“The most important knowledge teachers need… is how students are experiencing learning and perceiving their teacher’s actions.
— Stephen D. Brookfield (1995), Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher

As the semester winds down, the 5E model still has work to do – helping students find closure and helping you translate this term’s evidence into next term’s design. Below you’ll find some quick end-of-term moves, a Canvas Gradebook accuracy checklist, and a simple path from Fall reflection to Spring momentum.

Closing Out Fall

A strong finish clarifies learning for students and captures insights for your teaching.

For students: create closure for the course. Ensure they can respond to “What did I learn? How do I apply it next?”
For instructors: harvest evidence of learning success from this past term. While the course is fresh in your mind, make notes of what to keep, what to tweak, and what to try next term.

Wrap-up Moves with 5E

These quick tips for wrapping up your current course should take you no more than 15-30 minutes to implement.

1. Engage (for closure)
  - Post “What I Hope You Keep” with 3-5 durable takeaways from your course.
  - Invite students to respond by sharing a “tip for a future student.”
2. Explore (your data)
  - Scan your Gradebook for patterns and analyze quiz items.
  - Jot down one “surprise” and one “keeper” for next term.
3. Explain/Expand
  - Share a one-page concept map of the course (key ideas, connections, applications). Students can use it to study; you can use it to spot gaps you can tweak in the future.
4. Elaborate
  - Offer an optional application prompt (e.g., “Where will concept X show up in your major/next course/research/workplace?”)
5. Evaluate/Extend
  - Create a short Continuous Improvement Note to use before you teach your course again. Add just three bullets: Keep, Tweak, and Try.

Canvas Gradebook Accuracy Check

Here are 8 steps you should take before submitting final grades to ensure accuracy in your Canvas Gradebook.

Grading scheme. Double-check that Canvas letter grades align with your syllabus. How do I enable a grading scheme for a course?
Grade weights. If you use weighted grading, have you turned on weighting in Canvas? Does the total equal 100%? How do I weight the final course grade using assignment groups?
Missing work. Enter zeros for all missing work. Canvas does not include dash grades (-) in any calculations.
Targeted nudges. Use the Message Students Who… function to quickly send reminders. How do I send a message to students from the Gradebook?
Post grades. If you use the manual posting policy, be sure to post all grades so students can see them.
Extra credit. Handle any extra credit opportunities cleanly, either via an EC assignment or an EC assignment group. How do I give extra credit in a course?
Final grade override. If you need to override Canvas’s final grade calculations, be sure to keep a record of the rationale for your notes. How do I override a student’s final grade in the Gradebook?
Archive a snapshot of your Gradebook for your records. How do I export grades in the Gradebook?

Final Grades: Syncing Canvas Grades to COIN

Remember: Canvas calculates grades; COIN records official final grades.

Once you have confirmed the accuracy of your Canvas grades (see above), decide whether you will sync the Total column or the Override column. (Canvas cannot choose grades from both. If you use the Override function for one student, you will have to enter grades for all.)

Check this resource for step-by-step instructions on syncing Canvas grades to COIN.

From Fall Evidence to Spring Momentum

While Fall is still present in your mind, take 60 minutes for this miniature planning “retreat” to help you prepare for the new term.

Evidence Sweep (15 min)

List 2 strengths, 2 struggles, and 1 “hidden bottleneck”
Document one student quote or artifact that shows real learning

Alignment Audit (20 min)

Re-check that outcomes align with assessments and assessments align with activities.
Identify one improvement you can make to Explain/Expand to speed sense-making next term.

Student Experience Boost (15 min)

Pick one new Engage opener and one new Explore activity you can add in or swap with another.
Add one new RSI habit you can adopt next term (cadenced announcements, targeted nudges, short video feedback, etc.).

Commit to Micro-Experiments (10 min)

Keep: ____
Tweak: ____
Try: ____

Final Thoughts

Thank you for the thoughtful design, timely feedback, and steady presence you’ve offered students this term. Many of your most meaningful contributions are the ones no one sees.

As you wrap up this semester, consider capturing one Keep, one Tweak, and one Try to carry into Spring. Small, intentional changes compound quickly. If a final nudge could help a student finish strong, Message Students Who… can still make a difference. And your future self will thank you for taking 60 seconds to export your Gradebook and schedule a Week-0 welcome now.

Wishing you rest, good health, and fresh curiosity for the new semester. We’re here if you need a quick check or a second set of eyes — just reach out.

Feedback Still Matters at the Finish Line

Regular, purposeful interaction — especially feedback — remains a key driver of learning even in the final week. Timely, specific notes help students make sense of performance, close gaps, and carry insights into future courses.

Regular: follows a predictable cadence (e.g., a closing announcement + targeted follow-ups).
Substantive: feedback that teaches: clarifies criteria, points to resources, and suggests next steps.

Consider adopting one or more of these end-of-term feedback moves (10-15 minutes each).

SpeedGrader micro-feedback: one sentence on strength + one on a next step (“Keep doing ___; before the final/next course, review ___”).
Rubric highlight: check one criterion with a short note explaining why that level was earned.
Targeted nudges: use Message Students Who… (Haven’t submitted / Scored less than / Incomplete) with a concrete action and deadline.
Class wrap announcement: post “Three things to carry forward” with links to study guides or concept maps.
Office-hours window: advertise a short drop-in for questions about feedback or next steps.

A brief, instructional comment on a major assignment can do more for students’ forward momentum than a long end-of-term message. Aim for specific, doable, next-step guidance. Try adapting one of these micro-templates:

Strength + next step: “You explained the model clearly. Before the final/next course, practice applying it to a new case like ___.”
Resource pointer: “Revisit [page/time-stamp] and compare it with your solution — aim for ___ in the first step.”
Encouragement at close: “Your persistence showed this term. If you want a quick plan for next steps in [course/major], reply and I’ll suggest one thing to focus on.”

Instructional Development works with faculty to…

Explore, design, and experiment with different teaching and learning modes.
Research and integrate technologies that can enhance teaching and learning.
Design and develop online courses and programs.
Write learning outcomes, design assessments, craft activities, and develop content.
Utilize best practices for using instructional technologies.

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