DE in Focus

Respondus 4.0 Training Webinars

2012-01-13T12:16:00.001-06:00

Passing along this information from our friends at Respondus...

These free sessions, offered by Respondus, are a great opportunity for anyone who might be new to Respondus 4.0. They are also perfect for anyone who has used the software before and wants a refresher.

Webinar: Creating Content with Respondus 4.0 (45 minutes)
Wednesday, January 25^th at 2 p.m. ET – Register
Thursday, January 26^th at 4 p.m. ET – Register (Repeat Session)

This training will cover the following:

Overview of Respondus 4.0
Using the Import Wizard to bring in questions from other sources; includes formatting tips for Word files
Copying items from other Respondus files from the Edit Tab
Accessing publisher test banks through the Respondus Test Bank Network
Using the Retrieval Tab to reuse and/or edit assessments already in your LMS
Q&A

Space is limited so Respondus recommends signing up soon. JSU has a campus-wide license for this software...let us know if you need help accessing the instructions and installation files.

Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online

2011-12-20T10:02:00.000-06:00

From the Jossey-Bass Online Teaching and Learning community...

Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online

Blackboard Exemplary Course Program

2011-12-16T10:37:00.000-06:00

The Blackboard Catalyst Awards, which include the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program, honor those who push the boundaries of their educational programs and technology in order to deliver innovative and effective learning experiences.

Submitting your course to the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program has many benefits, including:

Develop a fresh perspective by seeing how other institutions are implementing industry best practices
Learn course design best practices to improve the engagement, collaboration, assessment and learner support within your own courses or courses you help develop
Receive detailed feedback on your submitted course from course reviewers across the world
Gain peer, institution, and industry recognition for your accomplishments and participation in the program

Learn more about the program, including exemplary course criteria and submission details, here. JSU faculty can also contact Carey Smouse to discuss your submission or to get started with the process. Deadline is February 29, so don't wait!

Want to get an idea what you're up against? View just one past award winning course below or visit the Exemplary Course Program page to see them all!

Hiding Grade Center Columns from Students

2011-11-14T09:18:00.001-06:00

Do you use Grade Center columns for tracking and recording student data (attendance, grades, averages, etc.) that you don't want to be visible to students via the My Grades tool? If so, here's a friendly reminder about how to make that possible:

Using the Hide Column options in the Grade Center simply hide columns from instructor view. These options are typically used to hide columns that aren't being used or that "get in the way" of quick grade review and entry. Without making additional changes, these columns will still be visible to students.

To hide columns from students, first select Edit Column Information from the drop-down menu in the column header. Then, select "No" for Show this Column to Students.

The Show/Hide to Users option from the drop-down menu in the column header is a shortcut that can be used to quickly adjust column visibility to students.

Web Conferencing in Blackboard IM

2011-11-10T12:06:00.001-06:00

Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing is now available for all users (faculty, staff, and students) inside Blackboard IM.

Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing offers full collaboration capabilities, including application sharing, web tours, breakout rooms, and recording functionality. It will be the eventual replacement for Wimba Classroom and works much like similar products such as WebEx, GoToMeeting, and Adobe Connect.

Here's a quick demo:

One important distinction to note is that users must have the main IM window (with the Contacts and Classmates tabs) active and selected for the Conference option (under the Tools menu) to work properly. Selecting Conference from any other window, such as an active chat or collaboration window, will show the Invite to Web Conference option grayed out.

If a web conference is recorded, users will receive an IM message after the recording is processed with a link to review or distribute.

Have questions? Ask in the Comments section or contact our office via email, our Blackboard IM help desk, or telephone.

Sir Ken Robinson on Changing Education Paradigms

2011-11-09T15:03:00.001-06:00

Thought provoking and worth the 11 or so minutes...

Going the Distance

2011-11-09T13:12:00.003-06:00

The ninth annual survey report on online learning in the US, a collaborative effort between the Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board, was recently released. A few survey highlights from the report website:

Over 6.1 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2010 term, an increase of 560,000 students over the previous year.
The 10% growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 2% growth in the overall higher education student population.
Thirty-one percent of higher education students now take at least one course online.
65% of higher education institutions now say that online learning is a critical part of their long-term strategy.

Want to know more? View the full "Going the Distance: Online Education in the United States, 2011" report.

Reader's Guide instead of Chapter Quizzes?

2011-10-31T08:58:00.000-05:00

Interesting approach to increasing textbook reading compliance/comprehension...

A three-section Reader's Guide given to students as a graded assignment for each chapter in the textbook - read more:

Faculty Focus Email - Reader's Guide

PDF of Reader's Guide from Tiffany Culver, PhD, assistant professor of Psychology at Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College.

