FIRST Services for 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)

• Consultations and course development support
• Captioning for Extension Online Learning courses 
• Recording studio reservations  

• 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:  

  • Canvas Basics Guide 

  • Canvas Instructor Guide 

  • Canvas Instructor Videos 

  • Canvas Admin Guide 

  • Canvas Admin Videos 

  • Canvas Glossary 

  • Catalog Guide 

  • Catalog Subcatalog Admin Guide 

  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: 

  • eLearning @UF: Build and Design (webinar or classroom) 

  • eLearning @UF: Facilitate and Engage (webinar or classroom) 

  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 Teaching Resources 

  • Instructional Tools (requires Gatorlink login) 

  • Online Workshops 

  • • Principles of Effective Instruction 

  • • Best Practices for Teaching Online 

  • • Teaching for Inclusivity and Accessibility 

  • • Teaching with Technology 

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

  • Resource Library 

  • Workshops and Events 

  • Artificial Intelligence in Teaching and Learning 
• How do I troubleshoot technical issues?

  Troubleshooting Technical Issues  

  • Troubleshooting browser and cookie issues 
  • Canvas Instructor Guide 
  • Catalog Subcatalog Admin Guide

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

FIRST Video and Course Content Production

To aid faculty in course content production, FIRST offers a fully facilitated video studio, self-service audio and video studios, a distance-learning classroom, 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 one of our recording facilities in Building 162, check availability on the associated calendar below. Once you have checked our availability, fill out the services request form.

• Studio Calendars

  Facility Calendars:

  Distance Learning Classroom, G001 McCarty Hall D

  Building 162 Video Studio

  Building 162 Express Audio Studio

  Building 162 Express Video Studio

• Facilitated Video Studio

  

  The facilitated recording studio in Building 162 is available to faculty in UF/IFAS CALS or Extension to create content for courses or training programs. With green screen technology, you can use PowerPoints, photographs, video or virtual sets in the background as you record a presentation. The room offers the following tools and services:

  • • Greenscreen 
    • Overhead camera for tabletop demonstrations
    • Wet lab with inset sink
    • Stereo compound & stereo dissecting microscopes
    • Lightboard for written demonstrations
    • Microsoft Surface
    • Multiple cameras for varying angles
    • Interview-style setups

  To request a facilitated recording in the studio, check availability on the studio calendar and fill out the services request form.

• Express Video and Audio Studios

  Record narrated PowerPoints with professional grade audio equipment in our audio studio, or record presenter over presentations in our video studio. 

  Both studios are located in Building 162 and offer self-service recording capabilities and are available 24/7 upon request. 

  Check availability using the studio calendars and fill out the services request form to reserve the room. Our team will provide a brief orientation of either studio and will be available during regular hours for technology support and any recording questions. 

  If you are interested in accessing either studio after hours, please reach out via the services request form, and we will grant access. 

   

• Field and Lab Video

  Field and lab videos are a great way to showcase class content that cannot easily be recorded in-studio, whether filming animals, plants, equipment, or processes that cannot be recorded in studio.

  Field shoots will require a consultation with our video team and may involve a site visitation prior to the shoot. 

  Please allow for longer production times than videos recorded in our main studios. 

  To request a field shoot, fill out the services request form.

   

   

• McCarty D G001 Distance Learning Classroom

  

   

  McCarty D G001 classroom is designed for hybrid or online courses and is equipped with multiple video cameras and microphones to ensure an immersive viewing experience for those joining remotely. Faculty can choose to record in Zoom, or directly into Mediasite. 

  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.

• What to Expect

  To ensure a great experience for you and our video team, here is what you can expect from our team before, during, and after your recording appointment.   

  Main Studio  

  If you are planning to record all or most of your lectures (recurring or repeating appointments) with us in our main studio, please schedule a consultation with us, in person or virtual, beforehand. 

  Before  

  Before your recording appointment, we request you deliver all necessary files, including any PowerPoints, scripts, and other media such as photos or .mp4 files to Rob Bailey via Outlook or Teams.  

  Important note: do not wear green or any busy patterns such as fine stripes or plaid. Additionally, avoid clothing with logos if you do not need to wear them as most footage is mirrored for ease of recording. 

  During  

  Upon arrival, our recording technician will position you in front of the camera, test audio, and guide you through how to use any tools you may be using during the appointment.  

