Off Campus Teaching

Below is a list of resources for you to teach or learn with alternative, online tools to continue your class virtually. CVM faculty can take advantage of these resources to prepare for how to best communicate virtually with students and colleagues. Please reach out to your departmental instructional technologist (listed below) if you need help with online course materials in Canvas.

Online Communication for Students

Through email

Class Reps

Year 3 Reps ([email protected])
Year 2 Reps ([email protected])
Year 1 Reps ([email protected])

Through Canvas

Ensure that you receive your communications promptly by setting up your personal notifications in Canvas. Follow these directions to be sure that you are having your notifications sent to your umn.edu email account.

Instructors may post announcements for everyone in their course through Canvas.

Announcements will be sent to you as an email
Announcements can also be viewed by selecting “Announcements” in the left hand navigation

Discussions

This is a space where you can communicate quickly with other students and your instructors in a class
Discussions can be accessed by choosing "Discussion" from the left hand navigation, and also alerted via email when you update your settings

Using Zoom in small groups and in Canvas with Instructors

The DVM program will utilze our student workers to moderate the Zoom links for each class. This will be done using a recurring link that is on the front page of your course below the banner. This applies to most courses in Y1, Y2 and Y3 but exceptions are made for electives that the student workers are not participating in. Please reach out to your course coordinator if you are having trouble accessing your Zoom meetings.
If you are on rotations or your course is one of the exceptions mentioned above the instructions for accessing the Zoom integration in Canvas might apply to you.

Online Communication for Faculty

Communication Through Canvas

Canvas allows instructors and students to control where and when they receive notifications about Canvas activity. As you determine your communication plan, think about how notifications can support timely interactions with your students.

Ensure students receive your communications promptly by directing them to set up their personal notifications.

Consider setting up a discussion in Canvas for “Course Questions” This is a space where students could seek clarification from the instructor and each other.
The Canvas Inbox (also known as Canvas Conversations) is an email tool within Canvas.

Use the Inbox to send a message to all students in a course or send a message to one or more specific students
Filter Inbox conversations to help you stay organized and manage your messages.

Instructors can post an announcement for everyone in their courses through Canvas.

Leave the “Announcements” section viewable in the left navigation so that the archive of information is available to students.
Manage announcement replies to allow or restrict further student conversation.
Announcements are typically sent as an email, be sure students know this is dependent on notification settings.

Communication Through email

Class Reps

Year 3 Reps ([email protected])
Year 2 Reps ([email protected])
Year 1 Reps ([email protected])

Online Teaching Resources for Faculty

University of Minnesota online teaching resources

The Guidelines for Online Teaching and Design

The Guidelines for Online Teaching and Design is a searchable, practical guide to assist members of the University of Minnesota community (e.g., faculty, instructors, administrators, instructional designers) in supporting student learning in online courses and programs.

Canvas discussions

Consider setting up a discussion in Canvas for “Course Questions” This is a space where students could seek clarification from the instructor and each other.

Canvas assignments

Use Canvas Assignments when students will need to submit content. This might include text, web site URLs, media recordings, or files.

Canvas quizzes

Use Canvas Quizzes to create a check for understanding quiz, graded or ungraded survey, or an exam. Quizzes have a variety of question types including multiple choice and essay. Quiz questions and responses can be randomized to increase exam security.
CVM Best Practices for Online Quizzes and Exams
Template for writing an exam to be taken online

Uploading files

How to use Files as an Instructor
Links to files and online media can be added to modules or a Canvas page.

Creating videos

Kaltura is a streaming video platform. Kaltura appears in your Canvas course navigation as My Media and Media Gallery. Videos uploaded to Kaltura are automatically captioned and these captions can be corrected before they are shared with students. Kaltura videos can be added to Canvas announcements, assignments, quizzes, discussions, and pages.
You can use the Canvas Video Recorder to add video to pages and activities.
Capture your computer screen and any on-screen cursor movements (for presentations or demonstrations) with Screencast-o-matic. Screencast-o-matic has editing options and is free for all staff and students. Review the help tutorials.
See more video options in the technology section of this site.

Using Zoom in Canvas

Connect to the U of MN Off - Campus

It is helpful to think about how you and your students will gain access to the course materials:

University of Minnesota tools such as email, Google Drive, and Canvas require the use of DUO Mobilesign in.

If your DUO-enabled device is your office phone, be sure to enroll a back up device, or, generate self-service bypass codes.
Some secure tools or platforms require the use of VPN.

A request from the Provost

A coordinated set of faculty development options for summer and fall instruction are available to instructors across the university system. Please share this broadly on your campus and within your college. I’m aware that some colleges/campuses may already have faculty development plans underway; this list of offerings is meant to be supplemental to what is already being offered. An easy thing to communicate to your faculty is that if they have any question related to teaching, they can simply go to TeachingSupport and someone will get back with them quickly to direct them to the right place.

Need Assistance?

Questions About Technology Tools: Email [email protected]

Questions About Canvas: Canvas Guides are an excellent just-in-time resource for your Canvas questions.

CVM Instructional Technologists