Instructional Design Resources

A student stops turning in work. Another goes quiet in discussion or reacts sharply to a comment that seemed harmless. It's tempting to read these moments as motivation problems — a student who doesn't care, isn't trying, or can't manage their time. But for a significant number of undergraduates, what looks like disengagement is something else entirely: a survival response.   Behind these behaviors is often a quiet internal narrative: "I'm too much, or not enough." "If I ask for an extension, they'll know I can't handle this." "I'd rather quit than fail in front of people." These beliefs don't come from nowhere — they're shaped by past experience, and they explain why a student might withdraw rather than ask for help, or shut down rather than risk being seen struggling.   Understanding this internal narrative doesn't mean faculty need to uncover it. It means recognizing that avoidance is often protective, not defiant.   Trauma-informed pedagogy starts with a single reframe — moving from "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" This isn't a question we ask students directly. It's a shift in how faculty interpret behavior, one that opens the door to support instead of judgment.   Trauma and Learning Recognizing Survival Responses  When students are operating from a trauma response, their behavior often looks like disorganization, avoidance, or emotional intensity. They may seem shut down or checked out one day, and reactive or defensive the next. Underneath, they may be navigating shock, numbness, denial, fear, or hyperawareness — the body's way of managing a world that has, at some point, felt unsafe.   None of this is a character flaw. It's what happens when the nervous system prioritizes survival over participation.   Where Trauma Intersects with Learning  That survival state doesn't stay contained — it shows up directly in the mechanics of coursework. Trauma can disrupt:   Memory — a student reviews material repeatedly but still can't retain it   Planning — deadlines are missed despite genuine investment in the course   Emotional regulation — feedback or being called on unexpectedly triggers an outsized reaction   Flexibility — a changed due date or format causes a student to disengage entirely   Attention — a student appears distracted or "checked out" during class   These aren't signs a student doesn't care. Often, they're signs a student cares a great deal and is still struggling — because trauma affects cognitive function, not just emotion.   Credit: Morgan Vickery, PhD Support Changes the Trajectory  The infographic doesn't stop at struggle — it points toward what becomes possible when support is present. Students who feel supported often move toward acceptance, renewed hope, and a growing sense of their own resilience. They begin trusting relationships again, adopting healthier patterns, and finding meaning in what they've been through — sometimes even channeling it into empathy for others.   This progress is real, but it isn't linear. "Re-entry" troubles and depressive periods can resurface even after visible growth. That's not a sign that support failed — it's a normal part of healing.   Building the Infrastructure What Institutions Must Do  Individual faculty goodwill isn't enough on its own. Institutions need to build the systems that make trauma-informed practice sustainable:   Ongoing faculty development in trauma-informed approaches   Consistent structure across syllabi, policies, and routines   Coordinated partnership between faculty, advising, and counseling   Tiered supports spanning mental health, behavioral, and academic needs   Clear, visible pathways to counseling, accessibility services, and basic-needs resources   Without this infrastructure, the burden of trauma-informed care falls entirely on individual instructors — which isn't fair to faculty or sustainable for students.   What Faculty Can Do Tomorrow  Faculty don't need to wait for institutional change to start making a difference. Small, consistent moves matter:   Build safety — a greeting, a smile, a calm tone   Be predictable — consistent routines and expectations reduce anxiety   Normalize help-seeking — point to resources without singling anyone out   Offer choice — flexibility in how students engage or demonstrate learning   Celebrate progress — notice and name small wins   These aren't large interventions. They're low-cost, high-impact habits that any instructor can build into an existing course. An Important Reminder  Trauma-informed teaching is easy to misunderstand as an invitation for students to disclose personal history. It isn't. Requiring disclosure is retraumatizing, not trauma informed.   The goal isn't to know what happened to a student. It's to design a classroom — flexible deadlines, multiple ways to participate, clear routes to help — that any student can use without ever having to explain why. Support should be built into the structure of the course, available to everyone, not contingent on a student naming their trauma to earn accommodation.   That's the real work of trauma-informed pedagogy: not diagnosing students but designing classrooms is resilient enough to hold whatever they're carrying.  

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act asks us to make sure the digital materials we share with students (slides, PDFs, Word docs, Brightspace pages, and recordings) are usable by everyone, including people using assistive technology. This slide deck from our Title II & You session, led by Lisa Sieg and Morgan Vickery during Adjunct Development Day, 2026. It walks through why it matters, what it covers, and the quick fixes that make the biggest difference. Click through the slides below, or download the PowerPoint or PDF version from the Downloads section. Open the slides in a new tab (PDF) (opens in new tab) What's inside Why do this just for 1–2 students? The students who show up are putting in so much labor just to be here, and accessible materials help make sure they aren't left behind. Accessibility also helps everyone: anyone can be "disabled" by their environment or situation, whether that's a cracked phone screen, a broken arm, bright sunlight, or slow internet. What does this impact? Lecture slides, file uploads (PDFs, Word docs, PowerPoints), Brightspace content pages, lecture recordings, and anything else students are required to read, view, or interact with for your course. Checker and remediation tools An overview of the tools that help you find accessibility issues (built-in Word, PowerPoint, and Brightspace checkers) and fix them (YuJa captions, Adobe Acrobat for PDFs, and MathPix for handwritten or scanned math). Work smarter, not harder Pro-tips for creating a system that future-you will thank you for, like centralizing your files, avoiding duplicates, and checking for already-remediated library and publisher materials before fixing your own. Where do I even start? Step-by-step guidance on the "low-hanging fruit" of remediation: headings, image alt text, color contrast, hyperlinks, and tables. Need a hand? You're not expected to become an accessibility expert overnight! Stop by a CTL drop-in or schedule a consultation , and we'll work through your materials with you.

