Course Syllabus
Training Opportunities / Archives
We are working hard to make sure you have access to resources, training and assistance along the way. The following list includes training sessions coming up and archives.
We also host drop in open lab opportunities to get your questions answered as needed. Drop in hours offered in Fall 25 starting October 2 through December 18, 2025. Sprint 26 starting 1/5 through June 19, 2026.
Note Dates Unavailable: 11/11, 11/25, 11/27, 12/23, 12/25, 12/30, 1/13, 1/20.
Current Training
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Date |
Time |
Topic |
Description |
Registration / Location |
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12/05/2025 |
10:00 - 12:00 | Home Page Makeover – Design Challenge Edition |
Your Canvas course home page is the first impression students get when they log in. A clear, welcoming, and well-structured home page can reduce confusion, improve navigation, and set a positive tone for learning. But what difference does design really make? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the impact of design by comparing a basic Canvas home page built with standard tools to an enhanced home page makeover that uses banners, navigation buttons, and visual design principles. To make it fun, two faculty volunteers will compete in a timed “Home Page Makeover Challenge”—each working against the clock to transform a course home page using different design approaches. |
3219 /Zoom |
| 12/12/2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 | Canvas Recharge & New Features |
Whether you’re brand new to Canvas or just need a refresher, this session will help you recharge your skills and discover what’s new. We’ll start by walking through the core features every instructor should know for setting up and managing a course effectively. Then, we’ll explore the latest Canvas releases and show you how to integrate these new tools into your teaching. You’ll leave with practical strategies for organizing your course, saving time, and enhancing the student experience with updated Canvas functionality. |
3219 /Zoom |
| 12/12/2025 | 12:00 - 1:00 | End-of-Semester Tips & Tricks |
As the semester winds down, it’s important to close out your Canvas course with confidence. This quick and practical session will walk you through the key steps to ensure your course ends smoothly for both you and your students. We’ll cover what you need to know about course end dates and visibility, how to review and finalize your Gradebook, the process for handling incomplete , and the best way to prepare your course for copying into the next term. You’ll leave with a clear checklist to guide you through the close-out process and reduce last-minute surprises. |
3219 /Zoom |
Archives
Fall 2025
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11/21/2025 |
1:00 - 2:30 | RSI Essentials: Designing Regular & Substantive Interaction |
Federal guidelines require that online and distance education courses include Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) between instructors and students. But RSI goes beyond checking a box—it’s about building meaningful connections that support student success. In this workshop, we’ll explore what RSI really means, why it matters, and how you can integrate it into your online teaching in ways that are natural, engaging, and sustainable. You’ll see practical examples of RSI in action, learn strategies for weaving interaction into your Canvas courses, and leave with ideas you can apply right away. |
Resources: |
| 11/14/2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 | MultiTool for Course Management |
Save time and simplify your course setup with the CidiLabs MultiTool in Canvas! This powerful tool allows you to quickly create and apply templates, build out modules in minutes, and keep your course organized and consistent. In this workshop, you’ll also explore the Due Date Adjuster, which makes it easy to update assignment deadlines from semester to semester—no more clicking through every individual item. We’ll walk through practical examples of how to use MultiTool to design a clear, student-friendly structure that can be reused and adapted term after term. |
Resources: |
| 11/7/2025 | 10:00 - 12:00 |
Interactive Media for Engaged Learning
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Want to transform your course videos from passive viewing into active learning experiences? In this workshop, you’ll learn how to use Panopto and PlayPosit together to create interactive media that encourages student engagement and accountability. We’ll explore how to embed questions, polls, and discussion prompts directly into your videos, turning lectures and recordings into opportunities for meaningful interaction. You’ll see examples of interactive activities that can boost comprehension, keep students on track, and provide valuable feedback to instructors. |
Resources: |
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10/31/25 |
10:00 - 11:00 |
Mastering Search in Canvas (Atomic Jolt) |
Tired of clicking through pages to find content or update details across your Canvas courses? Atomic Jolt Search makes it easier than ever to locate, manage, and update your course materials. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how to use powerful new search and filtering tools, as well as the Find & Replace feature, which allows you to update text or links across multiple courses in just a few clicks. Beyond saving you time, Atomic Search also improves the student experience by making it easier for learners to find what they need—whether that’s an assignment, reading, or syllabus policy. You’ll learn strategies for setting up your courses so students can quickly locate resources and stay on track. |
