Welcome to the Learning Design and Technologies (LDT) getting started page for new credit instructors. This page is intended to give new graduate instructors the opportunity to understand the process when getting started at UW and how they can proceed with course design and delivery best practices. Throughout this page, instructors are given context and a brief summary of major topics that are critical to know when getting started. Our InterPro Teaching & Learning website covers these topics in depth which we encourage instructors to explore. Some important topics instructors need to know when getting started working with LDT include theories and principles, course design, creating assessments and recorded lectures, communication and engagement best practices, and live web conferencing.
Getting Started at UW
Obtaining NetID
A UW Madison NetID is needed to access important UW resources and systems such as learning platforms, email and calendar, MyUW, and more.
To obtain your Net ID, please visit the NetID login service.
MyUW
Once a NetID has been activated, we encourage instructors to explore the MyUW portal which has important resources for faculty such as the faculty center (see rosters & enter grades), time & absence, payroll information, and training.
Teaching at UW
Consider exploring the resources available with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring (CTLM) at UW-Madison. We strongly recommend enrolling in the fully online micro-course via Canvas and attending live webinars of interest.
Learning Design & Technologies (LDT) Orientation
All new instructors will meet with the Learning Design & Technologies (LDT) team & program directors to learn more about the processes of working with LDT and what to expect when collaborating on course design and custom projects.
Working with InterPro's Learning Design & Technologies (LDT)
Theories & Principles
There are many theories and principles we encourage instructors to incorporate into their teachings at UW. Collaborating with members from the LDT team, instructors will learn more about adult learning theory, active learning, backward design, and more. Using these theories and principles will help ensure a successful learning environment.
Assessments
Assessments play an important role in the process of learning and motivation and are a critical part of course materials delivered in our online programs in the CoE. Instructors will work with LDT to determine appropriate assessments for their courses. Different types of assessments that may be used are diagnostic, formative, and summative.
Course Design
Instructors will work with LDT members during the course design phase. During this phase, instructors should expect to complete a 5 step process of planning, designing, developing, engaging, and evaluating. Members from the LDT team will assist throughout each step of this process.
Recorded Lectures
Teaching in online programs, instructors are expected to provide recorded lectures for their course(s). Recorded lectures are usually made using Techsmith Camtasia or PowerPoint. We encourage instructors to learn about recording best practices as they work through the course design process.
Templates
The learning design & technologies team has provided templates for instructors to use when designing, developing, and delivering course materials. Some of these templates include course design map, syllabus, module overview, and more. A member from the LDT team will help guide instructors filling out templates.
Communication & Engagement
Communication & engagement is another very important area we encourage our instructors to be proficient in. Through announcements, asynchronous discussions and live web conferencing, its important to give students an engaging learning environment where they can effectively communicate and engage with their classmates and instructors.
Important Getting Started Information for Instructors
Getting Started
- You (instructor) will need to access Box to upload your course materials. Once course materials are uploaded, a member of the LDT team you are working with will assist in embedding & structuring those materials into your Canvas course. An instructional designer will direct you to the appropriate Box folder if you are unable to locate.
- To access Box, visit:
- Once logged into Box, you will navigate to the course folder you have been given access. The folder structure in your Box course will be similar to the following list:
- Course planning and review
- Recorded presentations
- Core course files
- Quizzes
- Readings and resources
- Live web conference slides
- Archived course materials
- You may not necessarily use all of these folders listed above, it just depends on your course design.
Tips & Reminders
- If you want to upload an updated version of work to Box such as a syllabus, you will need to upload as a new version so the same embed code can be used in the Canvas course. If you upload a completely different file it will not retain the same embed code and would have to be re-added to Canvas. For more information on this, visit Box support page.
- For recorded presentations, upload the video file(s) (.mp4, .mov, etc.) to the recorded presentations folder in Box. You will then contact the LDT member you have been working with to arrange for the video files to be converted to Kaltura files and then embedded in your Canvas course. It is important that the files be stored long-term in Kaltura to preserve storage in Box.
Getting Started
- Canvas is the learning management system used to facilitate learning with students. You (instructor) will need to access Canvas and work with an instructional designer to design and develop your modules.
- Modules are an organizational tool within Canvas that help instructors structure course content by day, week, unit, topic, or outcome. Modules help simplify student navigation through a course and ensure a sequential flow of content.
- To access Canvas, visit:
- Once logged into Canvas, you will be directed to your dashboard where you can see all of the courses assigned to you.
- If you are unfamiliar with Canvas, visit:
- Academic Technology Canvas
- This page consists of helpful information regarding Canvas. You can also find Canvas training that occurs every semester through this site as well.
Tips & Reminders
- The navigation bar sometimes becomes hidden when accessing a Canvas course. To unhide the navigation bar, select the 3 lines in the top left corner of a Canvas course and the navigation bar will return.
Getting Started
- Instructors will use Zoom to host live web conferences during a semester. Coordinating with program directors and the LDT team, a schedule will be set to determine when live web conferences will occur.
Tips & Reminders
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Be sure to be logged in with a UW-Madison account. If using a personal account, a user will encounter issues starting and scheduling Zoom sessions within Canvas as it will be linked to the personal account which does not have UW access.
Getting Started
- Heliocampus is a cloud-based assessment management system that facilitates the collection and application of learning assessment data. Instructors and staff use Heliocampus in InterPro to create, maintain and reflect on survey results from each offering.
Getting Started
- UW faculty and staff are given access to a variety of educational technology platforms. Please contact the learning design and technologies team with any questions.
Please view the resources below:
InterPro – Teaching Resources for Instructors – Online Course Pre-flight Checklist
LDT – Course Build – Canvas Style Guide
InterPro – Instructor Welcome Message: Creating a Positive Presence in Your Online Course
InterPro – Teaching and Learning – Creating Rubrics and Scoring Guides