As we close the fall semester and prepare for the New Year, our Academic Technology specialists are ready to assist you with another round of Faculty Technology Workshops! Here’s what we have planned.
Final Grades & Wrapping Up Your Canvas Course
December 10, 10AM, Online Session
As the semester comes to an end, let’s do a check of your Canvas course before submitting grades to my.SMU. In this workshop, we will cover final grades in Canvas by reviewing assignment scoring, assignment groups, and the gradebook.
Ready, Set, Pony Up! Getting Started with Canvas
January 8, 9:30 AM, Online Session
Let’s make sure your course (and you!) are ready to start the spring semester in Canvas. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Import course content
- Update imported announcements
- Review the syllabus, assignment settings, and gradebook for alignment
- Set up proctoring tools and adjust navigation links
- Check for broken links
It’s in the (Simple) Syllabus!
January 8, 11 AM, Online Session
Simple Syllabus makes it easy to communicate to your students exactly what will be required of them throughout the course. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Use the Simple Syllabus template tool
- Import previous semester’s content
- Create syllabus visibility
SMU Cayuse: An Introduction to Digital Tools for Managing Research Activities
January 8, 1:30 PM, Online Session
Cayuse is a cloud-based platform that SMU is implementing for research proposal development, submission, management, and tracking, including tools for research compliance and technology transfer. In this seminar, you will learn about:
- What is SMU Cayuse? Features, interface, implementation, and timeline
- Cayuse Sponsored Projects: How to submit a proposal in Cayuse SP
- Additional Capabilities: Reporting, research compliance, post-award capabilities, tech transfer
The audience for this session includes faculty and staff who submit outside funding requests and administrators who manage research portfolios and activities.
Canvas Assignments + Enhanced Rubrics: Assess for Success
January 8, 3 PM, Online Session
Canvas Assignments are a great way to assess student learning. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Create different assignment types;
- Set availability and due dates;
- Access Speedgrader for grading; and
- Add Enhanced Rubrics for assignments, quizzes, and discussion
Increase Student Retention with Dropout Detective
January 9, 9:30 AM, Online Session
Help increase student retention by using Dropout Detective to analyze performance data. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- View performance data for your students by class
- Identify students that may be at risk for attrition
Introduction to High Performance Computing (HPC)
January 9, 11 AM, Online Session
High Performance Computing (HPC) uses powerful computer systems and parallel processing to handle complex tasks like large data analysis, simulations, and research computing—far beyond the capabilities of standard desktops. In this workshop, participants will learn:
- Identify the high-performance computing (HPC) resources and support available at SMU.
- Understand account eligibility and the process for requesting HPC access.
- Learn how to log in to the HPC system and perform basic job submission and execution.
Prompt Engineering & AI Basics
January 9, 1:30 PM, Online Session
This workshop introduces faculty and staff to the fundamentals of prompt engineering for AI tools like ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs). Participants will learn how to craft effective prompts to enhance productivity, improve communication, and leverage AI for teaching, research, and administrative tasks. In this workshop, you will learn:
- Key principles for designing clear and effective prompts to achieve desired outcomes.
- How to adapt prompts for various professional use cases, including lesson planning, report drafting, and brainstorming.
- Strategies to troubleshoot and refine prompts for improved AI responses.
Faculty Guide to General Education Assessment
January 9, 3 PM, Online Session
An introduction to the purpose and process of assessing the Common Curriculum—SMU’s general education program. This session will cover federal and accreditation requirements, SMU’s three-year assessment cycle, and best practices for designing assignments that align with Common Curriculum rubrics. Participants will explore:
- the types of assessment assignments (objective vs. non-objective)
- methods for collecting evidence using Canvas and Box
- how to ensure alignment with component-specific rubrics.
Readings & Resources: Organize Course Materials, Track and Improve Student Engagement
January 12, 9:30 AM, Online Session
SMU Libraries incorporated Readings & Resources as a tool in Canvas that organizes your course materials in one place and tracks and encourages student engagement. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Add any type of course materials or reserves to a single list in Canvas
- Use analytics and student engagement features to track and encourage students in reading course materials
Grading – The Good, The Late, and the Extra Credit
January 12, 11 AM, Online Session
The Canvas Gradebook helps instructors easily view and enter grades for students.
In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Manage your late policy grades
- Organize your gradebook
- Weight assignment groups
- Give extra credit
New AI Features in Canvas
January 12, 1:30 PM, Online Session
Canvas continues to improve, so come learn about new and updated features! In this workshop, you will learn about Ignite AI and how it can be used in Canvas for:
- Discussion Summaries
- Translations for Discussions, Inbox, & Announcements
Streamline Class Attendance with Qwickly Attendance
January 12, 3 PM, Online Session
Whether you’re teaching in-person or online courses, Qwickly simplifies attendance management with multiple modes, robust reporting, and direct gradebook integration. Come explore features such as manual check-in, student self-check-in with QR codes or PINs, and reporting tools. In this workshop, you will:
- Configure and launch Qwickly Attendance Pro in Canvas courses using settings that match your teaching modality and attendance policy.
- Utilize various attendance-taking methods (manual, check-in, QR code, or PIN) and understand when each is most effective.
- Interpret and export attendance data reports to identify student attendance trends and integrate attendance records with the Canvas Gradebook.