Paste from Word Option in Blackboard

2011-10-27T14:32:00.002-05:00

Many faculty and students first create content in Microsoft Word and then copy and paste it into Blackboard. This action often results in excess code in Blackboard content items, which can cause a variety of problems and errors within courses.

We've traditionally recommended first copying text from Word to a plain text editor (such as Notepad or TextEdit) and then copying from the text editor to Blackboard, but this can be a hassle. Fortunately, there's now a better way! Enter Paste from Word...

Available for both faculty and students anywhere the text editor is found in Blackboard (items, folders, discussion boards, blogs, etc.), the new Paste from Word mashup option keeps courses clean by stripping out the excess code.

First:

Next:

Finally, in the pop-up window:

Designing Slides for the Virtual Classroom

2011-10-25T13:20:00.002-05:00

Do you teach using Wimba Classroom or Blackboard Collaborate? If so, you might be interested in this webinar - 11½ Tips for Designing Slides and Interactions for Live Online Training - before you create your next presentation.

Ruth Clark, co-author of The New Virtual Classroom (a great resource for online instructors), published this article on visuals for learning. My favorite, easy-to-remember tip? Avoid "pumpkin graphics". Pumpkin graphics are images that may have aesthetic appeal but don't add learning value. (The name evolved from this situation that many of us have found ourselves in: You're developing a slide presentation for a course and find yourself with a text-heavy slide. You don't have an image handy that relates to the course content and decide: "Hey...it's October. This is a beautiful pumpkin photo - I'll throw that in.")

Getting Started Guides from Blackboard

2011-10-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

The Blackboard On Demand Learning Center is a wonderful resource for faculty and students - full of videos, best practices, and many other free resources to help make your Blackboard experience easier and better. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend doing so.

Though the videos are great, sometimes a printable document is just what you need. The below "Getting Started..." guides provide steps and screenshots for accomplishing many common instructor tasks.

Getting Started with Your Course Environment

Getting Started with Course Content

Getting Started with Groups

Getting Started with the Grade Center

Getting Started with Building a Test

Getting Started with Assignments

As a reminder, JSU provides seven fully online training courses for faculty, accessible through the My Courses module in Blackboard. If you need something else or have individual questions about your course, please contact our Office by email (dlhelp@jsu.edu), telephone (256.782.8172), or through our Blackboard IM help desk. We're here to serve you!

Testing using Blackboard

2011-10-06T14:44:00.000-05:00

Many instructors use Blackboard for test creation and deployment in both fully online and hybrid classes. Below are some general recommendations for faculty to consider when using Blackboard for testing:

Test Creation Recommendations for Instructors:

Copying content into Blackboard: To reuse test content from Microsoft Word (or other word processing programs), first copy text from Word to a plain text editor (such as Notepad or TextEdit) and then copy from the text editor to Blackboard. This removes excess code which, when included in your Blackboard content, can result in a variety of errors and problems within your course.
Special Characters: Avoid using special characters, such as # / * % & + - \, in exam names. This can result in a variety of errors and problems within your course.
Practice Tests: Provide a practice test set to allow unlimited attempts, but otherwise similiar in settings and question types used on actual graded exams. If using the Respondus LockDown Browser, consider providing one practice test requiring use of the LockDown Browser and one without the requirement.
Timing: Consider fairly tight time frames to enhance overall test security. In general, consider 60-90 seconds per multiple choice or other objective question within a 24-48 hour window for completion. Consider time needed for technical issues.
Test Feedback: Provide only the score immediately upon test completion. After all students have completed the exam, go back and allow access to submitted and correct answers, along with any other feedback provided.
Questions: To enhance test security, use the "Randomize Questions" option and consider using random blocks of questions pulled from question pools created in Blackboard.
Test Presentation: Consider the "One at a Time" option, which automatically saves student responses when advancing to a new question and also contributes to test security.

The above practices can help prevent many routine issues students encounter during test taking. Consider also providing the below general recommendations to students in advance of the first exam in your course.

General Test Taking Recommendations for Students:

Don't wait until the last minute! Allow for time to seek assistance with any technical issues you may encounter.
Always use a wired (not wireless) connection.
Review the Blackboard System Requirements.
Always answer any security questions in such a way that allows all content, both secured and non-secured.
Consider retaking any practice test(s) provided by the instructor to be sure you can still complete it successfully (especially important if has been a while since you last completed it or you are using a different computer).
Be sure you have no other programs running while taking the exam.
On essay and short answer questions, don't paste in text from othersources such as Word or web sites. When copying text into Blackboard,it should always be pasted into a plain text editor, such as Notepad,first and then copied from there to strip unwanted code.

