Author: eschudel

Facilitating Discussions and Collaborative Work in D2L

Last May, I ran a workshop which examined a variety of online collaboration tools within D2L, and discussed with participants various facilitation techniques they can use to engage learners and promote collaboration online.  In addition, we worked within D2L itself to create Discussion forums and topics, and explored other collaborative tools in D2L.

Before we learned how to set up discussions in D2L, we first needed to discuss why online discussions might be important to add to your class, and how facilitation happens in an online, asynchronous environment. Here’s a synopsis of this discussion.

First and foremost, discussion activities should tie to learning outcomes so that students understand clearly why they need to complete them. And if your discussions are part of a face-to-face enhanced class (meaning you teach in the classroom, but use D2L to support it), they should be clearly relevant to what is happening in class or be clearly linked to assessments (i.e., not a separate participation mark, but a component of a larger assessment). Being clear about the relevance of your discussion, and quite frankly having grades attached to them, will enhance participation in the discussions.

Second, your expectations need to be clear – both what you expect of the students when posting to discussions, and what they can expect from you within the discussions. For example, define the parameters of the discussions by stating how many posts you expect students to complete, how you are judging the quality of their posts, etc. One tip: add a rubric!! You could also have discussion groups define parameters of how they will work together themselves, for example in terms of conflict resolution, expectations for postings, etc.

Third, consider how you will set up and facilitate the discussions. Use open-ended questions as prompts and also as follow-ups (to ensure your questions can’t simply be answered with a “yes” or “no”.) Design your questions to encourage critical thinking, and make sure to build time in for reflection. You may also want to draw on the expertise and experience of course participants by selecting questions so students can contribute their own unique perspectives, or asking them to pose questions themselves. It is also important to limit the number of questions to keep the discussion focused, and reduce confusion amongst your students. Make sure to set a reasonable time frame for the discussion, clearing posting start and end dates for the discussion as a whole, as well as dates for when students should post and reply by to ensure they generate an actual discussion!

Finally, your presence, which includes monitoring and feedback, is crucial. If you want students to participate, YOU need to as well!! Keep track of the discussion, but don’t feel like you have to post responses all the time (start more active then slowly back off so students lead). Make comments or give feedback as needed. And watch for disrespectful postings, dominating posters, inactive posters, etc. Interject to push the discussion forward, or in different directions, and be encouraging. Contact inactive posters individually if necessary (avoid shaming them in the more public forum).

Resources:

After discussing the whys and the hows, we then worked on the technical side of setting up the Discussion tool in D2L. In general, the Discussion tool allows multiple participants to engage in asynchronous discussions. We recommend asking that students use the Discussion tool rather than setting up a Facebook page for the class first, because not everyone has a Facebook account or wants to use an open-to-the-world forum for discussion course-related topics, and second, because having the Discussions in D2L allows for better privacy and monitoring of the discussions to ensure they stay on track. You can also connect D2L discussions to the Grades tool for assessment.

Instructors set up discussions, while students can read messages, post their own messages, and reply to others’ messages. These messages are threaded, which means that participants respond directly to comments from other students, and also which allows participants to easily view the original post along with all its replies.

Some examples of when you might want to use the Discussion tool in D2L for a face-to-face class include:

  • Creating an open forum for ongoing questions, and where students can answer each other meaning that the instructor isn’t the one that has to answer all the time, but could jump in to provide support/clarification as needed.
  • Creating group forums to give student groups a place to discuss and work on group projects, as well as share project/presentation materials.
  • Creating spaces to discuss class readings (preferably with guiding questions), for example, that could continue in the face to face class.

I won’t go into the technical side of options for viewing and participating in Discussions. You can find out more by looking at the tutorials in the On-Demand Training site (in D2L), or by booking a consult with an instructional designer. One note I will make is that I would recommend building rubrics in D2L to communicate expectations to students for discussion participation– Students can see the rubric up front as a guide for their posts, and then the graded one once you have published feedback for them. In addition, if the discussion is connected to the Grades tool, the graded rubric will also appear there!

