I’m pleased that I have made a full time move into the PDLT team and I feel privileged to develop and learn from my experienced and supportive colleagues. I’ve enjoyed exploring ways to use technology to deliver teaching that has previously been face to face and classroom based. This has not been without its challenges at times and each challenge represents a learning opportunity for me. It has been important to reflect on errors and think about how they can be avoided in the future as well as seize opportunities for improvements as my own skills and knowledge have developed. I will continue to explore opportunities to improve the system either through system updates or LTI integrations.
I will continue to create and develop guidance for our users. I have found tools such as SnagIt, Google Docs and Camtasia helpful for creating guides. My aim is to continue to produce short instructional videos to supplement the regular training I deliver. I will also aim to collect detailed feedback and look at the analytics from the system to see where further guidance and training is required.
I have learnt a lot about the use of HTML code to help build and edit web based content. This is something that I would like to continue to learn more about, as I have seen the benefits of HTML knowledge when building and editing online materials.
There are plans for two new departments to join Canvas in the coming months. I’ve already experienced the different approaches to teaching and learning that each Department brings to Canvas and anticipate that the two new departments will broaden this further. I intend to work with colleagues to develop my understanding of the pedagogical aims of each Department and find ways that the Canvas toolset can help support the delivery of these to the students.
In recent weeks, the outbreak of Covid-19 in the UK has added a new perspective to the context of online learning for the University and for my role in delivering high quality academic content online. The situation has also provided me with an opportunity to contribute more broadly to the work of the PDLT team, by getting involved in support duties for the other key learning technology systems that we manage. I hope to be able to develop my understanding of the wider tool-set that we support, alongside my online responsibilities. During this uncertain time, it’s important that I stay responsive to the challenges of teaching students and delivering programmes at a distance. I aim to keep working collaboratively with colleagues at York, our external system partners and other institutions to develop my knowledge and find the best approaches to deliver online learning.