Wacky Wednesday: Escape Room Challenge (May 8, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.)

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) welcomes faculty and staff to join us for our last Wacky Wednesday of the semester: Escape Room Challenge on May 8 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. This isn’t just any Wacky Wednesday – it is a call to action! Our CATL Team is “locked” in the conference room, and only your wits can help free us!


Join us for a unique, hands-on experience that will not only test your problem-solving skills but also provide you with the knowledge and inspiration to bring the world of escape rooms into your own classroom. In addition to participating in this activity, you’ll hear from instructors who have created both virtual and physical escape rooms by incorporating their own course content and you’ll walk away with a list of resources to help you get started creating your own escape room activity.

Escape rooms can be used to create engaging learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom, so all faculty and staff are welcome to attend. Whether you are looking to fully immerse yourself in the escape room or just pop in to see what the buzz is about, there’s no need to register – just show up ready for fun and learning at the CATL conference room (CL 405C) or join us virtually. If you would like an Outlook Calendar invitation to this event, send us an email!

If you have questions or need accommodations for this event, email CATL (CATL@uwgb.edu).

Teaching Strategy Spotlight – Comics in the Classroom

Zack Kruse Teaching Spotlight

Zack Kruse, Lecturer for Applied Writing and English

Background

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Professor Kruse earned his undergraduate degree in 2004 and then worked in the comics industry for a decade. He went on to earn his PhD from Michigan State in English, focusing in visual media and American Cultural Studies. His dissertation was published by University Press in Mississippi. That book, Mysterious Travelers: Steve Ditko and the Search for a New Liberal Identity was nominated for an Eisner award. Professor Kruse is also writing for a comic series called Static, one of Steve Ditko’s creations, and he wrote a comic strip called Mystery Solved! which appeared in Skeptical Inquirer Magazine. He is in the process of creating a documentary based on the books of Steve Ditko.

Strategy

Comic books are an enduring form of storytelling that several instructors on our campus are using. Professor Kruse’s classroom strategy is using comic books both as literature in English classes and to teach visual literacy in writing foundations courses. Zack also teaches a first-year seminar focused on comic books and American culture. The comics are used to convey ideas about society using characters and ideas that students are more familiar with. It meets the students “where they are” and gives a diverse student population the opportunity to see others like themselves within the pages of these books and also as creators.

Why Is It Important?

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Professor Kruse makes it clear that he is passionate both about comics and the students within his classroom. He is aware of the broad cultural impact of comic books and that these texts invite a sense of discovery by looking at characters that are likely familiar in a new way.  He believes that comics help students who are trying to find their place in the world see others like themselves doing the same thing. It also can help students who are hesitant to read to ultimately engage with ideas in a more accessible way and become part of the cultural conversation. The history of comics is a history of many of the divisive issues in our current time. Comics have existed as long as many of these issues and they have something to say to our students. His hope is that young people will engage with these texts and then act where they feel passionate.

Want to Try It?

Boom speech bubbleProfessor Kruse has used the following comic books in his classroom. Some of those comic studies have included author visits. Professor Kruse uses a multitude of others not listed here and would be happy to offer recommendations if you’d like to integrate some of these works into your own classroom.

Want to Know More? Explore Additional Resources!

*Speech Bubbles covered by a Creative Commons license and provided courtesy of Rojal on PNG All

Share with Your Colleagues

Do you have a strategy you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send a quick email to catl@uwgb.edu and we will follow up with you to create your teaching strategy spotlight! We would love to hear from you!

Event Follow-Up: Improving Accessibility in Learning Materials

On Wednesday, Mar. 6, 2024, CATL teamed up with Assistant Professor of Humanities, Kristopher Purzycki, for a workshop on improving the accessibility of educational resources shared in courses and on campus. This session explored common accessibility pitfalls in crafting digital learning materials, covering tasks like creating and sharing PowerPoint presentations, PDFS, and Canvas elements such as media and syllabi. As a continuation of this workshop, we’ve complied practical accessibility tips and demonstrations for instructors to incorporate when creating learning materials.

Prioritizing Accessibility Matters for Student Success

Meeting certain accessibility standards is not just about compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; it is also crucial for enhancing student success and engagement. Accessibility (specifically digital accessibility) proactively eliminates barriers during the design and creation phase of materials.

