This January, SMU offered several days of training and resources to kick-start the spring semester and help faculty use the SMUFlex model of teaching at the 2021 Instructional Technology Workshops. Lead by many of the Academic Technology Service Directors, these sessions covered everything from re-discover the Zoom basics, to using ManeFrame II, to providing accessibility tips or answers to your Canvas LMS questions. Hundreds of SMU faculty took advantage of this opportunity attending over 700 combined sessions.
One of the highlights of the Instructional Technology Workshops was special guest Claire Major, Professor of Higher Education at The University of Alabama. She teaches courses on college teaching, technology in higher education, and reading research in the field of higher education. She has also co-authored several books, including Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty and Learning Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Her Active Learning Strategies for Engaging Students was not only the most attended session over the three days but also one of the most engaging. A recording of the session is available below.
Rounding out the remaining top five most popular sessions were Re-Discovering the Zoom Basics, Zoom: Beyond the Basics, Organizing Your Canvas Course for Optimal Student and Professor Experience, and Teaching Online With Zoom: Classroom Management. To view the recordings of these sessions and others, please visit smu.edu/itworkshops2021.
If you have questions about using any of the technologies mentioned in the videos or need further assistance with implementing SMUFlex, please contact your local Academic Technology Service Directors.
