Instructor Outreach Templates

Last updated by neal.legler 4 years ago

Instructor Outreach Email Templates

The email templates included here are not perfect for every situation, and need not be used precisely. However, they can give you a starting point.

P/C Fixes

Hi Dr. ____

This summer we are doing quick checks for common Canvas issues in upcoming Fall courses. There are a couple of items we ran across in {{Course Name, linked to URL}} that we can help with. They are as follows:

(If P1-Links) Broken Links : We found several links that were no longer pointing to existing content. {{Here you can identify specific pages if it makes sense}} I found the following pages/files/sites that appear to have the correct content. Are these correct, and if so, do I have your permission to re-link them?

List new items, or identify items that could not be found.

(If P2-Layout) Page layout: On some pages we noticed some layout issues, including the following. We can clean these up:

List issues here

(If P3-Font) Font styling: On some pages we found text {{describe issue here, such as … used for headers that were not tagged as headers for accessibility purposes.}}

(If P4-Color) Color issues: On some pages we found colors that {{describe issue here, such as … lacked sufficient contrast with the page background and could be difficult for some users to see}}

(If P5-Video) Video playback issues: On some pages there appear to be embedded videos that aren’t playing properly for students. They are listed below. Are these videos still intended for use? {{If so, I’m unable to find the original video. Do you have a copy?}} {{If so, I was able to find the original video. Do I have your permission to fix it?}}

List videos here

(If P6-Org) Organization: It appears that students might struggle to find the items they need for a given week. To help with this, we can {{create a home page that links to the syllabus and content items}} {{follow the syllabus to organize the relevant content items into modules.}}

(If P7-Tidy) Extraneous items: The course contains a number of unused {{files}} {{navigation items}} {{pages}} {{assignment groups}} . We can clear out those that are not being directly linked to in the course modules, pages and syllabus, and thereby make the most important content easier for students to find. This can also prevent students from finding outdated content or directions. May I remove these extra items?

(If P8-Published) Unpublished items: There are several items that appear to be complete that are not published for students to see. These include the following. May we publish these for you?

List items here.

(If any C items) Potential content issues: There are some areas relative to the content and design of the course that could use some additional examination to see if they could be adjusted to meet best practices for this particular type of course. Can I put you in touch with an instructional designer to help you look at these items further? They include:

List relevant C items with some detail.

Please let me know which of these items we can provide fixes for and if you have any specific directions as to how or where you would like the fixes to bne made. With your permission, we will make the fixes and then let you know so that you can review and approve them.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Thanks!

Kaltura Transfer

Hi Dr. ____

This summer we are doing quick checks for common Canvas issues in upcoming Fall courses. In the process, we noticed that your course, {{list course}} , has {{videos posted using multiple methods}} {{videos that could use captioning}} {{multiple videos posted separately on a single page, which can slow down page loading time}} {{videos that are posted using the built-in Canvas tools, which don’t provide good options for long-term management and monitoring.}}

To help improve the video experience for you and your students, we’d like to make sure all videos, including YouTube videos, are posted to our Kaltura media hosting system, where they can be captioned as needed and more easily managed and monitored. {{Where there are multiple videos on a page, we’d like to organize these into playlists for faster loading and easier playback. }}

Please let us know if we can make these changes to the videos in your course. Also, please feel free to share any questions or concerns.

Thanks!

Pitching Bonus Fixes -- Specifically a home page and template

Bonus items B1, B2, B3, and B4 can be addressed by course developers. Items B5 and B6 should be approached by Instructional Designers working with faculty. Below is a rough template for wording that could be used to approach items B1-B4, as needed.

Hi Dr. _____

This summer we are checking through the Summer and Fall courses in Canvas and noting areas where we might be able to help spruce things up a little, with your permission.

(If B1-Home)

Home Page:

One of the services we can provide for your course is to add a styled home page that links to the modules and course syllabus, similar to this example (with a customized graphic): https://usu.instructure.com/courses/613081 . The purpose of adding a home page is to make it easier for students to find their way to the most critical content by providing an experience consistent with many of their other courses.

If we were to help add a home page, we would first create an unpublished page and let you review it. We would incorporate any feedback, and once you liked what you saw, we would then make it visible to your students.

(If B4-Template)

Consistent theme and structure:

In addition to a home page, we can also build in a consistent theme and structure throughout the course, adding headings and other consistent elements, similar again to the course linked above, but customized to your course content.

(If B3-Orientation)

Orientation Page:

Online courses typically include an orientation page, introducing the instructor and orienting the students to the course. We can add an orientation template page to your course (titled Start Here) and work with you to add self-introduction and orientation content.

(If B2-Policies)

Policies

Additionally/lastly, we can add institutional policies as a dropdown item in your syllabus so that they are available for your students if they wish to review them.

Please let me know if we have your permission to provide this service. Also, please feel free to ask any questions.

Thank you!