Category: eLearning

Re-post from the TRU Digital Detox

Seems a bit lazy, but I thought this was definitely worth the re-post (or re-blog, whatever you call it – let’s call it sharing!)

In this week’s Digital Detox post (if you don’t know about the Digital Detox, check it out), Dr. Brenna Clarke Grey talks about e-proctoring in a post aptly called E-proctoring Sucks, So Why Won’t It Go Away?

The thing I appreciate the most about her post is her comment that while she does think cheating is a problem, she thinks “it’s largely a structural problem, not an individual one,” which I completely agree with.  Automatically assuming students are going to cheat online and forcing them into invasive proctoring solutions is not addressing the larger issue(s) – we need to examine why students cheat (and yes, there are many, many reasons) and think about our institutional role in pushing them there.

So, I encourage you to check out Dr. Clarke Grey’s post, and join in on the discussion!

Digital Detox #3: E-proctoring Sucks, So Why Won’t It Go Away?

eLearning Drop-ins for Winter 2021

A new year has begun, and what?  January is almost over??  Time to set up our new term’s eLearning Drop-ins!

The eLearning team will be offering scheduled drop-in sessions for faculty needing support with D2L, Collaborate, Kaltura, Assessments, and Final Grades. Come to the sessions with your questions, curiosities, and dilemmas and we will be happy to help you with them. These sessions are not formal workshops; instead, sessions will respond to the needs of those who participate. No registration is needed.

You can join the sessions through the Collaborate link on the navigation bar in the D2L On-Demand Training course.  If you have any questions about these sessions or how to access them, email eLearning@camosun.ca.

Tuesday, February 2, 10:00-11:00 am, eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Thursday, February 11, 2:00-3:00 pm – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Thursday, February 18, 2:00-3:00 pm – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Tuesday, February 23, 10:00-11:00 am – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Thursday, March 4, 10:00-11:00 am – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Wednesday, March 10, 2:00-3:00 pm – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Thursday, March 18,  2:00-3:00 pm – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Tuesday, March 23, 10:00-11:00 am – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Thursday, April 1, 2:00-3:00 pm – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Tuesday, April 6, 2:00-3:00 pm – eLearning Questions, Curiosities & Dilemmas

Tuesday, April 13, 10:-00-11:00 am – Final Exam Set Up

Thursday, April 15, 2:-00-3:00 pm – eLearning Questions and Curiosities

Tuesday, April 20, 11:-00 am -12:00 pm – Calculating and Releasing Final Marks

Thursday, April 22, 10:-00-11:00 am – Calculating and Releasing Final Marks

Tuesday, April 27, 10:-00-11:00 am – Calculating and Releasing Final Marks

Reporting Collaborate Issues (Chrome Freezing, etc.)

If Camosun College faculty are having a problem during a session in Collaborate, either in Chrome or Firefox, please do the following from within the session, while the issue is happening (or immediately after logging back in, in the case of Chrome freezing).

First:

Immediately after you encounter your issue (during your Collaborate session if possible,) click Report an Issue to outline your problem directly to Collaborate.  This will give Collaborate all the info about the session including exact time of the issue, right down to connection speed and servers involved.

Second:

Then, after your Collaborate session, email the session name and time, along with an outline of the issue, to elearning@camosun.ca and we can escalate it, if need be, with a formal support ticket. We want everyone who is having the Chrome freezing issue in particular to report it in the moment. It is best to define the issue in the little text box so they know the exact issue. This way Collaborate will be aware of exactly how often certain issues are happening and hopefully find solutions.

Thanks!

Reminder of where to get help with D2L, Collaborate, and Kaltura at Camosun

Well, it’s a new year, and we are one week into the first term of 2021.  Time for a reminder of where you can get help at Camosun College with all your D2L, Collaborate, Kaltura, and online teaching and learning questions.

First stop, contact eLearning@camosun.ca.  They can help you if you have technical issues with the tools we support.  And they can also forward your questions to an instructional designer in eLearning if your questions require a more detailed meeting.   Note that we will be adding workshops (for Winter and Spring) and drop-in sessions for Winter to our CETL calendar in the next week or two, so stay tuned for more information about these virtual offerings.

Next stop, check out all our eLearning tutorials.  We have a wide range of documents covering D2L, Collaborate, Kaltura, as well as pages dedicated to faculty support for teaching online, and student support for learning online.  Just a reminder, that if you are fairly new to any of our tools, we recommend booking an appointment with and instructional designer to get the basics down (as well as those hidden tips and tricks) and then using the tutorials as refreshers and reminders.

And finally, want to talk more about your course and teaching online?  Contact eLearning@camosun.ca to book an appointment with an instructional designer who will be happy (and thrilled) to talk to you about your course and how best to support your students!

