Category Archives: For Instructors

Now Introducing: Lynda.com!

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UW-Whitewater recently gained access to Lynda.com. Lynda.com is an extensive and valuable knowledge base of video tutorials for different kinds of technology and software. Topics covered include (but are certainly not limited to) 3D and Animation, Audio and Music, CAD, Design, Photography, Video, Web, and other specific software programs. All UW-W students, faculty, and staff have access to Lynda.com.

lynda_com screenshot

To access Lynda.com, go to http://go.uww.edu/lynda, and log in with your UW-W Net-ID and password.

Once you are logged in, you can browse the Lynda.com library or search for a topic. You can either individually watch one video tutorial at a time on a specific subject or you can watch an entire class. You can view which courses are recommended for you, create playlists of your favorite videos, or view your course history. Lynda.com is a wonderful resource that you can utilize for learning a new technology or brushing up on some rusty skills!

Desire2Learn Service Update (4/24)

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On Thursday, April 24th, Desire2Learn Inc. deployed Service Pack 16 to our D2L Learning Environment. This will be the last service pack that is applied to our D2L instance before the upgrade to version 10.3 in June.

In this latest service pack, several performance improvements were made to tools across the Learning Environment, including navigation, Quizzes, and Content. The following fixes were also included:

Dropbox: The Dropbox folder event log now correctly records the creation and deletion of Dropbox folders performed via the Content tool.

Document Viewer: PDF documents containing math equations with negative signs are now converted and displayed in Content or Dropbox correctly.

Calendar: If Content contains a topic that is linked to course objects that are not yet available (e.g., an “Inactive” quiz, a hidden Discussion forum, etc.), but have due dates set through Content, users no longer encounter an error when attempting to access the Content or Calendar tool.

If you have any questions or concerns about the service pack updates, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

Social Media in the Classroom

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In this presentation, Dr. Eileen Schroeder from the College of Education and Professional Studies shares how social media and other web 2.0 tools can be an effective way to engage and connect with students.

Dr. Schroeder explores how a variety to web 2.0 tools and techniques can enhance learning. One common use is to help learners discuss and share thoughts. Another ability of a variety of web 2.0 tools is to help students and instructors gather, sift, and evaluate information.  In this presentation, Dr. Schroeder also discusses how these tools can be used to encourage problem solving, how they can serve as a platform for assignments, and how they can help students to curate their personal information.

These tools can encourage a new kind of socially constructed learning which focuses on collaboration and knowledge building. Over the last few years, the educational community has experienced many changes in the knowledge and skills expected of students and the characteristics of learners. Simultaneously new information technologies like cell phones and web 2.0 tools have become widespread. Dr. Schroeder explains that in light of these changes, different methods for teaching and learning are needed, and web 2.0 tools can help meet these needs.

Snackable Series: Challenge Based Learning

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Snackable Bag Fall 2013Challenge-Based Learning, April 16 – 17, 2014

The innovative use of technology in higher education continues to provide new possibilities for enhancing teaching and learning.  Feel free to bring a lunch and join us!

Challenge-based learning is a model for achieving learning outcomes, similar to project- or problem-based learning.  The students work together to solve “challenges,” while the instructor serves as a guide and mentor through the process.  Normally leveraged through digital whiteboards, asynchronous discussions, and presentations, challenge-based learning is collaborative, “hands on,” and oftentimes multidisciplinary.  Examples of challenge based learning and approaches for adding these elements to your course will be examined.

Challenge-Based Learning Sessions:
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 from Noon to 1 p.m
Thursday, April 17, 2014 from 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: iCIT Training Center, McGraw 112

To register this session, please sign up at: http://signup.uww.edu  Seating is limited.

If you have any questions regarding the Snackable Series and its sessions, please contact the UW-W Learning Technology Center.

2014 Summer Institute for Online/Blended Teaching Registration Open

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The Learning Technology Center is pleased to announce the 6th annual faculty development workshop on online/blended course design and best practices.

