The new Center for Online Learning & Innovation (COLI) has plenty of resources to help faculty prepare to teach in the upcoming semester. During the next two weeks, several Desire2Learn workshops will be offered both on campus and online via web conference.

Two workshops will be held today, August 17, in Old Main 119 at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. covering the major features most faculty use in D2L.

Tomorrow, August 18 at 10:00 a.m. faculty can attend a shorter D2L Kickstarter, a live introduction session taking place online, via Zoom web conferencing.

This semester, COLI has an expanded range of classroom workshops and live trainings on D2L as well as other learning and scholarly technologies, including Google Apps (Drive,) Google Cardboard, WordPress and Qualtrics.  For registration and more details visit our Training Calendar.

Here’s a quick video and handy checklist for faculty preparing their courses in D2L for the upcoming semester.

Also, check out our extensive D2L self-paced training resources available for faculty & staff.

Submitted by: Mark Gallimore , PhD, Center for Online Learning and Innovation

Lots of new software is now available. New operating systems on both Mac and PC, as well as new versions of Microsoft Office, Adobe and other software are being installed across campus.

All new Mac and Windows computers purchased over the summer are installed with Microsoft Office 2016. ITS finally has a version of MS Office that has a consistent look and feel across Macs and PC’s. Users of Office 365 or Office online and mobile apps will also notice that the new 2016 versions are very similar. There are no reported file compatibility problems so users should be easily able to share files around campus without concerns. Students will have the new Office applications available in the campus labs starting in the fall semester as well.

Windows users have already started seeing Windows 10 installed. It is a much heralded update to Windows and functions very similar to Windows 7. It has also proven to run very well on older computers. All new PC’s are being set up with Windows 10 along with the student internet plaza computers. Other campus labs will continue to run Windows 7 until further notice.

Mac users are also seeing a new version of the MacOS. Version 10.11 – El Capitan is now the latest version that ITS is installing across campus labs, faculty and staff Macs. It now integrates more efficiently with Apple iOS devices and the entire Apple online experience.

Users of the Adobe suite of software will be seeing the new 2016 versions of the graphics and design software. Many new features are available on the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC that take creating and editing PDF files much simpler. Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign are only a few of the stable of software available. We have campus licenses available that cover all labs and faculty and staff computers.

With all these changes come many questions. Feel free to contact the Help Desk with any questions or concerns. As new computers are installed and you start to see these new software packages, please share your experience with ITS. For existing computer users that would like to explore upgrading to the new software, please contact the ITS to get on the schedule. Upgrades will begin to be scheduled after the semester gets under way later in September.

The Help Desk can be reached by calling Ext. 8340 or email to helpdesk@canisius.edu.

Submitted by: Scott Clark, director of user services, ITS