The Blended Class: Options for Instructor Presentation of Content (8/4/20)

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The final three sessions of the Learning Technology Center’s Summer Flexible Blended Faculty Development Workshop Series focus on facilitating a blended class. The first of these sessions focuses on ways for instructors to present course content to students. The session summary is below:

This session will discuss synchronous and asynchronous approaches to online lectures. Facilitators will discuss ways to make online or remote lectures more accessible and engaging to face-to-face and online students. Participants will develop an approach to conducting online lectures that would be applicable whether a course is blended or fully online.

If you are interested in this session, please register so that we can send you the Webex Meeting link, and the information for the accompanying asynchronous Canvas course for the workshop series.

If you have any questions about this workshop series, please contact us at icit-techpilots@uww.edu

Blending Face-to-Face and Online Assessment: Peer Review of Student Work (7/24/20)

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The Learning Technology Center’s Summer Flexible Blended Faculty Development Workshop Series concludes the set of workshops focusing on assessment with a session on facilitating peer reviews of student work. The summary for the session is below:

This session will discuss different ways that you can have students work asynchronously or synchronously online, to review each other’s work. We will discuss both written (e.g., essay) and performative (e.g., presentation) peer reviews. Facilitators will discuss different ways for students to conduct peer reviews of student work. Participants will identify a specific peer review assignment, and determine a method to conduct the peer review.

If you are interested in this session, please register so that you can receive the Webex Meeting link for the synchronous session, and the self-enrollment link for the asynchronous Canvas course for the summer series. You will need to log in with your UWW credentials in order to register.

If you have any questions about this session, or the summer workshop series, please contact icit-techpilots@uww.edu.

Using Breakout Rooms in your Course

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As we prepare for the Fall 2020 Semester, the one question that many of you are asking is “How can I use breakout rooms with my course?”  We’ll be the first ones to tell you that while Webex is a great tool, currently it does not have a smooth breakout room experience.

The good news is that Webex will be adding breakout rooms as an option into Webex Meetings in Late Summer / Early Fall.  We don’t have any additional details on this right now – but hang tight – they are coming!

What can you do right now for breakout rooms?

There are 3 recommendations available today for breakout rooms:

  1. Webex Meetings can already be used to help facilitate breakouts.  While you can’t currently do it automatically, the instructor could create scheduled meetings in advance that could act as breakout rooms.  From there, the link to join the meeting could be shared with the group.  The group would then rejoin the main meeting link after the breakout.  With this method, the instructor is able to join into the breakout meeting groups as needed. The breakouts can easily be joined by the click of a link. Using Webex Meetings for Breakout Rooms
  2. Webex Teams works great as a breakout option if you are already using it on your course.  You can create a “Team” for the course, and then inside of that team you can have several “spaces” that can be used for the group projects.  The students can easily Meet via Video / Audio at the click of a button.  Webex Teams does require the students to download an application on their computer or mobile device for the best user experience. Using Webex Teams for Breakout Rooms
  3. Webex Training Center is the current solution from Webex for breakout rooms.  With Webex Training Center, you can easily assign users into breakout rooms.  However – the limitation is that the breakout rooms only have audio, and the interface has not been updated lately.  Students on Chromebooks may also run into issues. Webex is working on moving these breakout room features into Webex Meetings, which is scheduled to be available late summer / early fall. Find out more about how Webex Training works or view a recording of Cisco’s classes on this technology solution.

How can I use breakout rooms with my HyFlex course?

HyFlex is a term that describes a wide range of instructional formats, but in general suggests that the course is taught in ways that allow the student to choose the particular format of their instruction. As an example, a class might allow for students to attend in person, remotely, or to watch a recording after class.  So you may be wondering – how can I run a breakout room with both in person and remote students?  

Our recommendation would be to have in person breakout rooms for the in person students, and remote breakout rooms for the remote students.

Running the breakouts in this fashion will have the least amount of potential technical issues.  For example – while it would be possible to mix in person students with remote students for the breakouts, this would require all of the students to bring a laptop or mobile device.  These devices would also need to have a headset and microphone to not pick up too much background noise and crosstalk. In addition, having enough physical space in the room for the students to be able to talk with their remote group without interrupting the others who are physically in the room is critical.

Why doesn’t the University license Zoom? 