Some of the other tools in D2L which foster collaborative work in D2L are:

The Groups tool through which you can link up groups of students in D2L who could then immediately connect using Discussions, Dropbox, or Locker. You can also then use Release Conditions to connect any tool activity to a group

The Chat tool which allows multiple users to converse in synchronous (i.e., live, real-time), text-based discussions. You can create open chatrooms or closed (group) chatrooms, and participants can enter new Chats or view previous sessions of a Chat. you might use? Typically the Chat is used for office hours (for example, for a completely online course), or to give students another option for group work discussions.

The Locker allows for group file sharing, if it has been set up for the Groups.

The Classlist is the list of participants in the class. It allows instructors and students to easily email other participants in the class (note that Email should be used for private discussions – we recommend that topics not requiring privacy should be posted in Discussions).

As we concluded the session, participants talked about what they had learned from the session, and what they were going to try moving forward. From integrating general questions around course topics in the Discussion tool, to rethinking the purpose of discussions in courses (so that they aren’t just about general participation), to ensuring guidelines are clear, and discussions are assessed, to including group discussion forums to support students’ study groups.

If any of the ideas in this post resonate with you, let me know in the Comments. And if you want to explore how to integrate collaborative work in D2L, contact desupport@camosun.ca and ask for an appointment with one of our instructional designers.

What Internet browser is best to use with D2L

D2L (Desire2Learn) is a web-based learning management system, meaning that you need to access your D2L course using an Internet browser. There are several different Internet browsers to choose from. The mains ones for PCs (note that you might also use Safari if you have a MAC) computers are:

  • Google Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Microsoft Edge (note that Internet Explorer is no longer being updated)

All three of these browsers are freely available to download and install on your own computers (PC or MAC), or on your mobile devices. Yes – you can download Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge onto your iPads and iPhones!

Now, in the eyes of web-based platforms like D2L, not all Internet browsers are created equal. We recommend that, whenever possible, you use Google Chrome to access D2L and avoid Internet Explorer (if it is on the computer you are using). While Firefox and Edge are also supported by D2L, we here in eLearning have found that Chrome tends to work best with D2L tools. If Chrome is not on the computer you are using, and if you don’t have administrative access to download and install it, Firefox is a good second choice. Microsoft Edge can be used in a pinch, but you may encounter issues with some of the D2L tools and pages.

You will find a list of Internet browsers supported by D2L, one that is continually updated, at: https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/brightspace/requirements/all/browser_support.htm

Some things to remember:

  • Google Chrome is NOT the same as Google. Google is a search engine that you can use in any browser, whereas Google Chrome IS a browser. So, if you open Microsoft Edge and “Google” D2L, you are not opening D2L in Google Chrome.
  • To expand on this, Never “Google” Camosun D2L – chances are that the links you will be given will not take you to where you want to go. Instead, open a browser (preferably Google Chrome), go to the main Camosun homepage (http://camosun.ca/) and click D2L in the top right-hand corner.
  • If you are having trouble with D2L or any of the tools in D2L, sometimes it helps to close D2L (and the browser you have opened it in) and open D2L in another browser.

Creating Short Answer Questions in the D2L Quiz Tool

This tutorial is for faculty who have previous experience using the Quizzes tool and Question Library in D2L. For further information, please contact desupport@camosun.ca for assistance.

Scenario

This tutorial will describe how to create a Short Answer question in D2L.

