Instructional Technologies Blog

Now that the school year is finally behind us and there is a little bit of breathing room before everything starts back up in August, we are getting something that is often in short supply during the academic year: time to reflect. Throughout the semester, it's easy to notice areas of a course that could be improved. Maybe students repeatedly asked the same questions about an assignment. Perhaps a discussion activity didn't engage your students like you hoped for, or a module felt more confusing

The next time you visit one of your classes in Canvas, you might notice there’s a new feature available to you. On the righthand side of your course Home page, you’ll see a new Check Accessibility button, and in your course menu, a new navigation link labeled Accessibility will appear. Both of these will take you to the new Course Accessibility Checker. What is the Course Accessibility Checker? You may already be familiar with the Accessibility Checker built into the Rich Content Editor (RCE)

As we look ahead to 2026, we, in Instructional Technologies, are getting ready to roll out some great new features in Canvas that will make your teaching life easier and give you some new ways to approach your classroom. If you've ever felt frustrated with rubric limitations, wished that Turnitin could do just a little more, or wanted to get a better overall sense of conversations on discussion forums quickly get ready for some exciting news! Enhanced Rubrics: The Upgrade We've Been Waiting For

Canvas offers plenty of built-in tools to help you teach, communicate, and stay organized, and everyone seems to use them in their own way. Maybe you’re setting up Modules to guide students through your course materials, using Rubrics to clarify expectations, or creating quick Quizzes for practice and feedback. No matter how you teach, there are lots of ways to make Canvas work for you and create an even better learning experience for you students. A few tools we see faculty using often include

If you've ever wished you could organize your students into groups without creating a mess in your course setup, Canvas has finally answered your prayers. The new Differentiation Tags feature is here, and it's about to make the organization of students in your online classes a whole lot simpler. What Are Differentiation Tags? (In Plain English) Think of Differentiation Tags as invisible sticky notes you can put on students' names. You create these tags, assign students to them, and then use them

We’re already approaching the halfway point of the fall semester, which makes this a perfect time to pause and reflect. How are your classes going so far? Are students engaging the way you hoped? Are assignments matching your goals? Now is the moment to make small but meaningful adjustments, whether that means refining what you’re doing in your 16-week classes or beginning to plan strategically for Term B so that the second half of the semester sets both you and your students up for success

Instructional Technologies is excited to invite you to an open house showcasing Durham Tech’s brand new Lightboard Studio on Wednesday, September 18 from 2:00-3:00 PM. What is a lightboard? A lightboard is a transparent glass writing surface. Think of it as a glowing, see-through whiteboard. You’ll stand (or sit, if you prefer) behind the glass and write with fluorescent markers, while a video camera on the other side records your lecture. The result? Students can see your face as you explain

As we start another academic year, many of us have launched our online classes and are already thinking about classes for the B term and beyond. Whether you're building a course from scratch or refining one you've taught before, setting aside time now to ensure it's well-structured, clear, and engaging can make a meaningful difference for your students and for you. One tool that can help with that process is the Online Course Review Checklist . Designed with quality standards and effective

🎉 HelpDesk Upgrade Starts Today! Big news! As of July 22, our 24/7 Canvas HelpDesk has officially been upgraded to Amazon Connect.This upgrade supports the College’s broader commitment to embracing innovative technology. By using AI-powered tools like Amazon Connect, we’re streamlining support services and gaining valuable insights — helping us better serve our students and stay ahead in a digital-first world. The NC Community College System Office provides this around-the-clock HelpDesk to

On March 31 st, the transition to New Quizzes in Canvas officially kicked off with activation of the new quizzing engine in your Practice Course. That week, Instructional Technologies also offered Canvas New Quizzes: Bootcamp sessions to help introduce New Quizzes. If you were unable to join us in-person or during the webinar, we highly encourage you to access the workshop recording below to learn more about the basics of New Quizzes including how to: access and navigate around the interface