Gemini and educator-designed Gems can provide different forms of support as students work toward shared learning outcomes. Gems can create structured opportunities for students to apply knowledge, practice skills, explain their reasoning, and reflect on their learning.
Academic leaders are fielding urgent questions about AI, assessment, and student learning. Practical responses include shifting from securing everything toward intentional assessment design, AI literacy, and local experimentation.
Learn how one educator has shifted from trying to police AI use to redesigning assessments that emphasize meaningful learning and student engagement. By creating authentic, scaffolded, and relevant assessments students are more likely to choose genuine participation over unpermitted AI use.
If students can vote by raising their hands, why use polling tools at all? Both provide quick feedback and help educators gauge understanding. However, a show of hands and a poll do not always reveal the same information about student learning.
Deciding what level of GenAI use to permit is only half the job. Students also need clear explanations of what kinds of help are allowed, and why.
Learn about prompting Microsoft Copilot to have it generate formative assessment questions for you.
Having strong learning outcomes is important, but it can be challenging work. Leverage AI to help you create strong learning outcomes for your course.
Learn some basics about prompting AI to have it help you get ready for class.
In a world where AI can generate polished responses in seconds, Dr. Kyle Anderson (PhD) is redesigning assessment around a skill students increasingly need: verification. His example shows how existing course materials can be used to create exams that test whether students can challenge AI-generated content, not just reproduce facts.
A quick guide to new Canvas features available at USask that can support assessment, accessibility, communication, and student learning.
In an introductory Pharmacy course, Dr. Ed Krol and Dr. Anas El-Aneed redesigned a group assignment to help students critically evaluate AI-generated feedback and reflect on its strengths and limitations for learning.
Learn how the 2025–26 Learning Technology Ecosystem (LTE) Ease of Use Survey is helping USask improve learning technology support, communication, and resources.
In an online first-year English course, Dr. Carleigh Brady redesigned assessment to create multiple checkpoints that helped students engage with course readings, demonstrate their thinking—including orally—and receive feedback throughout the writing process. The redesign made learning more visible while adapting assessment to the realities of generative AI.
Explore how to use Canvas New Quizzes to create timed, video-response questions that enhance assessment security while supporting authentic and reflective learning.
When technology is unavailable, access to course materials can be disrupted. Taking a few simple steps can help ensure learning continues when unexpected challenges arise.
Help students engage deeper by ensuring they receive comments when they are most prepared to act on them and the comments aren’t overshadowed by the numerical grade.
How Canvas Quizzes and Poll Everywhere can help students learn more effectively, while keeping things efficient and scalable for you.
USask students are seeking low-cost courses – tell us about yours!
The GMCTL is rolling out an increased level of support for open educational resources (OER) and open pedagogy. This support will be available for all steps in projects and includes an option to be part of a cohort, all in addition to financial support.
To support the USask community in navigating a world with Generative AI, the University has crafted an AI Literacy Framework and a free online AI Literacy tutorial.
How can you navigate inevitable changes to learning technologies in higher education? How do you integrate Leveraging Technology across a program?
In the fourth article in this series, we’ll explore ways that learners can make progress toward meeting the Leveraging Technology competency.
In the third article in this series, we’ll look at what students will do to develop this competency.
This is the second article in a series about the Leveraging Technology student competency. In this article, we’ll explore terms that are used a lot, but many people don’t know their meaning.
This article on steps for choosing appropriate learning technologies is the first in a series related to the Leveraging Technology Effectively competency.
Canvas Commons offers diverse, customizable resources to enhance instructional strategies and align with learning outcomes.
A digital spring cleaning can have many environmental, organizational, and psychological benefits. Follow this guide to make your digital life more organized and sustainable!
AI is a powerful tool that we can use to create a better tomorrow, but what are the environmental costs that we are seeing today?
Enhance the security of digital assessments in Canvas with these tips.
In Canvas quizzes you can have quiz questions selected randomly from a larger bank of questions. There are several benefits to this approach and a few things to carefully consider.
The primary purpose of quiz logs is to assist in investigating any issues students may encounter during their quizzes. They capture various actions and timestamps throughout the quiz attempt.
There will be instances where students or Canvas will experience internet connection issues. When this issue impacts a student’s ability to finish the exam, you can provide more time or attempts.
Instructors need to be sure that students are ready for life post-graduation in an AI-enabled world. How can we test both foundational skills and knowledge alongside AI skills and knowledge?
GenAI has made its impact on every field and discipline. To help prepare our students for life post-graduation, instructors will have to consider how to help their students leverage GenAI tools.
When using GenAI tools, the best practice is to be as transparent as possible. This concise guide gives a brief overview of how to do this.
How are students using AI and how can we clarify expectations?
Learn how to use GenAI tools in a way that is effective and efficient with the "ACE Your AI Use" model
Find out if an oral assessment is a good choice for your course.
Learn how to use oral exams to confidently assess students’ foundational knowledge and skills.
How to craft thought provoking exams that allow students to apply and expand upon their learning.
