Instructional Technology @ PhilaU provides faculty with news, information,
resources,
and tips for using technology and integrating it into their curricula.
Instructional Technology @ PhilaU is published monthly by the Paul J.
Gutman Library.
It's hard to believe that the semester is already at its end. It seems like only yesterday we were preparing for the start of the school year. This semester has been busy, but many things have been accomplished.
Last week the TLTR sponsored a roundtable discussion on the past, present and future of technology in teaching and learning at Philadelphia University. The attendees split themselves up into groups to discuss issues around teaching with technology, faculty support and student support. All in attendance found the experience very rewarding and left with food for thought and ideas for future implementation. I am currently working on ways to implement some of the ideas suggested. Look for more information in the coming semester.
For those of you who are using Blackboard, there are several announcements in the Blackboard section of this month's issue. There are announcements regarding preparing courses for next Spring and archiving this Fall's work. Additionally there is some information about a contest sponsored by Blackboard Inc. to reward and encourage faculty in their use of technology to foster teaching and learning.
This issue also introduces a new section, Tip of the Month. If you have a tip you'd like to pass on, please let me know.
Happy Holidays!
Kristopher Wiemer
Instructional Technology Specialist
Table of Contents
Blackboard News
Spring Semester Courses
We are now accepting requests for Spring 2005 Blackboard Course Sites. If you plan to use Blackboard during the Spring 2005 semester, please complete the Blackboard Course Request Form located at http://www.philau.edu/ITS/bbreq.htm.
Please note these special instructions for those who would like to re-use previous material or create one Blackboard site for multiple sections.
- Reusing Material from a Previous Semester
Faculty who wish to reuse material from a previous semester are asked to indicate the Course Name, Semester, and, if known, the Course ID in the Course Import section. Course material that is more than 1 year old is not stored on the Blackboard server and therefore, the faculty member will be asked to submit an archived copy of their course prior to course creation. - Using One Blackboard Course Page for Multiple Sections
If you are teaching more than one section of a course, but would only like one Blackboard site, please indicate this in the Special Instructions/Requests section.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please review the Blackboard Policies and Procedures (http://www.philau.edu/ITS/bb/bbpolicy.htm) or contact me via phone (215-951-6332), e-mail (wiemerk@philau.edu) or stop by my office in the Gutman Library (Room 111).
Faculty Survey
Many thanks to those of you who completed our Blackboard Faculty Survey. I have received 60 responses from all six (6) schools and the results have been very enlightening. The results will be used to help plan for the future and to improve Blackboard support. If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact me. If you would like to see the survey results, a copy is available in my office.
End of Semester Maintenance
As the semester draws to a close there are a few suggested steps you should take to preserve your Blackboard site for the future. Step-by-step text and video instructions for these steps can be found at http://www.philau.edu/ITS/bb/endsem.htm.
- Export your gradebook and print a hardcopy.
- Save the Discussion Board forums.
- Archive your course.
NOTE: Be sure to Archive your course and NOT Export your course. Archiving creates a complete snapshot of your course including students and grades (useful if there is a grade dispute down the line).
We will be making all Fall 2004 courses unavailable to students when we return in January. These courses will remain available to you until the middle of the Fall 2005 semester when they will be removed from the server. If you have students who need access to your Fall 2004 course site to finish an incomplete or if your course continues through the month of January, or later, you may make your course available to them. It will be your responsibility to make the course unavailable once all work is completed.
If you have any questions about these steps, please feel free to contact me.
Blackboard Inc.'s Bbionic Course Contest
Blackboard Inc. has announced a contest to encourage the effective use of eLearning technology. This contest will reward five (5) winning teams with $5,000 for courses that are technologically rich and pedagogically sound. If you would like to enter one of your courses in this contest, please contact me and I will pass on further information and the required paperwork. Deadline for entering this contest is January 25, 2005.
December/January Workshops
Following is a list of workshops that are being offered during the months of December and early January. Descriptions can be found at http://www.philau.edu/ITS/workshops.htm.
| Blackboard: End of Semester Maintenance | Dec. 13, 4:00p - 5:00p |
Workshops for early January will be announced via e-mail during the week of December 13, 2004. |
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To register for any of these workshops, go to http://www.philau.edu/ITS/register.htm.
New Features of Blackboard and ERes
This month we'll focus on the new features in Blackboard offered by the addition of Application Packs 1 and 2.
As described in last month's Guide, Blackboard has developed a new software release schedule whereby they release quarterly updates rather than complete new versions every year or two. We have installed the first two updates and the third is do to be released later this month.
