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Overview
There is more than one approach to teaching your course. Framingham State University supports several methods and related technologies for teaching, whether online, remote, face-to-face or combined modalities. Reference the links on this page to access resources, learn new pedagogical approaches, and leverage technologies to engage students in your classrooms.
Teaching with Technology
Access to Technology
Your campus account and password give you access to computing services on campus even when you are working remotely. This includes the Student Information System portal (My Framingham), the University's learning management system (Canvas), library resources, free software downloads, email, Teams, and more. The University also supports several available technologies and services to support instruction, including Panopto, VoiceThread, Respondus, and more.
ITS-EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICE
The Education Technology Office (ETO) consultative team helps faculty adopt and develop innovative teaching and learning strategies using educational and campus technologies to support student learning. Under the IT umbrella, the team works together to support faculty and staff in identifying, adapting, and adopting technologies to support instructional goals, leveraging available and emerging learning-centered technologies regardless of modality, and enabling innovative pedagogy and information sharing through effective communication of technology. ETO is one of five areas in Information Technology Services. Contact eto@framingham.edu with questions or to request a consultation.
CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY
Each classroom is equipped with either Laser Projectors or Large Screen Flat Panel Displays, input (HDMI and VGA) for faculty laptops, controllers to manage multiple inputs from instructor laptops, and d document cameras or other compatible devices. For audio, all rooms are equipped with an Amplifier and Speakers. Specialty classrooms, in addition to the standard setup, are equipped with all or some of the following: document cameras, resident PCs, Blu-ray players, microphones, and Hyflex equipment. View the instructional videos.
CANVAS LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (LMS)
Canvas is used at Framingham State University to enhance student learning for all courses. The Canvas learning platform offers a mobile-friendly, accessible interface to support teaching and learning. Faculty, students, and staff use Canvas to share information and course materials, engage in critical thinking activities, and collaborate online. Explore the GROWING WITH CANVAS tutorial course to get started. Reference the Canvas Semester checklist to ensure your course is ready for the start of the semester.
TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGIES
PANOPTO
The Panopto platform provides instructors easy-to-use tools to make videos, caption them, and make them available to students inside the Canvas LMS. Panopto can be used to create a video introduction or bring students a little closer to the classroom experience with lecture capture. But it can also be an interactive tool: you can embed quizzes to verify student understanding or ask students to create video presentations. Panopto Capture lets you create videos right within your browser, so you do not need to download or install any application to your device.
ZOOM
The Cloud-hosted video conferencing tool is integrated into the LMS (Canvas). Zoom lets you share files, share applications, and use a virtual whiteboard to interact. Automatic captions are available for recorded sessions and can be edited manually. When Zoom meetings are set up through a specific course in the LMS, recordings and automatic transcriptions from those sessions will be automatically imported to the Panopto folder for that same course for students to review from the platform.
View this video tutorial (Links to an external site.) (6:25 mins) on how to incorporate Zoom into your Canvas course.
VOICETHREAD
VoiceThread is a tool integrated into Canvas that may be used to host asynchronous discussions, present class materials, invite discussion on those materials, and for student presentations. VoiceThread allows multiple modes of participation in discussions by allowing responses such as video, audio, text, or any combination. VoiceThread bridges the gaps in social presence typically found in online courses by allowing all participants to see and hear the presenter and their presentation, image, or other course materials. For anyone with disabilities, all videos are closed-captioned. If you ask students to use the tool, you may also wish to share the Student Guide to VoiceThread.
RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN
Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment in Canvas. When students use LockDown Browser to take a test, they cannot print, copy, go to other websites, access other applications, or close a test until it is submitted for grading. Tests created for use with LockDown Browser cannot be accessed with standard browsers. Students must use Framingham State's Respondus LockDown Browser Link to download and install the tool before their test date.