Help your students deepen their learning through reflective practice.
Explore an array of oral assessment tasks that can help you better understand your students’ abilities without the aid of AI.
Canvas offers tools for teachers in math and science to create accessible, properly displayed equations; learning LaTeX can further enhance your course's efficiency.
Here we cover some reasons why you might send an announcement, a few good practices to keep in mind, and some options and tips particular to using the Announcements tool in Canvas.
If you are creating a quiz in Canvas, we recommend you use the New Quizzes engine instead of Classic Quizzes. Got questions? Take a look through this FAQ.
If you need to provide students with quiz accommodations, it's important to know that adding accommodations in New Quizzes looks quite different than Classic Quizzes.
Summary of the differences between New Quizzes (now available in Canvas) and Classic Quizzes.
Canvas has a new quiz engine. Here are 8 reasons why you might be excited about making the move to New Quizzes!
Learn about this tool and how it can be used in your class to make for a more active learning experience.
Strategies to assist you and your students to have a better experience using Canvas Discussions for learning.
Learning technologies like Poll Everywhere can help keep your class active and engaging.
Letting students choose how their assessments are weighted can reduce stress, boost engagement, and build self-reflection — making your course more flexible and inclusive!
Poll Everywhere is integrated polling tool at USask. As you begin planning for the fall term, you may be considering how you will make use of formative assessment in your courses, including the use of Poll Everywhere.
Learn more about using Poll Everywhere in your asynchronous online courses, including instructions for how to embed the activity into a Canvas page.
Canvas can be used for replicating a “take-home” style of exam in a digital setting. Learn when to use this approach, and how to set it up for a smooth launch at exam time.
Learn more about using a variety of whiteboard tools for online learning.
Tips for how to have students work together using technology.
Using the Canvas Chat, a powerful tool and a hidden gem for those who have not yet made use of its capabilities.
Use Perusall to make pre-class readings more engaging
A look at three broad approaches to providing feedback in an online course, and learn about Canvas tools that can support you with effective feedback.
Learn how to set up Zoom in Canvas and use some of the features of this software
Learn how to setup and use breakout rooms in your course
Make your Zoom meetings more accessible with live captions
If you use the Groups tool in Canvas, there is a quirk of the Course Import function that you should know about. Learn how to fix this and reset your Groups as needed each term.
The shift to remote instruction during the pandemic proved that there is value to recording your lectures. This article dives into why this practice still holds value and how to do it.
Staff and students have access to Office 365, this article explains how it can integrate with Canvas and some of the possible uses.
Using Canvas Commons is great for creating and sharing learning resources, including customizable module/course templates. However, there is something to watch out for when Updates are made to Canvas Commons resources. Consider this a warning!
This handy checklist should cover the essentials to get your next online course ready for a new term, and offers some helpful links and tips for completing these tasks in Canvas.
A case study in using student blogs to increase student engagement, build interconnectivity, and help students lean more fully into a internet-immersed and media-focused course.
Canvas has options for students to access tools and software with a single sign-on. Learn more about how that works in this article.
H5P is a free and open source collection of tools you can use to create interactive content that can be embedded into Canvas, WordPress, and Pressbooks. This post explores an alternative method if required.
H5P can be used for creating engaging learning content that can be embedded into Canvas, WordPress, and Pressbooks.
H5P is a free and open source collection of tools you can use to create interactive content.
Understanding how students engage with online materials can help you predict student success.
Make your Canvas course more accessible and flexible by enabling a downloadable and portable option for your text-based learning materials.
How to create and use Groups on Canvas to encourage collaboration, social connections, and active learning.
Explore using Canvas to integrate the Learning Technology Ecosystem Principles. In this one, we look at the "Inclusive of learning-centred assessment" principle.
Using Canvas to help create authentic connections through asynchronous and synchronous activities such as discussions and live collaborations.
Once you’ve settled on the why and how of discussions in your course and have set up the initial discussion and guidelines for posting, let students know your plan for how you will be moderating the posts.
Program administrators often desire a feeling of cohesiveness across multiple courses. In this example, you'll see how to leverage Canvas Commons to build shared course elements.
Learn how to post grades and feedback for students in Canvas.
A two-way messaging tool used to communicate with a course, a group, or an individual user in a course.
Tips and help for Classic Quizzes in Canvas
Using Canvas' built in Accessibility Checker to ensure fair assessments for all students
Designing a new course in Canvas? This article will help you create a well-designed course and avoid making mistakes.
Encouraging students to do peer-reviews on Canvas for higher quality work.
Are you interested in using Zoom for online, synchronous learning? Here are a few things to consider.
Using breakout rooms in Zoom effectively to enhance learning activities.
The Groups tool in Canvas is very flexible, but can be a bit confusing. Here are some best practices and helpful tips to use Groups in some of the most commonly applicable ways.
When using Panopto to record lectures and slides, it is important to make multiple short videos rather than one long video.
What are the advantages of using Panopto instead of recording your slides in PowerPoint? Learn how to use Panopto to enhance learning.
