IT information for instructors - Spring 2024

In preparation for the retirement of classic Teams (March 31), new Teams has been installed and is the default client.

• Classic Teams users will begin seeing an informational banner to remind them to switch to new Teams if they have not already (at the top of the main Teams client window, underneath the main bar).
• The toggle to return to classic Teams will be available, if needed, until approximately mid-May.
• After making the switch to new Teams:
  • Right click on the new Teams icon in your taskbar and click ‘Pin to taskbar’. 
  • Remove the classic Teams icon by right clicking on it and choosing ‘Unpin from taskbar’.

Additional resources: See our New Microsoft Teams support article in the IST Knowledge Base. 

Questions or concerns? Please contact the IST Service Desk.

This Classroom Technology Renewal project commits funding and resources towards technology in the University’s centrally funded Registrar’s Office classrooms. The improvements and upgrades of these spaces are planned over a period of at least 3 years, having started in 2021. 

The renewal work, which will occur over different periods of time, has been covered through a combination of university funding and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities Training and Equipment Renewal Fund (TERF). Upgrades will include hybrid collaborative AV technology, upgraded projectors and other AV system components, classroom renovations, an active learning classroom, and the creation of an educational technologies (EdTech) sandbox classroom. 

Visit the project website to learn more about the objectives of this work and our current areas of focus.

Information Systems & Technology (IST), with the support of the Teaching Innovation Incubator, is beginning a pilot project to test and evaluate the utility of two new LEARN products: Creator+ and Performance+. Interested faculty, instructors, and staff are currently being recruited and asked to help test and evaluate these products in the short-term, and subsequently provide feedback on their potential for further, more robust testing over the next year or so. Initial testing is set to begin in May so that a decision can be made in Spring 2025.

• Creator+ is a content authoring tool that provides opportunities for instructors to create more interactive content within their course in LEARN. Faculty and staff interested in participating in the Creator+ Pilot can express their interest by completing the Expression of Interest Form. 
• Performance+ is a tool for data and analytics from LEARN. Some significant changes to the tool coming from D2L have delayed implementation of this pilot. We are hoping to begin this pilot during the Spring term. We will announce when the pilot is open.  

Should you have any questions about this project, please contact Kyle Scholz (kwscholz@uwaterloo.ca), Interim Managing Director of the Teaching Innovation Incubator.

In Fall 2023, the Learning Management System (LMS) Review Project recommended that the University continue using LEARN (Brightspace from D2L) and the contract was renewed. Findings indicated that while there are concerns or issues with LEARN, the majority of faculty, students, and staff would prefer time and effort be spent on improvements to the current LEARN environment versus implementing a brand-new platform. To support this work, the LEARN Improvements Project has been initiated. 

Coming soon!

The University will obtain an enterprise license for the polling tool Vevox, a simple to use real-time audience engagement platform that can support both academic and non-academic purposes. Use of and feedback regarding the tool will be assessed over the upcoming year to ensure the tool meets the needs of the University community before proceeding with a subsequent renewal.

Note, iClicker will remain a centrally supported tool where students pay the licensing fee. iClicker may be a better solution for a course depending on the use case.

More information about Vevox and support transitioning to its use will be made available soon.

Coming soon!

The University will implement a new peer review and group evaluation tool, peerScholar, for student course work for the start of the Spring 2024 term. Peer review and group evaluation are critical processes used in academic courses to deepen learning while improving performance and credibility of student grades.

The current tool, PEAR, a University of Guelph home-grown solution that has been used extensively at Waterloo, is in its preliminary stages of planned retirement, with the current agreement ending April 30, 2024. 

More information about peerScholar will be shared soon.

Podium fobs

Podium fobs will not be required for the Winter 2025 term.

Testing technology in centrally supported classrooms complete for Winter term

Complete system tests in all of the centrally supported classrooms has been completed as of December 16. The week before classes start, there will be a second set of tests done on randomly selected classrooms, for as many rooms as possible.

Please note, many of the rooms are in use between the time that ITMS performs any system tests and the start of term; ITMS can only ensure that the systems are completely functional as of the time they are tested.

E-classroom information and training resources, including a 360° view of rooms

Did you know? We have an online e-classroom information page that includes information about the e-classroom spaces available, training resources, podium instructions, and a 360° view of the rooms? Have a look today!

Additional classroom technology resources

• Everything you always wanted to know about Classroom Technology

Instructional Technologies and Media Services (ITMS) offers the following self-service options to help you prepare for the start of a new term:

• How to request your own course shell and Roster Synced MS Team
• How to add a TA to your course
• How to import content from another course in LEARN
• How to Request a Roster Synced Team after your LEARN course has been created
• Quiz Timing Changes in LEARN
• Synchronous Quizzes in LEARN (NEW)

Find additional LEARN Help resources in the IST Knowledge Base.

Educational technologies, or EdTech, are digital technology tools used to deliver and facilitate learning, learning activities, and aid in creating or disseminating content.

Visit the EdTech Hub for information about:

• centrally supported educational technology tools (list tool by Category or A-Z), projects and more
• steps for requesting or renewing a tool
• status of existing tool requests and/or pilots
• teaching and learning related projects/initiatives