We’re excited to share the latest Digital Learning resources and opportunities with you! In this newsletter, you’ll find useful technology tips, upcoming workshop opportunities, and CBE updates.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the Digital Learning team with any questions or for support. You can reach us using the options below:
Book a meeting with an instructional designer or technologist on the ILCI website for assistance with instructional design, instructional technology, YuJa, and more.
New Section Modality Available for Fall 2025: Hybrid Remote (870)
In response to the needs of online programs across campus, a new Hybrid Remote section modality has been created. These new 870 sections are identical to our current Hybrid In-Person (860) sections, except that the synchronous class sessions are held remotely (usually over Zoom) instead of in the classroom or physically at another learning site. This allows faculty to use up to 25% of the scheduled course time as virtual sessions for “real time” assessment, discussion, lab work, etc. The full definition of this new modality is:
Mostly asynchronous online instruction mixed with reduced synchronous virtual class meetings at regularly scheduled times using academic technologies (e.g., Zoom). Asynchronous online instruction accounts for 75% or more of total instruction time. Synchronous virtual class meetings will not exceed 25% of what is usually scheduled in Fully Remote sections. Students could be located anywhere but must be available for a reduced number (usually 6-8) of virtual class meetings and should have a reliable learning space and Internet access to attend during the semester.
The virtual sessions will be held at regular meeting times and available in the Registrar’s schedule for students to view as they enroll. Any classes that were previously scheduled as asynchronous Fully Online (850) asynchronous synchronous sections but asked that students be available for synchronous virtual meetings or testing should now be scheduled as 870 sections.
For updated definitions of all UNO’s distance education modalities, please see the Online at UNO website. For questions about scheduling a Hybrid Remote (870) section in CLSS for the Fall 2025 semester, please contact Dan Hawkins, Director of Online Development (dhawkins@unomaha.edu).
Inaugural AI Summit
Hosted by UNO’s Division for Innovative and Learning-Centric Initiatives (ILCI), the university’s first AI Summit brought together students, faculty, staff, and industry leaders to explore how AI is being used across campus and in Omaha. Breakout sessions and a panel discussion showcased real-world examples of AI in education, research, and operations—highlighting how this technology is reshaping the workforce and the skills needed for the future.
As Q2 kicks off, CBE workgroups are moving from foundational planning into active design. Academic programs are submitting proposals, learner personas are taking shape, and teams are tackling everything from IT audits to branding strategy. UNO’s hybrid, credit-based model is beginning to take form—stay tuned as the project evolves. For more information or to get involved, contact Erin Bass or Stephanie Larsen!
Skills Lab @ UNO
An Early Adopters group of individuals across campus meets monthly to discuss how they implement digital badging in their programs. Their first “Skills Scrum” is scheduled for May. Reach out to Stephanie Larson if you’d like to join this group or attend May’s event!
Future of Work Symposium Series
Date: Wednesday, September 17 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Theme:The Work Revolution: Redesigning Careers with an Entrepreneurial Approach
Work is being redefined as professionals seek greater autonomy, purpose, and flexibility in their careers. The rise of side hustles, portfolio careers, independent work, and purpose-driven innovation is reshaping traditional employment models. This year’s theme explores how workers across industries are designing careers that align with their skills, values, and ambitions—whether through freelancing, gig work, corporate innovation, or self-employment. Discussions will focus on how individuals can future-proof their careers by thinking entrepreneurially, leveraging technology, and navigating new economic realities like automation, AI, and the creator economy.
Stay tuned for registration and more details—this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Spring Digital Accessibility Workshop Series
This semester, the Digital Learning team is excited to present our Digital Accessibility Workshop Series—an engaging opportunity to build practical skills and deepen your understanding of accessibility best practices. Designed to empower instructors, this series offers a blend of tutorial-based workshops and interactive practice to help you create more inclusive and accessible digital course content.
All workshops will take place on Wednesdays from 2:00-3:00pm on Zoom.
