Clickers in the Classroom
Tuesday, January 8, 2008 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Now that NIU has adopted the eInstruction CPS personal response system (clickers), faculty can use this technology in conjunction with Blackboard to create an interactive learning experience. Faculty can use CPS 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 CPS clicker system and its integration with Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Promoting Active Learning Through Blended Courses - Spring 2008 Teaching Effectiveness Institute
Thursday, January 10, 2008 from 8:30 pm to 4:0 pm
Capital Room, Holmes Student Center
A blended/hybrid course is one which uses a blend of face-to-face as well as online teaching and learning activities. Successful teaching of blended courses requires rethinking and redesigning face-to-face courses, creating new learning activities, and integrating online and face-to-face components effectively. This transformation requires learning new skills necessary to manage online interaction successfully, incorporate new methods of assessment, and use the interactive and organizational tools found in web course management systems effectively. Workshop presenters, Aycock (Anthropology), Joosten (Communication), and Mangrich (Visual Art) from UW-Milwaukee, have considerable experience in teaching blended courses as well as training faculty on this topic. Along with sharing their expertise and experience, they will engage workshop participants in small group breakouts, discussions, and learning activities in which faculty can explore strategies for promoting active learning in their blended courses. Note: This is not a computer-based hands-on workshop and will not focus on any particular web course management system. For more information please follow the link http://www.facdev.niu.edu/facdev/institute/tei/01102008.shtml
Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard
Monday, January 14, 2008 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. Participants who wish to request their courses during the workshop need to have an active NIU Account ID. Workshop prerequisites: Knowledge of Web browsing and basic computing skills. Advanced registration is required.
Introduction to Blackboard Communities
Monday, January 14, 2008 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Blackboard communities have most of the same features and functionality as Blackboard courses but are meant to be used for NIU activities other than courses scheduled through Registration and Records. NIU departments, organizations, committees, and communities can request a Blackboard community from ITS for a fee for the purpose of communication, collaboration, and/or training. This hands-on session, open to faculty, staff and graduate teaching assistants, will provide an overview of Blackboard community tools and features. Advanced registration is required.
Introduction to Podcasting
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Podcasting is a powerful means of publishing recorded audio online, making it available for students to download and listen to on either their personal computer or mp3 player, such as an iPod. This workshop provides participants with an overview of podcasting technology as well as how Podcasts are used in higher education. Attendees will also have the opportunity to practice subscribing to podcasts. No iPods are necessary to participate. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard II: Building Your Blackboard Course
Thursday, January 17, 2008 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. Prerequisites: Basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Podcasting Series: Audio Podcasting
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
While the Introduction to Podcasting workshop provided participants with an overview of podcasting technology, the Audio Podcast workshop will be a more thorough hands-on experience for preparing audio content for online distribution. Topics will include a discussion of the pedagogy behind audio podcasts, a review of hardware/ software necessary for audio capture, editing, and file conversion, and a review of procedures to make content available for students to subscribe. A prerequisite for the workshop is the Introduction to Podcasting workshop or previous experience with Podcasting. No iPods are necessary to participate. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard Open Lab
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Adams Hall, Room 323
Open lab provides an excellent opportunity for faculty and staff to ask specific questions about Blackboard and other teaching-related technologies. Staff from Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center will be on hand to individually address your questions. We cannot provide an overview of Blackboard at this session, but will be happy to answer specific questions about using Blackboard and other instructional technologies. No advanced registration required.
Controlling Student Access to Materials in Blackboard
Thursday, January 24, 2008 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Course content does not always apply to all users in the course. Faculty at times may wish to create custom learning paths through course content and activities, displaying content to certain users for a limited period of time. This hands-on session will walk participants through the process of managing course content, discussions, assessments, assignments, or other activities within Blackboard using the Adaptive Release feature to create personalized learning paths for students. Principles for effective implementation within existing Blackboard courses will be shared. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
**New**Social Bookmarking Using Blackboard Scholar
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Do you struggle to keep track of all your favorite websites and other online resources? Would you like to share the links to your favorite online resources with your colleagues or students? A new social bookmarking feature in Blackboard allows for the storing, classifying, sharing and searching of links through the practice of folksonomic tagging. This hands-on session will introduce the social bookmarking capabilities in Blackboard and will explore several practical applications for implementing social bookmarking activities in the classroom. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
**New**Plagiarism Prevention Using Blackboard SafeAssign
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 from 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm
Despite our efforts to educate students regarding the principles of solid academic writing, students may not always understand how to properly reference source content. The new SafeAssign plagiarism prevention service that is now integrated in Blackboard allows students to protect the originality of their work as well as to have it checked for inadvertent citation errors prior to submitting to the faculty member for credit. This hands-on session will introduce the features of the SafeAssign plagiarism prevention service and its integration with Blackboard and will discuss how to incorporate opportunities for students to self-check their work for citation errors. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Please email Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center at facdev@niu.edu or register online at http://www.facdev.niu.edu/facdev/forms/fsprogreg.shtml. Program locations will be made available when you register. 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.
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Last Updated: 01/17/08