Quality Assurance in Blended Learning

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY

Standards-based instruments with course component checklists are useful for reviewing instructional course design but can not adequately assess instructor experience and student-teacher interaction.

REACTION

The BlendKit Reader Chapter 5: Quality Assurance is a fitting conclusion to an already excellent series of chapters. The chapter presents a balanced view on the merits and limitations of course standards review instruments and encourages a holistic approach as part of the evaluation process.  

Caveat emptor - course design rubrics and checklists

Course design rubrics such as UCF’s Blended Course Peer Review form (PDF) and the OSCQR Rubric and Process (page links to a list of excellent resources including rubrics and examples) are important tools for assessing course design. UCF’s rubric is designed for peer review and lists criteria for implementation of a blended course. Peer review can result in engaging and "meaningful dialog about the course and teaching/learning process". 

Checklists and rubrics/review forms are especially helpful to faculty who are new to blended or online learning or would like to do more than a simple document transfer from traditional to online. Based on cumulative experiences these tools address most aspects of course design and serve as a reminder to what might be considered for inclusion. They are typically broken down into easily assessed components. 

However, as the BlendKit Reader points out there are limitations.   

Media Recording Assignment

Canvas built-in media and feedback tools (refer to Leaving Summative Feedback in Speedgrader) facilitate the process of assessing student audio or video recordings that are typically less then two or three minutes in length. Media recordings can be used in a variety of ways including introduction to class, dictation, audio reflection, informal podcasts, and teach a concept.

(For extended recordings that are longer than five minutes or so, please contact jfahs@elmira.edu to discuss alternative solutions)

When submitting to a Canvas Media Recording assignment students can submit their recordings in three ways:

• By computer: Record directly into Canvas with Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. A webcam is required. Students can also take advantage of the built-in FaceTime cameras in the Computer Center's Multimedia Resource Lab, located in the Library Building. See the student guide: Submitting a media assignment (computer).
• With mobile device: Record with the Canvas app on their Android or iOS mobile devices, which have built-in microphones and cameras. See the student guide: Submitting a media assignment (mobile).
• Not recommended: Students have the option to record with available software on their computer and then upload the audio/video file separately to your assignment. As seen by students the Upload Media tab (see diagram below) is part of the Canvas interface and cannot be disabled.

CREATE AN ASSIGNMENT

• Create a new assignment. For steps on how to create an assignment for my course refer to community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1797
• Enter the assignment title (e.g. audio reflection, media recording). Below are suggested instructions for students.

• Enter the number of points for the assignment and place it into an assignment group.

• Choose Submission Type = Online and check the Media Recordings box. Enter other settings as needed such as a due date and click Save and Publish.

Canvas Turnitin Assignment

WHAT IS TURNITIN?

Turnitin is an cloud service that enables instructors to assess the originality of student submissions. Turnitin can be used as a deterrent and instructional tool for students. The Canvas Turnitin app allows instructors to create Turnitin Assignments in their courses and assess student submissions without having to leave their course environment. 

Integrating the new Turnitin app (replacing the old Turnitin ANGEL plug-in) and implementing it in Canvas requires a different process as explained below.  

CREATING A TURNITIN ASSIGNMENT (like an ANGEL Turnitin drop box)

When creating a regular Canvas assignment (no Turnitin) in which students submit documents online (and not on paper) then choose Submission Type = Online. For Turnitin assignments you will need to choose Submission Type = External Tool as explained below.

• Add a Canvas assignment
• Give the assignment a name (tip: append the name with something like TII so you know that the assignment is using Turnitin)
• Set the Due date and Points that the assignment is worth
• If there is a More Options button click to expand the choices. Otherwise scroll down to Submission Type. 

• To the right of Submission Type choose External Tool and follow the steps below. 

• Click the Save button. 

TURNITIN SETTINGS

For more information read How do I change Turnitin settings for an assignment 

Published vs. Unpublished Courses

By default all new courses are unpublished. Although students are enrolled in these courses they can never access them in an unpublished state.