 

Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Bulletin for January 2021

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2021!

In this bulletin from the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning please find articles, links, and learning opportunities that may be of interest to you. For general information please contact CETL . For information specifically about online teaching, contact eLearning.

Note that registration is restricted to Camosun College employees.
 “Teaching occurs only when learning takes place.”
― from What the best college teachers do by Ken Bain

 eLearning workshops (Registration required)

Welcome to the eLearning Team’s offerings to support the start-up of winter term, providing training related to Camosun’s core educational technologies. Get descriptions and register here.

Workshop dates Times Topics
Monday, January 4 1:00pm- 2:00pm D2L Overview
Tuesday, January 5 10:00am-11:00am Introduction to Blackboard Collaborate Ultra
Tuesday, January 5 1:00pm – 2:00pm D2L Course Set-up
Thursday, January 7 10:00am-11:00am Setting Up Your Gradebook in D2L
Friday, January 8 10:00am-11:00am Increasing Your Proficiency in Blackboard Collaborate

eLearning resources

·         Online learning tips for students Share this with your students at the beginning of term!

·         Privacy considerations for online teaching

·         Guidance for remote instruction

D2L Change Notice

As part of Colleague Renewal, there will be a new integration between D2L and Colleague. The most immediate change will impact some of the communication tools. The roll out will happen in phases, starting in January, then March, then summer. Find out more

Other CETL learning opportunites

 Planning ahead for spring SD 

 Stay tuned for the following online learning opportunities coming in spring 2021:

 Camosun Communities of Practice

 Check out our MS Teams Communities of Practice site. This is a peer-based virtual space for synchronous and asynchronous conversation, connection, resource sharing and more, including channels for:

Some Changes Coming to Camosun’s D2L

Camosun College is updating its integration with the Colleague student information system. Faculty and Students will notice changes to some of the D2L communications tools as a result of this update.  And there are also some exciting (and long awaited) changes coming up!!

January, 2021

Email

As of January 2021, the D2L Email tool will be limited to student-instructor communications only. Students will no longer be able to communicate with each other through this tool. This change has been made in order to protect students’ personal information.

Students will continue to have access to their historical emails but will not have the ability to reply to or forward those messages.

Messenger

Students will have access to a new Message tool in D2L that will enable students to connect with other students from within D2L. The Message tool has replaced the existing Pager tool.

Audio Note (the Record Audio button)

Audio Note recording time has now been increased to 5 minutes.

March, 2021

“Chosen names” for students and faculty (also sometimes called “preferred names) will be available in Colleague and will cascade into the D2L Classlist.

Data updates between Colleague and D2L will occur in real time (meaning that if a student registers late, they will immediately have access to D2L and not have to wait until the next day).

Summer, 2021

An option to export grades directly from D2L to Colleague will be available.  More information on this change will be available closer to its availability – stay tuned!

Help?

The tutorial for how to use the Message tool is now available on the eLearning Tutorials at Camosun site.

For more information or questions, contact eLearning@camosun.ca.

More eLearning Workshops Coming!

Getting ready for the end of term?  Preparing to teach online this winter?  eLearning has drop-ins and workshops for you!  Welcome to the eLearning Team’s offerings to support the start-up of the winter term (note: the first day of classes is January 6, 2021).

These workshops will provide faculty with training related to Camosun’s core educational technologies:

  • Desire2Learn (D2L) – Learning Management System
  • Blackboard Collaborate Ultra – Web Conferencing
  • Kaltura – Video Streaming Service

You can go to the registration form to register for one or multiple workshops.  If you are unable to attend the workshops and need assistance, contact eLearning Support, and you will be connected with an instructional designer.

D2L Overview

Description: This workshop will provide you with an overview of the essential teaching tools available in our learning management system, D2L Brightspace.

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 18 from 10:00-11:00am
Date & Time: Monday, January 4 from 1:00- 2:00pm

D2L Course Set-up

Description: This workshop will focus on setting up your course for Day 1. We will demonstrate how to copy course components (from your DEV or MASTER course to your LIVE offering), customize your homepage, apply a course banner, create a welcome news item and streamline your navigation bar.

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 25 from 10:00 -11:00am
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 5 from 1:00 – 2:00pm

Setting Up Your Gradebook in D2L

Description: This workshop will focus on the basics of setting up a Gradebook from start to finish. We will provide you with an overview of key functionality while also sharing some best practices.

Date & Time: Wednesday, Dec 9 from 1:00pm-2:00pm
Date & Time: Thursday, January 7 from 10:00-11:00am

Introduction to Blackboard Collaborate Ultra

Description: Collaborate is a web-conferencing tool that integrates with D2L. This session will provide you with a basic overview of the tools and functions within Collaborate as well as provide instructors with tips on how to use this tool to connect with students and facilitate effective learning experiences.

