Inclement Weather Quick Tips TIPS FOR CREATING AN ONLINE ...

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Oct 7, 2015 - Send announcements and email messages directly to your students' inbox ... Best practices suggest that a v
Inclement Weather Quick Tips

 

October  7,  2015

 

TIPS FOR CREATING AN ONLINE CLASS SESSION Offering an online class session can be a useful way to keep students engaged with course content during a period of disruption in class scheduling. The University’s Blackboard system contains all the tools you need to create an asynchronous make-up class session. Among other things, Blackboard enables you to: • Send announcements and email messages directly to your students’ inbox • Post documents that students can download • Post links to online content for students to access • Create discussion forums in which students can interact • Create graded or non-graded assignments

Developing your online class session 1. Objective(s). Begin by identifying your session objective – what is it that the student should be able to do after completing the session? Your objective should be specific and measurable. For example, “By the end of this session, you should be able to explain how a retailer’s response to a natural disaster in its target market affects consumer relations and its corporate image.” 2. Learning Activities. Next, decide what combination of activities will enable the student to achieve the stated objective(s). Best practices suggest that a variety of learning activities results in better learning outcomes. Examples might include: a. Reading a chapter (or portion) from a textbook b. Reading an online article c. Watching a video d. Watching a recorded mini-lecture which you have prepared e. “Discussing” (in writing) a relevant topic with classmates f. Completing an online activity, assignment, or quiz Here’s a quick Faculty Focus article on Applying the Seven Principles for Good Practice to Online Teaching 3. Prepare your materials and activities. Choose or develop materials that support the stated learning objectives and activities which enable you to measure the students’ progress toward achieving them. Here are some suggestions and resources that might be useful: a. Textbooks. You can assign a reading from the course textbook or from an open source textbook (view USC Library’s Open Textbook Resource list). b. Online articles. When assigning an online article, we suggest you avoid copyright issues by providing a link to the source rather than downloading the article. Or, ask the USC Library to help upload content directly onto Blackboard using the eReserve Request Form. c. Online videos. When assigning an online video, again, avoid copyright issues by providing a link to the source rather than downloading the video and inserting it into Blackboard. You can also use the Library’s Educational Films Collection for content. Note: To be considered “accessible” under University guidelines, videos must either be closed captioned or have a transcript available.

Center for Teaching Excellence | (803) 777-8322 | [email protected] | www.sc.edu/cte

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Inclement Weather Quick Tips

October  7,  2015

d. Recorded Mini-lectures. i. Blackboard’s Voice Thread feature allows you to record and post a video lecture using a Webcam or PowerPoint presentations (with a Mic or Webcam). For assistance, contact UTS at 777-1800 or [email protected]. ii. Adobe Connect also allows you to create/record lecture presentations that feature your PowerPoint slides. To request a free account and instructions, contact UTS at 777-1800 or [email protected]. iii. To keep students engaged with your content, best practices suggests that video lectures should not exceed 15-20 minutes—OR LESS. For tips on how to create effective mini-lectures, visit CTE’s Distributed Learning Toolbox. Note: To be considered “accessible” under University guidelines, videos must either be closed captioned or have a transcript available. To learn how to create accessible course materials, visit CTE’s Accessibility Page. e. Discussion Forums. Good learning is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated. Sharing one's own ideas and responding to others' reactions improves thinking and deepens understanding. Blackboard has a Discussion Forum feature that allows you to set the stage for student-to-student interaction focused on issues that complement your other materials. f. Online activities, assignments, and quizzes. Create your own learning activities and assignments for students to access online via Blackboard. For a curated collection of free and open online resources, including reusable learning objects, visit Merlot II or the OER Commons. 4. Setup Blackboard. Prepare your Blackboard course site so that students can easily find and use the materials for this session. One idea: create a “Make-Up Session” link on your course menu within Blackboard—it will be easy for students to find! a. For a step-by-step guide on how to set this up, view the Blackboard Quick Start Guide. For additional help with Blackboard, contact UTS at 777-1800 or [email protected]. 5. Communicate! Communication with students is the key to a successful online learning experience. They want to hear from you! a. To post an Announcement onto Blackboard and send a copy to students, follow the step-bystep instructions in the Blackboard Quick Start Guide. b. Provide feedback on: (a) graded assignments using the built-in Blackboard feedback tools, or (b) students’ discussion board postings. c. Use the Blackboard Email tool to quickly and efficiently email students without having to search for their contact information.

CTE Support

For assistance and ideas with designing your “Make-Up Sessions,” feel free to contact CTE’s Distributed Learning Team at 777-8322 or submit an Online Request.

Center for Teaching Excellence | (803) 777-8322 | [email protected] | www.sc.edu/cte

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