Steps

  1. Go to the Quizzes tool in your course, then click Question Library.Cick Question Library
  2. Create a New –> Section or click on the title of an existing Section (folder) in which to save your Short answer question. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will click Quizzes, and then Week 1.Select the Section (folder) you want to add the Short Answer question to
  3. Click New and select Short Answer Question (SA).Click New and select Short Answer Question (SA)
  4. Type your question into the Question Text box. You will see a Preview of the question begin to appear in the right-hand panel.Type your question into the Question Text box. You will see a Preview of the question begin to appear in the right-hand panel
  5. Add the Answers for Blank 1. If you have more than one answer, type in the first one, then hit Enter. You will then be able to add a second answer (for example, if the answer is “One”, you may also want to allow students to answer “1”).Add the Answers for Blank 1.
  6. If there is more than one blank you want students to put answers into, click Add Blank. You will then be able to decide how points are assigned to blanks by using the drop-down menu at the bottom.If there is more than one blank you want students to put answers into, click Add Blank. You will then be able to decide how points are assigned to blanks by using the drop-down menu at the bottom
  7. Click Options to Add Feedback, Add Hint, and/or Add Short Description for your question. When you have finished creating your question, click Save.Click Options to Add Feedback, Add Hint, and/or Add Short Description for your question. When you have finished creating your question, click Save

Things to Remember

While Short Answer Questions are designed to be graded automatically by D2L based on the possible answers you provide, it may be possible for a student to give a correct answer that you have NOT accounted for. Therefore, we recommend that when using Short Answer Questions in a quiz, you double-check the students’ answers to make sure that they have not lost marks for something that should have been correct. You can then go back and fix the question for the next time.

The Non-Disposable Assignment

Last week I gave you a quick introduction to the concept of Open, in regards to Open Educational Resources, and Open Pedagogy. Now I wanted to give you a short post about one example of open pedagogy in action. Submitted for your perusal: the Non-Disposable Assignment.

The idea of the non-disposable assignment came about from frustration voiced by students who were spending enormous amounts of time completing assignments (like papers) which were graded and filed away, never to be looked at again, and by faculty who spend enormous amounts of time grading said papers, only to never have students look at them again – thus, disposable. A non-disposable assignment, on the other hand, “focuses on personalised learning by allowing students to build new knowledge together around an authentic problem, scenario or situation” (https://wordpress.viu.ca/enhancingpersonalizedlearning/about/ ); they are assessments which students feel connected to, value, and are proud to share with their peers.

In 2013, David Wiley wrote a blog post on Open Educational Resources, and specifically addressed the issues around the “disposable” assignment, and how important it was to address them if you are truly wanting to move into practicing open pedagogy. In other words, OER are not just about free textbooks, they are also about providing students with assessment options that are grounded in the 5 Rs we discussed last week: retain, remix, reuse, revise, and redistribute. He says “[b]ecause the assignment encourages them to work in any medium they prefer, students pick something they’ll enjoy, which leads them to invest at a different level.” And isn’t this something we, as educators, strive for?

Christine Hendricks also notes that using Open Educational Resources to support your teaching gives students options for themselves to remix, reuse, etc. these materials to create their non-disposable assignments, thus bringing the open pedagogy full circle in a course.

Alan Levine takes the concept of non-disposable assignments to task a bit, noting that many examples seem to still echo the old disposable assignment, noting that “[i]t takes a lot of effort to move past the first impulse of writing ones that sound like they are answering a question or a series of questions.” In other words, the concept of the non-disposable seems simple (especially once you see some examples), but it is not necessarily easy (especially in the practice of your own discipline)!

Rather than repeating examples of non-disposable assignments here, I will point you to the website referenced at the beginning of this post (https://wordpress.viu.ca/enhancingpersonalizedlearning/) which supports a Vancouver Island University workshop on creating non-disposable assignments, and contains several examples of non-disposable assignments created by faculty who participated in the workshops. I encourage you to have a look and get some ideas. You can also find specific examples of non-disposable assignments on David Wiley’s, Christine Hendricks’, and Alan Levine’s blog posts, linked below.

If you are already using non-disposable assignments in your teaching, or if you create some after reading this post and the linked resources, I would love it if you would share them with me, either by contacting me directly (schudele@camosun.ca) or by commenting on this post. And, of course, if you ever want to talk to any of us in the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning about how you might add non-disposable assignments to your courses, contact any of us – we would love to talk to you!

