The new term is upon us, and as a faculty member, you might be feeling overwhelmed. At OIT, we have dozens of people and resources to help you get going and provide a little relief.
We recently discussed on IT Connect, our IT Help Desk is your best option for timely support with your tech support questions. Whether it is in person, on the phone, or via chat, we are here to help. All the Help Desk staff are HDI certified and committed to providing exceptional service.
Of course, if you are running into technical difficulties during a class, we recommend the Classroom Support line at 214-768-8888 as your first call. We know the time in the classroom is limited, so our specialists respond in minutes to your support call.
If you are looking for support with using the Canvas LMS, Zoom, or other creative learning strategies, we have our ATSDs to assist you. The Academic Technology Service Directors, or ATSDs, are a liaison between faculty and OIT, with one dedicated to each of SMU’s colleges and schools. Our Academic Technology Service Directors can help evaluate your technology needs and identify the appropriate solution. Request a consultation with your ATSD today. Find out more at smu.edu/ATSD.
To accommodate the academic needs put forth by SMU in Four to build upon the use of the Canvas LMS for teaching our students, our ATSD’s have designed this site to enhance the use of Canvas’ main features: Gradebook, Syllabus, and Calendar. The Academic Technology’s Instructional & Teaching Technology Guides can help when dealing with homework submissions, meeting DASS accommodations for Quizzes, or finding the right tools. Find out more at smu.edu/keepteaching.
Don’t forget; we have added some new tools in Canvas to help this term, such as Simple Syllabus, Dropout Detective, and Feedback Box. Simple Syllabus is designed to help reduce the burden and guesswork out of formatting, submitting, and adding required syllabus statements. Dropout Detective is a Canvas-based student retention system that helps to predict if one of your students might be in trouble in that course. The Feedback Box is an integration that allows students to provide anonymous instructor feedback about their course to help improve faculty-to-student communications. You can find out more about these tools in our recent Enhancements Coming to the Canvas LMS for Fall Term article.