T4TL Feb. 14 & 15 Workshop

Engage Your Learners: Using Soft Chalk, Library Widgets, and Media Space

Wednesday, Feb. 14 from noon- 1 in CH 106 OR Thursday, Feb 15 from 3:30 – 4:30 in CH 106 OR use this link to join us remotely T4TL remote access.

Workshop Description:

Do you lay awake at night wondering how to engage your learners? Join the Technology for Teaching and Learning (T4TL) workshop to learn how:

Cindy Gruwell uses Soft Chalk to create engaging content. It’s easy to learn and allows you to prepare content and engage students by embedding a variety of media and interactive activities. It is easy to embed in D2L, a webpage, or access by URL.
Melissa Prescott uses Library Widgets to help engage learners in academic research. She will demonstrate how you can utilize the D2L Brightspace widget feature to incorporate database searches, instructional videos, discipline-specific information and more, right into your course pages.
Mary Leyk uses Media Space to provide effective feedback and a more personal touch when grading papers or providing weekly course updates.

This workshop is all about engagement. We would love to see you in person, but if that is not convenient, please join us remotely to learn more.

Category: Course Design, Online and Distance Education, Online Teaching Pedagogy, Professional Development | LEAVE A COMMENT

December 6

MOQI Webinars for Spring Semester 2018

Are you looking for professional development opportunities without needing to leave your office? MOQI has just the thing for you. Check out the list of FREE webinars scheduled from January through April. Review the list, find something of interest, and register today. The MN Quality Online Initiative (MOQI) promotes quality course design through professional development and statewide collaboration.

Wed. January 10, 2018

Noon- 1

MOQI Webinar: Mediaspace for Recorded Lectures

In this webinar, participants will learn how to capture a lecture using Mediaspace as well as how to integrate their lectures into D2L Brightspace. This webinar will focus on the technical aspects of recording lectures including audio levels, camera composition, capturing web camera and PowerPoint presentations, editing, machine-close caption the video and share this in D2L Brightspace. Step-by-step guides will be provided.

Wed. January 24, 2018

Noon -1

MOQI Webinar: Tips to Improve Navigation, Usability, and Organization in Your Online or Blended Course
This session will introduce you to different ways to create and organize your course content to improve the learning experience for your students. Tips will include different content creation strategies to improve accessibility and usability. Several different course organization approaches will be shared that will streamline the learning experience for your students including how to link other Brightspace and external tools into your course content area.

Wed. February 14, 2018

Noon – 1

MOQI Webinar: Increase Student Engagement Using Discussion Boards
In this webinar, you will be introduced to several, easy to implement discussion techniques that can be used for any class to increase student engagement.

Participants will be introduced to ways you can engage your students with icebreakers to get to know each other, team building, introduce new technologies, hands-on experience with the discussion tool.

Participants will also learn how to structure a debate online to increase student critical thinking skills and deepen their knowledge on course topics, incorporate scenario based learning as an effective way for students to apply what they are learning to realistic situation and participants will learn how to create a discussion board in which students can become the expert on a course topic requiring them research, apply concepts and examples. Templates, assignment directions and examples will be provided.

After this webinar you will be able to:

1. Discuss techniques for increasing engagement using the discussion board.

2. Utilize planning worksheets and templates to implement discussion board concepts.

3. Increase student engagement with discussion boards.

Wed. February 21, 2018

Noon – 1

MOQI Webinar: Accessibility, UDL, and You
In this webinar, participants will learn the difference between the accessible course design and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). They will review the important role faculty play in designing courses that are accessible and inclusive. Principles of UDL will be introduced.

Participants will learn about how to create accessible course content using Word, PowerPoint, Mediaspace, and D2L Brightspace files. Handouts and guides will be provided.

After this webinar, you will be able to:

1. Explain the difference between and main concepts of accessible course design, accommodation, and Universal Design Learning principles.

2. Identify several strategies for implementing UDL principles in your own course.

3. Create accessible course content including course documents (Word, PowerPoint, PDF), video captioning in Mediaspace, and content pages in Brightspace.

Wed. February 28, 2018

Noon-1

MOQI Webinar: Learning Objectives: What, Why, Where, & How

Well-written learning objectives establish the foundation upon which courses are designed and delivered. They form the basis for the instructional materials and assessments that are included in the course. Learning Objectives serve as an implied contract between the instructor and student by defining what is to be taught and what is to be learned, so communicating these objectives clearly is a crucial step in assuring an effective learning experience.

This session will review best practices for creating and sharing measurable learning objectives in your online or blended course.

Wed. March 7, 2018

Noon – 1

MOQI Webinar: The ABCs of Assessments

Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing are often used interchangeably. What do we mean when we talk about formative assessment, summative assessment, aligned assessment, and evaluation? Is that the same as testing?

Assessment is a crucial part of any course because it allows your students to demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives. But how do you know what type of assessment to choose?

Wed. March 21, 2018

Noon-1

MOQI Webinar: Lights, Camera, Action…Recorded Lectures
This session will feature practical information and skills needed to produce high-quality and polished recorded lectures. In addition to a review of PowerPoint fundamentals and design, participants will learn what makes a clear and engaging recorded lecture, how to fine-tune delivery, what to capture and best practices from the broadcast industry and on-air presence. This session will focus on the pedagogy of recorded lectures not the technology. Templates and handouts for producing recorded lectures will be provided.

After this webinar you will be able to:

1. Describe PowerPoint design elements: theme, images, accessibility features, and use of master templates.

2. Create a video outline for instructional videos.

3. Utilize a planning document to produce effective recorded lectures.

4. Apply broadcast industry best practices for recorded lectures.

Wed. March 28, 2018

Noon – 1

Participants will learn about how to create accessible course content using Word, PowerPoint, Mediaspace, and D2L Brightspace files. Handouts and guides will be provided.

