CALS Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
Teaching Support Services
Faculty who teach online academic and Extension courses are supported by various units at CALS and across UF.
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CALS Teaching Resource Center
The CALS Teaching Resource Center, a partnership between the CALS Dean's Office and the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, supports CALS faculty in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Programs include the annual Teacher's College to enhance teaching skills of newer CALS faculty, the Roche Teaching Scholars program, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning group, and the CALS Teaching Council. The Teaching Resource Center also organizes the annual CALS Teaching Enhancement Symposium and the spring teaching retreat.
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CALS Mini Grants for Teaching
CALS Mini Grants support improving the quality of instructional programs in CALS and development of new courses for online delivery or enhancement of current online courses.
Faculty with teaching appointments in CALS and advising/teaching staff in UF/IFAS can submit a proposal for an Instructional Improvement Mini Grant or a Distance Education Mini Grant. Requests for proposals are generally released in December with applications generally due in February.
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E-Learning Support
E-Learning Support (ELS), within UF IT, provides technical support and training for the Canvas course management system and related online services to facilitate teaching and learning over the Internet. In addition to Canvas, supported services include Respondus Quiz Creation and Lockdown Browser, Turnitin, Voicethread, Qualtrics and iThenticate.
E-Learning Support offers walk-in, phone, and email assistance to faculty, staff, and students for these online instructional technologies.- Phone support: (352) 392-4357 (HELP) option 3, Mon - Fri 7am-midnight; Sat and Sun 8am-8pm
- Walk-in: HUB132, Mon - Thurs 7:30am-10pm; Fri 7:30am-5pm; Sat and Sun 12pm-6pm
- email: learning-support@ufl.edu
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Center for Teaching Excellence
The Center for Teaching Excellence offers teaching consultations for faculty and teaching resources that include:
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Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT)
The Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) provides teaching resources, training, and course production support for academic courses at UF. Their services include:
- Instructional design for the development of courses and assessments
- Course revisions and updates
- Video studio and production:
- Mediasite and green screen recording
- Audio and screen capture recordings
- Location shoots and lab demonstrations
- Single and multi-camera interviews
- Post-production
- Light board
- Document camera
- Teaching resources and toolbox
- Instructional development trainings
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UF IT Learning Analytics
The UF IT Learning Analytics team is developing the Learning Analytics Dashboard (LeAD) for faculty, which displays course and student data to improve teaching and learning. To access the UF LEAD Dashboard in a Canvas course, click on:
Settings >> Navigation >> Click and hold UF LEAD >> Drag UF LEAD to the top navigation section >> Click Save.
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UF Libraries Distance Education Services
The UF Libraries offer distance learners an array of services similar to those available on campus in Gainesville. These services include:
- On-site borrowing at the University of Florida and libraries of the other SUS institutions
- Remote access to online electronic resources and other services electronically
- Interlibrary Loan/Distance Learning Document Delivery Service
- Information and reference assistance, including Ask A Librarian live chat and other communication methods
- Access to online library tutorials and workshops
Faculty can use ARES Course Reserves to link within a course's Canvas site to electronic items placed on the course reserves.
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Accessible UF
Accessible UF provides information on accessibility services and on guidance for compliance with federal and state laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Sections 504 and 508 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. The Electronic Information Technology Accessibility Policy describes UF's compliance standards for electronic information, including websites and instructional materials.
Faculty with online courses can request captioning services to caption instructional videos by completing the captioning request form. Courses with a distance section, other than those entirely self-funded, are eligible for centrally-funded captioning services. Any course is eligible when there is an on-demand captioning request through the Disability Resource Center.
Accessible UF also provides resources and tutorials for making sure that instructional materials meet accessibility compliance guidelines.