Technology Integration Programs

Description:
NIU has adopted the Turning Technologies student response system (clickers) that faculty can use in conjunction with Blackboard to create an interactive learning experience. Faculty can use SRS in the classroom to engage students and provide them with instant feedback. Student assessment results can then be uploaded to Blackboard. This workshop is designed to explore the instructional possibilities of the SRS clicker system and its integration with Blackboard. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
Basic computer skills

Description:
With Microsoft Office 365, all faculty, staff, and students at NIU can collaborate in the same shared space, with the same tools. As one of the several tools available in Office 365, OneDrive makes file-sharing and group work quick and simple. Multiple collaborators can edit the same file, without creating multiple copies or conflicting changes. You and your students can access and edit documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and more from anywhere and on nearly any device. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn to create, share, and edit files within OneDrive. We will also discuss best practices for using OneDrive to promote collaboration./p>

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
Basic computer skills

Description:
Are you interested in creating your own videos to connect and engage with your students? Instructional videos can be easy to create using your mobile device (like a smartphone) and can be used to deliver content, introduce students to each module, or document a field experience. In this hands-on workshop, we will discuss tips and tricks for creating videos that are both well done and engaging for your students, and practice recording video. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Multimedia content is a relatively common feature used by faculty to supplement other instructional materials. Video, which is an increasingly popular in online courses, can be used for multiple purposes including instruction, self-narrative, introduction, or interview. While faculty can utilize video to provide a welcome alternative format as well as introduce a different perspective to course content, students who are passive viewers may find themselves disengaged. Interactive video technology allows faculty to incorporate annotations, narratives, and graphical elements into existing video content that requires users to make decisions or respond to inquiries. This session will demonstrate examples created from low/no cost software on existing YouTube video content. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
2 hours

Prerequisites:
Basic computer skills

Description:
It's not necessary to be a graphic designer or an artist to create great looking PowerPoint slides. However, it helps to know fundamental design and presentation principles to better relay your intended message to your audience. In this interactive workshop we will first evaluate the effectiveness of an existing PowerPoint presentation using a visual design appraisal checklist. Workshop participants will then create their own presentations following sound design and presentation principles. Bring existing work for a friendly critique. Experience using Microsoft PowerPoint is required. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
Experience using Microsoft PowerPoint

Description:
Faculty new to online/blended instruction can benefit by exploring a host of approaches that may work better for enhancing instruction and communication with their online students. This session is an introduction to the varied uses of audio in online/blended instruction. Participants will be exposed to examples of best practices as well as review a number of considerations in working with audio content such as determining hardware/software requirements, encoded file formats, and posting content. Through a series of guided exercises, participants will learn about free/low cost tools that can facilitate working with audio. Advance registration required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
Basic computer skills; basic Web navigation skills

Description:
Faculty new to online/blended instruction can benefit by exploring a host of approaches that may work better for enhancing instruction and communication with their online students. This session is an introduction to the varied uses of screencast tutorials in online/blended instruction. Participants will be exposed to examples of best practices as well as review a number of considerations in working with screencast tutorials such as determining hardware/software requirements, encoded file formats, and posting content. Through a series of guided exercises, participants will learn about free/low cost tools that can facilitate working in this area. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
2 hours

Prerequisites:
Basic computer skills; basic Web navigation skills

Description:
Enhance your online teaching skill set by learning about the latest emerging educational technologies being used in higher education today. Blackboard has many useful features, but there are so many more technologies you can use in your online courses. This online workshop will provide you with tips and tools for using technology in your teaching, from creating content to enhancing communication and collaboration. Please note, that while this workshop is not hands-on, you will have opportunities to explore some of these tools at future workshops. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1 hour

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Video, whether used for instruction or communication, is an excellent medium to engage students and facilitate a sense of community within a course. However, it is important to ensure that the materials we use are accessible to all individuals. One way to ensure accessible video is to provide captions, which can help students with a hearing impairment, students whose first language is not English, or any student who could benefit from both reading captions and listening to the accompanying audio. In fact, it’s not only the right thing to do and beneficial to a variety of students, it is required by law. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn how you can add captions to videos you have created and post them in your Blackboard course. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Many of the software tools that are the most useful in the classroom are unfortunately also some of the most expensive software tools. Often, budgets require that software is limited to a few users or a few locations, which prevents faculty and instructors from utilizing the technology with their students. It even prevents students from learning from these valuable tools. Don’t let licensing fees hold you back! There are free versions of many of the expensive software tools, if you know where to look. This online session will introduce free versions of some of the most common software programs and share ideas for using them in the classroom. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1 hour

Prerequisites:
Basic online search skills

Description:
This online workshop introduces an assortment of multimedia tools that faculty can use to enhance their teaching skill set. Topics will include video/audio capture/editing, streaming video, integrating digital images to enhance PowerPoint presentations, short focused tutorials, podcasting, Wimba classroom, incorporating portable video devices into your course, screencasting, and multimedia integration into Blackboard. Please note, that while this workshop is not hands-on, participants will be able to determine which subsequent workshops would be most useful for them. Advanced registration is required./p>

