**NEW**New Tools and Features in Blackboard 7.3
**ONLINE**Tuesday, March 3, 2009 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
With the recent upgrade of the Blackboard course management system to version 7.3, NIU faculty can expect to see a number of new and enhanced features when they log in to Blackboard. The new version introduces significant changes in the layout and functionality of the discussion board, some enhanced features in the gradebook and assessment component as well as a new early warning system that monitors student progress in a course and alerts faculty to possible performance problems. This online session will highlight these new and enhanced features and tools. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Learn the basics of creating and developing a course in Blackboard, NIU's Web Course Management System. Participants will get an overview of course layout and navigation, have an opportunity to place materials in a sample course, and also get assistance with requesting their own Blackboard courses. Advanced registration is required.
Online Teaching Brown Bag
Friday, March 6, 2009 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, Douglas Room, Holmes Student Center
If you have taught online, currently teach online, or want to learn more about online course development opportunities at NIU, please join your colleagues for an informal monthly discussion concerning aspects of online teaching and learning. An Internet connection will be available. Plan to bring a lunch and join the emerging conversations. No advanced registration required.
Quality and Engagement in Online Courses
Friday, March 6, 2009 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
If you have taught online, currently teach online, or are thinking about online course development, please join our special guest speaker, Burks Oakley (University of Illinois at Springfield), and your colleagues to discuss factors contributing to quality of online course development, the five pillars of quality, as well as student and faculty engagement. Refreshments will be provided. Sponsored by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard II: Building Your Blackboard Course
Monday, March 16, 2009 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
This hands-on workshop is a follow-up to the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop; we will cover the specifics of developing a course in Blackboard, including personalizing course navigation, setting up a materials-delivery structure and creating discussion areas. Participants will work in their own Blackboard courses and should bring to the session any course materials they want to upload or work with during the workshop. Files need to be on a flash drive (readable in a USB port) or on CD. Advanced registration is required.
Short Focused Tutorials
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
This hands-on workshop will demonstrate the mechanics of adding voice/video to existing PowerPoint slide presentations that are streamed using broadband connectivity. Faculty may consider using this educational strategy to reinforce a concept presented in their own face-to-face-class session, provide a tutorial on new information, or review material for an upcoming examination. Participants will be using Articulate Presenter, a remarkable software that compresses large-size files for more manageable distribution online. Participants should be familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint and should bring existing PowerPoint files to experiment with. Advanced registration is required and seating is very limited.
Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar: “Using Video-Taped Role Plays to Simulate Reality: Where the Classroom Meets the Business World” By Rick Ridnour (Department of Marketing)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009, Heritage Room, Holmes Student Center
Refreshments from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm, Seminar from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Role plays help students gain confidence, enhance communication skills and problem-solving abilities. Dr. Ridnour will present how his students practice creative problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills as they role play a business development appointment. The video-taped role plays receive peer and faculty reaction through which students learn to accept and provide meaningful feedback. No registration is required. Everyone is welcome!
Electronic Feedback to Enhance Teaching and Learning
Thursday, March 19, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
With many assignments being submitted online, why not provide feedback electronically? The Microsoft Office Word 2007 “Track Changes” feature can be used to review and annotate documents such as term papers, projects, and take-home tests. As you edit/review a document, “Track Changes” will record the changes you make in color and allow you to add comments directly to the document. After the marked up document is returned to the students electronically, they have the opportunity to provide their own feedback and commentary. The “Track Changes” feature is great for correcting drafts or editing other types of documents. Experience using Word is required. Please bring a Word file on a USB-type flash drive to the workshop. Advanced registration is required.
Getting Students Involved in Assessment
By Dr. Susan Hatfield (Director of Assessment and Accreditation, Winona State University)
Friday, March 20, 2009 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Most universities think about getting students involved in assessment simply as participants in the process -- filling out surveys, participating in focus groups, or providing evidence of learning. This workshop, by Dr. Susan Hatfield, will explore ways that students can play multiple roles in an assessment initiative. Specific topics include discussions on how students can: help create the processes and infrastructure of assessment, be encouraged to participate in assessment activities, become engaged in data interpretation, and assist in reporting results of assessment. Using Winona State's Assessment Day as an example, activities and exercises will be utilized to demonstrate techniques to engage students in all phases of an assessment initiative. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW**Tracking Student Performance in Blackboard Using the Early Warning System and Performance Dashboard
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am
Blackboard provides a variety of tools that help faculty track student performance in the course. The Early Warning System is a new feature integrated into Blackboard that allows faculty to monitor student performance proactively based on attendance, student assessment, and assessment due dates. This workshop will focus on setting up and running the Early Warning System rules to generate performance notifications, on using the Performance Dashboard to identify students who may experience performance problems, and on viewing and interpreting performance-based statistics. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW**Effective Delivery Techniques: Little Things that Make a Big Difference
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Presentations and lectures do not succeed entirely on the knowledge of the presenter. Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference, like organizing content on the board or delivering content at the right pace. In this workshop, we will discuss delivery and presentation techniques that can help you reach and engage with your students. Advanced registration required.
Advanced Short Focused Online Tutorials
Thursday, March 26, 2009 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
This hands-on workshop will demonstrate how to easily add stunning interactive content to your online courses. We will be using the program ‘Articulate Engage’ that allows users to integrate a number of compelling learning interactions without the need for expensive designs or programming. Although there are ten engaging interactions, we will focus on three (Process, Timeline, and Frequently Asked Questions). Advanced registration is required and seating is very limited.
Basic Video Capture and Editing
Monday, March 30, 2009 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
This hands-on workshop will demonstrate the mechanics of capturing video content from either analogue or digital formats, editing (including arranging video clips to order, adding titles, transition, music, and narration). This workshop will prepare participants to compile video clips from original formats to more efficient CD or DVD formats enhancing usability and transportation. Participants should be familiar with Windows and are recommended to bring video clips they would like to work on. Advanced registration is required and seating is very limited.
Dynamic Classroom Discussions
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Classroom discussions can help students better understand content, take a more active role in their learning, and foster a sense of community. This workshop will answer the question, “why have discussions?” and will highlight ways to design and use classroom discussions to create a dynamic teaching and learning experience. Advanced registration is required.
Please email your name, NIU Employee ID, classification, department, NIU email, NIU phone, and special accommodations (if any), to the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center at facdev@niu.edu, or register online at www.facdev.niu.edu/facdev/forms/fsprogreg.shtml. Program locations will be made available when you register. After submitting your registration, if you do not receive a response within two working days, please contact the Center. If you register for a program and are unable to attend it, please notify the Center at least two working days in advance so that those on the waiting list can be given the opportunity to attend that program. For information about NIU Account IDs used in Blackboard, contact ITS Customer Support: helpdesk@niu.edu or 753-8100.
Previous Month | Current Month | Next Month | Year View
Last Updated: 03/23/2009