Wisconsin Digital Learning Day

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Wisconsin State Superintendent Tony Evers has proclaimed February 1, 2012 as Wisconsin Digital Learning Day, which coincides with a nationwide event that same day.  Visit the Wisconsin Digital Learning Day website at http://dpi.wi.gov/imt/dlday.html

It is critical that technology be used to both change how we teach and learn as well as to take advantage of potential efficiencies. Digital Learning Day will showcase many excellent and innovative examples of digital learning across Wisconsin’s schools.  Participants are encouraged to share their ideas for events in their schools and communities on the web site.

Taking advantage of the day’s theme, the State Superintendent’s Digital Learning Advisory Council will also release its statewide digital learning strategic plan on Digital Learning Day. The plan has been in development over the past year. The council represents educators, parents, libraries, and business.

To learn more about how to be a part of this groundbreaking event, sign up at http://www.digitallearningday.org. You can also “like” Digital Learning Day on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalDigitalLearningDay and follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #DLDay.

Improved D2L Calendar Tool

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D2L now offers an improved Calendar tool to manage tasks for courses. You can view course events such as project due dates, homework assignments, and virtual office hours.

When looking at your calendar tool, just click on the events posted in your calendar to find out more information that your instructor has provided for you. The management tool lets you organize your calendar by customizing how the content appears.

You can change the color scheme of individual courses, toggle calendars to display the courses you want to focus on, and view individual course schedule. Color coded courses make it easier and clearer for you to know which assignments, quizzes, discussion or events are for each class.

Kaitlyn, from the Learning Technology Center, will demonstrate how to use and customize your calendar in this short video clip.

For additional information, please see the Calendar section of the Student D2L User’s Guide. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

2012 Regents Teaching Excellence Awards

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Regent Manydeeds with 2011 Award Recipients

Regent Manydeeds with 2011 Award Recipients (Photo: Alan Magayne-Roshak, UW-Milwaukee)

The UW System Office of Academic Affairs is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Regents Teaching Excellence Awards.  Two $5,000 awards are given to faculty and academic staff members at UW System institutions in recognition of outstanding career achievement in teaching. In addition, one $5,000 award is given to an academic department, program or other academic unit which demonstrates exceptional commitment to and effectiveness in teaching.

Past UW-Whitewater recipients of this prestigious award include Lois Smith, John Kozlowicz, and the Department of Languages and Literatures.

Funds from this award are to be used for further program enhancements, such as professional development or teaching-related supplies and expenses. Award winners will be honored at a Board of Regents meeting.

Nominations for the Awards are due February 1, 2012.
2012 Guidelines (pdf)
2012 Nomination Cover Sheet (doc)
Past Recipients

D2L Starter Course Updated

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The D2L Starter Course includes a number of useful templates and other resources that you may copy and modify for use in your own course, and it is now in version 2.1 with new and improved content. In addition, many of the resources and templates now also help courses meet Quality Matters standards for online and blended courses.

Some of the new updates include:

  • Student resources provide useful information on Turnitin (anti-plagiarism detector), “clickers” (student response devices), D2L assistance, technology help, and university policies.
  • Time-saving templates present easy to edit electronic D2L rubrics, activities, assignments, topic overviews, discussion starters, and more.
  • Quizzes help students prepare to use LockDown Browser, to find out “Are You Ready for Online?”, and to learn helpful tips and success strategies.
  • A mid-course student evaluation survey gauges whether the course is meeting your (and your students’) expectations.
  • News announcements offer suggested wording to post in online, blended/hybrid, and web-enhanced courses.

Would you like to review these new items or add them to your own course? To access and register for the D2L Starter Course, please login to D2L and use the link “register here” provided in the “D2L Resources and Training Available” news announcement. When the registration form appears, simply click on the “Register” button at the bottom right of the screen, and then click “submit and finish.”  Once you are registered, the D2L Starter Course will be listed within your “Instructor tab” in the folder labeled “OTHER – Courses With No Semester.”

Please remember that these resources are used by instructors across campus. Do not edit any of the items found in the original D2L Starter course!

D2L eGrading

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Desire2Learn logoThe D2L eGrading process allows instructors to transfer final grades from their D2L Gradebook to their WINS Grade Roster in a few simple steps. This greatly streamlines the grade submission process at the end of the term for those instructors who use the D2L gradebook.

For complete instructions on the steps to getting your grades exported, please see the D2L WINS eGrading page on our Instructional Resources wiki. For more frequently asked questions on the process, please see our eGrading FAQ wiki page.