References and Additional Resources

The Non-Disposable Assignment:  Enhancing Personalized Learning https://wordpress.viu.ca/enhancingpersonalizedlearning/

David Wiley (2013) Iterating towards Openness: https://opencontent.org/blog/archives/2975

Christine Hendricks (2015) Non-Disposable Assignments in Intro to Philosophy: http://blogs.ubc.ca/chendricks/2015/08/18/non-disposable-assignments-intro-philosophy/

Alan Levine (2017) Non-Disposable Assignments: https://cogdogblog.com/2017/02/non-disposable-assignments/

An Era of Disposable Assignments? (2018) https://www.ecampusontario.ca/era-disposable-assignments/

A Conceptual Framework for Non-Disposable Assignments: Inspiring Implementation, Innovation, and Research  (2018) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1475725718811711

D2L Design Considerations for Mobile Devices

Last May, Bob Preston (one of our amazing eLearning Support crew) and I ran a workshop for faculty that I called “D2L Design Considerations for Mobile Devices”. In this post, I am going to give you a bit of a synopsis of this workshop, and let you know what you might want to think about when setting up your D2L course site to ensure it is viewable on mobile devices, such as iPhones and iPads.

My conversations with faculty over the years, and surveys and interactions with students, tell us that more and more students are using mobile devices (phones and tablets) to work in their D2L course sites. But faculty don’t often know what their sites actually look like on smaller devices. So, for this workshop, while it was held in a computer lab, I asked faculty to bring their tablets and phones so they could try out some design techniques to make sure their students can get the most out of D2L course sites on their own devices.

The outcomes of the workshop were for participants to be able to:

  • Know better how students are viewing their D2L sites on mobile devices
  • Integrate mobile accessibility considerations when designing and adding materials
  • Consider how they will discuss D2L on mobile devices with students

First, we looked at the homepage of D2L on a phone. I should first note that you don’t need to download an app to use D2L on a mobile device anymore.   It has been redesigned to work on browsers. The first image shows what the main Camosun D2L page looks like on a phone – note the “hamburger” menu pointed out on the top left – and the second image shows what it looks like when you click on the “hamburger” menu:

Camosun D2L homepage on a phone

Hamburger menu opened

And here is a sample course homepage. Note that if you move your News widget to another location on your homepage, it will NOT be the first thing student see if they are working on their phones.

Course homepage on a phone

Next we took a look at the Content tool to check to see what students see for various content pieces. When we open a piece of content on a phone, we see the larger context of the Content tool can be lost (or seemingly lost) on a small device, so it becomes easier for students to “not see” things like the Print or Download buttons (they have to scroll down), and the pages themselves can become so small as to be illegible. The key is organization AND showing (and reminding) students of how D2L is being used for the course.

Content page on a phone

Using the Quizzes tool on a mobile device works relatively well, although we recommend you Preview your quizzes on a phone to check for image size etc. With regards to Dropbox, you may need to advise students on how to upload files from a mobile device (especially if it is an Apple device) and caution them that viewing rubrics might be challenging on a smaller device as students will need to scroll (using the arrows as seen below) to see the full rubric table. This will be the same for students viewing their gradebooks on a phone.

Dropbox Feedback on a phone

To conclude, based on our experience with common support issues, and questions raised by participants in this workshop, we in eLearning will be looking at developing some tutorials for students using D2L on mobile devices, and additionally will continue to encourage faculty to look at their sites and content on smaller devices, such as phones, and to advocate for accessible course design (Universal Design for Learning) as it relates to both D2L in general, and mobile devices. So, stay tuned as we begin our work!

Some New EdTech Tools Coming to eLearning!

Some of you may have heard rumours that some new edtech tools are coming to Camosun via eLearning this term.  It is indeed true!  We are currently piloting our streaming media platform, Kaltura, and setting up our new instance of WordPress and our updated Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (our synchronous class delivery platform).

Want to know more?  Come to one of our information sessions this term!  Descriptions are below, and you can register at https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/GDWH7WY

Introduction to Kaltura (Streaming Media at Camosun): Information Session

Monday, March 4th, 3:00-4:00 pm LLC151 (Lansdowne)

Kaltura is a streaming media tool that is coming to Camosun. This means faculty and students will now have a place to create, edit, and house their course-related videos. Kaltura also integrates with D2L. Come find out more about what Kaltura is, what it can do, and how you can use it for your courses, as well as when it will be available at this information session!

