Leveraging the UMMC Knowledge Base to Support Teaching and Learning
As the academic year progresses and new semesters begin, medical faculty are often balancing clinical responsibilities, research initiatives, and the demands of teaching. In this environment, quick access to reliable, up-to-date instructional resources is essential. While the UMMC Help Desk has long served as a trusted hub for submitting support tickets and resolving technical issues, many faculty may not be fully utilizing an equally valuable companion resource: the Help Desk Knowledge Base.
The Academic Technology team within DIS utilizes the Knowledge Base to provide a centralized, self-service repository of documentation designed to support UMMC’s learning applications. Accessible through the Self-Service portal in the Ivanti Help Desk, this resource empowers faculty to find answers efficiently—often without submitting a ticket or waiting for assistance.
A Single Source for Consistent, Reliable Guidance
One of the primary strengths of the Knowledge Base is its role as a single source of truth for instructional and technical documentation. In academic medicine, where consistency and accuracy are critical, having a central repository ensures that all users—from new faculty to experienced educators—are referencing the same, up-to-date information.
The Knowledge Base also supports ongoing updates, allowing the Academic Technology team to quickly revise content as platforms evolve. This minimizes confusion and ensures that guidance reflects current system functionality and institutional practices.
Designed for Ease of Use
The platform is built with usability in mind. Faculty can quickly locate resources by entering relevant keywords into the search bar, making it easy to pinpoint specific topics or tools. Additionally, individual articles include shareable links, which can be incorporated into course materials, departmental communications, or onboarding resources. This feature is particularly useful for program directors and course coordinators who want to ensure consistent messaging across teams.
Practical Applications for Faculty
As faculty prepare courses for a new semester, the Knowledge Base offers targeted resources to streamline common tasks. Notable examples include:
- Canvas: New Semester Quick Tips – A concise guide to preparing course shells, updating content, and ensuring readiness for student engagement.
- ExamSoft – Pushing Grades to Canvas Guide – Step-by-step instructions for configuring Canvas courses for ExamSoft integration, along with guidance on submitting the necessary Help Desk request.
These resources are designed to reduce administrative burden and allow faculty to focus more on teaching and learner outcomes. By following standardized processes outlined in the Knowledge Base, faculty can also help minimize technical issues that might otherwise disrupt instruction or assessment.
Enhancing Efficiency in a Demanding Environment
For medical educators, time is a limited and valuable resource. The Knowledge Base aligns with the broader goal of improving operational efficiency by enabling self-directed problem-solving. Rather than relying solely on reactive support, faculty can proactively address common questions and technical challenges.
At the same time, the Help Desk remains available for more complex issues or personalized assistance. The Knowledge Base and Help Desk function together as complementary tools—one offering immediate access to information, the other providing direct support when needed.
Getting Started
Accessing the Knowledge Base is simple: log in to the Ivanti Help Desk Self-Service portal and begin searching by topic or keyword. Faculty are encouraged to explore available resources at the start of each semester and revisit the platform as new needs arise.
For additional assistance, or if a topic is not yet covered in the Knowledge Base, the Help Desk team can be reached at helpdesk@umc.edu.