Ed Tech Days will look at teaching and technology

The University Center for Teaching and Learning will hold three Pitt Ed Tech Days — one each in May, June and August — to focus on a different aspect of teaching and learning with technology. The topics will include assessment, innovation and getting started for beginners.

The May 23 event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Zoom, will look at issues surrounding the assessment of learning using the digital tools we have available. Members of the educational software consulting team as well as other Teaching Center departments, such as teaching support, open lab, and classroom services, will facilitate the sessions.

You may register for one or all of the following sessions:

10 a.m.: Canvas New Quizzes: What is it, when is it, is it right for you?

Canvas has an entirely new quiz system in development that is expected to release in the next year. See it in action and learn how to opt-in using the new system.

11 a.m.: Improving Tests in Canvas: Question Design & Report Interpretation

We will discuss strategies for improving multiple-choice exams using question design best practices and basic psychometric data. Attendees should have basic knowledge of how to navigate within a Canvas course shell. Access to quiz results from previous terms would be helpful for workshop activities, but not required.

1 p.m.: Active Learning with Top Hat Classroom

Top Hat's student engagement software is available for all faculty and students at Pitt to use at no charge. This workshop serves as an introduction to Top Hat's suite of tools, focusing on the most commonly used functions: student polling and live discussions. No prior experience with Top Hat is necessary.

2 p.m.: Peer Review: Pedagogy and Technology

We will introduce the various peer review tools available to Pitt faculty, both native to Canvas and those that use Canvas integrations. We will cover peer-reviewed discussion boards, assignment submissions, and group works, and discuss Canvas's peer-review tools as well as those available through Peerceptiv. Attendees should have basic knowledge of how to navigate within a Canvas course shell.

Register through the University Calendar. You will receive an email with the Zoom meeting link. Participants must sign in with the single sign-on option when joining the meeting using their University username and password. Contact workshops@teaching.pitt.edu for any questions.