Introduction to Blackboard Collaborate Ultra: Information Session

Monday, March 11th, 3:00-4:00 pm LLC151  (Lansdowne)

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a synchronous classroom tool that is coming to Camosun. This means that faculty now have an online tool with audio, video, chat, and whiteboard/desktop sharing capabilities to support their teaching in real-time. Come find out more about Blackboard Collaborate and how it can be used, as well as when it will be available, at this information session.

Using WordPress for Student Blogs: Information Session

Thursday, March 14th, 3:00-4:00 pm LLC151  (Lansdowne)

WordPress is a blogging and website creation tool which is now available in the Canadian cloud, meaning that if you would like your students to build blogs and websites as part of their learning, we can now offer a solution which will be in compliance with the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Come find out more about how to set up a site for yourself, and what you need to know to get your students started.

 

Adding Text or Images to Appear above a Set of Questions: A D2L Tutorial

This tutorial is for faculty who have previous experience using the Quizzes tool in D2L. For further information, please contact desupport@camosun.ca for assistance.

Scenario

This tutorial will cover the steps involved with making some of your quiz questions bonus questions (counting above the total grade for the quiz).

Steps

  1. Go to the Quizzes tool in your course.
  2. Click Question Library.Click question library
  3. Select a Section to add your Text or Image information to, or create a new section (for the purposes of this tutorial, we want to create a Case Study text that accompanies a set of questions in the Week 1 Quiz, so we will click the Week 1 section to open it).Adding Text or Images to Appear above a Set of Questions – D2L Tutorial
  4. Click New and select Section.Click New and select Section.
  5. Give your Section a Title and click Hide Section Title from students if you like (we will keep it unselected to show you want it looks like in a quiz). Add your text or image to the Section Text box. This is where your case study text would go, for example. If you would like all the questions in this section shuffled (so that each student sees the questions relating to the case study in a different order), click Shuffle questions in this section. Then click Save.Give your Section a Title and click Hide Section Title from students if you like. Add your text or image to the Section Text box. If you like, click Shuffle questions in this section. Then click Save.
  6. Click on the title of the Section you just created, and using the options under the New button, add your questions to it. Click Done Editing Questions when you have finished.Click on the title of the Section you just created, and using the options under the New button, add your questions to it. Click Done Editing Questions when you have finished.
  7. Now, you can add your Section (along with your questions) to a Quiz. Click on the title of the quiz you want to add your Section to (or create a new Quiz).Click on the title of the quiz you want to add your Section to (or create a new Quiz).
  8. If you need to, give your Quiz a Name, then click Add/Edit Questions.If you need to, give your Quiz a Name, then click Add/Edit Questions
  9. Click Import, and select Browse Question Library.Click Import, and select Browse Question Library.
  10. Find your Section – you may need to scroll down in the Browse Question Library window and click the down arrows next to Section titles to open them to find it. Click the select box next to your Section, and click Add.Find your Section. Click the select box next to your Section, and click Add
  11. Click Done Editing Questions.Click Done Editing Questions.
  12. Finish setting up your Quiz, then click Save and Close. Make sure to Preview your Quiz to check that your Section text or image appears above the questions you placed in it.Finish setting up your Quiz, then click Save and Close.

Things to Remember

NOTE: If you have old quizzes in your course site (for example, if you have copied them from Master or Dev or old course sites), you may have old versions of Text or Image information “question types” that have been converted into Sections called “Untitled [converted from a Text/Image Information Item]”. You will want to check your quizzes to make sure these sections work the way you want them to in the context of your quiz, and may even want to take the time to give them an appropriate title and move the questions the original “question type” was associated with so that they are inside the section.

