It can be hard keeping up with improvements made in Canvas and other learning technologies supported by the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI). That’s why we’ve gathered information about the best recent changes – from new tools to updated features – in one place. Below you can find highlights from our full update.
Instant Feedback for Students with TurnItIn Draft Coach
Students now have free access to a new tool that can provide writing and referencing assistance through Google Docs. Turnitin Draft Coach is intended to help students and faculty alike. Before ever submitting work to an instructor, students can use a grammar guide and run similarity and citation checks, allowing them to receive instant feedback on their academic writing and revise accordingly. This extra coaching allows instructors to focus more on the content of student writing.
Video & Accessibility Options Available in Canvas: New Quizzes
Folks considering using New Quizzes have another reason to consider adoption. You can now easily add videos through Panopto, use the Canvas accessibility checker, and add content via html when building New Quizzes. This is a big improvement, as the lack of these functions was one of the top reasons we have previously cautioned folks considering using New Quizzes. We will continue to provide updates as New Quizzes adds useful functionality in the months ahead.
Added AI Features in Flip and FeedbackFruits
We have all had to tackle the learning curve that accompanies generative artificial intelligence and its impact on teaching and learning. Increasingly, our learning technologies will have artificial intelligence capabilities built into their products. Two recent examples include FeedbackFruits and Flip (formerly Flipgrid), both of which have new AI-driven features.
Here’s what that looks like so far: FeedbackFruits, a tool designed to help engage students in peer and self evaluation, at scale, now includes an experimental feature, available upon request, called Automated Feedback Coach. This tool uses OpenAI to help students provide better written feedback to peers and improve the quality of feedback they receive from peers.
Flip, a tool used to engage classes in asynchronous video discussions, now features Topic Copilot, which allows instructors to use keywords and AI to generate discussion prompts.
What’s Next
As mentioned before, the above features are but highlights of the many new learning technology features available for Fall ‘23. For a full breakdown of recent changes, check out our What’s New page in CTI’s Learning Technologies Resource Library. As always, as you explore these features, please feel free to reach out to us with questions or to set up a consultation.