As the UW-W community continues to work and teach remotely, many employees are taking advantage of virtual spaces and web-conferencing tools.  Thanks to a strong and long-standing contract with Cisco, UW-W can offer the faculty, staff, and students a secure communication platform that enhances user privacy and safety through the institutional license.

Additional information on Why Webex is also available at: https://www.uww.edu/icit/remote#TEACHING#why-webex

If you have questions on using breakout rooms inside of your course, please contact the Learning Technology Center.

Blending Face-to-Face and Online Assessment: Exams and Quizzes (7/21/20)

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The Learning Technology Center’s Summer Flexible Blended Faculty Development Workshop Series continues its look at assessment with a session on exams and quizzes. The session summary is below:

This session will help you think through how online exams and quizzes offer different opportunities and constraints than face-to-face exams and quizzes. We will discuss different types of opportunities such as take-home exams, proctored online exams, novel applications of learning projects, and small-group exams. Facilitators will discuss considerations in moving exams and quizzes online in primarily face-to-face courses. Participants will explore different methods of conducting exams and quizzes online, and determine a method to transform the face-to-face assessment into an online assessment.

If you are interested in this session, please register so that you can receive the link to the synchronous session in Webex Meetings, and the self-enrollment for the asynchronous Canvas course site for the workshop series. You will need to log in with your UWW credentials in order to register.

If you have any questions about this session, or the summer workshop series, please contact icit-techpilots@uww.edu.

LTC Recording Studio Available!

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The Learning Technology Center (LTC) recording studio is now available at a reduced capacity for scheduling between 9am and noon on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Schedule your recording using our online form: LTC Studio Scheduling. Please allow at least 1 week for video post production and processing.

What are we doing to keep you safe?

  • The Media Studio setup has been adjusted.  The equipment operator will be outside of the studio room – to allow for proper physical distancing. You will be the only person in the room during the recording.
  • All surfaces in the Media Studio will be sanitized before and after recording appointments.
  • Microphones will be sanitized before and after each use.
  • The studio is currently only open on Monday and Wednesday morning allowing time for the room to air out after scheduled sessions.

Please note that the following are required:

At this time outside building doors are locked.  Please come to McGraw Door #5 and call the LTC (262.472.1004) and someone will come down and let you in for the recording.

If you have any questions or concerns about your recording session please contact the Learning Technology Center.

Canvas Workshops – July and August 2020

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During the Summer of 2020, the Learning Technology Center (LTC) will be offering opportunities to learn the Canvas basics, make simple changes to your courses to improve the student experience, and to dig deeper into Canvas features.  For self guided assistance, please view the Canvas Service Page.

Canvas Basics 
Whether you are brand new to Canvas, or just want to brush up on the basics, this training will put you on the right path. We will focus on

  • Creating a new Module
  • Adding files to Modules
  • Adding Assignments to Modules
  • Setting up your gradebook

What Students Want in Canvas 
There are many good ways to set up a course. This training will focus on making a series of small, easy, and optional, shifts from your current course design to a setup backed by feedback from student panels conducted right here at UW-Whitewater. We will focus on

  • Matching your Assignments and Grades area to your course syllabus
  • Reorganizing Modules to a chronological layout
  • Getting assignments and tasks populated to student calendars
  • Utilizing the description area of Quizzes and Assignments

The goal is not to change how you teach, just how students view the course.

EVENT NAMEDATE/TIMELOCATIONREGISTER
Canvas BasicsThursday, July 16th
2:00pm – 3:00pm		WebexRegistration
What Students Want In CanvasThursday, July 23rd
2:00pm – 3:00pm		WebexRegistration
Canvas BasicsTuesday, August 11th
1:00pm – 2:00pm		WebexRegistration
What Students Want In CanvasThursday, August 13th
3:00pm – 4:00pm		WebexRegistration

Canvas Deep Dives (1 Hour)
We will focus on a single tool, and dive deep into various options and use cases for how that tool works.

