CAI Training & Resources Catalog

Hands-on Workshops:

- Registration Required: Seats are limited by the available computers in the lab (25-30), but sessions can be as small as 6 if no other areas are available.
- Non-Specific Sessions: Intended to provide time and space for faculty to work on class materials with support from IT and instructional designers.
- Ongoing Scheduling: These workshops will continue to be scheduled as needed.

Open Houses:

- Held on Zoom: Open to any questions that the Center for Academic Innovation might be able to answer (Canvas-related or otherwise).
- No Registration Required: Accessible via the CAI Virtual Office linked below.

For more information and to access the CAI Virtual Office, please visit the CAI Virtual Office.

This session is designed to introduce the basics of Canvas, ensuring you can use it easily from the beginning.
Topics include:

- Getting Started: How to log in and navigate the platform.
- Building Modules and Content: Creating and organizing course materials.
- Creating Activities, Assignments, and Quizzes: Setting up various types of coursework.
- Using the Grade Book: Managing and recording student grades.

Registration is through the CAI Training Schedule linked above.

The Center for Academic Innovation has created a customizable template based on best practices in distance course design. This template includes key elements recognized as good course design, such as:

- Start Here Page: Engages students from the beginning, reducing perceived isolation and dropout rates. A well-designed Start Here section can significantly improve student retention and success.
- Chunking Content: Organizes material in a cohesive, logical manner, allowing learners to find content easily and move seamlessly from one point to the next. This prevents confusion and stress, making the learning experience more manageable.

Registration is through the CAI Training Schedule linked above.

You may decide not to use the customizable template, or perhaps you want to try something different. This session is designed to go beyond the basics and emphasize methods for making a distance course engaging, accessible, usable, and successful. We will discuss topics that are not specific to Canvas but that Canvas can support, such as:

- Regular Substantive Interaction (RSI)
- Online Accessibility
- Course Alignment

This session is recommended before attending “Accessibility in Canvas” and “Using a Rubric to Evaluate a Course.”

Registration is through the CAI Training Schedule linked above.

New regulations mandate that all online material must be accessible by April 2026. This is a significant task, and the best way to get ahead is to:

- Start Designing for Accessibility Now: Incorporate accessibility into your course design from the beginning.
- Understand Accessibility: Learn what accessibility means and how to revise existing materials to meet the new regulations.

This is a crucial initiative, and you can contribute significantly by working on your own courses. This session will focus on what accessibility is and how to make your course meet the standards.

Registration is through the CAI Training Schedule linked above.

This session will explore what makes a good course design using the Canvas Checklist. Experienced educators know that there are significant differences between face-to-face, distance, hybrid, HighFlex, and streaming courses.

Key topics include:

- Video Length: Guidelines on optimal video duration.
- Online Discussions: Structuring effective online discussions.
- Evaluating Learner Outcomes: Best practices for assessing student achievement.
- Interaction Frequency: Recommendations on how and how often to interact with students.

Using this rubric, you will be able to evaluate your own and your peers’ courses, making significant strides in ensuring excellence in distance learning.

Registration is through the CAI Training Schedule linked above.

Experienced distance instructors know that teaching and learning online is very different from face-to-face experiences. Having a list of best practices can help mitigate some of the challenges that come with these differences. Moving to a new learning management system is an excellent opportunity to ensure you meet all established standards. Canvas provides a checklist based on research-based principles of best practice in distance course design, as established by organizations like Quality Matters and the Online Learning Consortium.

Join this session to learn how to apply these best practices to your own courses and potentially assist your peers as an internal reviewer.

Registration is through the CAI Training Schedule linked above.

Custom Requests can be made on the Trainings request page below