The LTC’s Fall 2018 “Teaching with Webex Teams Bootcamp” begins next week in McGraw 19A. The three sessions take place on a series of Wednesday afternoons (10/10, 10/17, 10/24) from 3:00 pm to 3:45 pm. Any instructor interested in using Webex Teams is welcome; registrations are encouraged. You do not need to attend all sessions, but session two and session three build upon the knowledge of the first session.
Webex Teams
Wednesday, October 10, 2018: Why Should I Use Webex Teams?
This first session introduces participants to Cisco Webex Teams, and why instructors and students might benefit from incorporating it. Participants will be introduced to the concepts of “Teams” and “Spaces.” Facilitators will provide examples to help participants understand what Webex Teams is (and is not), how Webex Teams works, and the purpose in using Webex Teams.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018: How Do I Use Webex Teams?
This second session provides participants with a hands-on technical training with Cisco Webex Teams. Participants will practice creating “Teams” and “Spaces,” as well using Webex Teams to communicate and collaborate with others.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018: Now What Do I Do With Webex Teams?
This third, and final, session provides participants with a forum to discuss potential applications of Webex Teams in their teaching. Facilitators will provide participants with “best practices” for using Webex Teams based on recent pilots at UW-Whitewater.
Please note: There is no stipend associated with attending the “Teaching with Webex Teams Bootcamp.” However, if you complete all three sessions, you will receive a badge. The “Teaching with Webex Teams Bootcamp” is the same program as Spring 2018’s “Teaching with Spark Bootcamp.”
If you have any questions about the “Teaching with Webex Teams Bootcamp,” or any other LTC training or workshop, feel free to contact the UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center.
There is still time to apply for the LTC’s Spring 2019 Adaptive Learning Project using Cerego!
Instructors participating in the adaptive learning project will receive a stipend to compensate the work they put into their course redesign. If all required components are completed, participating instructors can expect to receive a stipend of $1000.
Instructors have flexibility in determining the course in which to implement the adaptive learning platform. By taking part in the project, instructors agree to fully participate in, and complete, all project requirements. The following semester-by-semester breakdown conveys the expectations for participating instructors:
Cerego Phone App
Fall 2018
Attend faculty development sessions with LTC staff (dates TBD); and
Create, and present, a detailed plan for use that specifies how adaptive learning will be used in one Spring 2019 course.
Winterim 2018-2019
Revise detailed plan for use, and submit revised plan to LTC.
Spring 2019
Conduct at least one course using adaptive learning (as described in your plan for use); and
Complete early semester “check-in” form for LTC staff; and
Attend faculty development session focused on sharing experiences using adaptive learning (date TBD); and
Support the LTC in administering an end-of-semester (IRB approved) survey about the course to students.
Summer 2019
Complete video reflection on using adaptive learning in the course. This video reflection will be scheduled during late Spring semester or Summer 2019, at your convenience. The purpose of the video reflection is to share what was learned with other instructors who may be interested in using adaptive learning in the future.
As of this afternoon, Webex Teams messages, spaces, and teams appear to be fully restored. Cisco reports that a few issues may persist for the next day or two, but services are more-or-less fully restored.
The New Media Consortium recently published its annual Horizon Report. The report “identifies and describes the higher education trends, challenges, and developments in educational technology likely to have an impact on learning, teaching, and creative inquiry.” This week’s TED Tips is part two of a three part series exploring the Horizon Report. This week focuses on the significant challenges impeding technology adoption in Higher Education. The purpose of this blog is not to offer or propose possible solutions, but to report the challenges.
These challenges were identified because of their potential implications for policy, leadership, and practice. The challenges identified are likely to impede the adoption of technologies if left unsolved. They vary in scope and complexity. The Horizon report defines solvable challenges as “those we understand and know how to solve”; difficult challenges as “well understood but for solutions remain elusive”; and wicked challenges as “the most difficult…complex even to define, and thus required additional data and insights before solutions will be possible.”
Solvable Challenges: Those that we understand and know how to solve.
Authentic Learning Experiences
Authentic learning experiences connect students to real world problems and immerse learners in environments where they can gain high practical, lifelong skills. The challenge identified by the Horizon Report relates to the increased demand for students with skills directly applicable to the workplace and the perception that graduates may not have the skills needed.
Possible solutions identified include vocation training, apprenticeships, and course projects situated in the community. Job shadowing programs and project based learning through startups have become more common. Colleges and universities have the opportunity to expand beyond their traditional roles. They could provide instruction for more adults making mid-career pivots retraining from one industry to another. Community colleges may offer a model to help provide access to apprenticeships and more direct industry experience. “Learning by Doing” is a key tenant of programs like the LEAP initiative that reflect changes in this area. Rethinking courses and programs to increase authentic learning opportunities seems something that is already underway at Whitewater especially as it applies to being “even better together” and the restructuring of UW-Whitewater and UW-Rock County.
