Teaching Activities / U-M Information and Technology Services

Browse the catalog of resilient teaching methods below. They are categorized by applicability to hybrid and fully remote teaching modes in relation to performance, studio, and lab courses. They are also rated by the level of effort for implementation.

360 video for more immersive performances and demonstrations

360-degree videos, also known as immersive videos or spherical videos, are video recordings where a view in every direction is recorded at the same time, shot using an omnidirectional camera or a collection of cameras. During playback on normal flat display the viewer has control of the viewing direction like a panorama. It can also be played on a displays or projectors arranged in a sphere or some part of a sphere.

Assign LinkedIn Learning courses for skill development

LinkedIn Learning is an on-demand learning solution designed to help you gain new skills and advance your career. LinkedIn Learning is available at no cost to all active faculty, staff (including temporary employees) and students at the University of Michigan. Formerly Lynda.com, this service is a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology, and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals.

Asynchronous recordings (Canvas Kaltura Capture)

Kaltura Capture is a video recording app that is integrated with Canvas that allows you to record and share lectures.

Features include picture-in-picture, closed captioning, in-video quizzing, analytics on how users are using the media.

Augmented reality/virtual reality

XR is an all-inclusive term to describe immersive technologies. It includes Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

Collaboration and teamwork pedagogies

Leveraging tools and techniques to facilitate online team building and collaboration.

Connected rooms for low density collaboration

Digitally connected classrooms, labs, and performance spaces can facilitate low-density collaboration, instruction, and ensemble. Capabilities can include audio and video patching, large LCD screens, audio monitors, high-bandwidth network connections.

Distributing PPE’s

A Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) distribution program may facilitate low, density, in-person interactions in studios, labs, and performance spaces. This equipment may include N95 face masks, disposable lab coats, safety glasses, googles, or protective visors.

Environmental modifications to suppress viral transmission

Use of ultraviolet light to kill pathogens (germicidal irradiation)

Equip students to learn at home

Send kits of equipment and/or materials to students to maintain the haptic dimension of pedagogy in making-centered P/S/L courses.

Expanded schedule options for lower density instruction

Utilizing more flexible class scheduling can enable students to be distributed into small cohorts.

Flexible/block scheduling

The flexible schedule option refers to other schedule variants such prioritizing P/S/L courses over all other types and then expanding the schedule to accommodate more students in a less dense manner or offering students additional options about how to complete the P/S/L portion of a course. Another example is to use student home distance from campus to drive the schedule. Students who live far away might start earlier, and could finish their in-person P/S/L before a certain date, thus reducing travel and staggering start times. Local students would start later and finish after a certain date.

Interactive simulations

Interactive simulations can expand student learning by providing a tangible way for them to interact with and understand difficult concepts. Numerous simulations and animations can be found on the Internet to illustrate key STEM principles.

Learning Analytics

LEARNING ANALYTICS is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which it occurs.

Learning Analytics Role in Online Learning:

Mitigate anxiety and uncertainty Identify possible intervention Provide students a sense of control and greater awareness Surface patterns of engagement with learning content Provide nudges towards effective study behaviors

Low latency audio conferencing for live rehearsal

One of the major issues with networked music performance is that latency is introduced into the audio as it is processed by a participant's local system and sent across the network. For interaction in a networked music performance to feel natural, the latency generally must be kept below 30 milliseconds, the bound of human perception. If there is too much delay in the system, it will make performance very difficult since musicians adjust their playing to coordinate the performance based on the sounds they hear created by other players. Tools such as Jamulus or JackTrip allow for the fine control of audio latency fo the purpose of allowing musician to perform in time over a network.

Peer Critique through Portfolio Sharing in Canvas

Critique of student performance and studio work is a main source for formative and evaluative assessment in the performing arts, the visual arts, and design.

Reconfigure Existing Spaces

Work with facilities managers to move furniture and equipment to reconfigure spaces to allow for low-density, in-person instruction.

Recorded lab demonstrations

Pre-recorded commercial, open-source, and custom lab demonstrations.

Remote webcams for observing/monitoring experiments

Remote web cans can be setup to continuously monitor physics, biology and chemistry experiments to enable students and teachers to carry out scientific observations and measurements by using our software and a webcam.

Screen recorders for drawing demonstrations

Screen recordings can be an effective means of demonstrating design and drawing techniques as well as conveying lecture information. Using the built-in screen and a stylus pen, users create screen recordings that can be uploaded as a media file to Canvas or shared directly.

Support team-based and peer-to-peer learning

A substantial component of many lab, studio, design and performance courses are activities that engage students to work together. These may take the form of team projects, peer critique, or ensemble performance. While a team approach is not the exclusive domain of P/S/L courses, this approach is often central to attaining their learning objectives. In either scenario, we should support and preserve these activities as much as possible.

Synchronous conferencing with Zoom

Students can capture and upload video in the Canvas Discussion tool. The Kaltura integration adds an embed icon to the rich text editor, so instructors can create a discussion prompt to have students upload their performance and then get peer critique through the discussion threads.

Team/project-based activities using Canvas Groups

Group functionality in Canvas that can facilitate collaborative work. Each group created automatically provisions a group site with its own discussion area, files repository, conferencing tool, announcements, and Google Cocs collaborations area.

Use Canvas Learning Outcomes for competency/skill based learning

Learning outcomes can be related to Canvas assignments, discussions, or assessments to track competency development, proficiency, and mastery.

Video discussions for exhibition

Using the media integration with the Canvas discussions tool to facilitate exhibtion of student work and performances.

Video tutorials (OER, custom, LinkedIn Learning)

Prerecorded tutorials can be purchased, developed, or shared to demonstrate techniques, procedures, and processes.

Virtual science labs

Virtual science labs and interactive simulations help students to participate in advanced reasoning without needing a physical science lab or access to water or lab safety equipment.

Zoom for live performance/presentation streaming

Students can be assigned the co-host role so that they can deliver live performances or presentations to an audience. Participants can provide critique or feedback through the chat feature.