Conquering Quizzes in Canvas
January 13, 9:30 AM, Online Session
Quizzes are a way of assessing student learning. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Understand Classic Quizzes versus New Quizzes
- Use Question Banks/Item Banks
Course Design with Generative AI
January 13, 11 AM, Online Session
In this session hosted by the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), participants will learn how to engage with Generative AI tools as partners in the course design process. When intentionally engaging with GenAI tools and backward design, the course design process becomes significantly more efficient. Participants will:
- Discover how to use Generative AI to streamline course design.
- Explore ways to align GenAI tools with backward design principles.
- Assess the benefits and limits of partnering with AI in teaching.
Advanced Prompt Engineering
January 13, 1:30 PM, Online Session
Building on foundational skills, this workshop dives deeper into advanced prompt engineering techniques. Participants will explore methods to optimize prompts for complex tasks, integrate multi-step workflows, and use advanced features of LLMs to achieve sophisticated outcomes. In this workshop, you will learn:
- The evolution of NLP, LLM and GenAI
- Techniques for chaining prompts and designing multi-step workflows to manage complex projects.
- How to leverage advanced AI capabilities like contextual memory, structured output, and parameter tuning.
- Best practices for using prompt engineering to solve domain-specific challenges in teaching, research, and administration.
Academic Integrity with Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor
January 13, 3 PM, Online Session
This workshop highlights Respondus tools in Canvas to increase the academic integrity of online exams. (Note: this workshop does NOT address AI detection). In this workshop, you will learn:
- How to use LockDown Browser to prevent digital cheating in proctored testing environments and Respondus Monitor in non-proctored environments to protect exam integrity and confirm student identity
- The student perspective using each application
- Best practices and tips for success with both applications
Copyleaks for Plagiarism Detection
January 14, 9:30 AM, Online Session
Copyleaks uses state-of-the-art AI to provide more accurate and comprehensive plagiarism detection, ensuring that even sophisticated attempts at plagiarism are caught.
- Scans an extensive database that includes academic publications, student papers, and web content, plus added capabilities to scan and compare content from various sources, including code, which is beneficial for detecting plagiarism in computer science and engineering disciplines.
- Provides in-depth plagiarism reports with visual representation of matched content, paraphrased text, and a clear breakdown of sources. Includes tools for generating detailed feedback for students.
- Supports multiple languages and can detect plagiarism across different languages, making it suitable for our increasingly diverse and international student body.
Enhance Student Engagement Using Poll Everywhere
January 14, 11 AM, Online Session
Poll Everywhere provides a safe platform for every student to ask questions, participate in group activities, and share thoughts and insights, right from their phone or computer. In this workshop, you will:
- See a demonstration of the multiple ways you can utilize Poll Everywhere in your course
- Learn how to create graded activities that directly integrate with the Canvas gradebook
Power of Effective Feedback Strategies with PlayPosit
January 14, 1:30 PM, Online Session
This training will highlight the fundamentals of PlayPosit with an emphasis on the feedback functionalities within the platform. In this workshop, you will:
- Learn what is PlayPosit
- Experience PlayPosit from your students’ perspective
- Build an interactive video together that you can use immediately with various forms of feedback for learners
- Participate in Q&A
- Obtain PlayPosit resources
Generative AI Tools for SMU Researchers
January 14, 3 PM, Online Session
Join SMU Libraries and OIT Research Technology Services as we delve into the fundamentals of generative AI and its impact on research. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Recognize Generative AI basics
- Explore Generative AI applications to research
- Investigate guides for researching with Generative AI
- Discuss the ethical implications of generative AI applications involving labor, the environment, and privacy
- Learn about Consensus, an AI-powered academic search engine that SMU Libraries is providing access to
Gradescope – Make Grading Less Tedious!
January 15, 9:30 AM, Online Session
Gradescope is a feedback and assessment tool that enables instructors and graders to give better and more timely feedback on exams, homework, and other assignments. Dynamic rubrics help streamline the tedious parts of grading while increasing grading consistency. In this workshop, you will learn the great features that reduce the pain and time associated with grading.
Empower All Learners: Accessibility Check-up
January 15, 11 AM, Online Session
Create an inclusive and effective learning environment by exploring strategies to support diverse learners and enhance the accessibility of Canvas course materials for your students. In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Apply strategies to make Canvas materials more accessible
- Identify accessibility areas of improvements
AI Learning Lab
January 15, 1:30 PM, Harold Clark Simmons Room 116
AI Learning Lab is an interactive, exploratory workshop that invites faculty to experiment directly with generative AI tools in real time. Participants will explore different Generative AI tools, learn how to craft effective prompts, critique AI-generated outputs, and adapt AI capabilities to their teaching workflows. The session emphasizes both creativity and critical thinking, empowering participants to make informed, responsible decisions about when and how to use AI in academic contexts.
This session is in-person and BYOD: Bring Your Own Device
Informed Skepticism and AI
January 15, 3 PM, Online Session
In this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify and analyze common limitations, biases, and failure modes in generative AI tools by examining real examples of inaccurate, fabricated, or misleading outputs.
- Evaluate the credibility and reliability of AI-generated information using a structured set of critical-thinking questions
- Apply principles of informed skepticism to their own use cases such as course design, research tasks, or student interactions