New Features from Application Pack 1
- Glossary
This tool allows you to create an online glossary of terms for your course. While many textbooks contain a glossary, this tool allows you to create your own easily accessible resource for your students. Items can be entered manually or you can upload a text document. You can access the Glossary Manager from the Control Panel and students can access it from the Tools, or Student Tools, button on your course menu. For a tutorial on using the Glossary Manager, go to http://www.iss.soton.ac.uk/landt/elearn/glossary.html at the University of Southampton. - Course Templates
This new tool allows you to create a course site that can be used as a blueprint for other courses. They can be created from scratch or from an existing course. This tool is very useful for multi-section courses where the goal is it to make the same material available to all Instructors, but still allowing the individual Instructors the freedom they need to teach the course with the tools they feel are appropriate. If you are interested in creating a template, please contact me to have one set up. - Course Creation Wizard
This tool is currently only available to the System Administrator. This tool allows me to create courses more quickly and in fewer steps.
New Features from Application Pack 2
- Test Answer & Survey Response Download
Through the Gradebook tool you now have the option to download the results of tests and surveys. This information can than be imported into any 3rd Party statistics program for analysis. The data is exported in a comma-delimited format which is compatible with most 3rd Party programs. To download the data for a particular online assessment,
- Go to Gradebook Views in the Control Panel.
- Select View Grades by Item.
- Select an item to view by clicking on it.
- Click on Download Results.
- Click on the Submit button to begin the download.
NOTE: Only multiple choice and true/false questions are supported with this tool.
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Quick Tool Linking
This new tool allows you to quickly add a link to any tool (e.g., Discussion Board, Gradebook, Virtual Classroom) on your content pages. For example, in my Teaching with Technology course site, I have created links to the related Discussion Boards for each topic.
You can add similar links to your course by clicking on the drop-down menu next Select on each course content page.
- Chalkbox Support
Chalkbox is a new generation course cartridge product created by the textbook publishers (currently Houghton Mifflin, Pearson Education, and Thomson Higher Education) in cooperation with Blackboard. The Chalkbox titles are designed to not only provide content, as the current course cartridges do, but also interactive tools created and often hosted by the textbook publishers. For more information about the Chalkbox titles and course cartridges available to you, contact your textbook publisher.
Tip of the Month
This is a new column to this Guide. Each month I will share with you a tip for making your work with technology a little easier. If there is a tip that you would like to share with your colleagues please send it along for inclusion in a future edition.
Organizing Your Course List in Blackboard
Our current format for recycling/removing/adding courses to Blackboard can have the side effect of having many courses listed in the My Courses module on the front page of your account. Here is a quick way to reduce the clutter and make it easier for you to find current courses more quickly.
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If you prefer to have all your courses listed in the My Courses module but need an easy way to distinguish between courses, check the box in Display Course ID column. When you go back to the My Courses module you will see the Course ID listed next to the name. The Course ID includes a four (4) character suffix that designates its semester and year (e.g., 04FL = Fall 2004, 05SP = Spring 2005). If you ever need to see a list of all your courses (e.g., you need the Course ID when requesting a new course), you can always see this by clicking on the Courses tab at the top of the screen. Here you will see a complete list of your courses and links to our Blackboard Course Catalog. |
Web Sites of Interest
The ePortfolio Portal (http://www.deskootenays.ca/wilton/eportfolios/)
This is an excellent site providing an overview of what ePortfolios are, how one might use them and links to further resources. The site includes a case study, exercises, and reviews of some ePortfolio products. The Portal also includes places for you to post comments and questions.
Chasing the Dragon's Tale(http://forum.belmont.edu/dragonstale/)
This blog is written by Paul Chenoweth of Belmont University. He explores various aspects of technology and learning using both personal observance and articles from various publications. His particular area of interest is in the technology gaps and digital divide between the various constituencies on a college campus. Great discussions and insight from both the author and his readers.
Request for Information
What are you doing in your classes? Do you have a technology strategy/tool that has worked well for you and your students? Are you doing something innovative with Blackboard? Do you have a tip or trick for making Blackboard easier to use? Is there a topic you’d like to see investigated in this newsletter?
Send your ideas, questions, comments, concerns, best practices, etc.
to wiemerk@philau.edu.
Contact Information
Kristopher Wiemer, Instructional Technology Specialist
Paul J. Gutman Library, Room 111
(215)951-6332
wiemerk@philau.edu
http://www.philau.edu/ITS (click on IT@PhilaU for archives)
http://staff.philau.edu/wiemerk