Tag: Blackboard

Textbook Information & Adoption

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The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) was signed into Law in 2008 to address important issues that include student rights, student financial aid, and transparency in tuition and fees. You can read this summary to learn about key aspects that the HEOA governs. One fundamental area of the Act refers to the requirement to provide textbook information (section 112) “to ensure that students have access to affordable course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials.”  

For the CSU, this means adopting textbooks and providing information to students by the day registration opens in late October (for more information you can refer to the CSU HEOA Frequently Asked Questions page). In order to meet this requirement on our campus, the due date for Spring 2021 course materials submissions to the Wildcat Store will be October 16th, 2020. Faculty’s contribution in this effort can really have a tremendous impact on students at the time they register for classes and plan the cost of their education for Spring 2021, so we want to encourage all instructors to make a decision about their chosen textbook and course material by the October 16th deadline. 

In order to facilitate this process, the bookstore has set up Follett Discover, which you can access directly from Blackboard. After logging into Blackboard, click on the “Launch Follett Discover” button (located after your list of courses, at the bottom on the left hand side) and you will be taken to a page that will ask you to select your role (faculty).  

  • From the home page, you can use the search tools to find the specific term, department, course, and section you want to “Adopt” for.   
  • If you know the ISBN, just enter that in the box for each section and click “Adopt”.   
  • After this, the selection will be sent to the Wildcat Store automatically for ordering and after that to the student website.   
  • You can also search for the ISBN by entering the Title, Author, along with any other description into the search bar on the top right. Publishers can have multiple ISBNs for the same title.     
  • If you see a message saying “ISBN is not found,” either click the link to “request materials not found,” or email the Wildcat Store. 

For other questions, please contact the Wildcat Store. 

I also want to take this opportunity to promote one more time the Chico Affordable Learning Solution (CAL$) workshop this Friday, October 9th (from 10:00 to 11:30 am), to explore the adoption of open access material. The forum will be held via Zoom. Please visit the Friday Forums page for additional information. This session will be recorded and posted in the FDEV media channel. 

Equity Minded Virtual Teaching

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In a recent webinar on Equity-Minded Virtual Teaching (recording here), CSU faculty offered several pedagogical strategies for the transition to online instruction such as…

  • When possible, offer alternative assessment options and consider asking students to weigh in on how they would prefer to demonstrate their learning (write a paper, produce a video, create a PPT, take online quizzes, etc.).
  • Demonstrate an “authentic investment” in each students’ success.
  • Send positive and validating signals to students that “they belong at Chico State” and that “they can succeed.”

In this Thursday’s Virtual Faculty Learning Community (VFLC) from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., we will spend the first 15 minutes discussing  equity and accessibility in online teaching. Jeremy Olguin (Director of the Office of Accessible Technology & Services) will join the conversation along with TLP staff. The remaining 45 minutes will be open to share ideas, ask questions, raise concerns, and connect with colleagues on any relevant topic. All faculty are welcome to join by clicking on this Zoom link at 10 a.m. on Thursday https://csuchico.zoom.us/j/5308985778 (you can also call in at 1-669-900-6833 and enter ID number 5308985778). Here is a summary of last week’s VFLC.

Additional Resources for you from TLP are on the Keep Teaching page including live webinars this week and next on leveraging tools in Blackboard, Zoom, and Proctorio.

Grade Efficiently

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Although Blackboard will be down between December 25th – 27th (details here), you can still access PeopleSoft from the Faculty Center in the Portal to enter grades during this time. Here are a few “efficiency tips” to help you submit your grades by the 12/31/19 deadline.

  • Clearly communicate your expectations in advance of final projects and exams. When possible, give students a rubric and share examples of poor, adequate, and excellent work.
  • If you have students submit final papers to Blackboard through Turnitin, you can offer your feedback via voice comments instead of hand-writing notes on their paper.
  • Instead of writing out numerous comments on papers or exams, consider meeting with students in person if they want extensive feedback.
  • Do some (or all) of your grading in MLIB 459 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. – a quiet space with a nice view and free coffee.