Date & Time: Tuesday, January 5 from 10:00-11:00am

Increasing Your Proficiency in Blackboard Collaborate Ultra

Description: Are you looking for an opportunity to practise using Collaborate tools such as File Share, Groups and Polls before using these tools in a live class? Then, this advanced workshop is for you. It will provide you with a demonstration of how to use these tools as well as some hands-on time to practice to increase your comfort level with Collaborate. Each session will be limited to 8 participants.

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 25 from 1:00-2:00pm
Date & Time: Thursday, December 17 from 10:00-11:00am
Date & Time: Friday, January 8 from 10:00-11:00am

Integrating D2L and Collaborate: Best Practices in Online Blended Teaching

Description: Planning for Winter term? Looking for ways to use D2L and Collaborate in your teaching? This workshop will introduce you to the amazing world of facilitation in an online blended environment. Come share your ideas and challenges!

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 24 from 2:00-3:00pm
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 2 from 10:00-11:00am

Creating Great Kaltura Capture Videos

Description: Kaltura Capture is a desktop recorder that is part of the Kaltura Streaming Media service that enables instructors and students to create videos that capture web cams, screens, and audio. This session will provide you with an in-depth overview of the tools and tips on how to create effective videos.

Date & Time: Friday, November 27 from 1:00-2:00pm

eLearning Drop-in Sessions – New Dates!!

The eLearning team will be offering scheduled drop-in sessions for faculty needing support with D2L, Collaborate, Kaltura, Assessments, and Final Grades. Come to the sessions with your questions, curiosities, and dilemmas and we will be happy to help you with them. These sessions are not formal workshops; instead, sessions will respond to the needs of those who participate. The sessions are organized around specific tools, but we will do our best to answer any questions that participants have. No registration is needed.

You can join the sessions through the Collaborate link on the nav bar in the D2L On-Demand course or email Emily Schudel for a link.

Drop-in Dates Times Topics
Thursday, October 15 2pm-3pm Kaltura Questions
Tuesday, October 20 2pm-3pm D2L Dilemmas
Thursday, October 22 10am-11am Collaborate Curiosities
Tuesday, October 27 2pm-3pm Kaltura Questions
Thursday, October 29 10am-11am D2L Dilemmas
Tuesday, November 3 11am-12pm Alternate Assessments
Thursday, November 5 2pm-3pm Collaborate Curiosities
Tuesday, November 10 10am-11am D2L Dilemmas
Thursday, November 12 2pm-3pm Kaltura Questions
Tuesday, November 17 2pm-3pm D2L Dilemmas
Thursday, November 19 10am-11am Collaborate Curiosities
Tuesday, November 24 10am-11am Final Exam Set Up
Thursday, November 26 10am-11am Alternate Assessments

eLearning resources

Reminder of eLearning Drop-ins

The eLearning team is offering scheduled drop-in sessions for faculty needing support with D2L, Collaborate, and Kaltura!

Come with your questions, curiosities, and dilemmas and we will be happy to help you with them. These sessions are not formal workshops; instead, sessions will respond to the needs of those who participate. The sessions are organized around specific tools, but we will do our best to answer any questions that participants have.

No registration is needed.   You can join the sessions through the Collaborate link on the nav bar in the D2L On-Demand Training course or by emailing Emily Schudel for the Guest link, or if you have any questions.  We will be adding more drop-ins and workshops for October/November, and will announce those here on the blog as they are scheduled.

Drop-in Dates, Times and Topics:

  • Tuesday, October 6, 10am-11am: D2L Dilemmas
  • Thursday, October 8, 2pm-3pm: Collaborate Curiosities

eLearning Supports

Reminder – eLearning Drop-in Sessions and Supports!

The eLearning team is offering scheduled drop-in sessions for faculty needing support with D2L, Collaborate, and Kaltura!

Come with your questions, curiosities, and dilemmas and we will be happy to help you with them. These sessions are not formal workshops; instead, sessions will respond to the needs of those who participate. The sessions are organized around specific tools, but we will do our best to answer any questions that participants have.

No registration is needed.   You can join the sessions through the Collaborate link on the nav bar in the D2L On-Demand Training course or by emailing Emily Schudel for the Guest link.

Drop-in Dates, Times and Topics:

  • Tuesday, September 29, 2pm-3pm: Kaltura Questions
  • Thursday, October 1, 10am-11am: D2L Dilemmas
  • Tuesday, October 6, 10am-11am: D2L Dilemmas
  • Thursday, October 8, 2pm-3pm: Collaborate Curiosities

eLearning Supports