If you need to design a new (or refresh an older) online or blended course, please consider participating in this unique opportunity to collaborate with other UW-Whitewater instructors and explore proven course design strategies and best practices.  This highly interactive summer workshop demonstrates teaching best practices using a variety of teaching methods and technology tools.  The structure of this course not only allows you to explore new teaching and course design methods, but it also enables you to participate in activities that provide you with experience in being an online “student.”

The session will consist of online components, face-to-face meetings on the Whitewater campus, and web conferencing sessions.  A one-half day orientation session will be held on April 25, and the institute will run through July 31, 2014.

All faculty and academic staff who will be teaching at UW-Whitewater during the 2014-2015 academic year are eligible to apply to attend. However, the workshop will be limited to 25 participants. Applications are due Monday, April 14, 2014.

For more details and registration, please visit the Online/Blended workshop blog at: http://blogs.uww.edu/workshops/ 

Desire2Learn Service Update (3/27)

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On Thursday, March 27th, Desire2Learn Inc. deployed Service Pack 15 to our D2L learning environment. The following fixes were included in the service pack:

Dropbox: If a Dropbox folder is linked to Content, users can no longer submit a file to the Dropbox folder by remaining on the Content topic past the Dropbox folder end date when submissions are no longer allowed.

Import/Copy Course Components: Content in an HTML Content topic is no longer lost during import when the file contains embedded Quicklinks.

User Progress: Performance was improved for viewing the Dropbox tab for a user in User Progress.

If you have any questions or concerns about the service pack updates, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

Register Today! LTDC Virtual Showcase

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LTDC LogoThe UW System Learning Technology Development Council (UWS LTDC) is pleased to announce our virtual showcase to be held on April 10-11, 2014 from 8:45 am – 3:45 pm.

Visit the session schedule and register today!

Inspiring keynote presentations by Dr. Alec Couros, University of Regina, and Dr. Gardner Campbell, Virginia Commonwealth University, will kick off each day of the showcase. Faculty and staff from UW System campuses will share their innovative uses, best practices, how-to’s and much more on a variety of learning technologies that span classroom, blended and online topics.

For more information, visit the conference website at: http://uwsltdcshowcase.wordpress.com

Annual D2L Course Cleanup Process

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D2L-ZipIn order to maintain optimal storage capacity and ensure the ongoing smooth operation of D2L, a purge of older courses from the system is conducted annually by the UW System Utility.

We’ve begun to prepare for this year’s D2L Course Cleanup process that will take place on Friday, May 2nd, 2014. On May 2nd, 2014, courses from Fall 2010 through Summer 2011 will be purged from the D2L system. Instructors with one or more D2L courses slated to be purged were contacted via email on Monday, March 3rd.

The D2L Course Cleanup resources site is available with more information on the Cleanup process and instructions on how to export course materials and student data.

If you have any questions or concerns about the D2L Course Cleanup process or need assistance, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

Snackable Series: Digital Badging

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Snackable Bag Spring 2014Digital Badging, March 19 – 20, 2014

The innovative use of technology in higher education continues to provide new possibilities for enhancing teaching and learning.  Feel free to bring a lunch and join us!

A digital badge is an earned credential, which validates a person’s specific accomplishment, knowledge, or skill.  “Badging” can be used to supplement letter grades, combat grade inflation, instill motivation to advance their level of competency, and showcase learning outside of the formal classroom.  Badges are currently awarded by Purdue University, Carnegie Mellon, the Smithsonian, Intel, Disney-Pixar, and some MOOCs as well.  In this snackable, the basic principles of badging, models of badging, and ways you can use badging in your course will be considered.

Digital Badging Sessions:
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 from Noon to 1 p.m.
Thursday, March 20, 2014 from 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: iCIT Training Center, McGraw 112

To register for one or all of these “Snackable Series” sessions, please sign up at: http://signup.uww.edu Seating is limited.

If you have any questions regarding the Snackable Series and its sessions, please contact the UW-W Learning Technology Center.