Resources: |
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10/24/2025 |
10:00 - 11:30 |
Managing Online Media Library in Panopto |
Do you have videos scattered across courses or recordings that are hard to track down? In this workshop, you’ll learn how to efficiently manage your media library in Panopto so that your content is easy to organize, locate, and embed directly into your course materials. We’ll explore strategies for structuring your library with folders and naming conventions, using search and tagging features, and managing permissions so your media is ready when you need it. You’ll also practice embedding Panopto videos into Canvas pages, assignments, and modules to give students seamless access to your resources. In addition, we’ll review the new media retention guidelines and discuss how to establish a process for periodically reviewing and updating your media to ensure your library stays current and compliant. |
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10/17/25 |
2:00 - 3:30 |
Pronto to Elevate Communication |
Embark on a transformative journey in education communication with our dynamic Pronto workshop! Pronto goes beyond conventional messaging platforms, offering a suite of features that revolutionize real-time collaboration, streamline communication, and facilitate announcements. Join us for an immersive session where we'll explore the full spectrum of Pronto's capabilities, including its powerful announcement features, to reshape the way you connect with students, peers, and the entire educational community.
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3219 /Zoom |
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10/13/20205 |
10:50 - 12:20 |
Removing Barriers to Learning: Creative Strategies for Zero-Cost Courses |
Join faculty for an interactive “show and tell” on how Open Educational Resources (OER) create more widely engaging learning environments. Learn how (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) courses can reduce financial barriers while improving outcomes like grades and retention—especially for historically underserved students. Discover how OER empowers faculty to include diverse perspectives and student voices, making content more relevant and inclusive. Get inspired by real world examples and explore available faculty stipends and course design support to help you get started. |
3219 |
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10/10/25 |
2:00 - 3:30 |
Accessibility Power-Up: PopeTech + Design Tools |
Want to make your Canvas courses more inclusive and student-friendly without adding hours of extra work? This quick, hands-on session will introduce you to the accessibility tools available directly in Canvas to help you check, fix, and polish your content. We’ll take a guided tour of tools like PopeTech and Design Tools, showing you how to quickly spot accessibility issues and make improvements on the fly. You’ll leave with practical strategies for ensuring your course pages are clear, accessible, and welcoming to all learners—no coding required!
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Resources: |
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10/10/25 |
12:00 - 2:00 |
Active Teaching Technology Innovation Center (ATTIC) – Open House |
We’re excited to welcome you to the new Instructional Technology Innovation Center! This open house is your chance to explore the latest teaching and learning tools, get hands-on with cutting-edge technology, and see how our new spaces can support your instructional goals. Drop by to tour our recording studio, designed for creating high-quality video lectures, podcasts, and other multimedia content. You’ll also have the opportunity to test interactive tools, explore technologies, and connect with staff who can help you bring your ideas to life. Whether you’re looking to enhance your Canvas course, experiment with new digital tools, or simply see what’s possible, this open house is the perfect time to discover, play, and innovate. |
3219 |
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10/3/25 |
10:00 -11:30 |
Honorlock - Navigating Settings |
Join us for an informative workshop on using Honorlock, where we'll guide you through the essential steps of turning on settings and demonstrate a sample exam session. This session is designed to empower faculty members with the knowledge and skills needed to seamlessly integrate Honorlock into their online courses. |
3219 / Zoom |
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08/06/25 |
11:15 - 12:15 |
Teaching in the Age of AI: A Discussion on Clarity and Academic Honesty |
As generative AI tools become increasingly accessible,
instructors face new challenges in setting clear expectations
around their use in coursework. This interactive session,
hosted by the AI in Relation to Academic Honesty Taskforce,
will equip faculty with strategies to communicate AI usage
guidelines effectively, recognize potential misuse, and
thoughtfully address situations when expectations aren’t met.
We’ll introduce the newly adopted AI Usage Syllabus Policy
options— Restricted, Conditional, and Open—and explore how
to include additional information to tailor them to your course
needs. The session will also cover best practices for each
option, including student guidance and training, approaches
for recognizing AI-generated work, and fostering a culture of
academic integrity.