Ever tried something new in your course and wondered, “Did that actually help my students learn?” That question is the seed of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): systematic, shareable inquiry into teaching and learning in your own classroom. Here’s how to move from a hunch to a study in six steps, with readings and campus partners for each one. The six steps 1. Start with a question 2. See what others have learned 3. Find your people 4. Pick methods that fit 5. Get IRB-ready 6. Share what you learned Want the whole journey on one page? Developing a scholarly approach and contributing to conversations about teaching and learning (opens in new tab) (Glessmer et al., 2025) maps a simplified SoTL workflow, and a reassuring reminder that looping back to earlier steps is part of the process. Step 1: Start with a question Write down the question about student learning you’re curious about. Surprising, puzzling, or frustrating moments in your teaching are great places to look. A good rule of thumb: if you are asking a question about learning in your own context, gathering evidence to answer it, and planning to share what you find with others, you are probably doing SoTL. Not sure where your project falls? Trisha Poole’s short post, How do I know if I’m doing research or SoTL? (opens in new tab) , walks through the distinction. Want the big picture? Kern et al. (2015) (opens in new tab) trace how SoTL grew out of Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered and where it fits in the academy today. Already redesigning a course? The scholarship of teaching and learning paradox (opens in new tab) (Walker et al., 2008) shows how a course redesign you’re already planning can double as a SoTL project. Step 2: See what others have learned Skim one or two foundational readings to sharpen your question and see how others have approached similar ones. Most of these are about a 15–20 minute read. Principles of good practice in SoTL (opens in new tab) (Felten, 2013): five principles to check your project against, from inquiry focused on student learning to partnering with students. Faculty learning processes (opens in new tab) (Gayle et al., 2013): a model of how faculty move from scholarly teaching to SoTL. The transformative potential of the scholarship of teaching (opens in new tab) (Kreber, 2013): why SoTL can change how we think about our teaching, not just what we do. Evidence of the impact of SoTL purposes (opens in new tab) (Trigwell, 2013): what the research says about whether SoTL actually improves student learning. Who can help Library Consultations Research librarians can help you find SoTL literature in your discipline and track down articles through Interlibrary Loan. Request Research Librarian Assistance (opens in new tab) Ask a Librarian Chat live with a reference librarian anytime, day or night. Cortland librarians staff the chat during Research Help hours; backup librarians from other colleges monitor it the rest of the time. Chat with a Librarian (opens in new tab) Step 3: Find your people SoTL is better with company. A colleague, a student partner, or a small team can bring skills you don’t have yet and keep the project moving. Getting started in SoTL research: Working as a team (opens in new tab) (Faulconer, 2021): matches each principle of good SoTL practice to a team role, so you can see what a collaborator might bring. The power of social networks (opens in new tab) (Williams et al., 2013): how SoTL spreads through conversations among faculty, chairs, and campus leaders. Who can help CTL Consultations Talk through a project idea, research question, or study design with a CTL team member. Make an Appointment SoTL Writing Accountability Group Protected writing time and gentle accountability alongside colleagues working on their own SoTL projects. Learn More Research and Sponsored Programs Find and apply for internal and external funding to support your SoTL project. Visit Research and Sponsored Programs Step 4: Pick methods that fit your question Start with your question, then choose a method (or two) that can actually answer it. These quick primers include visual overviews that are handy to keep open while you plan. Designing your study Research design in social science research (opens in new tab) and Research methods in social sciences (opens in new tab) (Societyopedia, 2026d, 2026b): overviews of the main design types and approaches. Conceptualizing and communicating SoTL (opens in new tab) (Miller-Young & Yeo, 2015): a framework that maps SoTL studies by methodology and learning theory, with real examples of each. Qualitative approaches Good for “how” and “why” questions: student reflections, interviews, focus groups, open-ended survey responses. Qualitative research simply explained (opens in new tab) (Kharbach, 2025) Qualitative research methods (opens in new tab) (Societyopedia, 2026a) Quantitative approaches Good for “how much” and “did it change” questions: pre/post assessments, grade comparisons, Likert-scale surveys. What is quantitative research according to authors? (opens in new tab) (Kharbach, 2023a) Quantitative research methods (opens in new tab) (Societyopedia, 2026c) Mixed methods Many SoTL projects combine both: a survey that shows what changed, plus reflections that show why . Mixed methods research definition and examples (opens in new tab) (Kharbach, 2023b) Who can help CTL Consultations Not sure which method fits? Bring your question to a CTL team member and talk through your study design. Make an Appointment Institutional Research and Assessment May be able to help with institutional data (such as course-level trends) and survey tools. Visit Institutional Research and Assessment Step 5: Get IRB-ready Because SoTL usually involves your own students, most projects that you plan to share or publish need a conversation with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before you collect data. The IRB decides whether your project needs review and at what level, so check in even if you think your study is low-risk or exempt. A few SoTL-specific things to think through as you plan: Consent and power: Students may feel pressure to participate when their instructor is the researcher. Consider having a colleague handle consent, or keeping participation anonymous until grades are submitted. Existing coursework: If you want to analyze assignments, grades, or discussion posts, ask the IRB how to do that ethically, ideally before the semester starts. Timing: Build in time for review so it doesn’t squeeze your data collection window. For a deeper look, Being ethically minded (opens in new tab) (Healey et al., 2013) offers a matrix of questions to weigh how your project affects students, colleagues, and the research community. Who can help Institutional Review Board (IRB) Reviews research involving human participants and can answer questions about consent, exemptions, and using student work. Templates, FAQs, and help files make the process easier. IRB Links, FAQs, and Help Files (opens in new tab) Step 6: Share what you learned SoTL becomes scholarship when it goes public. Sharing can be as informal as a department meeting or a CTL event, or as formal as a conference presentation or journal article. Plan where and how you’ll share early, since it can shape what data you collect. Who can help SoTL Writing Accountability Group Turn your findings into a draft alongside colleagues doing the same. Learn More Library Consultations Research librarians can help you identify journals and other venues for sharing your work. Request Research Librarian Assistance (opens in new tab)

Students arrive in Brightspace with a wide range of comfort levels. This slide deck from Lisa Sieg, CTL Instructional Designer, walks them through the essentials so they can spend less time hunting for things and more time engaging with your course. It's written directly to students, so it's ready to share as-is. What's covered The deck moves from first-login setup to day-to-day coursework: Getting set up: confirming their Cortland email, locating courses by semester, and personalizing their profile with a photo and pronouns Staying informed: setting up email notifications, using the Brightspace Pulse app (for notifications only), and finding the calendar, Work To Do, and Activity Feed on desktop and mobile Communicating: when to use announcements, discussions, Brightspace email, and instant messages to reach professors and classmates Doing the work: finding assignments, discussions, and quizzes, checking grades and feedback, and downloading course files in alternative formats such as audio, ePub, or tagged PDF Ways to use it Consider linking the deck in a "Start Here" module, showing a few slides during the first week of class, or pointing students to it when Brightspace questions come up. Students who need more help can contact the Help Center in Memorial Library B-103, at 607-753-2500, or at [email protected] . This is an embedded Microsoft Office presentation, powered by Office .

What is Title II? Beginning April 24, 2027, Cortland must ensure that all its digital materials conform to Title II Regulations. If you'd like to read the full requirement, see the Americans with Disability Act, Title II Regulations .   Title II is not a new requirement. It has been around for years.  Last year, the federal government established a timeline for satisfying the requirement. In doing so, they shifted the responsibility from the individual to the university.  Old rule: Students must request accommodations. The university must provide equal access in a timely manner. New rule: Digital course content must be accessible from the start. Rather than waiting for a student to request an accommodation, we're now focusing on providing access for everyone. That's good news because Title II improves the user experience for all of us, regardless of need, and it supports Cortland's goals for equity, inclusion, and well-being.  The changes required by Title II will enhance our students' learning experience and provide everyone in our community with a more equitable digital experience. The (slight) downside is that many of us began designing our digital materials without considering accessibility, and some of us are stuck in our ways. Revising our old materials to fit Title II requirements can feel overwhelming for those of us who have years of material, and it can feel a bit limiting for those of us who enjoy design.  We will have to make a few design sacrifices and learn some new tricks to ensure our digital materials are accessible. Still, the benefits of accessible content outweigh a bit of extra work over the next year.  The learning we do now will pay dividends for years to come and help us demonstrate that we support all of our students.  Accessibility is good for us all. We follow these guidelines because we believe in them, not because we are required to do so, and we hope this year's activities will give us all the support we need to become the teachers we always aspired to be.  So What Does This Mean for Me? If you teach at Cortland, the digital materials you share with students — Brightspace pages, documents, slides, PDFs, videos, and links — need to be accessible by April 24, 2027. That can sound like a lot, but you don't have to fix everything one file at a time. Start by sorting your materials using the three Rs of remediation , in order: reconsidering and replacing first means you only spend remediation time on the materials that truly need it. Our Services card look, with the --compact modifier for a shorter tile. Each tile sits under the R it supports. Update links/text by hand if offerings change. --> 1. Reconsider Go through your course and retire anything you no longer use or that students don't need: old announcements, outdated readings, duplicate files, and “just in case” extras. Content that isn't there doesn't need to be made accessible, and a leaner course is easier for students to navigate. 2. Replace For materials you still need but didn't create yourself, such as scanned articles, book chapters, and publisher slides, look for an accessible version before trying to fix the one you have. A library database copy, a publisher's accessible file, an openly licensed alternative, or an HTML version of an article is often faster to get than a fully remediated scan. Research librarians can help you find these. Library Consultations Research librarians can assist you in finding accessible versions for PDF replacement. Request Research Librarian Assistance Ask a Librarian Chat live with a reference librarian anytime, day or night. Cortland librarians staff the chat during Research Help hours; backup librarians from other colleges monitor it the rest of the time. Chat with a Librarian ONESearch The library's discovery service. Search books, e-books, videos, articles, digital media, and more in one place. Search ONESearch Open Educational Resources (OER) Free, openly licensed course materials, supported by SUNY OER Services (SOS). SUNY OER Services Browse OER Collection 3. Remediate Whatever is left, usually the materials you created yourself, is what you fix. Common fixes include adding alt text to images, using built-in heading styles, writing descriptive link text, checking color contrast, captioning videos, and running the accessibility checker in Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, or Brightspace. CTL Consultations Discuss your Brightspace content with a CTL designer and get support making your materials more accessible. Drop-ins: Monday–Friday, 11:00am–1:00pm Make an Appointment Technology Workshops Book an appointment with Julia Morog, Technology Training Associate, for support with Microsoft Accessibility and Adobe Acrobat Pro. Schedule with Julia Part of Cortland REACH This resource grew out of Cortland REACH (Resources of Equitable and Accessible Course Help), a collaborative initiative by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), Disability Resources, Technology Services, and the Memorial Library that ran from Fall 2025 through Spring 2026. REACH offered a series of workshops, one-on-one consultations, and other support to help Cortland instructors make their course materials accessible ahead of the Title II deadline. We're also taking the opportunity to move beyond Title II to support the integration of Universal Design for Learning ( UDL )

Teaching online well isn't just about having a laptop and a Brightspace login. Whether you're running a fully asynchronous course or leading live sessions every week, the right setup makes the difference between fighting your tools and teaching with them. Use this checklist to see what you already have — and what might be worth adding before your next course launch.   Hardware   Reliable computer or laptop (with enough storage for recorded lectures/videos)   Webcam (built-in or external) — external recommended for better lighting/framing control   Microphone or headset — audio quality matters more than video quality for student comprehension   Headphones or earbuds (for sync sessions and reviewing recordings)   Second monitor (optional, but a major quality-of-life upgrade for running a video call and slides/notes at once)   Document camera, drawing tablet, or a SMART Board (if teaching from a collaborative classroom) — useful if you annotate or work problems live   Basic lighting (a ring light or well-placed desk lamp goes a long way for sync video and recorded content)   Internet and Connectivity   Reliable, sufficient-bandwidth internet access   Wi-Fi router or Ethernet cable (Ethernet recommended for live sessions — more stable than Wi-Fi)   Backup plan (mobile hotspot, alternate location, or a colleague who can cover if your connection drops)   Course Delivery Software     Tool   What it's for   ☐   Teams   Live class sessions, office hours, and meetings. Get familiar with breakout rooms, polling, and recording before your first sync session.   ☐   YuJa   Cortland's video platform for lecture capture and async content — record, upload to the Media Library, and embed directly in Brightspace.   ☐   Brightspace   Your course's home base. Go beyond posting content — get comfortable with the gradebook, discussions, modules, and release conditions.   ☐   Microsoft Office 365   Free on personal devices for faculty, staff, and students — use for slides, docs, and any course materials you build outside Brightspace.   ☐   Adobe Acrobat Pro   PDF creation, editing, and accessibility remediation for course readings and handouts.   ☐   Poll Everywhere  /  SMART/Lumio   Live polling and interactive activities to keep sync sessions engaging instead of one-directional.   Accessibility Tools     Tool / Resource   What it's for   ☐   Ally   Built into Brightspace — scores your course content for accessibility and shows you exactly what to fix, right where the content lives.   ☐   OSCQR Rubric   SUNY's open Online Course Quality Review rubric — a broader self-check for instructional design and accessibility across your whole course.   ☐   Built-in accessibility checkers (Word, PowerPoint, Acrobat Pro)   Run before posting any document to catch missing alt text, poor color contrast, or unlabeled structure.   ☐   YuJa caption review   Auto-generated captions need a human check for accuracy before a video goes live to students.   ☐ Teams meeting live captions Turn on live captions during a Teams session so students can follow along in real time, especially useful for sync sessions and office hours. Course Materials & Publisher Tools (if applicable)   If your course uses a specific textbook or courseware platform, one of these may already be integrated into your Brightspace shell:     Tool   What it's for   ☐   Perusall   Social annotation tool for collaborative reading assignments.   ☐   VitalSource / RedShelf   Digital course material and e-textbook access integrated directly into Brightspace.   ☐   Pearson / McGraw Hill Connect / Macmillan / W. W. Norton   Publisher-specific courseware and homework platforms tied to an adopted textbook.   ☐   Lumen One / OLI Torus   Open educational resource (OER) platforms for building or adopting low-cost course content.   Assessment & Integrity Tools     Tool   What it's for   ☐   Respondus LockDown Browser   Locks down the testing environment for secure online quizzes and exams — set up through Brightspace.   ☐   Turnitin   Plagiarism and AI-detection tool integrated with Brightspace assignments — worth knowing its current strengths and limitations.   ☐   Brightspace Quizzes   Built-in assessment tool for timed quizzes, randomized question pools, and self-assessments.   Communication & Organization     Tool   What it's for   ☐   Formstack   Build online forms for course sign-ups, requests, or data collection outside Brightspace.   ☐   Select Survey   Cortland's tool for course or research-related surveys (not for collecting private information).   Pick one consistent channel — Announcements, email, or Discussions — so students always know where to look for updates.   Accounts and Security   SUNY Cortland email and single sign-on access   Antivirus/firewall protection   Password manager (recommended, especially if you're juggling multiple platform logins)   Awareness of FERPA-safe storage/sharing practices for student work and grades   Mobile Devices     Tool   What it's for   ☐   Brightspace Pulse   Check in on your courses from your phone — announcements, discussions, and due dates on the go.    

Working draft for faculty recommendation. Section A — Native Microsoft Teams Meeting Features Q&A in Teams Meetings Moderated question queue layered on meeting chat; students submit/upvote questions, presenter marks answered, exportable list. Affordances / Benefits: Reduces chat clutter in large sessions; upvoting surfaces most-wanted questions; anonymous option; keeps a record for follow-up. Caveats / Limitations: Only live/synchronous, no persistence as a discussion board; moderation queue can lag in very large classes; less robust than dedicated backchannel tools. Concrete Use Cases: Students type questions during a large lecture instead of interrupting; the instructor answers the top-voted ones at the end. During a guest lecture, students submit questions throughout the talk so the guest can address common ones together. At a PhD qualifying exam, the committee chair queues questions so only one person speaks at a time. Polls in Teams Meetings Live multiple-choice, word cloud, ranking, and quiz-style polls launched mid-meeting with instant results. Affordances / Benefits: Deep customization of question types; built into the meeting UI with no extra login; live results build momentum for discussion. Caveats / Limitations: Anonymity/reporting weaker than dedicated tools; hard to reuse across sections without recreation; limited longitudinal analytics. Concrete Use Cases: Mid-lecture, students vote on a sample problem so the instructor can see who understood it before moving on. Before a debate, students vote anonymously on their initial position so the class can see how opinions are split. A quick quiz poll at the start of a review session flags who is behind on the reading. PowerPoint Live Presenter mode where attendees can view slides at their own pace with live captions and accessible, high-contrast viewing. Affordances / Benefits: Meaningful accessibility gains (live/translated captions, screen-reader-friendly view); low friction since it is just "presenting" a normal deck. Caveats / Limitations: Only helps if already lecturing from slides; adds no interactivity on its own; self-paced viewing can fragment shared attention. Concrete Use Cases: A deaf student reads live, auto-generated captions during lecture instead of needing a separate captioning service. International students follow along using live translated captions in a language they're more comfortable with. A student who got lost mid-lecture scrolls back through the exact slides at their own pace after class. Microsoft Forms Surveys/quizzes built in Forms, can be "shared live" to the meeting screen for real-time response. Affordances / Benefits: Auto-grading for quizzes; fallback when Polls' UI does not fit; exports cleanly to Excel for gradebook or analysis. Caveats / Limitations: Less flashy real-time UI than Mentimeter/Kahoot; slower to set up mid-session than native Polls. Concrete Use Cases: Students submit a 2-question form before leaving class so the instructor knows what to revisit next time. A short survey before a new unit shows what students already know, so class time skips what they've covered. End-of-semester feedback is collected anonymously and exported to a spreadsheet to spot patterns. Breakout Rooms Splits a meeting into smaller simultaneous rooms; instructor can pre-assign or randomize and drop into any room. Affordances / Benefits: Core infrastructure for active-learning/peer-instruction pedagogy; instructor can visit rooms like a physical classroom. Caveats / Limitations: No persistent state between sessions; limited instructor visibility across many rooms at once; setup/teardown eats meeting time. Concrete Use Cases: Groups of 4 discuss a patient case study for 10 minutes, then compare recommendations as a class. Students pair up to practice a scripted conversation aloud before speaking in front of the whole class. Each project team gets its own room for the full period while the instructor checks in on progress. Presenter Modes (Standout, Reporter, Side-by-side) Video layouts compositing the presenter's camera feed with content. Affordances / Benefits: Increases visual presence/engagement cues relative to a static screen-share; can help sustain attention in long sessions. Caveats / Limitations: Bandwidth/hardware dependent; some faculty and students find it gimmicky; no direct evidence it improves learning outcomes. Concrete Use Cases: The instructor's video layers over the slides during a dramatic story, keeping focus on their expressions. In a studio art demo, the instructor's hands and materials are shown next to the shared screen. A guest speaker's video and slides appear side-by-side, making the session feel like a conversation. Microsoft Reflect Emotion check-ins (Class Teams "how are you feeling?" prompts), journaling prompts, aggregated wellbeing analytics for the instructor. Affordances / Benefits: Low-friction way to gauge classroom climate; built natively into Class Teams; free. Caveats / Limitations: Not appropriate for this audience: designed primarily around K-12 SEL frameworks; adoption and validated pedagogical evidence at the undergrad/grad level is thin; requires Class Team structure most higher-ed courses do not use. Concrete Use Cases: A weekly emoji check-in in a large intro course flags when many students are struggling before it shows up in grades. After a stressful exam period, a private reflection prompt surfaces concerns students might not raise directly. Weekly check-ins in a first-year seminar track whether students feel more confident as the term goes on. Section B — Third-Party Teams Store Apps Poll Everywhere Live polling, word clouds, Q&A; competitor to clickers. Free tier caps at roughly 25 responses. Affordances / Benefits: Long track record in higher ed as a "clicker replacement"; strong peer-instruction research base; works via web link, no app install for students. Caveats / Limitations: Free tier caps at roughly 25 responses per poll — workable for a small seminar, but a paid plan is needed for a real lecture-hall-sized class. Concrete Use Cases: Students vote on a conceptual question; if fewer than 70% answer correctly, the instructor re-explains before moving on. Before a debate, students anonymously vote on their position so quieter students can weigh in honestly. A live word cloud of one-word answers becomes the discussion starter for the day. 123 Timer and Clock (BlueSky) Simple Teams tab showing a countdown timer/clock. Affordances / Benefits: Zero learning curve; useful pacing aid. Caveats / Limitations: Pure utility, not a pedagogical tool in itself; negligible visibility/adoption among faculty; no evidence base. Concrete Use Cases: A shared countdown timer keeps a timed in-class essay exam on track without students asking how much time is left. A strict 3-minute timer keeps student practice presentations on pace. Each side of a debate gets exactly 2 minutes for opening statements, kept fair by the timer. Vocabulary Builder (Aspiro Consulting Ltd) Public documentation is minimal beyond a certification listing; appears to be a basic vocabulary-drill/flashcard tab. Affordances / Benefits: Presumably low-friction drill practice if functional. Caveats / Limitations: Very low visibility — no verifiable classroom use, reviews, or active user base; unvetted until trialed directly. Concrete Use Cases: Students could preview next week's vocabulary list before class, freeing up discussion time (unverified fit). Students could complete short daily vocabulary drills for test prep as homework (unverified fit). Edusign Digital attendance/e-signature tool; instructor triggers attendance check, participants sign via popup, tracked directly in Teams. Affordances / Benefits: Automates attendance data flow via API, reducing administrative time; strong for compliance-driven attendance (funding-linked programs). Caveats / Limitations: Administrative/compliance tool, not a teaching tool; strongest track record is in France/Europe vocational and continuing-ed contexts, less so US R1 lecture courses. Concrete Use Cases: Students sign in electronically each session, generating an official attendance record for a funding-linked program. Students scan a QR code to check in, and the instructor pulls an attendance report for grading at semester's end. In a hybrid course, the instructor confirms which remote students were actually present, not just logged in. Kahoot! Game-based live quizzes with leaderboard. Free "Basic" plan caps live games at 10 participants. Affordances / Benefits: Very strong engagement effect and evidence base on short-term recall/motivation; near-universal name recognition, minimal training needed. Caveats / Limitations: Free "Basic" plan caps live games at only 10 players — fine for a small breakout group, but a paid plan (Kahoot+) is required to run it with a full-size class. Concrete Use Cases: A 10-question review game before the midterm shows students which topics they still need to study. A quick, easy quiz on day one gets students comfortable answering out loud before harder questions later. A weekly quiz on the periodic table reinforces memorization through repeated low-stakes testing. Mindomo (Expert Software Applications) Collaborative mind-mapping/outlining tool. Affordances / Benefits: Decent for visualizing hierarchical relationships; presentation mode turns maps into slideshows. Caveats / Limitations: Smaller community/feature set than Lucidchart/MindMeister; free tier fairly limited on map count/collaborators. Concrete Use Cases: Students map symptoms, causes, and treatments for a disease to see how the pieces connect, not just memorize them. A grad student maps major themes and authors in their field to spot gaps before choosing a thesis topic. Students diagram an argument's claims and support to check its logic before writing a response paper. ClassCred (Classy Apps LLC) Gamification layer — rewards, badges, polls, debates — aimed at engagement and streamlined educator workflow in Slack/Teams. Affordances / Benefits: Bundles several light engagement mechanics (polls, debates, peer recognition) in one place. Caveats / Limitations: Startup-scale product, little independent/peer-reviewed evidence; gamified point/store systems raise usual concerns about extrinsic motivation crowding out intrinsic interest. Concrete Use Cases: Students automatically earn points for posting and replying on a discussion board, showing ongoing participation. Students publicly recognize a teammate who went above and beyond on a project milestone. Lucidchart Flowcharting/diagramming (ERDs, org charts, process maps, UML). Affordances / Benefits: Widely trusted in CS, engineering, and business programs; strong template library; real collaborative editing. Caveats / Limitations: Free tier caps document/shape count; steeper learning curve than a plain whiteboard for non-technical use. Concrete Use Cases: Students diagram how tables in a hospital records system relate, graded for logic before writing any code. Teams map the real steps in a coffee shop's ordering process to find bottlenecks for their final project. The instructor diagrams how a piece of code executes step by step before students trace the logic themselves. Mentimeter Live polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A, open-ended text walls. Affordances / Benefits: One of the most widely adopted and trusted live-engagement tools in higher ed; clean presentation-embedded UI; strong engagement evidence in large classes. Caveats / Limitations: Free tier limits number of questions/slides per presentation; advanced quiz types and branding are paywalled. Concrete Use Cases: Students type one-word impressions of a topic; the resulting word cloud kicks off the day's discussion. Before a debate, students anonymously vote on their position to compare against how discussion changes minds. A multiple-choice question embedded in the slides tells the instructor whether to slow down or move on. Lucidspark Virtual whiteboard sibling to Lucidchart (sticky notes, freeform ideation, voting). Affordances / Benefits: Good for open-ended brainstorming with a structured "vote/cluster" workflow, more structured than Microsoft Whiteboard. Caveats / Limitations: Overlaps heavily with Whiteboard/Padlet; Cortland does not currently license the Lucid suite, so adopting this means a separate subscription rather than something already covered. Concrete Use Cases: Teams post sticky-note ideas for a design problem, then vote on which to prototype first. Students sort interview quotes into color-coded themes to spot patterns before writing up findings. Whiteboard.chat for Edu Each student gets their own copy of a class board; teacher sees all student boards in real time with subject-specific manipulatives, timers, and locking controls. Affordances / Benefits: The "teacher monitors every individual board live" model is strong for formative assessment during problem-solving; purpose-built by/for teachers. Caveats / Limitations: Strongest evidence and community is K-12; less name recognition at the university level; can feel feature-heavy for a simple use case. Concrete Use Cases: Every student works the same practice problem while the instructor watches all boards at once for common mistakes. The instructor quietly joins a struggling student's board to correct grammar without singling them out in class. Students annotate a shared reading in the margins, showing the instructor which passages caused confusion. Glose Education Social e-book reading/annotation (margin comments, shared highlights); now owned by Pearson. Affordances / Benefits: Genuinely good fit for literature/humanities close-reading and social annotation pedagogy. Caveats / Limitations: Since the Pearson acquisition, product direction/continuity has been uncertain — verify current availability and roadmap before committing a course to it. Concrete Use Cases: Students highlight and comment on a shared novel as they read, so the instructor knows what to discuss in class. Students annotate a primary source and reply to each other's margin comments before ever meeting in class. Pear Deck Interactive layer on PowerPoint/Google Slides — embeds live questions, drawing responses, and draggable prompts into the deck itself. Affordances / Benefits: Evidence-informed formative-assessment design (question embedded exactly where content is taught); strong K-12 base now expanding into intro-level higher ed. Caveats / Limitations: Free tier limits question types/response history; smoothest with Google Slides, more friction in a PowerPoint-only Teams environment. Concrete Use Cases: A question embedded in a biology slide has every student answer before the instructor reveals the explanation. Students type a thesis statement into a slide; anonymous examples are compared and discussed as a class. Students drag a dot onto a spectrum slide to show their opinion before a discussion starts. AhaSlides Live polls, quizzes, word clouds, spinner wheel, brainstorm boards. Affordances / Benefits: Solid free tier relative to Mentimeter; playful extra formats (spinner, ratings). Caveats / Limitations: Less established trust/track record in academic literature compared with Mentimeter/Poll Everywhere/Vevox. Concrete Use Cases: A spinner wheel randomly picks which group presents first, removing any perception of favoritism. A live quiz on unit terms shows results in real time so students know what still needs review. Padlet Digital corkboard for posting text, images, links, video, audio in a shared space (grid, stream, map, timeline layouts). Affordances / Benefits: Very strong, well-documented adoption across disciplines; flexible for brainstorming, galleries, or discussion boards; low technical barrier for students. Caveats / Limitations: Free tier caps number of boards; can become visually cluttered in very large classes without moderation. Concrete Use Cases: Students post a weekly photo assignment and comment on two classmates' work. Students post short video reflections on the reading and reply to each other's posts. Each team pins its preliminary findings so everyone can scan all teams' results before presentations. Vevox Live polling, Q&A, and quizzes purpose-built for lecture halls; strong native PowerPoint/Teams integration and robust anonymity controls. Free tier supports up to 100 participants. Affordances / Benefits: Built specifically for higher-ed lecture contexts (strong UK university adoption); accessibility and anonymity handling are a genuine strength for sensitive-topic discussions. Caveats / Limitations: Smaller global mindshare than Mentimeter/Poll Everywhere outside the UK; some poll types (word cloud, surveys, export) gated behind paid tiers. Concrete Use Cases: Students anonymously ask questions about a sensitive policy topic without their name being visible. A poll built directly into PowerPoint gets answered without the instructor leaving the presentation. Students submit anonymous questions on a topic they wouldn't feel comfortable asking out loud. Nextecmedia (ionesoft GmbH) Tied to ionesoft's "beook" digital-textbook platform for publishers and vocational/continuing-education institutions; likely delivers digital course texts into Teams. Affordances / Benefits: Could streamline access to licensed digital course materials for institutions on the beook platform. Caveats / Limitations: Cortland does not use ionesoft's beook platform, so this has no institutional fit here; also a regional (Switzerland/Germany) niche product with very limited English-language documentation and low visibility outside that market. Concrete Use Cases: An instructor at an institution already licensing beook (not Cortland) could deliver the semester's digital textbook right inside a Teams channel. MindMup Free, simple browser-based mind-mapping tool. Affordances / Benefits: Genuinely free with no forced sign-in for basic use; fast to learn. Caveats / Limitations: Thinner feature set than Mindomo/Lucidchart (styling, collaboration polish); storage limits without a paid/Google-Drive-linked account. Concrete Use Cases: Students quickly sketch out the causes of a historical event with no account needed. A student maps an argument's claim, reasons, and objections to check their essay's logic before submitting. YuJa Plugin Automatically or manually imports Teams meeting recordings into the YuJa Enterprise Video Platform. Affordances / Benefits: Reliable, low-maintenance workflow tool; Cortland already runs YuJa as its lecture-capture platform, so recordings flow automatically into the library instructors and students already use. Caveats / Limitations: Infrastructure/workflow tool, not a direct pedagogy tool on its own — it automates a pipeline rather than adding classroom interactivity. Concrete Use Cases: Lecture recordings auto-upload to a searchable library so absent students can jump to the part they need. A semester of guest lectures builds a searchable archive future cohorts can watch after the fact.

What Is Online Learning? Online learning is more than logging into a class or posting a lecture. For students, it takes responsibility, organization and self-motivation to complete coursework independently. For instructors, it takes intentional design to build a course that supports those same skills. Whether you're taking an online course or teaching one, understanding how the format works is the first step. Course Formats Online courses at Cortland happen in different formats, depending on when and how students and instructors interact. Synchronous: Real-time learning. Live classes, discussions and meetings happen on Teams or Webex at a scheduled time. Asynchronous: Students access pre-recorded lectures, readings and assignments on their own schedule, within course deadlines. Bisynchronous: A blend of both — some real-time sessions, some flexible, self-paced work. Course Terms Throughout the Academic Year Cortland's online courses follow the traditional 16-week fall and spring semesters, with accelerated courses offered during the summer and winter. These accelerated terms are intensive, running between 2.5 and 10 weeks. Advantages of Online Learning Flexibility: Coursework can fit around other commitments rather than a fixed schedule. Personalized environment: Students choose where and how they study; instructors have more room to design varied learning experiences. Diverse connections: Online courses often bring together a wider range of perspectives and locations. Tech skills: Both students and instructors build stronger digital literacy over time. Potential Challenges Technological issues: Computer or internet problems can disrupt progress on either side of the course. Self-discipline: Without a fixed class time, staying on track takes more deliberate effort. Delayed feedback: Asynchronous formats naturally mean more lag time in communication. Screen fatigue: Extended video conferencing or screen time can be tiring for everyone involved. What It Takes to Succeed Online Thriving in an online course — whether you're taking it or teaching it — takes more than a computer and internet access. A few core skills make the difference: Time Management Track due dates and key milestones Balance coursework with other commitments Break larger tasks into smaller, manageable pieces Build dedicated "class time" into the week Organization Keep a dedicated space — physical or digital — for course materials Prioritize tasks and activities Maintain a calendar of deadlines and completed work Self-Motivation Set smaller, weekly goals Share progress with peers or colleagues Minimize distractions where possible Build consistent routines Communication Engage actively in discussions Reach out early for clarification or feedback Build connection despite the physical distance Technological Proficiency Get comfortable navigating Brightspace Know how to upload, submit and respond within the platform Be open to multimedia formats — podcasts, videos and beyond Tools and Technology At minimum, online learning requires a computer with reliable internet access. Beyond that, a few tools make the experience smoother: Reliable internet access and an updated browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) Webex or Teams for video conferencing Brightspace, Cortland's learning management system Starfish, for tracking academic progress via myRedDragon Support Is Available Neither students nor instructors have to navigate online learning alone. A few key resources: The Tech Help Center for account, platform and technology support The Writing Center for help with written assignments and formatting The Learning Center for peer tutoring and study strategies The Memorial Library for research help and digital resources The Disability Resources Office for accommodations and accessibility support

Your syllabus is more than a list of dates and policies—it’s an invitation to learning, a tool for transparency, and a foundation for building an inclusive, student-centered classroom. The Center for Teaching and Learning encourages faculty to design syllabi that clearly communicate expectations and foster a sense of belonging from day one. Below, you will find the university’s syllabus requirements and resources to help you create a document that not only meets policy but also inspires student engagement and success. On This Page Syllabus Requirements Required Statements Academic Integrity Statement Artificial Intelligence Statement Disability Statement Diversity Statement Inclusive Learning Environment Statement Title IX Statement Optional Sections Syllabus Requirements Syllabi should have a standard format to make your expectations clear to your students. Each syllabus should be given out during the first weeks of classes and must include all items listed in the five categories outlined below (Chapter 220.02 of the SUNY Cortland Handbook). General Information Name of the institution (SUNY Cortland) Name of the department (lead department in cross-listed) Term and year of the course Instructor Information Name of instructor(s) Office location and hours Instructor’s SUNY Cortland email address Campus telephone number Course Information Course prefix, number, title, and credit hours Catalog course description/course objectives Student learning outcomes Required course materials (e.g., textbooks, journal articles, library and/or online resources) Class meeting times Description of assignments and approximate dates Assessment method and grading policy Attendance policy Approved Course Attribute Designation General Education (GE) category Writing Intensive (WI) Presentation (PRES) Liberal Arts (LASR) Department specific course requirements are needed for some programs. Faculty should consult with their respective department guidelines for additional requirements. Required Statements The statements listed below must be included either as full text in the syllabus, or a link may be provided within the syllabus that directs students to the section of the SUNY Cortland Handbook in which the statements are provided. Academic Integrity Statement Faculty must include in all syllabi a reference to upholding academic integrity and intolerance of academic dishonesty. Suggested wording: All students are expected to uphold academic integrity standards. Plagiarism is defined as taking the ideas of others and using them as one's own without due credit. Students who cheat in examinations, course assignments, or plagiarize in this course may be disciplined in accordance with university rules and regulations. (SUNY Cortland Handbook, Chapter 340) Artificial Intelligence Statement Starting in the Spring 2026 semester, all faculty are required to include a syllabus statement outlining the course’s policies related to Generative AI. Choose the option below that best fits your course: Option 1 (Custom): Write a Generative AI syllabus statement of your own. Option 2 (All Use Prohibited) The use of Generative AI is not permitted in this course. Since this course emphasizes your writing as a process of your thinking, I am only interested in your own, original writing. Option 3 (Mixed Use by Assignment) In this course, some assignments will allow for or encourage the use of Generative AI. You must attend to what is allowed on an assignment-by-assignment basis. Option 4 (Use with Caution and Disclosure) Generative AI may be used within this course. Beware that some information may be inaccurate, biased, or incomplete based on the training of the AI tool. Also, beware that overreliance on Generative AI could stifle your own writing, critical thinking, or creative process. You are responsible for ensuring that your use of Generative AI is transparent and that your information is accurate. You must disclose details about your use of GenAI. Do not simply use your assignment to prompt GenAI and turn in that output. Disability Statement Required wording: As part of SUNY Cortland's commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, we strive to provide students with equal access to all courses. If you believe you will require accommodations in this course, please place a request with the Disability Resources Office at [email protected] or call 607-753-2967. Please note that accommodations are generally not provided retroactively so timely contact with the Disability Resources Office is important. All students should consider meeting with their course instructor who may be helpful in other ways. (SUNY Cortland Handbook, Chapter 745) Diversity Statement Required wording: SUNY Cortland is dedicated to the premise that every individual is important in a unique way and contributes to the overall quality of the institution. We define diversity broadly to include all aspects of human difference. The university is committed to inclusion, equity, and access and thus committed to creating and sustaining a climate that is equitable, respectful and free from prejudice for students, faculty and staff. We value diversity in the learning environment and know that it enhances our ability to inspire students to learn, lead and serve in a changing world. We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive campus through the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students. As a community, we hold important the democracy of ideas, tempered by a commitment to free speech and the standards of inquiry and debate. To this end, we are dedicated to developing and sustaining a learning environment where it is safe to explore our differences and celebrate the richness inherent in our pluralistic society. (SUNY Cortland Handbook, Chapter 130) Inclusive Learning Environment Statement Required wording: SUNY Cortland is committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. The course instructor honors this commitment and respects and values differences. All students enrolled in this course are expected to be considerate of others, promote a collaborative and supportive educational environment, and demonstrate respect for individuals with regard to ability or disability, age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity/expression, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or other aspects of identity. In an environment that fosters inclusion, students have the opportunity to bring their various identities into conversation as they find helpful, but are not expected to represent or speak for an entire group of people who share aspects of an identity. If you have any questions or concerns about this statement, contact the Institutional Equity and Inclusion Office at 607-753-2263. Title IX Statement Required wording: Title IX, when combined with New York Human Rights Law and the New York Education Law 129-B, prohibits discrimination, harassment and violence based on sex, gender, gender identity/expression, and/or sexual orientation in the education setting. The federal Clery Act and NY Education Law 129-B provide certain rights and responsibilities after an incident of sexual or interpersonal violence. When a violation occurs, victims and survivors are eligible for campus and community resources. Where the university has jurisdiction, it may investigate and take action in accordance with university policy. If you or someone you know wishes to report discrimination based in sex, gender, gender identity/expression, and/or sexual orientation, or wishes to report sexual harassment, sexual violence, stalking or relationship violence, please contact the Title IX Coordinator at 607-753-4550, or visit cortland.edu/titleix to learn about all reporting options and resources. (Updated by SUNY Legal Feb. 1, 2018) Optional Sections Important Dates The Registrar’s syllabus resources page is updated every semester with important dates for you and your students. It also includes links to course descriptions and other information faculty may need for their syllabus. Starfish Notice You may see emails from [email protected] regarding your academic performance in class as well as any recommendations to support you. To access Starfish, login to myRedDragon and select the Starfish tab to set up your profile. Make sure you check your email daily and respond to any notifications or recommendations you receive. Starfish is helpful and easy to use as you connect with me and all the resources on our campus. Counseling and Wellness The Counseling Center provides short-term therapeutic services to facilitate students’ personal, social and educational adjustment while at college. Professional counselors assist students in dealing with major psychological issues as well as developmental concerns often related to interpersonal relationships, family issues and individual identity concerns. Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-44 / 607-753-4728 Services include: Individual and group counseling Consultation and referral Crisis management/intervention Cortland Cupboard The SUNY Cortland Cupboard (campus food pantry) is open for students in need of food and personal hygiene items at no cost. There is no application required to access the Cupboard. Each student needs their SUNY Cortland ID card to swipe in. Located in Old Main Basement, Room B-05 / 607-753-2066 / [email protected] Course Withdrawal Policy Course withdrawals begin after the add/drop period for the term. Students are not permitted to withdraw from classes during the last three weeks of semester courses. The standard deadline for full-term courses is November 15 in the Fall and April 15 in the Spring. In the event that the deadlines fall on the weekend, the next business day will be used. Consult the academic calendar page for specific dates and deadlines. Due to fluctuating dates, add/drop dates and withdrawal deadlines for summer and winter sessions are established prior to the term and published on the summer session site and winter session site. Nonattendance does not mean a student has dropped or withdrawn from a course. Students who have not attended class and have not officially dropped or withdrawn from the course will receive a grade of E. Please refer to the university catalog section B.04 for more details regarding the class attendance policy. Cortland Clothes Closet The SUNY Cortland Clothing Closet, Dragons Dress for Success, was created in Spring 2019 by the Student Government Association (SGA). The service is offered by SGA with support from Career Services and the SUNY Cortland Cupboard. Students in need of professional clothing for internships, student teaching and job interviews are encouraged to stop by the Clothing Closet located in Old Main, Room B-05. The Clothing Closet is co-located with the SUNY Cortland Cupboard (food pantry).