Category: Technology

  • Recharging Assessment with Generative Artificial Intelligence   

    Note: This image was generated using the prompt “Make a neon sign with the letters A and I on top of a keyboard key, add a dark computer hard drive in the background,” by Adobe Firefly Image 2, 2024 (https://firefly.adobe.com). The 2022 surge in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), marked by the launch of ChatGPT, continues…

  • Using Teams to Build Connection 

    Using Teams to Build Connection 

    The importance of building connection into teaching and learning is not unique to online learning environments, but it can be more challenging when you are not in the same physical space as your students. To build connection into an online learning environment, there are three types of interaction to consider.  These interactions can be built into…

  • Transitioning from Zoom to Microsoft Teams

    Transitioning from Zoom to Microsoft Teams

    As you may have heard, VIU non-instructional employees will begin using Microsoft Teams for virtual meetings on January 31, 2024. Here at CIEL, we will be providing support which will include information sessions, instructional material, and 1-on-1 meetings to make the transition as seamless as possible. This blog post is intended to be a starting…

  • VIU Learning Technologies Orientation for Students

    VIU Learning Technologies Orientation for Students

    We offer live webinars to introduce students to the learning technologies available at VIU, especially our online course platform VIULearn. Go to our Events Calendar to view the schedule and register for a live orientation webinar! Otherwise, Not to worry – we recorded the orientation for you! You can watch it whenever is convenient &…

  • NEW: Import Final Grades from VIULearn

    NEW: Import Final Grades from VIULearn

    If you are an instructor who uses the VIULearn Grades tool to calculate student’s final grades, your end of term final grade entry just got a lot simpler. Enterprise Services, the Records department and CIEL have worked together over the last several months to add an option in the official Grade Entry tool to import…

  • Questions about ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

    Questions about ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

    ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are evolving rapidly, fueling ongoing conversations and challenges within our VIU community. Our previous blog posts delved into the capabilities and constraints of AI, proposed strategies for responsible usage, and offered insights into integrating generative AI into course design and assessment. In this blog post, we’ll explore compelling…

  • VIU Learning Technologies Orientation for Students

    VIU Learning Technologies Orientation for Students

    We offer live webinars to introduce students to the learning technologies available at VIU, especially our online course platform VIULearn. Go to our Events Calendar to view the schedule and register for a live orientation webinar! Otherwise, Not to worry – we recorded the orientation for you! You can watch it whenever is convenient &…

  • VIULearn Quiz Time Settings Are Changing

    VIULearn Quiz Time Settings Are Changing

    There are some exciting changes coming to the VIULearn Quiz tool this summer. Starting July 20, 2023, the following changes will take effect for all users in the VIULearn Quiz tool:  Read on to learn how this will affect existing and newly created quizzes going forward.  Changes to Existing Quizzes  All quizzes that are currently…

  • Creating, Editing, and Adding Captions using Camtasia & VIUTube

    Creating, Editing, and Adding Captions using Camtasia & VIUTube

    For video content, the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning strongly recommends adding captions to your videos or making a transcript available. Doing so will make your content more assessible to your students. What Are Captions? Captions (also know as Closed Captions or Subtitles) are text that appears on the screen that allow the…

  • The Share Drive (Episode 19): What Went Well and Why I Feel a Little Guilty (Martin L. Martens, Management and Law)

    The Share Drive (Episode 19): What Went Well and Why I Feel a Little Guilty (Martin L. Martens, Management and Law)

    In a time when many of us were seeking strategies to pivot our face to face classes to online delivery, Martin L. Martens (Chair, Management and Law) was feeling a little bit guilty. It turns out that his face to face teaching style translated almost seamlessly into the online world. Using a  teaching style focused…

  • Set Up VIULearn to Facilitate Student Choice

    Set Up VIULearn to Facilitate Student Choice

    Giving students meaningful choices about how they demonstrate their learning can help students become self-directed learners who can apply the skills they learn with us in their future endeavours. However, for instructors in an online learning environment, giving meaningful choices can quickly become a logistical nightmare. Thankfully, there are things you can do to facilitate…

  • Learning to Learn Online: An Open Educational Resource (OER) for Students and Instructors

    Learning to Learn Online: An Open Educational Resource (OER) for Students and Instructors

    For months now, members of the CIEL have been shouldering questions about how to help students be effective online learners. Now, thanks to some student authors and the power of Pressbooks, the world of higher education is privy to a timely resource that provides tips for students (and instructors!) as they continue to transition to…