The Center for Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Learning |
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CITAL NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 3, 2026 |
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Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to our latest edition of your CITAL newsletter. We hope you have been able to stay warm in these frigid conditions. Also, depending on who you believe (Punxsutawney Phil or Woodstock Willie), we are either in for six more weeks of winter or an early spring. Here at CITAL, we are banking on our neighbor to the west. Regardless, we are here as always to support your teaching and learning needs.
In this issue we talk about our 2nd annual Teaching Tools Symposium in the Blog and show off some images from the event in a new web page. Next, we encourage faculty to attend our next Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Workshop over Spring Break. Finally, we round out our news with upcoming professional development tips and a useful tip about student analytics in Canvas. We look forward to working with you throughout the rest of the term and feel free to reach out to us with any questions.
Sincerely,
The CITAL Team (Ed, Cindy, Gina, and Raina)
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January Teaching Tools Symposium |
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL
On Tuesday, January 14, 2026, CITAL held our annual Symposium on Teaching Tools. Faculty learned from their colleagues and CITAL staff
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🌟 QUALITY MATTERS (QM) WORKSHOP
📅 March 10–11, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (both days) Live on Zoom
✨ Elevate Your Course Design
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Join CITAL for a two‑day, interactive Quality Matters (QM) Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) workshop designed to strengthen online and hybrid teaching. Learn practical strategies, explore QM standards, and collaborate with colleagues in a supportive environment.
🎓 Open to All Valpo Faculty
Engaging, hands‑on sessions and QM certification
Ideal for anyone looking to enhance course quality and student experience
⚠️ Limited Seats — Register Early
Secure your spot while space remains. For more details, click the QM Workshop Info. & Registration Button below.
📬 Questions?
Contact cital@valpo.edu
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Below are upcoming free online conferences. These conferences cover a wide range of topics including AI, online pedagogy, and leadership in online programs.
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As we wrap up the first month of the spring semester, you might want to check if students are logging in to complete their assignments. How do you check their status in Canvas? You can do so by looking at the course analytics.
You can find the course analytics in your course navigation (if enabled) or on the homepage. In course analytics, you can view the average course grade, weekly online activity, view individual student grades and activity, and run reports. You can also message students from course analytics. For example, if you have a student who has not turned in any assignments and logged into Canvas twice, you can send them a message to check in. You can also message all students based on a specific course grade or participation criteria.
By checking the course analytics early in the semester, you can foster engagement, and identify and help with early intervention for at-risk students.
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Tune in next time for another Canvas tip!
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The Center for Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Learning |
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