Duration:
2 hours

Prerequisites:
A good understanding of the Windows directory structure including saving and accessing files

Description:
Prezi is an online platform-independent tool that allows creating interactive, collaborative and media-rich presentations. This hands-on workshop will walk participants through the steps of creating a Prezi presentation and embedding it in a Blackboard course. We will also discuss the educational benefits and challenges this tool offers. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Screencasting is becoming an increasingly common tool for online instruction. The workshop will focus on the process of conceptualizing educational tutorials, asking important pedagogical questions, story boarding ideas, and deciding on the most appropriate method for distribution of content. Participants will use Camtasia Studio, a Screencasting program offering features and options that enhance instruction by capturing lectures, recording and highlighting interaction with website tours or software applications, and using closed captioning to expand accessibility. During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to create a brief instructional screencast. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
2 hours

Prerequisites:
Basic technology proficiency

Description:
Have you wondered what Twitter is and what if any practical applications there are for teaching and learning? Perhaps you are among the 30% of faculty who now use Twitter in some capacity and you would like to learn some tips and tricks for better utilizing Twitter in education context. During this online session we'll introduce the basics of Twitter and explore best practices for using Twitter in teaching, learning and professional development. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1 hour

Prerequisites:
Basic technology proficiency

Description:
Trying to get our students to work collaboratively can be a major challenge. "Who is responsible for what?" "Hey, when is this due?" "What do we need for this?" These questions are often solved through the use of project management software, but many are too expensive and complicated for students to dependably use. Enter Trello: the intuitive, free project management solution that almost anyone can learn. In this session, discover the features, implementations, and advantages of Trello for the classroom; and get some hands-on experience with the service. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Now that you have used PowerPoint to outline lectures and visually present information, learn how to create dynamic presentations that transform your teaching. PowerPoint can motivate and engage students by using simple yet effective techniques that do not require special technical skills. In this hands-on workshop, participants will construct a progressive series of PowerPoint slides that will illustrate a number of engaging and focused strategies beyond simple projection of lecture notes. Advance registration is necessary.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
Experience using Microsoft PowerPoint is required.

Description:
Create instructional videos from the comfort of the software you know and love: PowerPoint! Get ready to take your slides to the next level. In this workshop we will explore the advanced features of PowerPoint to turn your presentations into engaging videos. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1 hour

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Share instruction content with your students using embedded video, screen recordings, and interactive quizzes from the comfort of the software you know and love: PowerPoint! Get ready to take your slides to the next level with the free Office Mix plug-in. In this workshop we will explore the features and use cases for Office Mix and its integration with Blackboard.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
The true challenge in delivering online materials is keeping the environment dynamic and interactive. The goal of this workshop is to provide suggestions and offer examples of how to retool current course materials and develop other instructional aids that will promote an effective online teaching and learning experience. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Infographics turn data and information into compelling visuals. They can describe an event, explain a process, or tease meaning out of complex data, but more than anything, infographics tell stories. You can use infographics to help students visualize new information or challenge students to research and create their own. In this workshop, you will learn how to design and develop infographics that tell rich visual stories using simple free software. Advance registration required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Blogs have become common tools for communicating and collaborating online. While setting up a blog takes only a matter of minutes, effectively incorporating blogs into online teaching requires purposeful planning and structuring of activities to leverage the power that blogging brings to the learning environment. This online session will share the experiences of incorporating instructor and student blogs into an online course as well as practical recommendations for those considering utilizing blogs in online learning. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1 hour

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
LinkedIn Learning is one of the most popular and successful video learning service available, offering members access to a broad and varied video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts. This resource, which was recently made available to the NIU community, can help faculty add value to their courses by including resources from the broad and varied video library of engaging, top-quality courses. While pedagogical applications to this resource will be discussed, the focus of this hands-on workshop will be to teach participants how to add resources gleaned from LinkedIn Learning directly to their Blackboard courses. Advanced registration required.

Duration:
1.5 hours

Prerequisites:
Basic technology proficiency

Description:
There are many ways to facilitate student collaboration for learning activities. One suite of tools available to students is the Groups function in Office 365. The range and variety of its tools can facilitate collaboration, communication, and connection. In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore O365 Groups functionality, including the use of group email, conversations, sharing documents, simultaneously editing documents, and managing group tasks and responsibilities. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
2 hours

Prerequisites:
None

Description:
Web conferencing systems like Blackboard Collaborate or Microsoft Teams are powerful tools for live, synchronous communication online. However, delivering a virtual lecture or facilitating a live online discussion can feel like learning to drive a stick-shift car. Managing content, students, and software simultaneously can be overwhelming. In this online session, we will discuss ways to make virtual class sessions smoother, from planning through delivery and follow-up. Please note: This session will not cover technical aspects of using any particular web conferencing system. Advance registration is required.

Duration:
1 hour

Prerequisites:
Previous experience usinng a webconferencing platform