Over 400 USF faculty have benefited from Digital Learning Live Support by saving time, getting immediate answers, and gaining a deeper understanding of the digital learning environment. Live Support is a fully online resource connecting Digital Learning Training & Support (DLTS) specialists and faculty members. The team offers guidance on tools such as Canvas, Microsoft Teams, Honorlock, and Kaltura and pedagogical best practices to integrate the tools to foster student engagement.
Live Support began in 2020 as a way to provide immediate support to faculty during the pandemic. The hotline was so well received by the faculty community that the team decided to continue it. In 2023, faculty utilized Live Support over 800 unique times. Faculty can also connect through email or in-person appointments. Collectively, DLTS teams consulted with faculty on nearly 2,000 separate occasions, which resulted in a total of 747 hours assisting faculty.
DLTS teams from all three USF campuses, which are part of USF Innovative Education, provide Live Support through an ongoing session in Microsoft Teams. It runs Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with longer hours during peak times of the semester. Live Support is open to all faculty who need a quick answer or broader consultation.
“The screen-sharing capabilities of this Teams space allow the team member to see exactly what’s going on and fully understand the problem in minutes, for faster and more accurate solutions,” said Lakara Lycan, a training and support consultant on the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
As noted by faculty, a key benefit of Live Support is having immediate access to a digital learning expert. This convenience allows faculty to spend less time hunting for answers and more time with their students. Even if it’s outside of the ongoing support session hours, faculty can still use the Microsoft Teams chat feature to contact the team.
“Digital Learning Live Support has helped me figure out ways to streamline how I use Canvas to reduce having to do everything over again for each course. It’s a huge time saver,” said Sheila Gobes-Ryan, assistant professor of instruction in the College of Engineering. “Working with the Live Support team allows me to save time on technology tools and spend more time focusing on course material to optimize the learning experience for students.”
Providing Live Support for faculty also helps the DLTS team to deliver the highest quality assistance that they can.
Last year, Canvas and Microsoft Teams were some of the most common support topics and the most frequent questions related to the gradebook, quizzes, and course setup. By maintaining a log of categorical-based support interactions, the team can analyze the data, identify trends, and develop additional resources strategically.
“The analysis of our tracking data is crucial. The team identifies trends and then develops custom just-in-time resources to solve the common problems we’re seeing. Empowering faculty with one-on-one consultation and supplementing that experience with these resources can lead to an elevated learning experience for our students,” said Christine Brown, AVP of Innovative Education.
Connect with one of the DLTS experts through Live Support from the Get Help page, or for direct access, visit Digital Learning Live Support. Digital learning resources can also be found on the Innovative Education website.