Early Bird

Reminder to employees teaching within the next calendar year

Learn more about advanced Canvas training preparation and incentives.

By Vicki Golich, Ph.D.

June 24, 2020

Last month, all faculty members received an email outlining the newly adopted Six Course Design and Facilitation Goals as well as the many resources available to support instructors. The end of that message outlined training that begins July 6 and results in a $1,000 supplement per instructor. This one-time funding from the federal CARES Act is dedicated to supporting the efforts of instructors to learn new tools, engage with new methods and plan for effective teaching and learning.

More details on the workshop schedule as well as registration information will be available soon. In preparation, please visit the Advanced Canvas Training 2020 (ACT-20) website to learn more and then complete the ACT-20 Precheck and Enrollment form. The website shares the structure of the program, which was reviewed by representatives of the Faculty Senate, the Council of Chairs/Directors, several chairs, faculty and members of senior academic leadership. For reference, chairs also received an overview of the program June 4.

Time commitment: The program requires approximately 30 hours to complete, covering Canvas basics and how to meet the Six Course Design and Facilitation Goals. Ten hours will be spent in live workshops, with 20 hours for faculty members to apply what they’ve learned, engage with self-help tutorials or attend additional trainings.

Eligibility and getting started: Any MSU Denver employee who will teach even one course in the fall, spring 2021 or summer 2021 semesters is eligible, including all categories of faculty (including affiliates), department chairs and any other employee who will teach a course during that time. Instructors should visit the website to see an overview and to complete the ACT-20 Precheck and Enrollment form.

Workshop schedule coming soon: At the ACT-20 website, you can view a menu of the workshop titles. Further details, including the full schedule for the first two weeks of the ACT-20 program, will be posted by June 26. Future sessions will be posted at least 10 days in advance. Instructors should complete the Precheck and Enrollment form without waiting for the schedule.

Additional questions: The ACT-20 website addresses frequently asked questions related to the trainings, while other answers can be found at the Online Learning FAQ.