Recommendations for Tests Requiring the Respondus LockDown Browser:

Be sure Internet Explorer (Windows) or Safari (Mac) is configured correctly (cookies at default level, java enabled, no popup blockers)
When using the Respondus LockDown Browser, some security software can interfere, especially firewalls. You may need to clear the Respondus LockDown Browser in firewalls.

Importing Test Questions into Blackboard Using Respondus

2011-10-05T10:42:00.002-05:00

Do you create test questions in Microsoft Word before creating the test or pool in Blackboard? Have you ever copied and pasted test questions into Blackboard and found that your formatting, images, or other content did not display properly? If so, using Respondus to import questions can likely help.

Respondus, which is available free of charge to all JSU faculty members, is test creation software that allows you to import questions from external sources and then publish a test directly to Blackboard. You can also create tests or pools directly in Respondus or draw on resources from the extensive Respondus Test Bank Network. The below Tech Tip video from Respondus shows you just how the Import Questions feature works.

As a reminder, copying and pasting content from Microsoft Word (or other word processing programs) is strongly discouraged. This can cause excess code to be included in your Blackboard content, which can result in a variety of errors and problems within your course. Instead, try copying text from Word to a plain text editor (such as Notepad or TextEdit) and then copying from the text editor to Blackboard.

As always, contact our Office for additional information!

Standards for Exemplary Distance Education Courses

2011-10-03T10:14:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder about what constitutes a truly great online or hybrid course? Want to improve your own course(s)? Check out the Standards for Exemplary Distance Education Courses policy provided by the Office of Distance Education. This policy/checklist pulls together all the exemplary course requirements from the Blackboard Exemplary Course Rubric on which it is based.

Review your own course, ask a colleague to review it for you, or contact our Office for a formal course review - what you find will surely help improve your future courses and can help you decide about submitting to the 2012 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program. Details about this program will be coming soon!

Want to see some winning courses? Check out the Exemplary Course Program page for a full listing of 2011 winners, including course tours.

Views: Classroom Styles - Inside Higher Ed

2011-09-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

Interesting discussion on learning, thinking, and classroom styles in higher education. Robert J. Sternberg, provost, senior vice president, and Regents Professor of Psychology and Education at Oklahoma State University, says this:

"In sum, styles of learning and thinking matter in the classroom. We best serve our students when we teach in a way that enables all students to capitalize on their preferred styles at least some of the time, but that recognizes that students must acquire flexibility in their use of styles and so cannot always learn in their preferred way...Our goal in higher education should be to prepare students for the diverse demands later courses and careers will make on their learning and thinking styles so that they can be successful not just in our course, but in their later studies and work."

Read more here:

Views: Classroom Styles - Inside Higher Ed

Fall Respondus Webinar Series

2011-09-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

Respondus is once again offering a series of webinars for faculty wanting to learn more about using these products. All of these tools are available at JSU, so sign up and learn how to get started. Have questions? Contact the Office of Distance Education!

LockDown Browser: Reduce Cheating During OnlineTests
Thursday, September 29 at 2 pm ET — Register
Tuesday, October 4 at3 pm ET — Register (Repeat session)

StudyMate: Create Learning Activities in Minutes
Wednesday, October 5 at 1 pm ET — Register
Wednesday, October12 at 3 pm ET — Register (Repeatsession)

Respondus Test BankNetwork: Fast, Easy Ways to Use Publisher Test Banks
Wednesday, September 28 at 1 pm ET —Register

Respondus 4.0: Online Assessments Made Easy
Thursday, October 6 at 2 pm ET — Register

Want more students to read your syllabus?

2011-08-31T07:44:00.003-05:00

One of the latest posts to the ProfHacker blog, Creative Approaches to the Syllabus, has some fantastic examples of syllabi that contain all the traditional content presented in a visually appealing manner.

My favorite, from Elaine Young at Champlain College, is a graphic syllabus that looks more like a professionally done newsletter than a syllabus. I'm not sure I could resist reading a syllabus like this from top to bottom even if I tried.

Even if you're not a graphic designer, something similar to these (at least something that is a significant departure from the text-only traditional syllabus) could be created using templates in Microsoft Publisher or similar programs.

Alternatively, the Syllabus tool inside Blackboard allows you to create a syllabus to display within Blackboard. Choose one of the pre-defined styles or create your own, add images or videos along with your content, and you've got something that is surely more appealing than the traditional version.

JSU Faculty - As a reminder, Blackboard Help resources are available from the Office of Distance Education and Blackboard. Be sure to check out the On Demand Learning Center with video and text resources for faculty and students, as well as the seven online training courses for faculty available in your My Courses module in Blackboard.

Do you have a creative syllabus you'd like to share? Doing something else different in your courses this year? Let us know!