Reminder:

Be sure to register for the Tipping Point Student Success Summit on 1/16/20. Enjoy great presentations with colleagues across campus…plus free lunch! Register by 1/6/20.

Engage Students with Online Discussions

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Given our students’ agility with online communication, using discussion forums in Blackboard can be an effective way to engage students in the learning process outside the classroom. Here are some tips that emerged from the attached peer-reviewed paper on the topic:

  • To promote equity and allow marginalized voices to be heard, online discussions may allow students to participate who often need more processing time to contribute to a discussion.
  • Keep discussion groups to 14 or less.
  • Faculty should be somewhat “present” in online discussions to clarify concepts and keep students on track.
  • Some students may be more reflective, honest, and willing to discuss sensitive topics in an online discussion.
  • Prompt questions and discussion topics posed by the instructor should relate to your course learning objectives and build in complexity and depth as the semester progresses.
  • Online discussions should be assessed in some way (e.g. quality and quantity of students’ contribution to the discussion, whether or not students initiate discussions or just respond)

For assistance on how to facilitate an effective and engaging online discussion, contact the Technology & Learning Program.

How to Manage the 8%

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With six missed class days due to the Camp Fire, you and your students lost roughly 8% of the total contact hours for the semester. I encourage you to resist the desire to jump right back into course content and strive to catch up. Doubling up on lectures or assignments may not promote learning and may make an already challenging time more stressful for some students. Investing time in a mindful transition back to the classroom will create a more supportive learning environment. Consider sharing your own experience of the fire and allow students the space to discuss their thoughts and concerns. To manage the 8% of time lost, consider adjusting due dates, omitting non-essential content, modifying exams, putting additional texts on reserve at the library, or even asking students how they want to reshape the final three weeks of class. Most importantly, ensure students are explicitly clear on any changes made to the course. If you have need help modifying your Blackboard pages or managing online content,  TLP is available to assist you (898-6167).

If you want to better understand a framework for trauma and how to support students returning to school, see the attached flyer promoting a presentation later this week. Also attached is a list of support resources for both you and your students.

Best wishes to you and your loved ones from all of us in the Faculty Development Office.

Mobile Devices in Class?

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Should students be allowed to use smartphones and laptops in class? If so, they might get distracted and check e-mail or browse Facebook, although they could just as easily doodle on paper or daydream if mobile devices weren’t allowed. Technology is rarely the sole cause for students being disengaged. In fact, laptops and smartphones can increase student engagement and enhance the learning environment if leveraged properly. Here are five reasons to allow (and even encourage) mobile devices in your class…

  • Using iClickers Cloud, students can engage with you and their peers by responding electronically to questions (TLP can help you set this up).
  • Students can supplement lecture by following along with Blackboard content or searching the web to learn more about concepts presented in class.
  • Some students have illegible handwriting and laptops can create typed, well-organized, and searchable notes. Microsoft OneNote is a good example of this which also facilitates in-class collaboration.
  • Students with accessibility needs often rely on laptops and don’t want to be singled out by a classroom ban on mobile devices.
  • If you approve students to record lectures, they can replay them while driving or working out if that’s their preferred method of learning.

If you allow laptops but not cell phones, the Pocket Points app might benefit both you and your students. When a student locks up and puts away their phone during class, they earn rewards that are redeemable at local stores.

Whatever your policy, there is real value in educating students about mobile device etiquette both in and out of the classroom.

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As a reminder, please complete the 8-minute survey about the professional development programming you want from the FDEV office. Thank-you!

Make Office Hours An Accessible Resource

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“Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement.” This is first of Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education at Chico State. One relatively untapped resource to increase student involvement outside of class is office hours.

In a low-stakes office meeting with you, students can learn about resources they need and ask questions in a safe environment without their peers present. Investing time with students can actually be a long-term time-saver if you can address problems before they get worse or help with initial drafts of papers before they’re submitted. So, why are office hours seldom utilized by students? Maybe they’re nervous. Maybe they don’t feel their reason for visiting is worth your time. Maybe they don’t want to appear to need extra help. Whatever the reason, helping students access your office hours is a great way to boost student engagement. Here are a few ways to help students access this valuable resource.