Why join us? Whether you’re new to digital accessibility or looking to refine your existing skills, this series will equip you with actionable strategies to make a meaningful impact in your courses. By participating, you’ll gain the confidence and tools needed to advocate for accessibility and support all learners.
Let’s work together to create an inclusive digital learning experience for all students. Join us to learn, practice, and lead in the effort to champion digital accessibility!
Digital Accessibility Workshop Series Schedule:
Accessible Audio and Video: Wednesday, April 9th 2:00-3:00 pm
PDF Accessibility: Wednesday, April 23rd 2:00-3:00 pm
Universal Design for Learning: Wednesday, May 7th 2:00-3:00 pm
Enhance Critical Thinking: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Peer Review Assignment in Canvas
Thursday, April 10, 10–11:00 a.m.
Join us to enhance your students’ critical thinking skills with peer review assignments in Canvas. This beginner-friendly workshop will guide you through the process of designing, setting up, and managing peer reviews in your courses. Explore how to incorporate rubrics, enable anonymous feedback, and monitor peer review activity for meaningful engagement. Whether you’re teaching in-person, hybrid, or online, this session will equip you with practical strategies to promote deeper learning and collaboration among your students.
The AI Educator’s Toolkit: Exploring AI use in Research
Tuesday, April 15, 9–10:00 a.m.
This workshop provides an in-depth look at how researchers can use generative AI to enhance their work. We will explore practical strategies for integrating AI- into various stages of the research process, in addition to the steps researchers should take to ensure integrity and transparency in their research. By the end, attendees will leave with a toolkit of methods and guidelines for leveraging generative AI ethically and effectively.
Implementing Project-Based Learning in Your Online Course
Tuesday, April 29, 12–1:00 p.m.
This workshop will guide you through the essentials of Project-Based Learning (PBL), a powerful approach that helps students apply knowledge to real-world challenges. We’ll cover best practices for designing and managing PBL, strategies for assessing student work, and tips for fostering collaboration and critical thinking. By the end of this session, you'll be ready to create a more dynamic, student-centered learning environment that encourages deeper understanding and skill development.
This faculty professional development course helps instructors learn how to improve the accessibility of their Canvas site for many types of content and tools. This course helps participants understand the most important criteria for creating an accessible Canvas course, why each step matters, and how to test your efforts. Why is creating accessible Canvas sites critical? What areas should I consider when it comes to Canvas accessibility? What steps should I take to make my Canvas course accessible? How do I test if my Canvas site is accessible? In this course, you learn answers to all these questions—and more.
This six-week asynchronous course is offered online using the Canvas LMS. The course has a rolling start date but is not self-paced, and you should plan to spend about 3–5 hours per week on it. Participants receive a $300 stipend for successfully completing all discussions and assignments.
ILCI offers resources and faculty development courses to help you incorporate Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) into your teaching. This support is designed to create highly engaging and well-connected online and hybrid courses.
ILCI offers marketing and communications support for your online degrees and programs! This service will offer support in strategizing and designing your marketing and communications needs. You can receive this support by submitting the Marketing and Communications Project Request Form.
ILCI's Digital Learning team offers a non-credit Advancing Excellence in Online Teaching Program that is designed to prepare you for online instruction or advance your skills if you are a seasoned instructor.
Choose from a series of offerings designed to strengthen your digital learning skills as you learn effective pedagogical practices. Earning the program badge requires the completion of one core course and three electives led by the UNO Digital Learning team. Electives can be selected by participants based on their interests and needs. Get started today and join the 48 people who have already earned this impressive badge!
Course Development Grant Opportunity
The Office of Digital Learning awards grants for faculty to develop or improve the online delivery of one of their courses; these due dates are now rolling, meaning you can apply for a course development grant at any point during the year. Learn more and apply for a grant on our ILCI Course Development Webpage.
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University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182, United States, 402.554.2800
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