Continuous Upgrade Post – Catch up from September through December

I have been sadly remiss in posting information about all the changes that have been happening in D2L with our monthly upgrades. So, what has been happening in D2L since September that you might want to know about? Here are some of the highlights:

September Updates

  • Students can now print or download content added to the Overview area in the Content tool.click Overview, then Print or download
  • You can now attach a Group to existing discussion topic while creating the group. You’ve always been able to create a Discussion Topic while creating a group, but now you can also select an existing Topic to attach a group to. You will find this option when you click Set up discussion areas, when creating a New Group. Select Attach to existing topic, and choose the Topic you want to attach your group to.

 Click Set up discussion areas, then Attach to existing topic, then choose your topic!

 October Updates

  • There are some new assignment types you can choose from in Dropbox, which means that students don’t have to necessarily upload a file for Dropbox to work properly. This will open all kinds of options for accepting embedded videos or audios (rather than students having to upload them and you having to download them – you will be able to play them right in D2L!), or setting up a Dropbox for assignments students hand in in class. I will post about this change separately so I can give you a closer look at how these new changes work! Stay tuned…
  • You may have noticed (or your students may have noticed, and may or may not have pointed out to you) that quiz questions now auto save. This means that students no longer have to click Save for each question (the Save button is in fact gone) – but their answers will be saved automatically once they answer the questions. Student do still need to Submit the quiz when they have finished it though!!Auto Save in a Quiz

December

  • In the new Question Creation Interface for Written Response questions, the option to add Initial Text for students has been added back!  See below for how this will now work:Click Options, then Add Intial TextAdd your initial text to the Intial Text box
  • All graded rubrics, whether they are in Dropbox or Discussions, now will appear in a student’s Gradebook (if the Dropbox/Discussion is linked to a Grade Item). Below is a Preview of a student’s gradebook – the View Graded Rubric links are links to the rubrics as graded in Dropbox!Students can click View Graded Rubric in their Gradebooks

Next week I’ll let you know what is coming later this month for the first updates of 2019!

A very brief introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER)

One of the big topics in education these days, especially when talking about elearning or online educational resources, is Open Educational Resources (OER) (and generally, Open-ness). I thought I would take a moment today to very briefly give you some idea of what people mean when they talk about OER, and give you some resources you can explore to find out more.

Open Educational Resources

The Camosun Library Open Resources Guide is a great place for you to go to find out more about OER and where to find them. The guide provides a nice definition of OER as well, which I will repeat here for you: “Open Education Resources (OER) include textbooks, course readings and other teaching and learning content available online at little or no cost. These resources are produced by libraries, universities, government agencies, archival organizations and individuals, and can be used, reused and modified depending on how they have been licensed by the creator of the content.” OERs are especially important in today’s high-cost educational market. Open Textbooks in BC have

According to http://opencontent.org/definition/, “The terms “open content” and “open educational resources” describe any copyrightable work (traditionally excluding software, which is described by other terms like “open source”) that is either (1) in the public domain or (2) licensed in a manner that provides users with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities”, which are as follows:

  • Retain – the right to make, own, and control copies of the content (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage)
  • Reuse – the right to use the content in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)
  • Revise – the right to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language)
  • Remix – the right to combine the original or revised content with other material to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)
  • Redistribute – the right to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)

Creative Commons

One of the hallmarks of OERs is that they are licenced as Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/). Creative Commons “are flexible copyright licenses that allow copyright holders to decide for themselves who can share, reuse and build upon their creative works.” (http://camosun.ca.libguides.com/open/OpenCulture)

Other kinds of “open” in education

In addition to Open in OER, you may hear Open being used in other contexts as well, some of these include:

  • Open source (software that is available at little or no monetary cost, but often costs a lot to set up and maintain in terms of people resources)
  • Open access (resources – articles, books, etc. – that are available freely on the Internet)
  • Open culture (the concept that knowledge should be shared openly and collaboratively, free of copyright restrictions)
  • Open pedagogy (a little more complex, but defined briefly at https://opencontent.org/blog/archives/2975 as “that set of teaching and learning practices only possible in the context of the free access and [5]R permissions characteristic of open educational resources.” – you can explore its complexities further at http://openpedagogy.org/open-pedagogy/)

A few resources

Now that you know a bit more about what OERs are, here are some great resources for you to explore so you can find out more to help you decide how to integrate OERs into your own teaching!