• An unpublished course is like a house with the front door locked. You are the only one that can get inside and do things.  
• The Canvas term start date for students is the week before classes begin. 
• Thus students cannot access your course until you Publish the course AND the Monday before classes has begun. These two conditions are required before you can send Canvas messages to your students. You can of course communicate to your students through myec.elmira.edu or by Gmail. 
• However, you are under no obligation to Publish courses the week before and in fact can Publish them later such as the first week of classes. (Students, though, may persist in asking when their courses will be available.)
• In unpublished courses you as the Canvas Teacher can freely add materials and interact with the course without worry that students can see your ongoing work. 
• Because the Test Student (Settings > Student View) works in Unpublished courses you can test access to your materials (e.g. modules, assignments, discussions) before the course is Published. See What is Student View: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2976 and How to Enable Student View: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2978
• Modules and items within modules need to be published for students to access them (once the course is published). Extending the analogy, modules are like rooms in a house. The rooms need to be opened (module and items published) for students to access them

Adding YouTube Videos

YouTube is much easier to add in Canvas and provides new opportunities for enhancing course resources for your students. Below are two ways to add YouTube videos with brief descriptions of how they can be used differently. Enjoy!

FIND YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEO

Go to youtube.com or youtube.com/edu and find your video (example 5 ways to listen better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSohjlYQI2A and copy the URL (web address).

1) ADD THE VIDEO AS AN EXTERNAL URL

This method works well when adding videos as items in a module. For example, you could add YouTube videos in week by week modules and/or add them together in a module named Videos. Students can play these videos without leaving the course.

In an existing module following these steps:

2) EMBED THE VIDEO WITHIN A CANVAS PAGE

This method works well when mixing up content in a page such as text, images, links, and videos. 

In a Canvas module follow these steps

Proceed with inserting the YouTube video

Choosing Return link displays an embedded thumbnail of the video, which is especially useful for the syllabus description where top of page space is at a premium. Regardless, any of the embedded videos size formats will expand to a larger or full size in your course 

Leaving Summative Feedback in Speedgrader

Instructors can leave feedback for your students in SpeedGrader by attaching a file, recording an audio or video, or using the Speech to text tool (Google Chrome only), which provides a new way of providing feedback to your students. Read below for the different options. 

Open the Assignment in SpeedGrader to access your student submissions. To the right you will see Assessment (for grading) and Assignment Comments as illustrated below: 

A NEW WAY OF FEEDBACK - SPEECH TO TEXT COMMENTS 

SpeedGrader’s speech to text recognition tool - Google Chrome only - provides a new experience in commenting on student assignments and has the potential to expedite and improve feedback to your students. Give it a try!

Films on Demand in Canvas

Overview

Instructors can take advantage of the Library's database collections to add streaming videos hosted by services such as Films on Demand (FOD). The LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) app was designed by Films on Demand to allow instructors to easily find and embed FOD videos into Canvas pages for on and off campus viewing. The videos also play on mobile devices. Because the app connects Films on Demand and Canvas there is no need to worry about ezproxy strings and authentication! 

Find your Video

• Go to libguides.elmira.edu (Links to an external site.) and click the Databases tab.
• Go to Films on Demand.
• Browse for, search, filter, and locate your video (e.g. Technology, Trumpets, and Tunes)
• You can copy the video title for convenient pasting when inserting the video. 

Insert the Video in a Canvas Page

• Create a Canvas page, typically in a module
• Insert the cursor where you want to embed the video. 
• Choose More External Tools > Films on Demand (see screenshot below)

• Paste the full title into the Titles box. (You can also search for videos directly within the Canvas app but searching and filtering is limited.)
• Preview the video if necessary and then click the Embed button. 

• The video displays in your Canvas page as a gray HTML iframe embed box. 
• Click the Save button to save changes to your page and to play the video (see example below). 

The video will play on and off campus and on mobile devices. Again, there is no need to fuss with the ezproxy logon string. The usual video options in the controller bar apply (e.g. view full screen, display closed captioning if available, and playback speed.)

Image only - will only play within Canvas at Elmira College