After this webinar, you will be able to:

1. Explain the difference between and main concepts of accessible course design, accommodation, and Universal Design Learning principles.

2. Identify several strategies for implementing UDL principles in your own course.

3. Create accessible course content including course documents (Word, PowerPoint, PDF), video captioning in Mediaspace, and content pages in Brightspace.

Wed. April 4, 2018

Noon – 1

MOQI Webinar: Mediaspace for Recorded Lectures
In this webinar, participants will learn how to capture a lecture using Mediaspace as well as how to integrate their lectures into D2L Brightspace. This webinar will focus on the technical aspects of recording lectures including audio levels, camera composition, capturing web camera and PowerPoint presentations, editing, machine-close caption the video and share this in D2L Brightspace. Step-by-step guides will be provided.

After this webinar you will be able to:

1. Utilize Mediaspace to record lectures including web camera and presentations.

2. Share recorded lectures in D2L Brightspace.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Noon – 1

MOQI Webinar: Tips to Improve Navigation, Usability, and Organization in your Online or Blended Course

This session will introduce you to different ways to create and organize your course content to improve the learning experience for your students. Tips will include different content creation strategies to improve accessibility and usability. Several different course organization approaches will be shared that will streamline the learning experience for your students including how to link other Brightspace and external tools into your course content area.

Category: Professional Development, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT

February 8

Instructor Presence and Immediacy

Dwinnells (2017) gives great advice on how to keep up with your online students and give them the feeling that you are present, or as he called it: How to Keep from Going MIA in Your Online Course. Many researchers have confirmed that instructor presence or immediacy positively correlate with student satisfaction and success. I will list his suggestions with my comments below. Click here to view the full Faculty Focus post.

Set times to “go to class.” Advise your students (and do the same yourself) to check in every day for a few minutes and see if t here is a new discussion post or a question (for you), but actually “attend” the class for a half hour to an hour, two to three times a week.
Find ways to personalize your course with your presence. Include media such as a welcome video or audio at the beginning of the course, or in Announcements, and consider video/audio feedback for some assignments. If you can’t do an audio/video try to post a picture of yourself and add some biographical information such as your hobbies and interests, besides your office hours and syllabus. This helps humanizing and personalizing you as an instructor, which ultimately creates a sense of presence and a feeling of community and safety for your students. Encourage them to do the same in a designated discussion forum.
Seek opportunities to engage students in creative ways. Try to personalize feedback, mention your students’ names whenever you can.
Use discussion boards wisely and often.
Remember that online does not mean off-line: “One could have a beautifully designed online course, but with an off-line professor the learning experience will lack the depth, breadth, and richness of a true learning experience.”

Another point to consider is how nonverbal communication and gauging emotions is lost in online courses. There are ways to assess your student’s emotions and behavior in a fully online class. Here is a short article on emotional presence and why it matters.

Category: Online and Distance Education, Online Teaching Pedagogy | LEAVE A COMMENT

December 29

ATT Sessions at January Faculty Workshops

January 4-8, 2016 Faculty Workshops will be held on various topics concerning Student Retention and Success. Our ATT team will be holding several sessions regarding using D2L, incorporating research based and best practices to help faculty design and deliver their courses in the both teacher and student friendly way. You can view the Full Schedule here. Below are the sessions facilitated by the Academic Technology Team. All are on Monday, January 4, and will be held in Centennial Hall 455 Lab.

10:00–11:15

Concurrent Sessions A

Using the D2L Discussion Board

This is a hands-on session designed for the novice user. In this session participants will learn how to create a Discussion where you and your students can post, read, and reply to messages on different topics, share thoughts about course materials, ask questions, share files, or where students can work with peers on assignments and homework.

Best Practices will cover:

a. Setting expectations—substantive posts, appropriate tone and respectful language, due dates

b. Responding to student posts

c. Attaching a rubric. (Rubric will be provided)

d. Attaching a discussion to the gradebook.

11:30-12:45

CONCURRENT SESSIONS B

Using D2L Discussion boards to engage students.

This is a hands on session designed for the intermediate to advance user. In this session the participants will learn how to use the discussion board to:

a. Introduce students to themselves (works for online and F2F classes)

b. How to pose a good discussion question (student- led vs. instructor led)

c. Use in a Face2Face class

d. Discussion use in a cohort to develop community.

3:30-4:45

CONCURRENT SESSIONS D

Importing Final Grades From D2L Brightspace Into ISRS

Faculty can now import student final grades directly from D2L Brightspace into ISRS via the eServices Grade and LDA Entry interface. Attend this hands-on session and learn how to: Prepare the D2L Brightspace gradebook settings to enable import to ISRS. Use “Grade and LDA Entry” in eServices to import final grades from D2L Brightspace. This session is open to all faculty using D2L Brightspace. Before attending this session, faculty should request their class shell(s) at http://huskynet.stcloudstate.edu/instructional/d2l. Prerequisites:

-Have a class shell to work in during the hands on session.

-Have a developed gradebook

Category: Course Design, D2L Tip of the Month, Online Teaching Pedagogy, Professional Development | LEAVE A COMMENT

A . T . T . N !

Academic Technologies Team News

T4TL Feb. 14 & 15 Workshop

Engage Your Learners: Using Soft Chalk, Library Widgets, and Media Space

MOQI Webinars for Spring Semester 2018

Instructor Presence and Immediacy

ATT Sessions at January Faculty Workshops