  • Prop your door open during scheduled office hours and warmly greet them. Display your Safe Zone Ally placard on your door if you earned one from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. If students apologize for bothering you, remind them that office hours are devoted to them and you’re glad they stopped by.
  • Stagger office hour days and times to enable students with varied schedules to access you.
  • Post office hours on your syllabus, on Blackboard, on your office door, and remind students about the benefits of office hours at key points in the course when you know students will need them most.
  • Consider making an office hour visit an assignment with points attached to it. If necessary, you can give students a specific purpose for visiting (e.g. bring your most recent assignment and the single biggest question you have about the topics covered so far).
  • Consider occasionally holding office hours off-campus at a coffee shop, the library, or a park as long as the location is accessible to all your students. If you regularly hold some of your office hours outdoors, you could have a “walking meeting” which might be less intimidating to some students.
  • Offer some office hours online. Zoom is a great platform for this and you have a free account through Chico State. Contact TLP if you need assistance.
  • Consider offering some group office hours to be held in an empty classroom. Perhaps these could be theme-based office hours (e.g. test prep, participating in research, finding internships, applying to graduate school)

Faculty are partners with students in the learning process. The more resources students can access, the more successful the partnership.

Easily Produce Video in the New Multimedia Studio

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Video has become a useful tool in classrooms all over the world. Have you ever wanted to create a video of a lecture or speech to augment your course? Our friends in Creative Media Technologies just opened a new multimedia recording studio for faculty to use. You can create high-definition videos for just about any educational purpose you can imagine. For example, embed videos in Blackboard with Kaltura for use in face-to-face, online, flipped, hybrid, or remote courses. You can integrate a document-camera or PPT slides into your video to create a top-notch presentation. The studio, located in 027B, is also equipped with a useful new technology called Learning Glass, which incorporates a transparent LED-lit whiteboard along with a neon marker so you can write in a way that engages your audience. Click  here for a 90-second video demonstration.

To visit the studio and learn more, contact Classroom Technology Services at 898-5475.

Embrace the Crescendo

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The stress of a 16-week semester resembles a musical crescendo and can feel like this . We begin the term feeling excited and open to new challenges. By week 8, we’re feeling intellectually agile and in sync with students. By week 16, we’re revving up to peak volume knowing that a holiday rest is looming. Such is the rhythm of academic life. It can be miserable or it can be magnificent depending on how we choose to view it. Fortunately, we get to decide which perspective to view. One positive perspective is that a busy final exam week can be an opportunity to role model time management and self-care techniques for students who are also experiencing significant anxiety this week. What self-care techniques do you use during finals week…petting dogs, playing with your kids, meditation, eating good food, walking, writing in a gratitude journal, watching cats chase laser pointers on YouTube? Whatever you do to experience joy and fulfillment during this busy week, consider sharing your techniques with students. They’ll likely do better on exams and learn to positively embrace the challenge.

2 reminders…

  • The grading oasis (MLIB 459) with coffee, snacks, and grading assistance is open 8-5 all week.
  • Blackboard will be down Dec 22-25

Zoom Us

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Faculty consultants in the Technology and Learning Program (TLP) have expanded their services to assist you in the most convenient and efficient way possible with Zoom, a web conferencing tool that enables audio, video, and screen sharing. It’s like a video chat with TLP staff to assist you with instructional technology needs including Blackboard, clickers, curriculum design, online learning, Google apps for education, social networking, media support, and special projects for your classroom.

If you need help with technology-related pedagogy and prefer to receive help from the comfort of your own desk, contact an Instructional Technology Consultant to schedule a Zoom session. You may also find Zoom to be a useful way to meet with your students if you are off-campus. Zoom works with PC and Mac computers as well as Android and iOS devices.

As always, if you prefer to meet with TLP staff in person, come by the Faculty Drop-in Lab in MLIB 457 from 9-5 Mon-Fri (closed Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break).