  • Quizzes: This will touch on different question types, building in targeted feedback in auto-graded quizzes, and most likely spend the bulk of the time in the Question Bank area to help instructors get a feel for Canvas Question Bank.
  • Assignments: We will focus on tasks such as creating a place for students to digitally turn in work, and setting up your gradebook.
  • Discussions: We will look at setup (including threaded vs unthreaded), visibility, the lack of a “Forum” in Canvas (compared to how D2L had it), group setup, and grading.
  • Webex Tools: Webex is usable through Canvas, but does take some initial setup there.  If you are interested in using Webex for your classes, this is the workshop for you.
EVENT NAMEDATE/TIMELOCATIONREGISTER
QuizzesTuesday, July 28th
10:00am – 11:00am		WebexRegistration
AssignmentsThursday, July 30th
2:00pm – 3:00pm		WebexRegistration
DiscussionsTuesday, August 4th
11:00am – Noon		WebexRegistration
Webex ToolsThursday, August 6th
3:00pm – 4:00pm		WebexRegistration

If you have any questions about these sessions, please reach out to the UW-W Learning Technology Center.

LEARN & LTC’s TEACH is now available!

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We are proud to announce that LEARN and LTC’s TEACH self-paced, asynchronous online course is now available!

The first 300 instructors to complete all of the TEACH modules before Friday, August 28 will be eligible to receive a $100 stipend. In addition, 100 instructors will be able to complete an application project for a $250 stipend. Details on how to apply will be available in the final module of the course. Please note that to be eligible for these stipend opportunities, you must be an instructor of record in a Fall 2020 course.

To enroll and get started on the first modules, visit the following link:
https://uwwtw.instructure.com/enroll/3DC8FD

Blending Face-to-Face and Online Assessment: Assignment Options (7/8/20)

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The next set of workshops in the Learning Technology Center’s Summer Flexible Blended Faculty Development Workshop Series begins with a session focusing on different ways that you can develop flexible assignments that could be used face-to-face or online. The summary for the session is below:

This session will help you work through your existing face-to-face course assignments and look for ways to leverage blended teaching and learning principles in ways that are easy for students to follow, and meet your assignment learning goals. Facilitators will discuss considerations in moving assignments submissions online in primarily face-to-face courses. Participants will identify assignments and activities in current face-to-face courses that could be moved into an optional online format.

If you are interested in this session, please register so that you can receive the Webex Meeting link for this synchronous workshop session and the self-enrollment link for the asynchronous Canvas course that accompanies this workshop series. You will need to log in with your UWW credentials to register.

If you have any questions about this session, or the workshop series in general, please contact icit-techpilots@uww.edu.

Planning for Flexibility: Designing Student Small Group Activities (7/7/20)

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On Tuesday, July 7th, the Learning Technology Center closes out the first set of workshops, on planning for flexibility, in the Summer Flexible Blended Faculty Development Workshop Series. The last topic in this first grouping of workshops focuses on small group activities that could be applicable in low enrollment physical classrooms and/or situations where students do group work online. The summary for the session is below:

This session discusses ways that you can make in-class and online student group work more organized and central to your course. Particular focus will be on devising meaningful collaborative group opportunities that take place face-to-face, online, and in mixed modality. Facilitators will overview different approaches to utilize, and manage, smaller groups of students (e.g., approx 5-10). Participants will work through current learning activities and assessments, and identify opportunities to incorporate small groups.

If you are interested in this topic, please register so that you can receive the Webex Meeting link for the session, and to receive access to the workshop series Canvas course site (if you have not previously registered for a session in this workshop series). You will need to login using your UWW credentials in order to register.

If you have any questions about this session, or the summer workshop series in general, please contact us at icit-techpilots@uww.edu.

Planning for Flexibility: Using Technology for Learning in the Physical and Online Classroom (6/30/20)

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The Learning Technology Center’s Summer Flexible Blended Faculty Development Workshop Series continues on Tuesday, June 30th with a session focused on technologies that can be used whether students attend a class session face-to-face or online. The summary for this session is below:

This session introduces small ways that you can start encouraging meaningful technology use in the physical or online classroom, using technology that students already have. We will discuss reasons that “technology bans” may be detrimental to student success, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and talk about small ways to start leveraging student personal technology in the classroom. Facilitators will overview benefits in leveraging students’ personal technology in the classroom. Participants will explore different classroom technology uses, and identify one learning activity that could benefit from student personal technology use. Some of these technologies could allow students to participate in the face-to-face class remotely if they need that option for safety.

If you are interested in this topic, please register for this session so that you receive access to the synchronous session on Tuesday, as well as the asynchronous Canvas course for the workshop series. You will need to login with your UWW credentials to register.

If you have any questions about this session, or the Flexible Blended Faculty Development Workshop Series in general, please contact us at icit-techpilots@uww.edu.