offers a series of 20-minute and 40-minute workshops on teaching and learning topics from national experts in teaching and learning.
The UTLC has secured campus access to over 20 trainings on topics such as teaching effectiveness, generative AI, student engagement, course design, and much more.
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Faculty Engagement & Development Opportunities |
Check out these upcoming opportunities from the UTLC and other partners on campus. Additionally, the university workshop calendar has opportunities.
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- Self-Paced Training Options| Online, research-based workshops cover a range of essential topics.
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UNCG Libraries Webinars | Research and Application Webinar Series (Spring 2024 recordings) | Zotero Webinar Series (recordings)
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New to Teaching | Access this Canvas site to learn about how students learn, preparing for class, grading, office hours, engagement, active learning, and more.
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Safe and Trans Zone Training on Canvas | Enroll in this self-paced online course to complete Safe Zone 1.0, 2.0, and Trans Zone if you cannot attend an in-person workshop.
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Web Accessibility 101 | This asynchronous, self-paced course focuses on the fundamentals of making online content accessible.
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