QWICKLY ATTENDANCE
Discover new efficiencies using Qwickly's attendance for Canvas. Inside the course, use the Qwickly Attendance tool to manually take attendance or create a time-limited and secure way to allow students to check in to class. You no longer need to pass around a sheet of paper or call roll; you can reliably manage attendance recording within the course and automatically save the results in your Grade Center.
TURNITIN
Turnitin is a similarity detection tool that combines text-matching with writing-style analysis to promote academic integrity and help prevent plagiarism. The tool is fully integrated with Canvas and is available to all FSU students and faculty.
ON-DEMAND TRAINING
Adopting a new learning management system may require you to adopt new strategies. Are you wondering what teaching will look like next semester and what training you might need? Canvas on-demand training is available for both faculty and students. Sharing the link to the student tutorial is also an excellent place to start.
GROWING WITH CANVAS
Faculty may explore the GROWING WITH CANVAS tutorial to learn the basics of building a course or refresh a specific skill. The course is organized into five modules that may be viewed sequentially or by topic. If additional help is needed, request a consultation from the Education Technology Office, attend a workshop, or view our library of workshop videos.
PASSPORT TO CANVAS FOR STUDENTS
The PASSPORT TO CANVAS self-directed course is an excellent way for students to learn how to use Canvas. Each module focuses on one Canvas tool. Move through the Modules in order or open only the Modules you would like to learn more about, including:
- Keeping track of the work of your instructor, grades, and feedback
- Organizing all of the learning material your instructor has created
- Help for staying in touch with other members of your class
- Growing with Canvas for Faculty
Workshops and Training
Each semester the Education Technology Office hosts workshops. Most sessions are offered remotely over Zoom. View the current schedule online, access the On-demand training videos, or email eto@framingham.edu to book a consultation.
Teaching Online
This four-week online course is offered each semester for Framingham State faculty and staff. As a participant, you will learn to create a clear course structure, align objectives with content, and make the online space interactive. Whether you are new or experienced with online or hybrid teaching, you are welcome to participate. It would help if you planned to devote 3-5 hours per week. The course is asynchronous with optional Friday check-ins via Blackboard Collaborate. See the Course Map for more details. To inquire about the course, contact eto@framingham.edu.
- Module 1: Structuring the Online Learning Environment
- We describe the features of a course structure that is clear, accessible, and easy to navigate.
- Module 2: Building an Environment to Support Learning Outcomes
- We apply the principle of course alignment to ensure that our measurable learning objectives align with the course elements.
- Module 3: Managing Communication and Engaging Students
- We focus on the discussion board, consider three types of interactivity, and explore rich media tools that can take your course beyond text.
- Module 4: Building an Assessment Strategy
We revisit the importance of aligning assessments with objectives, look at practical ways to share feedback, and make the grading process more efficient.
Quality Matters
Quality Matters (QM) at Framingham State University is an initiative to support online and hybrid course design practices according to QM national standards. These standards promote learning and engagement through a student-focused, faculty-managed, continuous quality improvement process. Learn more about how to get involved.
Summer Institute
The Summer Technology Institute is a day-long workshop for faculty and staff that focuses on the convergence of pedagogy and technology. In 2019, the Institute explored Deep Learning. You can view the multimedia recap.
Semester Workshop Schedule
Throughout the semester, faculty can participate in lunch-time technology workshops. Sessions cover the effective use of educational tools, such as assessment, lecture capture, student engagement, and more. See upcoming sessions and RSVP.
TECHNOLOGY GRANTS
Teaching with Technology Innovation grants were first awarded in 2011 to develop computing proficiency for use in the classroom, design new instructional techniques and programs, improve teaching effectiveness, and increase student learning. The program supports experimentation with new tools and technologies, the exploration of recent trends for using technology within a field of study or course delivery format, and the development of new teaching approaches that improve student learning. All members of the FSU community are eligible to apply for the grant through a competitive process. Applications open in October 2022 and are awarded in January 2023.
Need Help?
Contact IT@framingham.edu or email eto@framingham.edu.