Welcome to the Latest Edition!

June 8, 2021

Good morning Rotman!

Below you will find information on a new way to deliver live classes and create asynchronous videos on Zoom using Powerpoint slides as a virtual background. The effect is high-impact and may breathe new life into your on-screen style.

We're also encouraged by the vendor presentations that began last week for a new enterprise webinar solution for the University. As you may know, Blackboard Collaborate's contract with UofT expires at the end of this summer. We encourage you to keep an eye out for upcoming presentation details and attend where you're able. This is your opportunity to provide input into the selection process.

Similarly, the procurement process for an enterprise plagiarism detection and academic integrity support solution is underway. Turnitin.com and Ouriginal Inc. will be holding presentations this week on Wednesday and Thursday. You can register using the links below:

Ouriginal Session 1 - June 9 - 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Ouriginal Session 2 - June 9 - 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Turnitin Session 1 - June 10 - 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Turnitin Session 2 - June 10 - 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

We would also like to remind you about the upcoming June 30th deadline to download any Blackboard Collaborate recordings that you would like to keep. All recordings made prior to May 1, 2021 will be purged after June 30th. Instructions on how to download your recordings are here.

For more information on course design, video creation, and Quercus please visit the Rotman Digital website at: rotmandigital.ca

If ever you have feedback or questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us at rotmandigital@rotman.utoronto.ca. 
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PPT Slides as Virtual Background (Video)

You can now use your Powerpoint slides as a virtual background in Zoom. With this new feature you can achieve a similar effect to using a green screen without actually buying one. We've put together a page and a how-to video explaining how it works. Click here to watch.
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Live captions in Zoom and MS Teams

Did you know that both Zoom and MS Teams have live captioning? This is critical for making your live classes or meetings more accessible and are easy to activate. Check out the links below to learn more about live captioning for both Zoom and MS Teams:

Click here for Zoom

Click here for MS Teams
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Lessons Learned from Assessing Students in a Pandemic (Article)

ssessing students who are doing most, if not all, of their work in a virtual setting has been a significant challenge for educators over the last year. Instructors have had to navigate the changing schedules and converging home and work lives of both themselves and their students, while also considering new technologies and accommodating varying learning needs. And that’s not to mention the level of fatigue we’re all feeling as this global pandemic has been a source of such nuanced challenges as fear, uncertainty, and financial instability. This article from HBP offers assessment best-practices gleaned from over a year of teaching in a pandemic. Click here to read it.
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How to Use Zoom in the New (Blended) Normal

Contact North is offering a webinar this Thursday June 10th focused on using Zoom effectively across seven different delivery modes:

• Fully synchronous

• Blended synchronous and asynchronous

• Flex blend: Students alternate between attending face-to-face and online according to predetermined schedules

• HyFlex: Students freely choose whether to attend face-to-face or synchronously

• Traditional blend: Mainly face-to-face with an integrated online component

• Flipped: Content delivered online, students attend in small, in-person groups for guided/tutorial work

• Face-to-face with Zoom breakout discussion/work groups

Click here to register.
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Access previous editions of the newsletter here