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Recording
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8/7/25 |
10:00 - 11:30 |
Introduction to Lucid in Canvas |
This engaging session will demonstrate how to add dynamic
learning activities inside Canvas using the new Lucid for
Education integration. Participants will learn how to
brainstorm, annotate, collaborate, scaffold, and best of all
explore hundreds of ready-to-use templates!
Through Canvas, two Lucid tools are available:
Lucidspark and Lucidchart.
• Lucidspark is a digital whiteboard designed to foster
collaboration and enhance student engagement during
class activities.
• Lucidchart is a powerful diagramming and graphic
organizer tool that also supports advanced technical
diagramming needs.
If you would like to participate in the hands-on exploration
during the session, please bring a device!
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Recording
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Fall 2024
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Topic |
Description |
Recording |
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Canvas Recharge |
Are you new to Canvas or need to refresh your memory. This session will walk you through the basic features, give tips for best success. |
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New Canvas Features |
Explore new canvas features and how they could be incorporated into your course. |
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Panopto – Getting Started |
Join Carrie and I as we explore our new media management system. Learn how to access the portal via canvas or browser, create, upload media, edit media, captioning resources, embedding into course content or online. |
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Getting help and using the Canvas+ Resource site |
Tour the revised Canvas Community and identify the best resources for getting assistance. Locate training materials and future calendar. |
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Design Plus |
Have you heard the buzz or saw something cool your colleagues are doing in their Canvas Courses? Do you want to add the WOW factor to your class?? This training is designed to introduce you to the basic interface of Design Tools and help you get started. Create more engaging and aesthetically pleasing courses in Canvas. This workshop will show you how to launch Design Tools, adjust settings, use the built-in accessibility tools, apply basic themes and styles to your Canvas resources. Participants will be provided access to Design Tools support resources. |
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| Design Plus New Sidebar | Are you an existing user of Design Plus? The side bar has been updated, and we will be migrating to it. Come check out how to access the new sidebar, migrate your existing content and prepare for the upgrade. Design Tools will be deprecating the existing side bar at end of Fall 25, be prepared and begin migrating content now. |
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Spring 2024
| Topic / Resources | Presenter(s) | Recording |
|---|---|---|
Unleashing the Power of AI:Exploring Functionalities and Possibilities within Zoom Webinar |
Facilitator: CCCTech Connect | |
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AI Resources:
Introduction to canvas modules containing various resources, discussions, interactions with tools, and fact finding. Completing the modules will earn you a badge that participants display in digital space.
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Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen | |
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OEI Alignment Academy: Developed as an effort to coordinate and support district-wide efforts to increase enrollment and deliver quality online courses by aligning them to the CVC-OEI Course Design Rubric. This session will introduce the Rubic and the Resources available to work towards alignment. |
Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen |
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CVC Exchange: Come learn more about The CVC-OEI and how it provides easy access for students to enroll in fully online courses across all 115 brick-and-mortar California Community Colleges. We will explore the online catalog of online programs and courses to help students achieve their educational goals. Learn how Cuesta College is participating and our goals. |
Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen |
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Discover the Power of PlayPosit Interactive Video: Embark on an interactive expedition into the educational realm with our workshop, "Discover the Power of PlayPosit Interactive Video." Join us as we explore the transformative possibilities that PlayPosit offers for educators and learners alike. From turning passive watching into active learning to creating engaging assessments, this workshop is your gateway to infusing energy and interactivity into your educational content. |
Facilitator: CCCTech Connect | |
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Gradescope Workshop: Streamlining Grading, Enhancing Feedback, and Exploring Bubble Sheets: Embark on a comprehensive journey into Gradescope, where we'll guide you through creating assignments, optimizing grading workflows, and delving into the world of bubble sheets. Whether you're a seasoned Gradescope user or new to the platform, this workshop is tailored to help you harness the full power of Gradescope, including its versatile bubble sheet capabilities. |
Facilitator: Howard Fooksman (Gradescope) & Cynthia Wilshusen | |
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Honorlock Workshop: Navigating Settings and Conducting Sample Exam Sessions: Join us for an informative workshop on using Honorlock, where we'll guide you through the essential steps of turning on settings and demonstrate a sample exam session. This session is designed to empower faculty members with the knowledge and skills needed to seamlessly integrate Honorlock into their online courses. |