Introducing D2L to your Students

Last May, I ran a workshop for faculty called Introducing D2L to Your Students which asked “Using D2L, but not sure how comfortable your students are with it? Come and find out what other faculty at Camosun are doing to introduce D2L to their students.” The workshop outcomes invited participants to:

  • Decide how best to talk about D2L with your students
  • Rethink the assumptions we make about what students do or don’t know about D2L and accessing online resources
  • Integrate strategies for introducing D2L and referring to it throughout the term

During the workshop, participants discussed how they introduce, or might introduce, D2L to their students.  Expanding on their discussions, I shared what I have learned what faculty across the college are doing to introduce students to D2L, which ranges from nothing (typically assuming students will be able to figure it out for themselves), all the way to full scavenger hunts, and regular sessions in the lab using D2L.

So, here in this post, I now share with you the strategies which have been shared with me.  Faculty at Camosun who are introducing D2L to their students in some way are:

  • Providing students with information about D2L prior to the first class, typically via email (and in some cases via a physical letter). I have seen this being done at a Program level, as well as by individual instructors.
  • Creating handouts (or using the ones created by eLearning) to support students in their use of D2L.
  • Giving students a tour of D2L and the D2L course site on day one, for example,
    • Showing them how to log in;
    • Showing them how to set email forwarding and/or notifications;
    • Showing them all the tools that will be used during the course (or introduce tools throughout the term when they need to be used);
    • Showing them what specifically will be in the tools (content pages, dropboxes, etc.);
    • Showing them how they will see things like quizzes, dropboxes, and grades (using Preview or View as Student options); and
    • Explaining how the various tools, and D2L in general, will be used (what can they expect – for example, how often will News items be posted, or Email checked, or how long it will take to grade a Dropbox assignment).
  • Having students complete a D2L scavenger hunt either in a lab, using laptop carts in a classroom, or asking them to use mobile devices (for example, having them complete one activity (i.e., discussion or dropbox) or multiple activities in your D2L course site).
  • Pulling up D2L for your students at different points throughout the term to remind them to access D2L, or refresh their memory of how a tool works (for example, show them where to find feedback for their assignments, quizzes, in grades, etc.)
  • Giving students a quick survey asking “how’s D2L going” after 4 weeks or so.

After talking to faculty and surveying students, I was surprised that some faculty and students don’t know where they can get help with D2L. Because students don’t always know that there is help available, they often either ask other students or don’t ask anyone at all, which can lead to frustration, and to students giving up on using D2L. Here are some of the places students can (and do) get help with D2L – please make sure to let your students know them!

  • The D2L Student Guide (screen cap) which is available as a link on the main D2L homepage
  • eLearning Support (desupport@camosun.ca), available 8:30-4:30, Monday-Friday.

Finally at the end of the workshop, participants shared what they were going to try with their own courses, either to enhance what they already do, or as a first step. Consider trying some of these, or some of the strategies mentioned above, yourself and let me know how it goes!

  • Including News items around where to get help, or tips on how to use different tools, how to login, using email, etc. (and creating ongoing News posts to help remind students that they need to go to the Dropbox to submit an assignment, or go to Content to view a video).
  • Providing students with a Checklist in the Content area. A checklist can provide students with more clarity around what tools they are supposed to be accessing, what needs to be completed, and by when.
  • Staggering the D2L intro so students don’t have to learn everything at once. This can help students learn how to use the various tools WHEN they need to, so they don’t forget everything after Day 1.

In the end, I can’t stress enough how important it is for instructors using D2L to take the time to show students D2L on a regular basis. If students are continually reminded (visually!) that they need to go to D2L to read content, complete quizzes, submit to the Dropbox etc., they will be assured that using D2L is an important component of their learning and of your teaching. It only takes a few minutes at the beginning of class to call up D2L and give a quick reminder/refresher, so please take the time!