As you prepare for Fall 2023, we wanted to offer 5 tips to make sure you are ready to go!
Check your Classroom Connection
Get familiar with your General Purpose Classroom before even entering the room by reviewing photos and seeing what technology is available through the Classroom Hotline. You can schedule a demo or learn how to use the equipment in your classroom by getting Hotline help. Also, check in with your college or school about additional technical assistance. Having an issue while teaching? Pick up the red telephone in your classroom!
We highly recommend sharing this document on Tips for Avoiding Student Wireless Connectivity Problems During Class. When using devices on campus, the connection will vary by location, devices, and network access points. Especially before taking a test in class, using devices to answer polls, or needing to connect through personal devices for whatever reason, it is always a good idea to confirm you and your students have strong connection in the classroom.
Setup your Zoom Connection
Canvas
Now available in Canvas is the Zoom Pro integration where you and your students can easily access Zoom from within your Canvas site. Zoom Pro allows you to create reoccurring meetings, take attendance, schedule office hours, and automatically back up cloud recordings to your course’s Panopto folder without having to manually map the IDs.
Sakai
Zoom links can be shared within your Sakai course by copying the link from Zoom and pasting them into Sakai.
To get started, be sure to log into Zoom through UNC Zoom. If you ever use a non-UNC Zoom account, make sure the Zoom application on your computer is correctly logged into your UNC Zoom account. Open the Zoom app > click your photo/avatar in the top right > account should show YourOnyen@email.unc.edu.
If you’re taking this a step further and teaching through Zoom in the classroom, please review our blog post on Using Zoom in General Purpose Classrooms to confirm you’re set up correctly before you start teaching.
Share Course Videos through Panopto
Any videos you share with your students should be shared through Panopto (Zoom cloud recordings are automatically sent to Panopto).
Whether using Canvas or Sakai, it is best practice for you and your students to complete the steps below. If your students don’t take these steps, they won’t get access to videos you share with the class!
- Log into Panopto at least once (this creates your account)
- Select the Panopto tool to be added to the Panopto course group
Canvas
Panopto is integrated into Canvas which means that creating and sharing video content is available without the need to navigate away from our LMS. To do this, confirm that the Panopto Video tool is listed in each course site.
- If Panopto Video is not listed in your list of tools you can add it via Settings > Navigation > Drag Panopto Video to the top list of tabs > Save
- Select the Panopto Video tab to create content and/or obtain links to videos to be placed elsewhere throughout the site
- Add the Panopto Video link as a URL, embed it on a page using the Rich Text Editor, or point your students to the Panopto Video tab depending on how you’d like to disperse your Panopto content to the students in your course
Sakai
You can easily embed your Panopto videos directly on your Sakai site by adding the Panopto tool to your Sakai site (Site Info > Manage Tools)
See more on the relationship between Zoom, Panopto, and Sakai and how to share your videos.
Engage Students through Poll Everywhere
A great way to engage students without putting individuals on the spot is by collecting in-class student responses through polls using Poll Everywhere. Students use their own devices and don’t need to purchase any clickers to respond to polls. You can request an instructor account and have your students register for student accounts through UNC Poll Everywhere. While you are welcome to use Poll Everywhere outside of the LMS for ungraded activities, please be sure to review the Instructor FAQs for additional requirements if you plan to import attendance/grades into your Canvas or Sakai sites.
Download a Template in Commons
Download a Template in Commons: Unsure of where to begin? Check out our UNC-CH Course Templates in the Commons tool within Canvas. You can download the template and import it into your course. The Simplified version is a great place to start with helping you organize your course materials.
Have a great first week of classes!
For more helpful information to help get you started for the Fall, read our start of semester checklist posted last week.