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College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

CALS Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)

Supporting teaching excellence, cultivating lifelong learners.


The Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST) is part of the CALS Teaching and Learning Collaborative, a hub of support from CALS for UF/IFAS faculty to enhance their teaching and mentoring efficacy, scholarship, and leadership. Learn how we can support you in teaching academic and Extension courses.

 

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.

  • 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  32611-0270

    Physical Address

    1740 McCarty Dr., Building 162
    Gainesville, FL  32611

    Campus map showing COLT Building 162

     

    To request course development or video services, please complete the online services request form. For questions, email FIRST@ifas.ufl.edu.

  • Staff

    General FIRST Questions:

    Barbra Larson
    Assistant Director, Education/Training Programs
    bcl@ufl.edu
    352-392-3895

    Keith Cinami
    Program Assistant
    kcinami@ufl.edu
    352-392-3893

    Dr. Katrina Alford (Trini)
    Education/Training Specialist II
    trini@ufl.edu  
    352-294-0858


    Distance education consultations and instructional design

    Academic courses:

    Kathryn Rush
    Instructional Designer III
    krush@ufl.edu
    352-273-3565

    Aaron Sotala
    Instructional Designer II
    asotala@ufl.edu
    352-392-3894

    Extension courses:

    Peter Disabb
    Instructional Designer I
    pdisabb@ufl.edu
    352-294-0855

    Misti Rucks
    Instructional Designer I
    misti.rucks@ifas.ufl.edu
    352-273-3468


    Video Production and Distance Education Classroom Support

    Rob Bailey
    Production Manager
    robbailey@ufl.edu
    352-846-0144

    Kaelyn 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

     

     

  • 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.  

 

Academic

We can assist CALS faculty with 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. We offer Course Design and Course Delivery 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.

To request course development or video services, please complete the online services request form. For questions, email FIRST@ifas.ufl.edu.

 

Join the Fall 2024 CALS Course Design Community of Practice or the CALS Course Delivery Community of Practice by filling out the registration form. Complete the form by August 16, 2024 to have your input considered in the scheduling of weekly session times.

 

  • Course Design and Course Delivery Communities of Practice

    CALS Course Design Community of Practice

    This semester-long offering will help you design or revise a course that achieves the highest level of UF Quality standards and will emphasize the standards related to course design. 

    CALS Course Delivery Community of Practice

    The Course Delivery Community of Practice is for faculty who are teaching a course that has already been designed to fulfill UF Quality standards. It may be taken before, or the semester you teach the new or redesigned course, with the goal of submitting the UF Quality review at the end of the semester once you receive your student evaluations. The sessions will focus on incorporating engagement and feedback strategies into your teaching while preparing your UF Quality submission. 

    Learn more about our faculty Communities of Practice for course design and delivery.

  • 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
  • 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

     

  • 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

     

 

Extension Online Learning Courses

UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning is a central source for online training and professional development opportunities related to agriculture, natural resources, youth and families, and communities. The continuing education and non-credit courses and educational modules offered on the site are developed and facilitated by UF/IFAS experts using Canvas Catalog as the course hosting and registration system.  

The CALS FIRST team supports Extension faculty to design, build, and deliver online and hybrid courses through UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning. Navigate to one of the sections below for more information or email ExtensionOnline@ifas.ufl.edu to get in touch with a team member.  

New to Extension Online Learning and ready to get started? Fill out our Services Request Form and select “New instructor account”. 

For additional services: (forms require Gatorlink login)

  • What course development support can I get?

    FIRST provides support for instructional design and for development of educational materials for online academic and Extension courses.   

    Our video production team helps you create engaging course materials. You can schedule a recording in the video studio on campus that includes options for green screen backgrounds, a laboratory setup for demonstrations, compound and dissecting microscopes, and a lightboard. You can also reserve the self-service recording rooms that are available by appointment 24/7 for recording audio or video. To make an appointment for a recording studio reservation, fill out our Services Request Form

    Our team of instructional designers and media specialists is available for consultations and assistance on the following topics: 

    • Designing courses aligned with quality standards for non-credit courses.  
    • Developing interactive learning materials with the latest industry-standard tools. 
    • Guidance for facilitating engaging online courses.  
    • Advising on recording options for creating learning materials. 
    • Producing and recording your content in our video and audio recording studios.  
    • Teaching online, instructional technology, and accessibility. 
    • Incorporating research into your online program/course (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning). 
    • Captioning of videos in Extension Online Learning courses. 
    • Spanish translation for Extension Online Learning course materials and video captions. 

    To make an appointment for a consultation or course support, fill out our Services Request Form

  • How can I deliver a course in Extension Online Learning?

    UF/IFAS Extension personnel interested in delivering non-credit online courses or modules for Extension education can request an account in Canvas Catalog. You will manage your course(s) in Canvas and course registration listings in Catalog, and you will be given an orientation to using both Canvas and Catalog as an account administrator. If your unit already has an account that others are managing and you only need access to specific courses, your orientation will be simpler. 

  • Does Extension Online Learning use UF eLearning (Canvas)?

    IFAS Extension’s instance of Canvas is separate from UF’s instance of Canvas that is used to deliver academic courses (UF eLearning). The IFAS Extension instance of Canvas is connected to the Catalog course registration platform to allow public registration of non-credit courses with online payment of registration fees. You will create a user account that is not associated with your Gatorlink log in. 

