Preparing for the Spring 2021 Semester | ITS Educational Technologies

Welcome back, and hello to 2021! We hope you all have had a relaxing extended Winter Break.

The Spring 2021 Semester is just around the corner! The University announced yesterday that classes will begin as planned on January 19, however in-person classes will be held remotely for three weeks (current in-person start date: February 8). Please see the Spring Operations Update.

As you’re preparing for the start of another semester, here are some resources you may find helpful.

Get Started in Sakai

One of the first places students will check for updates on their classes is in Sakai, the University’s learning management system. If you have specific questions about Sakai, submit a help request or sign up for a personal consultation with one of our ITS EdTech team members. We’re happy to help you!

Create Your Course Sites

In order for you to create your Sakai course sites, your departmental course scheduler must first list you as the Primary/Secondary/Proxy Instructor in ConnectCarolina for each of your courses. Once that’s done, follow this step-by-step tutorial on creating your course sites in Sakai. One key thing to remember is that the course creation process creates only *one* Sakai site at a time. Only check the roster(s) you want attached to the site you are currently creating. If you want a separate Sakai site for each course, check only one roster and create the site. Then repeat that same process for the next course.

Crash Course on Teaching with Sakai

Recording & Help Guide Summary

We have a crash course on teaching with Sakai available to assist you with getting started with the different Sakai tools. You’ll find a recording of the training we held last fall, broken down by the different topics discussed in the training. We also included a summary of the training with several links to Sakai help guides.

Live Training: January 13

If you prefer live assistance, we’re offering a similar training next week. This training will be held over Zoom for 90 minutes with a short break included. We’ll review several Sakai tools, including the Lessons tool, the “one-stop shop” to streamline the learning experience for your students by bringing all of your course content and activities into one place. We’ll also review new features now available since the Sakai 20 Upgrade!

Teaching with Sakai Tools to Help Students Learn [Register]
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
2pm – 3:30pm EST

Share Your Zoom Info

You are likely meeting with your students through Zoom . We recommend using an ongoing Zoom meeting for all of your class sessions and adding the meeting details on the Overview page of your Sakai site and emailing this information to your students (Sakai Announcements or Messages). This way students have a quick point of reference to access your Zoom class sessions.

Important Reminder: Zoom Cloud Recordings are now automatically deleted 30 days after the recording was created and automatically appear in your UNC Panopto account. See more on Panopto and Zoom recordings. It’s best to share the Panopto video link with your students instead of the Zoom recording link. Note that individual schools and departments may have different settings. Please check with your unit’s IT staff to inquire about your account.

University Resources

There are several campus resources available to help guide you. Here are a few to get started.

Keep Teaching

A good place to start is by reviewing the Keep Teaching website. You will find information on:

Digital Accessibility

Especially with classes being taught remotely, it is imperative that your content is accessible to all students. We highly recommend reaching out to the Digital Accessibility Office (DAO) to make sure your content is accessible. The DAO offers live trainings and many resources to help you get started.

Carolina Together

And of course, it’s a good idea to keep checking the University’s Carolina Together website for important updates and reminders.

Please stay safe and healthy, and have a great semester!