Improving Digital Literacy
Technology has become essential to success in the workplace. Are institutions of higher learning creating digitally literate students? Digital literacy, however, is not strictly technical proficiency and competency. Digital literacy also includes skills like:
netiquette
digital citizenship
understanding digital rights and responsibilities
articulating the boundaries between our personal, private lives and are more public persona.
Solutions exist to help prepare students for digital literacy, for example, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland has developed a self-paced course, “23 Things for Digital Knowledge.” These types of skills could become more integrated into existing curriculum.
Society is wrestling with some of these challenges too. Consider the implications and fallout of the recent Facebook data “scandal”. The use of social media and online consumerism has created buffets of data; various advertising and agencies are hungry to sample those delicious data items. This creates additional ethical challenges and potential conflicts of interest. There are implications for policy and leadership as drivers from other areas (like the need to track attendance) often lead to possible technical solutions that could potentially clash with student privacy concerns.
Difficult Challenges: Those that we understand but for which solutions are elusive.
Advancing Digital Equity
Another area that poses challenges to higher education is ensuring digital equity and opportunities for all students. While MANY students use devices like smart phones and laptops, not all students have access to technology devices or can afford high-speed data. While technology needs have expanded, the creation of formal policies to ensure equal access have often not kept pace.
Adapting Organizational Designs to the Future of Work
Do the organizational structures of colleges and universities align with the practices of the 21st century workplace? Do traditional educational models prepare students for success? Colleges and universities are finding new ways to integrate faculty from distance and interdisciplinary programs. Technology creates new teaching and learning methods. More flexible degree paths and credentialing options provide new paths and opportunities for schools to offer new forms of stackable degrees and graduate programs. There are possible consequences to the new models: over two thirds of faculty members are now non-tenure, with half working part-time, often in teaching roles at several institutions. In addition to changes in teaching roles, other services and programs may need to be re-evaluated. What does do student services, which include financial aid programs, academic advising, and work-study programs look like?
Wicked challenges: Those that are complex even to define, much less address
Economic and Political Pressures
While we have already identified some of the changes to staffing and programs, other economic and political pressures pose bigger, more complex challenges. Several institutions, both for-profit and nonprofit, have closed recently. Others have faced consolidations and mergers. The Horizon report does not forecast an end to higher education. However, other trends affecting higher education like changes in enrollments policy, tuition discounting, and funding through research pathways have forced all models to come under scrutiny. There are opportunities. As was identified in the authentic learning challenge, industry is looking to higher education to provide different types of education. Foundations are looking to new community models and partnerships. Can individual institutions adapt nimbly enough to meet these challenges?
Rethinking the Role of Educators
Not only is the future of higher education institutions in question, the role of faculty is changing. New models of stackable graduate school degrees, competency based programs, online micro credentialing, and flexible learning paths have forced institutions to rethink the role of educator. With an increase in the use and demand of technology, faculty need to be more tech savvy. Many programs are becoming much more student-focused; as such, there is more demand for faculty that are facilitators and guides. The role and expectations of tenure track instruction is changing.
The 2018 Higher Education Horizon Report provides a look into the future. It is a rich place to explore ideas connected to the themes of Technology, Education and Design. These glances can inform our thinking now, guide our planning, and inspire our journey.
– Ted Witt Teaching, Learning, and Technology Consultant
Looking for some competition? This month Poll Everywhere released a new “Competitions” feature that allows you to create questions for a trivia-like activity.
Students can compete live in class to earn points based on getting correct answers, as well as how quickly they answer. The feature includes a Leaderboard that updates with each round.
If you are interested in learning more about the “Competitions” feature in Poll Everywhere, Poll Everywhere has released a short Webinar that introduces and explains the feature.
The UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center (LTC) is pleased to announce that registration is open for the Winterim 2019 Online/Blended Teaching Institute. Due to popular request, the Online and Blended Teaching Institute will take place in an accelerated format during the 2019 Winterim term. The Online and Blended Teaching Institute is a series of interactive workshops focusing on best practices for teaching online and blended courses. By the conclusion of the institute, participants will develop a course module utilizing best practices for online/blended teaching. To apply, click here. The URL for registration is available at the bottom of this post.
Dates for the 2019 Winterim Online and Blended Institute: January 4: Face-to-Face meeting, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm January 11: Face-to Face meeting, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm January 18: Online using WebEx, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Submission of final Institute content February 1st
Objectives:
Develop a unit/module utilizing best practices in online/blended course design.
Demonstrate technological proficiency useful in facilitating online/blended courses.
Apply methods to facilitate assessment and evaluation.