In cases where accessibility measures still pose challenges for learners, students can work with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to seek formal accommodations and instructors will work with SAS to fulfill the accommodation request. Many students may not disclose their disabilities to their university or face other obstacles hindering them from receiving formal accommodation. Consequently, academic success often relies on students’ individual efforts and faculty commitment to accessible learning materials. While not proposing a complete overhaul of course materials, CATL hopes to promote simple steps to enhance the accessibility of educational learning materials, all in the pursuit of student success.

  • Make course changes based on level of seriousness.
  • Learn and adapt based on experiences and student feedback.
  • Use the UWGB library as a resource to help refresh and update your class materials/readings.
  • Use the Accessibility Checkers available to you in Microsoft Office (like Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Canvas). 

Canvas Accessibility Tools to Help Review Your Course

Expand the titles below to learn how to use the accessibility tools and checks available to you in Canvas.

How to Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker – Video Demo

Validate Links in Your Canvas Course – Video Demo

Note: This video is demonstration is from Arizona State University Learning Experience (LX) and displays their specific instance of Canvas. While UWGB’s Canvas may operate and look different, the validate course link application works the same. Need more? View the Instructor (Canvas) guide on Validating Links in Canvas.

 

Using the Canvas Course Accessibility Checker UDOIT – Video Overview

Learn even more with UWGB's Knowledgebase guide on using the UDOIT Cloud Accessibility tool to check your Canvas course accessibility.

Video Accessibility with Kaltura My Media and Automatic Closed Captions

Expand the titles below to learn how to upload your own course videos or YouTube finds to Kaltura My Media. This allows for automatic closed captioning, caption editing, and transcription addition for videos in your Canvas courses or those shared with students.

How to Upload Videos and Add Captions with Kaltura My Media – Video Demo 

How to Embed Videos and Add Transcripts with Kaltura My Media – Video Demo

Tip: You can adjust the max embed size of your video under the Embed Settings option. Feel free to use this to adjust the size of your video display in your Canvas course. 

PDF Accessibility with Adobe Acrobat – Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Scanning

Expand the title below to learn how to enhance the accessibility of your PDFs by using OCR  scanning. While OCR scanning doesn’t guarantee full accessibility for assistive technologies like screen readers, Adobe Acrobat Pro offers additional tools to improve accessibility before sharing PDFs digitally.

How to Use OCR Scanning with Adobe Acrobat Pro for PDFs – Video Demo

Tip: Before creating your own PDF documents and PDF scans of readings, contact the UWGB library and ask if they already have a digital resource available.  

Image Accessibility and Informative Alt Text

Expand the title below to learn more about writing helpful alt text for images with specific examples, such as when you are creating your syllabus.

How to Add Alt Text in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint – Video Demo

A Note About Your Syllabus

Your syllabus is a great resource for our students and their first look into your class and learning environment. Because of this, your syllabus should include language that makes your desire for student success obvious. This can be done by incorporating course norms that encourage students to reach out to you if materials are not accessible for them. At UWGB instructors must include an “Accommodation Statement” on their syllabus. While not a requirement, instructors can show their commitment to accessibility and student success by including an additional accessibility statement. See an example of this type of Accessibility from Bates College below.

"Bates College is committed to creating a learning environment that meets the needs of its diverse student body. If you anticipate or experience any barriers to learning in this course, please feel welcome to discuss your concerns with me." – Bates College: Sample Syllabus Accessibility Statement

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about accessibility, we encourage you to sign up for LITE 120, a self-paced training course that covers the basics of accessibility in Canvas, as well as SAS’s training course on creating accessible documents (i.e., with Word, PowerPoint, or PDF). Plus, check out CATL’s top 10 dos and don’ts of digital accessibility for even more resources.

Related Events and Opportunities

Join us as we conclude this semester’s workshop series with a session on “Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL)to Increase Access” led by the director of UW-Green Bay’s Student Accessibility Services, Lynn Niemi, and Art and Design Professor, Alison Gates. Attendees will continue the conversation about neurodiversity and explore how to use UDL to remove barriers in course materials and increase student access. This workshop will be held virtually via Zoom on Apr. 3rd, 2024, from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Registration for the April workshop on UDL is already open.

