On August 22nd at 10:00am, my colleague Chris Sharp and I will be hosting a new Tech Bytes like none other! We’re entering our “Tech Kitchen” to host a live one-hour cooking show where we will present “30-Minute Recipes” using technology and tools to increase instructor presence in your courses!

Think about a course you teach, and focus in on a specific lesson. What—other than text—do your students see? Maybe there are pictures of a person or place you’re talking about; you might use graphics to explain a complex cycle or process; or perhaps the visuals are the lesson, such as when you’re asking students to analyze trends from a graph. All of these are helpful to include in a lecture, but what happens when one of your students can’t see them?

The University of Florida is running a limited pilot of Gradescope by TurnItIn, a feedback and assessment tool that streamlines grading exams, homework, and other assignments. By reducing the logistical time required to grade, instructors using Gradescope can provide more timely and constructive feedback for students. This post outlines Gradescope features and the opportunities to participate in the pilot.

Specifications grading (also known as specs grading) is not necessarily a new grading scheme, but it was a new concept to me when I was first introduced to it recently. I am currently working with Dr. Cynda Crawford from the College of Veterinary Medicine to revise one of her courses to utilize specs grading. While we have not made any changes within her course just yet, I have conducted research on this system of grading and thought this would be an excellent time to briefly outline what I have learned.

I was excited when I learned that two of my colleagues, Laura Jervis and Ariel Gunn, were organizing an accessibility community of practice at UF last fall because I know the dedication and passion they have for digital accessibility and inclusive course design. In the last six months, I’ve watched the group in Teams share resources, discuss issues, and grow to about 50 members.