Illustrate approaches to building community online.
Develop strategies for effective time management.
For any additional information or questions, please contact the LTC.
Learning Technology Center (262) 472-1004 ltc@uww.edu
As of 7:45 AM this morning, Webex Teams is still not fully restored. Cisco is continuing to work to address the issues that caused the outage. At this time, the LTC still does not have an estimated time for when services will be restored.
The Learning Technology Center has been made aware of an unscheduled Cisco Webex Teams service outage today (9/25) that appears to be impacting all users. As of 10:15 AM this morning, the service outage had been impacting users across the UW-Whitewater campus for an indefinite period of time (possibly as early as Monday 9/24 evening). Cisco is working to restore services, but we do not currently have an estimated time in which services will be fully restored. LTC staff will continue to monitor the situation, and provide updates as they come.
Poll Everywhere can be used to engage students on many devices
Last week I looked at a couple of communication tips. This week I want to focus on another specific tool that is available for use like a clicker for student engagement: Poll Everywhere. I also want to share the story of how one of our instructors Lori Trimble, from the social work department has used Poll Everywhere in her class! Finally, there are a couple of training opportunities if you are interested in learning more about Poll Everywhere to see how you could adapt it for your own use.
Poll Everywhere is an interactive tool adopted for use on the UW-Whitewater campus. It allows you to create poll questions and prompts, which students can respond to in “real-time” through mobile apps, text messages, or the Poll Everywhere website. You can then display the responses live to the class, and incorporate what you find out into class discussions and group activities.
One way to use Poll Everywhere would be to use an open-ended question to kick off a group discussion with a colorful word cloud. Another way is collect live, anonymous results by an audience who can participate via a website or mobile device. Responses can appear live, in real-time, directly in PowerPoint presentations. The most recent update has introduced live competitions! Have you ever encountered interactive pub trivia or other trivia contests with live leaderboards? Now you can build that into your class with your content using Poll Everywhere.
One of the great things about it is that you engage your classroom without any clunky and easy-to-forget hardware. You can use a device most people have at all times — a mobile phone. You can also ask students to use their phones, tablets, or laptops to respond to polls that you present. The results appear live on the display. You can use this tool to quiz your class, discuss the results, and use that insight to guide the classroom discussions.
I took some time to interview Lori Trimble of the Social Work Department. Lori joined the Social Work department as the Academic Department Associate (ADA) in January 2017.
I asked Lori what challenges she was facing in the classroom and what she was using to solve them. One of the tools she talked about was Webex Teams – but the other one was Poll Everywhere.
Lori: I was teaching New Student Seminar, with brand new freshmen. I broke them into small groups and that created lively conversations and discussions…but as soon as I combined a conversation to a full class: “CRICKETS!” There had to be a better way to keep the conversations flowing.
Ted: What did you try? What did you do to get additional engagement?
Lori: I started using Poll Everywhere. Specifically, using open-ended questions to encourage engagement. Since the lesson was on engagement, this seemed a good way to get ideas flowing.
Ted: How did it work? Did you incentivize it at all?
Lori: It worked great! While I was a bit nervous that with an open-ended question, I might get a smart aleck response, people started providing answers to the questions right away. It was clear once one student shared an idea others reacted similarly. It was a great way to get engagement; specifically some people not brave enough to raise their hand, this gives students a great way to participate without fear because their answers appear anonymously on the screen.
After class – I was able to generate a user report because I limited my polls to registered users. I wanted to award participation points to students for joining in the conversation. This provided a way to get students involved, and I was able to record their activity.
Ted: Why do you think this was a valuable tool to use? How effective was it?
Lori: It was VERY easy for students to use, and the platform for creating polls is very user friendly. I asked them to bring a phone or laptop, and they did. I wanted to get students engaged – Poll Everywhere helped prompt the discussion; I facilitated it. Students were very excited to use the discussions in this way.
Ted: Did you encounter any challenges or barriers to using it?
Lori: There were a couple of hiccups. I did not realize being logged in for the first question didn’t necessarily mean I was logged in for subsequent questions. Texting responses did not work as smoothly as I hoped with registered users – but overall it was very intuitive.
I want to thank Lori for sharing some of her experiences using Poll Everywhere in the classroom! If you are interested in exploring more about how to get started using Poll Everywhere there are a couple of upcoming information sessions. The sign-up links are below in resources (please note you will need to log in with your UWW credentials to register).
Next week we return to the 2018 Horizon Report and look at the Challenges facing technology and higher education.
Ted Witt –Teaching, Learning, and Technology Consultant
Poll Everywhere is scheduled for maintenance on Saturday, September 22nd and Saturday, October 6th beginning at 10:00 pm. You may experience issues accessing Poll Everywhere during these times.
