About CALS FIRST
FIRST (formerly known as the CALS Center for Online Learning and Technology), continues to offer assistance to UF/IFAS faculty for course design, course building in Canvas, and course delivery challenges when teaching online, hybrid and flipped courses in UF eLearning and UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning.
FIRST offers Course Design and Course Delivery Communities of Practice, as well as consultations and faculty development opportunities. Reserve facilitated or self-service video studios to record lectures, or work with our video team to produce engaging field/lab videos and interactive materials.
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Vision and Mission
Our Mission
We partner with UF/IFAS CALS and Extension faculty to create meaningful, high-quality, outcome-based learner experiences through accessible, engaging, transformative content and learning environments. Our relationships with faculty help to actualize their instructional goals by leveraging technology and pedagogy for continuous improvement of teaching and learning.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be a collaborative hub for innovative, student-centered teaching and learning. Enriched by these connections, CALS and IFAS faculty lead in meeting evolving student needs and developing lifelong learners prepared to face the world’s critical challenges.
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Location and Contact
Contact Us
Email
FIRST@ifas.ufl.edu (general questions and those related to academic courses)
ExtensionOnline@ifas.ufl.edu (questions related to UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning courses)
Phone
352-392-3893
Location
Our offices and recording studios are located in Building 162 on the main UF campus, close to McCarty Hall.
Mailing Address
PO Box 110270
Gainesville, FL 32611-0270Physical Address
1740 McCarty Dr., Building 162
Gainesville, FL 32611
To request course development or video services, please complete the online services request form. For questions, email FIRST@ifas.ufl.edu.
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Staff
General FIRST Questions:
Barbra Larson
Assistant Director, Education/Training Programs
bcl@ufl.edu
352-392-3895Keith Cinami
Program Assistant
kcinami@ufl.edu
352-392-3893Dr. Katrina Alford (Trini)
Education/Training Specialist II
trini@ufl.edu
352-294-0858
Distance education consultations and instructional designAcademic courses:
Kathryn Rush
Instructional Designer III
krush@ufl.edu
352-273-3565Aaron Sotala
Instructional Designer II
asotala@ufl.edu
352-392-3894Extension courses:
Peter Disabb
Instructional Designer I
pdisabb@ufl.edu
352-294-0855Misti Rucks
Instructional Designer I
misti.rucks@ifas.ufl.edu
352-273-3468
Video Production and Distance Education Classroom SupportRob Bailey
Production Manager
robbailey@ufl.edu
352-846-0144Kaelyn Nelson
Communications and Video Production Assistant
kaelyn.nelson@ufl.edu
352-392-3893
FIRST Assistants:Assistants:
- Hannah Bokor
- Grace Lopez
- Megan Moore
- Melanie Pastrana
- Ethen Ungaro
- Sarah Wutzler
Video Assistants:
- Azhalia Pottinger
Spanish translation
- Diana Rodriguez
Instructional Design Interns/Assistants:
- Ezmarelda Humphrey
- Madeline Browy
- Preston Shults
FIRST Services for Academic Courses
We can assist CALS faculty with course design, course building in Canvas, course delivery challenges when teaching online, and hybrid and flipped courses in UF eLearning and UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning. We offer Course Design Communities of Practice, as well as consultations and faculty development opportunities. Reserve our facilitated or self-service video studios to record lectures, or work with our video team to produce engaging field/lab videos and interactive materials.
Join the Spring 2025 CALS Course Design Community of Practice by filling out the registration form. Complete the form by December 6th, 2024 to have your input considered in the scheduling of weekly session times.
To request course assistance or video services, please complete the online services request form. For questions, email FIRST@ifas.ufl.edu.
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Course Design Community of Practice
To support CALS faculty in designing and delivering student-centered courses infused with authentic learning activities, and to help online courses achieve the required UF Quality standards (UF Quality) designation, each semester we offer a cohort-based activity designed as a Community of Practice (CoP).
During the hands-on and discussion sessions, you’ll work directly with your course plan and materials while honing best practices for developing and teaching high-quality, learner-centered courses ready for the UF Quality standards review. You’ll have broader support by meeting with a cohort of faculty across CALS - guided by our instructional design and production teams - with opportunities to share ideas, learn from your colleagues and plan course revisions strategically with our support team.
Why Join the Course Design CoP Cohort Series?
- Learn with and from colleagues through a Community of Practice focused on learner-centered teaching.
- Design or enhance your course with the goal of achieving UF Quality Exemplary rating that achieves a high level of student and faculty satisfaction.
- Help your students achieve deeper learning through authentic learning activities and assessments that apply your course content to real-world context.
- Leverage pedagogy and new technologies to implement student engagement strategies that result in meaningful student learning.
- Use learning analytics, reflection, and peer evaluation to improve course design, teaching practice, and student outcomes.
- Learn how to apply the UF Quality standards to improve course quality and complete the review submission with the support of specialists and peers.
Join the Spring 2025 CALS Course Design Community of Practice by filling out the registration form. Complete the form by December 6th, 2024 to have your input considered in the scheduling of session times.
This offering is designed to help you prepare and submit your course for the UF Quality standards review, while streamlining the planning time to shift the focus from course builds in Canvas to teaching strategies for authentic learning and assessment.
All undergraduate courses that are at least 80% online must meet UF Quality standards for online course quality by the end of 2025. Under the UF Quality review process timeline, you’ll need to teach any revised or new course at least once before submitting it for review.
Our CoP is designed to guide you through course development or course improvements and the UF Quality standards submission process. We support both undergraduate and graduate courses through this CoP, although the UF Quality review is recommended but not required for graduate-level courses.
As always, you can use instructional design services from your own department or other UF sources (CITT, COIP) instead of or in collaboration with our team. Additionally, beyond our cohort offerings, our team continues to offer consultations, recording studio appointments, and course design templates and resources.
Expectations of participating in this cohort offering:
- FIRST will provide resources, physical or virtual space, and facilitation to interact as a Community of Practice (CoP).
- FIRST will support your course revisions and development with an individualized plan.
- For the CoP to be successful, your active participation throughout the semester is expected, both synchronously and asynchronously.
- Your participation requires a time commitment over the semester of 12-18 hours in synchronous meetings, 12-16 hours in asynchronous related activities, and time outside of meetings spent on your course that will depend on your individual course needs.
- While you are responsible for completing all instructor course tasks, FIRST staff will support your course development and revision needs during and outside of meeting times.
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Templates and Course Build Resources
The CALS Course Design Resource Repository can be accessed via Gatorlink and contains resources for course builds in Canvas including:
- CALS syllabus template
- CALS Canvas course template
- Accessible PowerPoint templates
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Consultations and Trainings
- Online teaching best practices and UF Quality standards including assessments, assignments/learning activities, syllabus, course map/alignment
- Authentic and active learning
- Accessibility of course materials and site
- Instructional materials development and recording
- Instructional technology
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
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Content Recording and Accessibility
Content recording
- Facilitated and on-demand (express) video production studios
- Guidance on recording on your own
- Mediasite and
Content development and accessibility
- PowerPoint accessibility and design updating
- Custom PowerPoint template development
- Document accessibility (PPT, PDF, DOC)
- Canvas course accessibility and templating
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