What is dynamic content?
And why should you consider using it (if you’re not already)?
How can it make your Canvas course more enjoyable for your students?
And maybe most importantly… how can it make your life easier?
Word Clouds are (still) Cool
Word clouds have been around for years now and have been used in every level of education and probably every conceivable subject area.
Though they may sometimes be overused or even seem a little hokey, they are also a REALLY easy way to add a little visual flare to your class or lecture. Plus, they’re super easy to make and completely free!
If you’re looking for a tool that will let you create word clouds in any shape you like (like an apple!), with your choice of colors, and as many words as you like, then check out WordArt.com.
Screencasting – Beyond the Basics
So you’ve been creating short screencast videos using Screencast-O-Matic or some other free option and now you’re ready to take your videos to the next level.
Or maybe you’re just tired of being limited to 15 minutes and so few editing options.
In that case, now it’s time to think about paying for one of the numerous options out there.
Screencasting Basics
One of the easiest ways you can create student-centered, engaging materials for your in-person, hybrid, or online courses is with screencasts.
Wikipedia defines “screencast” as a digital recording of a computer screen, often containing audio narration.
But you might be thinking that the software is hard to learn or that you don’t have time for editing and so on.
Recording Audio or Video into Your Canvas Course
There are lots of different ways you can add engaging, interactive content to your courses and you don’t even have to leave Canvas to do it.
Using the features built right in to Canvas’ Rich Content Editor and your computer’s webcam and microphone, you can record video or audio directly into any page, quiz, assignment or discussion with your course. Your students can even do the same thing.
NCLEX-RN Practice Questions
In the short time I’ve been here in the School of Nursing, I’ve heard several conversations about the need to find good NCLEX test questions to help students prepare for the exam.
Well, recently, I stumbled upon a resource that I hope will be helpful to you and your students: Khan Academy.
The UT Box Mobile App
Students can use UT Box for lots of things. And, instructors can use it to make their own lives and their students’ lives a little easier with the UT Box Mobile App. No matter where you, or your students are, you can access and share files all within your Canvas course.
For example, if a class assignment requires students to record and submit a video as part of a class project, they can record that video on their smart phone, then upload that video file from their phone straight to their UT Box account.
Classroom Response Systems
If you’re looking for ways to increase interactivity and get more student feedback in your courses, classroom response systems are a great tool and there are lots of options available to you. This article will cover some pros and cons of 6 of the most popular and commonly used systems at UT.
Hint: scroll all the way to the bottom for details about the “best” option(aka: most fun and it’s FREE).
Purchasing or Increasing Bandwidth
Students in the School of Nursing sometimes tell us that they’re running out of bandwidth when asked to do things like take quizzes or download files from Canvas.