Blackboard

• Blackboard Basics
• Collaborative Environments in Blackboard
• Blackboard Assignment Manager
• Best Practices for Online Assessments
• Blackboard Gradebook
• Blackboard Course Maintenance
• What's New in Blackboard 7.3?

Integrating Technology

• ERes Basics
• Web 2.0: Blogs, RSS Feeds, and Podcasting
• Integrating Technology Through the Creation of a Web-enhanced Course
• An Introduction to Moodle

Other workshop and training opportunities are offered by

Gutman Library

Learning & Advising Center

Office of Information Technology

Other Topics

Is there a topic you would like to see offered as a workshop? Do you want to have a School/Department workshop on a specific topic? Please contact Mark Clauburg, Instructional Design Specialist, with your thoughts and ideas.

Blackboard Basics I & II*

This workshop will cover the preliminary steps necessary to creating an effective Blackboard Course Site including layout and materials.

Level I will cover how to:

• modify course settings and options
• customize the menu and course design
• add/delete/modify content, specifically Announcements & Syllabus

Level II will cover how to:

• add/delete/modify content areas
• organize content in a user-friendly format
• upload files
• create external and internal links
• use the Quick Edit and Text Box Editor features

*Both classes are recommended before you start teaching with Blackboard.

Collaborative Environments in Blackboard*

There are times when a good class discussion needs to be continued outside of class or there is no time in class, but a discussion would be valuable. Blackboard has several tools that will facilitate discussion and collaboration outside of the classroom. These tools include the Discussion Boards, Groups, the Virtual Classroom and the Lightweight Chat feature. In this workshop we will explore these four tools and how they can be incorporated into a course.

*No prior knowledge necessary.

Blackboard Assignment Manager*

Rather than collecting several reams of paper during class, Blackboard provides a tool that allow students to submit assignments electronically. The new Assignment Manager takes the best parts of the Digital Drop Box and adds organization, gradeability, and focus. In this workshop we will explore the Assignment Manager and how you can use this tool to create efficient grading practices for your courses.

*No prior knowledge necessary.

To learn more about this topic,
please contact Mark Clauburg (x6332).

Best Practices for Online Assessments*

This workshop will explore the online assessment tools built-in to Blackboard: quizzes, surveys and the question pool. Attendees will learn how to set up, produce, and evaluate quizzes and surveys. Attendees will also will learn how to populate a question pool and use that pool to create an online quiz (time permitting).

*No prior knowledge necessary.

Blackboard makes it very easy to add, manage and track student grades. This workshop will explore strategies for setting up a grade book, whether you use a straight point system or weight grades. Topics include adding, modifying and deleting gradebook items, weighting grades, changing the grading scale, and changing the grade display options.

This is a hands-on workshop designed for instructors already familiar with the Blackboard course management system.

*Experience with Blackboard highly recommended.

On October 24, 2008, Philadelphia University will upgrade its course management system from Blackboard Learning System - Basic Edition 6.3 to 7.3. Blackboard 7.3 provides major enhancements to the Discussion Board and minor improvements to other features such assessments, gradebook, and announcements. In this session, we will go over the new Discussion Board as well as briefly cover highlighted changes to several tools in the new version.
 

*Experience with Blackboard highly recommended.

What do you do with your course site at the end of the semester? How do I reuse my course site next semester/year? This workshop will explore the utilities you will need to archive, recycle, copy, reuse, and prepare your course for the next year/semester.

This is a hands-on workshop designed for instructors already familiar with the Blackboard course management system.

*Experience with Blackboard highly recommended.

ERes Basics*

ERes is the electronic reserve system of Gutman Library. It supports the posting of all forms of Microsoft Office documents, text documents and scanned documents to a Web-based course page. "DocuFax" allows you to fax documents that are then automatically scanned into PDF format for addition to a course page.

Workshop attendees will learn how to work with the latest version of ERes (v5.1). Topics will include creating new and editing existing course pages, uploading files, and retrieving DocuFax documents.

*No prior knowledge necessary.

November 4, 2008
11:30-12:30
Search Hall 301

To learn more about this topic,
please contact Mark Clauburg (x6332).

Web 2.0: Blogs, RSS Feeds, and Podcasting*

Web 2.0 is changing the way tech-savvy professors teach their courses. This workshop will explore a variety of Web 2.0 tools that can enhance the classroom and online learning experience. Blogs, RSS feeds, and podcasting will be covered and discussed. We will explore the impact that Podcasting has already had on education and show several examples of how Podcasting is integrated into the classroom environment. Attendees will also learn the basics of creating Podcasts on both the Macintosh and PC platforms and hosting them on iTunes University.

*No prior knowledge necessary.

To learn more about this topic,
please contact Mark Clauburg (x6332).

Integrating Technology Through the Creation of a Web-enhanced Course*

Using the "Classroom Flip" curriculum created by J. Wesley Baker at Cedarville College, this workshop will introduce a different approach to technology integration. Through the examination of your course goals and objectives and harnessing the tools and power of Blackboard, you can create a web-enhanced (face-to-face/online) course that will enhance your teaching and your students' learning. This workshop will introduce the "Classroom Flip" model and provide you with the tools and guidance necessary to create and implement your web-enhanced course.

*No prior knowledge necessary.

November 20, 2008
11:30-12:30
Gutman Media Classroom

To learn more about this topic,
please contact Mark Clauburg (x6332).

An Introduction to the Moodle Content Management System*

This workshop covers the use of Moodle as a Content Management System and its pedagogical applications in college courses, both for online and blended formats.

Topics:

- Philosophy of Moodle and general features
- Class materials: importing or creating class materials
- Uses of Moodle for interaction
- Options for submitting assignments
- Grading system and grading options
- Other features

*No prior knowledge necessary.

December 2, 2008
11:30-12:30
Gutman Media Classroom

To learn more about this topic,
please contact Mark Clauburg (x6332).