center for INNOVATION in teaching, assessment, and learning

may 6, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the end of the semester and finals are underway, welcome to the last CITAL newsletter for the year. We have experienced and participated in a lot of change this year. Canvas is fully implemented, AI conversations are underway, Faculty Learning Communities are wrapping up, and many other successful projects, gatherings, and initiatives are in the books. In this final edition for the year, first we share information about three compelling sessions from the Midwest SoTL Conference. Next, we provide information and resources about Quality Matters (QM), which is Valpo’s Higher Learning Commission Quality Initiative. Stay tuned for more information on Summer and Fall opportunities for professional development around QM.

Then we move on to Canvas with exciting news about Lucid for Education (now included for all faculty and students at no additional cost), as well as a reminder to request course migrations. All courses through Spring 2026 are now available. Finally, we remind you that Blackboard will be sunsetting on June 30, 2025. While IT maintains archived files (including grades) for five (5) years, some departments may want to download course information for secondary accreditation purposes. Instructions are provided.

Thank you all for a successful year and for trusting us to support you with your courses, to collaborate with you on new opportunities, and to help you innovate by incorporating new approaches to teaching and learning. We hope you can find time to rest and recharge this summer, and look forward to providing more professional development opportunities in the future.

Sincerely,

The CITAL Team (Ed, Gina, and Cindy)

Midwest Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning [SoTL]

Reflections on SoTL, 2025

On Friday April 11, fourteen Valpo faculty and staff attended this year’s annual Midwest Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) conference at Indiana University, South Bend. The theme of the conference was “Care, Kindness, and Creativity.” Below is a short account of three sessions that might benefit you in your teaching. The first is about being kind to yourself as well as your students. The second gives strategies for motivating your students to read. The third talks about how to use “Easter eggs” to make an online class more personal and interactive.

Click Here to Read the Full Article: Reflections on SoTL, 2025

Thinking about looking into QM this summer for your online courses?

Here are three excellent resources to help you get started.

1) Why Quality Matters?

Click here for general information about QM and the benefits of Valpo's membership.

2) Design Courses Intentionally Using QM Higher Ed Standards as a Foundation

Click here to request your free access to the "Bridge to Quality: QM Online Course Design Guide."

3) QM Certification: Self-Review Tool

The Self-Review tool allows you to confidentially evaluate your own course against the QM Rubric. Using the Self-Review tool, you can examine the different design components of an online course and begin to understand the best practices that create quality courses.

Watch this QM Self-View Tutorial Video to learn how, or download the Self-Review Tutorial Transcript.
To begin using the Self-Review tool today and experience the QM Rubric, submit a CITAL Help Desk Ticket to request a QM user account to access Valpo's QM membership website.

Lucid for Education Available Now

Lucid for Education is available in Canvas as part of our subscription. This powerful tool allows faculty and students to create interactive whiteboards, flow charts, diagrams, and more. If you would like to explore Lucid, you can follow the links below to learn more:

ALERT!

Blackboard will sunset on June 30, 2025.

This means all Summer Courses will be in Canvas.

Special Note: If you are thinking about migrating your Blackboard courses to Canvas, the process to migrate can take several weeks. We encourage you to do this now before the end of the academic year. The following migration request form will accept up to four courses. If you have more than four courses to migrate, please submit additional forms as needed.

Click here to complete the request form to migrate your Blackboard courses to Canvas

Looking for Canvas resources?

1) Have you seen the new Canvas Course Valpo-Branded Template?
Click here to view it and learn how to apply it to your courses.

**Note: This only applies to course shells without the current blueprint applied**

2) Did you know that you are part of a global Canvas Community?
Learn how to access Course or Community Resource Guides.
Click here to access Canvas Resources

3) Do you need Canvas Help?
Canvas online support is available 24/7 for you & your students.
In addition, CITAL is available for department, small group, and one-on-one sessions
via Zoom or Live on Campus.
You can make your request for a "Canvas Consultation" to CITAL@valpo.edu.

Course & Materials Backups

During the past year, our IT Department has been backing up Blackboard courses in preparation for our migration to Canvas. Current IT policy maintains course archive copies (including feedback and grades) for five (5) years. However, you may want to consider making your own backups if needed for secondary accredidation or if your courses are currently outside of the five-year window. You can make backups by exporting entire courses, grade centers, or selected materials. This link will lead you to several measures you can take to preserve course data. Click Here to access Blackboard Archive and Export Help Articles.

Visit the CITAL Website, Your One-Stop-Shop for Faculty Resources

Submit a CITAL Helpdesk Ticket

219.464.50001700 Chapel Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46383-6493 USAvalpo.edu

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