JSU featured in NBC Learn newsletter

2011-08-23T10:43:00.005-05:00

JSU is featured in the Client Profile section of the latest NBC Learn newsletter! Rodney Bailey and Chris Waddle share how they have used NBC Learn in their classes.

In Blackboard 9.1, NBC Learn videos can be added into courses by students and instructors using the Add Mashup tool in the Text Editor. This means that videos can be quickly and easily included in discussion board and blog posts, in assignments and exams, in announcements, and more.

Are you using NBC Learn? To quote Dr. Seuss, "If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good." Fun, yes, but also a great way to enhance your online or traditional classes and engage your students with clips from years of NBC News archives.

What's New in 9.1?...Interactive Rubrics

2011-08-11T12:02:00.017-05:00

One of my favorite changes in 9.1 is the addition of interactive rubrics. From the Blackboard website:

Interactive rubrics will help you:

Increase Efficiency – Rubrics built right into the grading workflow with click-and-score simplicity saves you time.
Support Consistent and Quality Feedback – Rubrics empower educators to provide consistent evaluation and higher quality feedback to students.
Promote 21st Century Skills - We’ve made it easier to use essay questions, individual and group assignments, blogs, wikis and discussion boards as assessment activities which foster critical thinking and collaboration.

These are easy to create, can be linked to many different forms of assessment, and can be shared with students when an assignment is made, after assignment submission, or both. Once created, rubrics can be linked to assignments, discussion boards, blogs, test questions, etc. at the same time that other grading options are selected.

After receiving student submissions, rubrics can be filled in during the grading process and returned to students if desired. Want to learn more? Check out the On Demand Learning Center for videos such as Creating a Grading Rubric and Grading with Rubrics.

Blackboard Collaborate Distinguished Lecture Series

2011-08-08T13:49:00.003-05:00

Want to learn from other faculty using the Blackboard Collaborate suite of products (web conferencing via Wimba Classroom, voice authoring via Wimba Voice, and instant messaging via Blackboard IM)? If so, check out the Distinguished Lecture Series - a free webinar series featuring various faculty and institutions using one or more of the Blackboard Collaborate products.

Among those coming soon: colleagues from Auburn discussing voice authoring and a team from UMass Boston and Bloomsburg University sharing about accessible virtual classrooms for students with disabilities.

In many cases, these webinars also feature the latest release of Blackboard Collaborate, giving you a preview of what's to come at JSU. Join us next time!

ScreenChomp from TechSmith

2011-08-04T08:36:00.003-05:00

Discovered a new iPad app from TechSmith (the company responsible for Camtasia, Jing, and SnagIt) - ScreenChomp. This free and simple-to-use app allows you to record quick demonstrations using an interactive whiteboard that can then be shared via email, to Facebook or Twitter, or through Blackboard using the URL feature.

Check out this quick demo!

What's New in 9.1?...Priority Ordering in My Courses Listing

2011-07-28T09:18:00.006-05:00

You've been asking for years and release 9.1 delivers...priority ordering of courses in the My Courses module on the My Blackboard page! Ever wanted to sort your course listing by term? Or by course? Or by section? You'll love this change in 9.1!

From the My Blackboard page, click on the small circular icon in the upper right hand corner of the My Courses module. This takes you to the Personalize: My Courses page.

From here, use the familiar drag-and-drop handles to order the courses according to your preferences. Just click Submit and enjoy your new priority ordered course listing!

As a reminder, the JSU Blackboard upgrade to release 9.1 is this weekend. The Office of Distance Education anticipates that Blackboard will be available again no later than August 15. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

What's New in 9.1?...Grade Center Color Coding

2011-06-30T09:01:00.006-05:00

Ever wanted to customize your Grade Center view? Be able to see at a glance which students might be struggling in your course or doing really well? Know which assignments need grading with a quick look? Release 9.1 brings Grade Center color coding, which allows instructors to do all these things and more.

Watch this video to see color coding in action or experiment yourself using the sandbox courses available for JSU instructors on our 9.1 training environment. Access instructions are available on the Faculty Training page on our website.

Michael Chasen on Blackboard 9.1

2011-06-30T08:20:00.007-05:00

The latest release of Blackboard 9.1, Service Pack 6, is now available. Want to learn more about the latest features? Register for one of the What's New in SP6 for Educators webinars taking place in July, explore the online faculty training available from JSU, or contact us in the Office of Distance Education!

Chris Waddle on NBC Learn

2011-06-27T12:13:00.003-05:00

Don't miss Chris Waddle's article on NBC Learn in the latest edition of the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) newsletter! NBC Learn, which is integrated into Blackboard, offers unique collections of video resources, primary source documents, historic footage, images and mini-documentaries designed for use in education. Learn more about it here or contact us at dlhelp@jsu.edu.