Blackboard, e-Learning and Computer Applications
Presented by the Veraldi Instructional Technology Resource Center
VITRC provides Just-In-Time delivery of all training courses. Please contact our department at vitrc@ltu.edu or (248) 204-3750 to arrange a day and time most convenient for you.
COURSES
Blackboard Afternoon Seminar
The Blackboard Training Seminar series enables participants to select from hands-on sessions on both beginner and intermediate levels. Topics include: Portal navigation, Posting Documents and Announcements, Discussion Board, Digital Dropbox, Gradebook and Assessment features. Strategies and tips for integrating the use of Blackboard features into Bb sites will be discussed.
Blackboard CSI: Course Strategy Improvement Makeovers
By individual appointment with Linda Wareck, Instructional Technologist.
These individual appointments with a Bb specialist assists faculty members with specific details of their course design. The focus is on using Bb strategies and features for enhancing the teaching and learning process.
Blackboard Discussion Board & Collaboration Tools: Strategies for Enhancing Online Communication
Are you interested in engaging your students in dialogue online? Would you like having students participate in discussions of more depth on course topics?
Using the Blackboard Discussion Board efficiently as a communication tool enhances the learning experience for students. Collaborating using the Bb Virtual Classroom enables interactivity in the online classroom. This hands-on workshop focuses on strategies for using the Bb Discussion Board for blending with your classroom activities. It also introduces the Bb Virtual Classroom as a collaborative teaching tool using “real time” communication.
Topics relating to the discussion board will include the following: designing discussion forums to stimulate online dialogue, establishing expectations for posting to the discussion board, collaborating with students to set-up rules for evaluating quality of posts, integrating the discussion board grader with gradebook interface for evaluating student participation on line. Topics relating to the virtual classroom will include the following: creating collaboration sessions, using session controls while moderating, establishing rules and guidelines for online communication, managing questions from students, using the whiteboard and group browser features, using course map for linking to other areas of your Bb course site, and recording an archive of an online class session.
Bb Discussion Board Strategies for Faculty Communication: Facilitating Asynchronous Communication
Are you looking for teaching techniques to stimulate students’ dialogue? Do classroom discussions enhance opportunities for students to experience learning in newer ways? Using the Bb Discussion Board as a tool initiates asynchronous communication between students. This hands-on workshop focuses on strategies for using this communication tool for blending with your classroom environment. Topics will include the following: setting up a Forum, using discussion threads to enrich topics discussed, establishing rules and expectations for using the discussion board, guiding your students through this process, setting criteria and standards for evaluating participation, using the discussion board grader with gradebook interface for evaluating student participation on line, and strategies for effective instructional use.
Looking for a way to grab your students’ attention? Trying to train students to use software? Captivate may be just what you need. Formerly known as Robohelp, Captivate was recently purchased by Macromedia, the folks who bring you such classic applications as Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, and FreeHand. Captivate captures screen shots and other images (such as PowerPoint presentations and graphics files) and turns them into Flash movies. Audio can also be added. In addition, the application has interactive capabilities that can be very useful. Come explore this interesting new product.
Hands-on workshop!
Designing and Delivering a Hybrid Course
What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhino? Elephino!
Successful hybrids retain the best of both parents, but also must be suited to the environment in which they find themselves. In this workshop we’ll help you analyze your course or program and help you determine how best to hybridize. Bring all your course materials and we’ll dig right in.
e-Learning Delivery Options
VITRC provides a hands on demonstration of e-Learning Options that can eliminate redundancy, make more time available for your class and help improve student outcomes.
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Streaming Video - record a session only one time (homework problems, syllabus overview, etc.) for your students. They can review the recordings anywhere and anytime with just an Internet connection.
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Horizon Wimba Live Classroom - teach live from home or anywhere on or off campus with an Internet connection. Horizon Wimba Live Classroom is a powerful communications program that integrates with Blackboard. It allows faculty and students to build relationships by combining state-of-the-art interactive technologies such as voice, video, application sharing, polling, and white boarding that enhance traditional best practices of instruction.
The live session can also be recorded for student review. -
Live Webcasting - Stream you session "live" to students (with Internet access) located anywhere. You also have the option of allowing students to ask questions via the telephone or email.
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Video Conferencing - for example, teaching from Southfield to Alpena in the same session.
Microsoft Office Collaboration Sessions
MS Word and Excel Collaboration
Does this sound familiar? You have a document that needs to be sent and reviewed by two or three other department members. What to do? Create the document; email to the other department members. Once changes are made, print out their return reviewed copies and try to ensure that you capture all of the changes to the main document.
Microsoft Office has features that make it easy to collaborate with others in a team, department or principles for reviewing, revising and formatting of documents.
Send documents for review
Insert view and edit comments
Locate and manage document change electronically
Create Excel forms that can be filled in by others
Create Excel forms that allow users to choose options
Use advanced features of Excel that make collaborating with others easier
Outlook Shared Calendar
Microsoft Outlook enables staff to collaborate with other Outlook users within their department. The calendar and scheduling component of Outlook is fully integrated with e-mail, contacts, and other features. You can view a day, week, or month at once. Topics include hands on instruction on how to create appointments and events, organize department meetings, view and manage a “department” calendar, and manage another user’s calendar.
This session will provide a hands-on introduction to Outlook Express. Topics include: connecting to LTU e-mail account from home computer, creating and managing mail folders, creating distribution list in address book, signatures, personal stationary, assigning a priority to an out-going mail message and creating a “new message” shortcut.
Using Blackboard for Developing Course Assessment Tools
Is creating tests for your students absorbing large amounts of your time? Would you like to have test questions you develop available to use “on the fly” when creating tests? Implementing the use of online Bb assessments is a user-friendly process. It saves instructional time, while promoting the convenience of online accessibility for students.
This hands-on workshop focuses on strategies for progressing to a paper free environment, when using Bb assessments in your courses. Topics will include the following: building, exporting, and importing question banks; creating online tests; developing non-graded surveys online; reviewing results in the Bb grade book; and strategies for implementing the use of online assessments in your courses.
Introduction to Webmail
Webmail allows you to pick up your LTU e-mail anytime from anywhere in the world! This session will show you how to view and send e-mail messages using your favorite "Outlook-like" interface, create and manage mailboxes, create and manage contacts and groups, spam and trash deletion, customize a signature, enable an auto reply “vacation or out-of-office” message.