Overview
Effective communication with your students during the final weeks is critical for a smooth conclusion to the semester. It sets clear expectations, reduces anxiety, and ensures students focus on ending on a high note. This guide offers time-saving tips for faculty, leveraging tools like Canvas and UTSA resources, to help you streamline your grading process, provide high-quality feedback efficiently, and manage the inevitable influx of student questions.
Streamlining Finals Season
As we gear up for finals season, it's essential to have effective strategies in place to support both yourself and your students. This is crunch time, and managing your workload while ensuring your students feel supported can be a challenge.
Support for Your Students
Help your students by pointing them toward the excellent academic support options provided by UTSA Student Success. A particularly great tool is Brainfuse, which offers free online tutoring services, with live academic support, directly through Canvas. Encouraging them to use these resources can proactively address last-minute confusion and reduce the need for extensive one-on-one help from you.
Support for You: Grading Smarter
t's important for you to stay organized and manage your time efficiently, especially during this busy period. Consider streamlining your grading process and providing meaningful feedback to make the most of your time.
Canvas is a powerful tool designed to help you do just that:
- Grade More Quickly: Canvas's SpeedGrader and rubrics can significantly cut down on the time you spend scoring assignments.
- Keep Track of Struggling Students: The gradebook and analytics features help you quickly identify who needs outreach or intervention. Review the following to learn how.
- Provide Useful Feedback: Use the built-in annotation tools, audio/video comments, and comment libraries in Canvas to provide substantial feedback faster than typing it out manually. Review:
- How do I leave feedback comments for student submissions in SpeedGrader
- How do I use the Comment Library in SpeedGrader to give frequent and thorough feedback using the Canvas comment library.
- Reduce Student Questions: Clear, consistent use of the Canvas Gradebook, along with timely and consolidated announcements, ensures students know their standing and what's expected.
Got questions about using Canvas features for quicker grading or need help with the technical steps of the Canvas to myUTSA Account Grade Transfer process? Book a consultation below or swing by the AIC (MS 240, in the Student Success District across from the Tomás Rivera Center for Academic Excellence) for assistance! We are here to assist you and ensure a smooth wrap-up to the semester.
Resources
For more, review these additional resources:
Support
For support, email [email protected], call 210-458-4520 or book a consultation with our TLDT experts.