Facilitator: Austin Adair (Honorlock) & Cynthia Wilshusen | |
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Title: Pronto Workshop - Elevating Communication, Collaboration, and Announcements: Embark on a transformative journey in education communication with our dynamic Pronto workshop! Pronto goes beyond conventional messaging platforms, offering a suite of features that revolutionize real-time collaboration, streamline communication, and facilitate announcements. Join us for an immersive session where we'll explore the full spectrum of Pronto's capabilities, including its powerful announcement features, to reshape the way you connect with students, peers, and the entire educational community. |
Facilitator: Sydney Dutson (Pronto) & Cynthia Wilshusen |
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Cidi Labs Multi Tool: How can you make building and updating your course more streamlined? MultTool for Canvas allows you to create a templates and quickly build out complete modules for your course. You can also use the tool to quickly change and update your dates for activities in your course in one place. |
Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen |
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Fall 2023
| Topic / Resources | Presenter(s) | Recording |
|---|---|---|
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End of Semester Checklist: A quick rundown of things to consider in Canvas as the semester comes to an end. Understanding the course end date and visibility, review your gradebook, steps for incomplete access, prepare for coping to next term.
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Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen | |
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Set your Canvas course up for Spring: Review the start of semester checklist and prepare for a great spring semester. Copy your course, understand how a reduced course navigation can improve efficiency, favoriting courses, consider adding a course tutorial, and when to publish and message students.
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Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen |
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Canvas Blueprint: Do you teach more than one section of the same course? Use this feature to create a master shell for your course and update them quickly and easily! Resources:
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Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen | |
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Accessibility Tools: A quick tour of the various tools available in Canvas to check and fix accessibility items in your courses. Tools covered will include ALLY, PopeTech, and how to properly save a document as a PDF file. |
Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen |
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Zoom Updates: Take a look at Zoom features such as TechConnect, Student Hours and the WhiteBoard Feature. Plus, a quick look at how you can use the same zoom link for several courses.
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Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen |
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More Tools: Take a look at tools in Canvas that you may not have used before or wanted to know more about. Tools covered in this session will include Turnitin Plagiarism within Canvas, Padlet Assignment.
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Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen |
Recording |
Fall 2022
| Topic / Resources | Presenter(s) | Recording |
|---|---|---|
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Design Tools Basics Description: This training is designed for faculty, staff, and course designers seeking to create more engaging and aesthetically pleasing courses in Canvas. This workshop will show you how to launch Design Tools, adjust settings, use the built-in accessibility tools, apply themes and styles to your Canvas resources. Participants will be provided access to Design Tools support resources. Resources: |
Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen | |
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Get Started with Design Tools Description: This training is designed for faculty, staff, and course designers seeking to create more engaging and aesthetically pleasing courses in Canvas. This workshop will show you how to launch Design Tools, adjust settings, use the built-in accessibility tools, apply themes and styles to your Canvas resources. Participants will be provided access to Design Tools support resources. For a in depth look at creating a home page and transparent assignments using advanced features make sure to attend the J.E.D.I Session on Thursday afternoon. Resources: |
Facilitator: Cynthia Wilshusen and Kelli Gottlieb |
Recording |
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Create Interactive Video with PlayPosit Resource Handout
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Older Webinars
View the playlist of webinars from 2016 and 2017
Cuesta DE Certification Options
The Online Education Committee has established 3 options for certification. The options are fully online facilitated courses; offered every semester; the online courses starts around the third week of the semester in Fall, and Spring, and during finals week for Summer. Flex Credit or compensation (if approved) is available.
Prior to teaching online instructors are required to meet teaching qualifications according to AP4105Links to an external site. and the Collective Bargaining AgreementLinks to an external site. (recommended to complete training two semesters prior to assignment).
Other Training
The syllabus page shows a table-oriented view of the course schedule, and the basics of course grading. You can add any other comments, notes, or thoughts you have about the course structure, course policies or anything else.
To add some comments, click the "Edit" link at the top.