Save the Date: Canvas Boot Camp – August 16, 17 & 18

OIT Canvas Boot CampThis August the Academic Technology team and IT Training have partnered to arm faculty and staff with Canvas instruction and resources during a two days for a Canvas Boot Camp. These workshops have been created to answer those critical questions instructors may have at the onset of a new semester.

You may be asking yourself, “What methods of communication does Canvas offer?” “Can I create online tests?” “How can I track what files my student have accessed?” “How do I use the Grade book?” and even, “Where do I go for help?” It might be a little overwhelming, but don’t worry. All these questions and more will be answered during the Canvas Boot Camp.

Registration is not required to these drop-in sessions. However, seating is limited and we will be accommodating those on a first-come-first-served basis. Can’t make it to Canvas during the day? Consider joining us for Canvas Nights!

Canvas Boot Camp sessions include: Continue reading Save the Date: Canvas Boot Camp – August 16, 17 & 18

Important Changes to Courses.SMU

UPDATE:

Due to an unprecedented chain of events yesterday, June 29th, SMU was unable to login to Canvas for several hours. The connection between SMU and Canvas has since been restored.

These events yesterday disrupted our expected timeline, and in order to recover and move forward, access to Blackboard via courses.smu.edu has been removed 24 hours earlier than scheduled. If you need your materials off of Blackboard, please contact your academic technology director in your college, or put in a ticket at the Helpdesk.

Direct Support Contacts:
James Pan Dedman School of Law/Perkins School of Theology pan@smu.edu 214.768.1820
Jeff Liew Cox School of Business jliew@smu.edu 214.768.4770
Scott Martin Simmons School of Education smartin@smu.edu 214.768.4864
Merlin Wilkerson Lyle School of Engineering merlin@smu.edu 214.768.8649
Mousumi Tanha Meadows School of Arts mtanha@smu.edu 214.768.2548
Michael Robertson Dedman College robertsonm@smu.edu 214.768.1148
Steve Snider Guildhall ssnider@smu.edu 214.768.1879

July 1st is going to be a big day for learning management systems at SMU. There will be some significant changes to Courses.SMU as we move away from Blackboard to Canvas. As advertised throughout the 2015-2016 academic year, the following changes will take effect on June 30th.

Continue reading Important Changes to Courses.SMU

Important Turnitin Update

Turnitin has released a major product upgrade that will soon be available at SMU. The new version of the service, called Turnitin Feedback Studio, offers all the functionalities of Turnitin, but with a simplified, more intuitive interface designed for the modern classroom. Turnitin Feedback Studio will make it faster and easier than ever to promote academic integrity, provide actionable feedback, and evaluate student learning at Southern Methodist University.

Feedback StudioWe plan to upgrade our version of Turnitin to Feedback Studio on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. Once upgraded, you can expect to see a new interface when you open up a student’s paper in Turnitin. Your students will also experience this new and improved interface when viewing Similarity Reports and receiving feedback.

To get acquainted with the upgraded Turnitin Feedback Studio and prepare for a successful implementation, you can: