Use MSU Core Tools
MSU core teaching tools to ensure students can access the tools and that there is support from the institution for the tools you are using to teach.
- D2L – (holds course materials, communicates course grades, and lets you give quizzes, etc.) As our University’s course management system, students will be most familiar with its functioning. We also recommend that you collect assignments through D2L as opposed to students emailing you individually.
- Mediaspace – (store and stream video) You can store all videos that you make in https://mediaspace.msu.edu/ Mediaspace is MSU’s version of YouTube. Once videos are uploaded you can add them to your D2L course.
- Microsoft 365 – (Software to make documents/presentations/spreadsheets, etc.) All students and faculty have free licenses for Microsoft Office. All students are able to access and create these file types. You can log in with your MSU NetID to use the web version or to download current versions from http://portal.office.com/
- Zoom – (Video conference tool) Zoom allows you to video conference with up to 100 students at a time by logging into http://msu.zoom.us/. You can use Zoom to host a virtual class, share your screen to give a lecture, and to record the lecture for future viewing. For large classes MSU has purchased the webinar version that allows you to have up to 500 people in the session.
- Email – (Digital correspondence) As your initial form of communication with students, it is important to inform students often about course changes and expectations. Use the Instructor Systems email tool from the Registrar’s website to send messages to your whole class, or you can use Spartan Mail for individual and small group communications http://spartanmail.msu.edu
Keep Accessibility in Mind
When changes happen, students with disabilities can quickly become disadvantaged in the learning experience. However, the way that you create your content can go a long way in reducing this impact. Follow these Accessibility Quick Tips on webaccess.msu.edu as you create online course materials to ensure inclusive learning experiences:
- Text Contrast: use black text on a white background to ensure that the text stands out on the page.
- Text Styles: do not rely on color alone to denote differences in emphasis and content meaning.
- Heading Styles: use built-in heading styles to designate content organization. Visit Microsoft or Google Docs support for more information.
- List Styles: use the built-in bullet or number styles for lists.
- Alt Text: provide a brief text alternative for images, graphs, and charts that answers the question: why is this image important?
- Closed Captioning: captioning your media provides greater student comprehension of the material covered and provides access media for individuals with hearing impairments in compliance with federal regulations. Visit Captioning Resources for more information and visit the Lecture Checklist below to learn more about live captioning of PowerPoint presentations.
- Link Text: use descriptive titles for link text, titles, and headers.
- Tables: use simple tables when possible, with column and row headers.
