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By week 3, you’ve likely established a rhythm in your course and have a clearer sense of what’s working for your students. This is a great moment to make a few small adjustments that build on that momentum and support continued engagement.

✔️ Check your text size for accessibility. Use at least 12-point text in documents and 18–24 point text on slides to support readability across devices and learning environments—and to ensure your course meets accessibility standards.

✔️ Offer an optional office hour. Whether in person or via Zoom, office hours can create additional opportunities for connection. Some faculty find it helpful to include a light structure or prompt to encourage participation.

✔️ Plan a brief midterm check-in for next week. A short Google Form survey can surface useful insights about what’s working—and what could shift. Two questions many instructors use:
- What is one thing the instructor could adjust to better support your learning?
- What is one thing you could adjust to support your own learning?

✔️ Unsure whether your course meets accessibility standards? Schedule a consultation with our team to review your course materials, or join our drop-in accessibility session starting next week.

These small check-ins help you build on what’s already working and make targeted adjustments for the rest of the term.

More than 245 PSU faculty have participated in the Instructional Digital Accessibility training, with another 60 currently working toward the Instructional Accessibility Microcredential. This growing community reflects a shared commitment to creating learning environments where all students can fully participate.

If you’ve been considering getting started, now is a great time to join your colleagues and take part in this work. The training is practical, flexible, and directly applicable to your courses.

A new PSU instructional Google Slides template is now available to support clear, accessible course materials. The template includes built-in accessibility settings—such as readable text sizes, structured layouts, and high-contrast design—along with brief guidance to support effective slide design. f you already use slides, this is an easy way to streamline your workflow while aligning with accessibility standards.

The template is already available to you in Google Slides. To use it, open Google Slides and select Template Gallery at the top right of the home screen. Then choose the Portland State University tab. Alternatively, within an open presentation, select File > New > From template gallery. You can adapt it to your course, and use it as a starting point for future presentations.

Wednesday, April 15, 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM | Online

As faculty at Portland State University, we all want to create engaging, inclusive course content that reaches every student. With new Title II accessibility requirements, making your videos accessible is now an essential part of that work.

Quick tools and tips to support your teaching this week:

Instructional guide

Teaching a large class this term? Check out Best Practice for Large Courses in Canvas. The tips and instructions can help you manage discussions, groups, grading, and even differentiated learning for course sections, regardless of the size of your course.

Canvas tutorial

Use the “Assign To” feature to easily extend access to Assignments in Canvas. This setting allows you to add different assignment due dates for both individuals and groups, creating flexibility for granting extensions, staggering due dates for projects and presentations, and providing accommodations. It’s a great tool to add to your Canvas ‘toolbox’!

Canvas tutorial

If you’ve ever seen zeros in your Gradebook when you didn’t expect them, it may be due to the missing submission settings in Canvas. But fear not! This is a great tool to use by this week of the term, both for giving students an accurate calculation of their grades, as well as for motivating them to turn things in. Just remember to turn the setting off before importing a course into a new course shell, so the zeros don’t show up unexpectedly.

Last week, faculty, staff and partners came together for the PSU InnovAIte Symposium to share how AI is shaping teaching, learning and research across campus.

The event brought together 125 participants, including 52 members of the InnovAIte Academy cohort, for a day of presentations, conversations and practical exploration. Sessions highlighted current work and created space for cross-disciplinary connection.

Thank you to everyone who contributed, presented and participated. The range of approaches and ideas shared reflects the ongoing, thoughtful ways faculty and staff are engaging with AI in higher education.

Even small shifts in your day-to-day teaching practices can significantly improve access and engagement for all students. These habits reduce cognitive load, support diverse learning needs, and align with Universal Design for Learning's emphasis on clarity, flexibility, and multiple means of engagement.

Share materials in advance Upload slides, readings, or prompts before class so students can review at their own pace or with assistive tools. Label files clearly and organize them in a consistent place (e.g., weekly modules in Canvas).

Describe visuals out loud When using images, graphs, or videos, briefly describe what you’re showing and why it matters (e.g., “This graph shows student participation increasing over the term, especially after Week Five.”)

Simplify and structure content Break long paragraphs or lists into smaller, digestible sections with clear headings or bullets. Use consistent formatting and layout across all materials, including syllabi, slides, and assignment directions.

A few spots remain in this spring’s faculty book club featuring Culture Clash: New Majority Students at PSU, co-written by PSU students about their learning experiences and what supports their success.

The book offers student-centered insights into teaching and belonging, along with a chance to connect with colleagues across disciplines.

Wednesday, April 15, 1:00 PM–1:30 PM

Tuesday, April 21, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Wednesday, April 22, 12:45 PM - 1:25 PM

Thursday, April 24, 1:00 - 2:00 PM 

Thursday, April 30, 12:00 PM–1:00 PM

You receive this email because you are an instructor at Portland State University and supported by our office, The Office of Academic Innovation. Writing to you from the Smith Memorial Student Union is your team of teaching support staff. Do you have a teaching question? Get in touch.

The Office of Academic Innovation
Portland State University