  Once we are ready to record, we will give you a signal from our control room over speakers installed in the studio. When the technician says to begin, you may start your presentation. The technician will keep track of any edits needed and will direct you on the best place to re-start any portion of the video.   

  After  

  After your appointment, we will begin the editing process based on our studio notes and your vision for the video. The post-production process timeline varies depending on previous and upcoming projects, time sensitivity, the project's lead editor, and the amount/complexity of edits needed for your video. 

  After initial edits are completed, we will send you a frame.io link – a software we use for clients to review their videos – for you to review. Should you have any other edits, you can easily make comments in the software at the corresponding time stamp.  

  If there are no further edits needed, we will upload your finalized video into a Mediasite folder you will have access to. Once that is completed, we will send you an email to notify you that your video is ready for you to send to captioning services. Additionally, we will send a survey for you to fill out to better inform us on what we can do better and what we are doing well.   

  Self-Service Studios 

  Before 

  Upon scheduling, we ask that you come prepared with all necessary lecture materials in a USB drive or uploaded into OneDrive. Aside from an initial walk through, our staff will not be responsible for the uploading and display of these materials. 

  If you are recording in our Express Video Studio, do not wear green and avoid busy patterns such as fine lines or plaid. Additionally, avoid wearing logos as the video is mirrored for ease of presenting.  

  During 

  During your initial appointment, a member of our video team will demonstrate how to use the studio you reserved. We will be there for support during regular business hours in case of technical issues. 

  After 

  Once the appointment is finished, you are responsible for ensuring all files are stored properly, which may involve transferring the files between storage devices and the computers in either studio. 

  Unless otherwise communicated, you are also responsible for uploading all videos into Mediasite. 

  Should you have any edits, please reach out to the video team for support.  

  Field Videos 

  Before 

  All field videos require an in-person or virtual consultation before-hand in order to properly prepare for the project. During this initial meeting, our team will work with you to solidify the project vision, timeline, and other necessary details. 

  The pre-production process for field videos will vary depending on scope, time-sensitivity, and resources.  

  Should you have any pre-existing assets, such as photos, graphics, or b-roll, that you wish to include in the video, please provide this to our team using a Teams page or Onedrive.  

  During 

  During the recording day(s), our team will arrive early to set up equipment. We ask that any person recording arrive to the location on time, especially if we have limited time to record.  

  Our team will direct the shoot(s) while following your creative vision, offering our expertise when needed.  

  After 

  After recording, our team will edit the footage according to the project vision. The post-production process timeline varies depending on previous and upcoming projects, time sensitivity, the project's lead editor, and the amount/complexity of edits needed for your video. 

  After initial edits are completed, we will send you a frame.io link – a software we use for clients to review their videos – for you to review. Should you have any other edits, you can easily make comments in the software at the corresponding time stamp.  

  If there are no further edits needed, we will upload your finalized video into a Mediasite folder you will have access to. Once that is completed, we will send you an email to notify you that your video is ready for you to send to captioning services. Additionally, we will send a survey for you to fill out to better inform us on what we can do better and what we are doing well.   

   

Teaching Resources

• 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.

• 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. 

• 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 

   

• Center for Teaching Excellence

  The Center for Teaching Excellence offers teaching consultations for faculty and teaching resources that include:

  • Face to face and online workshops 
  • Passport to Great Teaching program 
  • First Year Faculty Teaching Academy
  • UF Instructor Guide
  • Teaching resource library 
  • Great Teaching Certificate: TA Edition and other resources for Teaching Assistants
• 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
• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

• Basic Canvas Help and How-Tos
  • Canvas Instructor Guide
  • Getting Started in Canvas (how-to videos, step by step instructions, and best practices)
  • UF eLearning Support instructor help
• Office of Teaching Excellence Trainings
  • Great Online Course Series - available online, includes:
    • Design a Great Course Online (~ 6 hrs)
    • Build a Great Course Online (~ 5 hrs)
    • Teach a Great Course Online (~5 hrs)
  • Workshops and Events (face-to-face and online)
• CITT Trainings
  • Online Teaching Resources
  • Online Teaching Toolbox
• UF IT Training
  • Build and Design
  • Facilitate and Engage
  • All UF IT courses (check the box for teaching to filter courses)
• LinkedIn Learning

  Log in with Gatorlink at UF IT Training

  • Learning Canvas 2019 (ignore the part about creating teacher account)
  • Canvas: Tips, Tricks and Techniques
  • eLearning Essentials: Instructional Design

CALS FIRST Staff

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.