As always, CATL also welcomes you to connect with us if you’d like to learn more about any of these topics. Send us an email or request a consultation to get started!

 

Wacky Wednesday: Origami and Multiple Means of Representation (Mar. 20, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.)

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning welcomes faculty and staff to create an origami craft as we discuss multiple means of representation in teaching. Have fun and socialize with colleagues while learning how to support UWGB students through universal design for learning using written directions, visual directions, and a live demonstration. Join us for this upcoming “Wacky Wednesday” on Mar. 20 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the CATL conference room (CL 405) or online. Stay for the full time or just drop by!

Register

If you have questions or need accommodations for this event, email CATL@uwgb.edu.

Upcoming Wacky Wednesdays

Take a short break, enjoy snacks and good company, and try games you could use in classes! Join the CATL team for a little fun at these “Wacky Wednesday” events.

  • Apr. 10 | Times and activities TBD
  • May 8 | Times and activities TBD

Event Follow-Up: Students’ Experiences at UWGB via Neurodiverse Viewpoints

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, CATL collaborated with Assistant Vice Chancellor Stacie Christian to host a student panel on neurodiversity. Six student panelists shared their experiences as neurodiverse learners, including common barriers and misconceptions related to neurodiversity. One of the topics the panel discussed was how instructors can support them. A few common themes emerged from students’ responses so we’ve compiled them below, along with resources for ways you might implement these recommendations in your teaching.

Make Assignment Details Transparent

The student panelists shared that they find it extremely helpful when professors explain the purpose of an assignment and provide clear instructions. Their recommendation aligns with the transparency in learning and teaching (TILT) framework, a concept you may be familiar with if you’ve taken LITE 201. The TILT framework is an evidence-based approach to assignment design in which instructors demystify activities by explaining their purpose, detailing the task that students need to complete, and providing concrete grading criteria. Not sure where to start? Check out this checklist for designing transparent assignments from TILT Higher Ed. Or, for a deeper dive into the topic, consider taking a look at this webinar recording on transparent assignment design.

Explicitly Communicate Your Support

One of the “unwritten rules” of college is that students can go to their instructors when they have a question about the course or the need to connect with another institutional resource, such as tutoring or counseling. While this fact may be obvious to some students, it is not to everyone. Whether due to anxiety, trouble picking up on subtext, or unfamiliarity with the norms of higher education, some students may not ask their instructor for help unless they are given explicit permission to do so. Panelists suggested that instructors include a statement in their syllabus to remind students that they can come to the instructor if they have questions or concerns for help and/or referral to the best resource. It’s a small action but adding a statement like this can help reassure students that you care about their success and wellbeing. For more ideas on how to create a welcoming syllabus, check out this post on liquid syllabi and CATL’s liquid syllabus template. If you want to explore other ways of building trust with your students, consider creating a “getting to know you” survey, establishing class norms, or incorporating a name pronunciation activity.

Provide Alternative Formats for Information

Several student panelists emphasized the importance of providing alternate ways of communicating information whenever possible. This recommendation is not only related to “multiple means of representation” from universal design for learning (UDL) theory, but it also aligns with best practices for digital accessibility. Adding alternative means of representation doesn’t have to be complicated. For example, if you include audio or video files in your course, try to pick resources that also provide captions or a transcript. Or, if you use images, make sure you include a caption or alt text when the image is being used to convey information. If you’d like to learn more about accessibility, we encourage you to sign up for LITE 120, a self-paced training course that covers the basics of accessibility in Canvas, as well as SAS’s training course on creating accessible documents (i.e., with Word, PowerPoint, or PDF).

Related Events and Opportunities

Want to learn more about supporting diverse learners? CATL’s “Workshop Wednesday” series this semester has two upcoming sessions that may be of interest to you! First, on Wednesday, Mar. 6, we’ll take a look at how to make course materials more accessible. Then, on Wednesday, Apr. 3, we’ll explore universal design for learning (UDL) and some practical ways to apply UDL concepts in our teaching and learning. Both workshops will be from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. Registration for the March workshop on accessibility is already open. Stay tuned for details on registration for April’s workshop.

As always, CATL also welcomes you to connect with us if you’d like to learn more about any of these topics. Send us an email or request a consultation to get started!