Dr. Massimo Rondolino (Max): We needed a platform that made presentations possible, was broadly accessible, and had an easy learning curve. Canvas was the only platform all students and instructors had experience with, and it offered the flexibility to set up a virtual asynchronous “showcase.” But Canvas is not designed for a virtual conference, so we weren’t sure how it would work. Our biggest “gamble” was choosing to register all presenters (students and faculty) as “teachers” with full editing rights. As organizers, this was the only way we could manage our workload. Yet doing so also meant trusting that everyone would exclusively tinker with only their own presentations. It worked – and what a testament to the character of our student population!
Ashley Labodda: In the spring of 2020, I presented an essay I had written for an ethics class I had taken in the previous year titled “Proximity, Relations, and Moral Obligations.” Instead of making an oral presentation, I created a PowerPoint presentation with an embedded video recording that explained the slides and essay. I then uploaded that full presentation into my assigned module on Canvas. Learning to narrate a PowerPoint presentation and embed a video was challenging, but it was easy to upload into Canvas given I had been using it since my first year at Carroll.
Alec Wendland: As a student, I was happy to have the opportunity to present a mathematical proof I had been working on for two years. Given the sudden switch to a virtual format, I did my best to keep my presentation as understandable and accessible as possible. I made a Beamer presentation (LaTeX’s version of PowerPoint) and recorded myself presenting it as I would have had the conference been held in person. I found the process of recording a video presentation to be a bit of a challenge – from learning new technology, to the actual recording, to editing the presentation after it was recorded.
Max: Do it, it can be done, and you will be surprised by what Canvas can deliver (if within its own design limits). Mostly, though, trust your students and involve them as collaborators.
Joe: As more folks are saying, if you “lean into” the technology there will be a payoff in effectiveness and efficiency.
Alec: Trust your students and value their input and feedback! From my perspective as a student, most students are capable of adapting to new technology relatively quickly. Finding ways to incorporate student feedback and make projects more interactive can be a major motivator.