    If you have used UF eLearning Canvas, you are already familiar with the Canvas course delivery used in Extension Online Learning. If you have taught courses in UF eLearning and want to use some of those materials in an Extension course, your course content can be exported and then imported into Extension Online Learning Canvas courses.  

  • Where can I learn how to use specific features of Canvas and Catalog?

    Instructure is the company that developed both Canvas and Catalog. The Instructure Guides for Canvas and Catalog give instructions with screen shots on using the available features to design and deliver courses and manage course registrations. Written and video guides are available:  

    We are developing an online training course on teaching in Canvas that is specific to Extension Online Learning. 

  • Can I get training on teaching in Canvas?

    UF IT Training offers classroom, webinar and on-demand trainings, many of which are related to instructional technology. For learning the basics of Canvas there are two core trainings: 

    Keep in mind that these are designed for teaching full semester academic courses in UF eLearning, but they can help you learn what features are available in Canvas and how to use them.  

    We are developing an online training course on teaching in Canvas that is specific to Extension Online Learning. 

  • How can I ensure my course meets accessibility standards?

    There are a number of practices you can follow when designing your course and creating the content. See the Canvas blog General Accessibility Design Guidelines for an overview of specific practices.  For more in-depth guidance, the Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) has a self-paced online course on Accessibility Fundamentals 

    We are developing an online training on accessibility more specific to Extension Online Learning. For help with making your Extension Online Learning course accessible, fill out our Services Request Form. 

     

  • What other UF resources are available for teaching in Extension Online Learning?

    The UF Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) provides teaching resources and instructional design support for academic courses at UF.  Many of the online resources and workshops are also generally applicable to teaching Extension courses online. 

    • Online Workshops 

    The UF Center for Teaching Excellence also provides resources for teaching academic courses, some of which may be applicable to Extension online courses. 

  • How do I troubleshoot technical issues?

    Troubleshooting Technical Issues  

    For questions or issues that are not resolved, please submit our Services Request Form and select "Troubleshooting an issue in a course".

 

Video and Course Content Production

We offer a fully facilitated video studio, self-service audio and video studios, as well as on-site video shoots. 

UF/IFAS faculty and staff can reserve the recording facilities to record or develop course or module content for their academic or Extension programs.

To reserve the G001 classroom to record or livestream a course, presentation, workshop or other event, check availability on the G001 calendar and fill out the classroom reservation request form, specifying if technical facilitation is needed for videoconferencing (Zoom), and/or Mediasite recording.

To reserve one of our recording facilities in Building 162, check availability on the associated calendar and fill out the services request form.

Facility Calendars:

G001 McCarty Hall D

Building 162 Video Studio

Building 162 Express Audio Studio

Building 162 Express Video Studio

 

Teaching Resources

Training Opportunities

UF support for teaching online includes a variety of face-to-face workshops and online trainings regularly offered by the Office of Teaching Excellence, the Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) and UF IT Training. 

If you are new to teaching in Canvas, the best place to start is the UF IT courses "eLearning @ UF: Build and Design" and "eLearning @ UF: Facilitate and Engage", which go through the mechanics of working in Canvas. These hands-on courses are taught by webinar once a semester.

If you are new to teaching online or want to improve your online teaching skills, the Great Online Course Series from the Office of Teaching Excellence is highly recommended for everyone and required for anyone teaching a UF Online course.

When you have questions or problems related to Canvas, check the Canvas Instructor Guide, and if you can't find what you need, contact eLearning Support at the UF Help Desk.

For additional opportunities to learn about more advanced topics related to online teaching, see the opportunities below.

 

Our Staff

Headshot of woman with dark hair

Dr. Katrina Alford

Education/Training Specialist II

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(trini@ufl.edu)
Building 162

Rob Bailey portrait

Rob Bailey

Production Manager

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(robbailey@ufl.edu)
Building 162

Headshot image of program assistant Keith Cenami

Keith Cinami

Program Assistant

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(kcinami@ufl.edu)
Building 162

Portrait of a male in a blue button up shirt.

Peter Disabb

Instructional Designer I

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(pdisabb@ufl.edu)
Building 162

Barbra Larson portrait

Dr. Barbra Larson

Assistant Director, Education/Training Programs

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(bcl@ufl.edu)
Building 162

Portrait of a woman in a dark v-neck shirt.

Kaelyn Nelson

Communications and Video Assistant

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(kaelyn.nelson@ufl.edu)
Building 162

 

Misti Rucks

Misti Rucks

Instructional Designer I

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(misti.rucks@ufl.edu)
Building 162

 

Kathryn Rush portraitKathryn Rush portrait

Kathryn Rush

Instructional Designer III

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(krush@ufl.edu)
Building 162

Aaron Sotala portrait

Aaron Sotala

Instructional Designer II

Faculty Instructional Resources and Support Team (FIRST)
(asotala@ufl.edu)
Building 162

 

How Can We Help?

CALS 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.

To request course development or video services, please complete the online services request form.

For questions, email FIRST@ifas.ufl.edu for academics or general questions and ExtensionOnline@ifas.ufl.edu for anything related to Extension Online Learning.