E-Letter February 2011
Apply Online »NNU E-Learning E-Letter
News & Notes on Teaching and Learning with Technology
Crystal Nielsen, Editor
February 2011
Contents
New Software Available for Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts
Online Form Simplifies Requests for TA Help
New Tech Page Covers Copyright, Screen Capture & Microsoft Office Info
ANGEL Tips and Tricks
- Creating a Link to Another Part of the Course
- Adding Columns or Rows to a Rubric
- Seeing Your Course from a Student Perspective
- Copying a Test or Survey for Reuse
Online Learning Opportunities
- MERLOT: An Introduction
- Online Coursebuilding with ANGEL
- Online Course Design & Development
- ANGEL Training for Instructors
Onsite Learning Opportunities
- ANGEL Grading Workshops
- eLearning Open Lab
- Consultations
- ANGEL Idea Exchange
Offsite Learning Opportunities
- Heartland eLearning Conference
- 8th Annual Sloan Consortium Blended Learning Conference & Workshop
- Turning Technologies User Conference
- United States Distance Learning Association 4th Annual Conference
- Online Teaching Conference
- BbWorld 2011
- Sloan-C 4th Annual Int'l Symposium: Emerging Technologies for Online Learning
- Northwest eLearning Conference
- 17th Annual Sloan Consortium Int'l Conference on Online Learning
Resources
- Study: Experts Develop Instrument to Gauge Quality of Online Programs
- Report: Economy Driving Growth in Online Enrollments
- Online Teaching: An Instructor Shares Her Realizations
- Survey: Millennials, Gen X Most Likely to Own Gadgets
E-Learning Services Personnel
Scriptural Food for Thought:
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
II Timothy 3:14-16 (NIV)
New Software Available for Wikis, Blogs & Podcasts
Most of us know about Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia built by anyone on the planet who wants to contribute. Perceptions about this student favorite aside, it's a terrific example of the type of collaboration possible with Web 2.0.
NNU is now licensing Campus Pack, an application that allows you and your students to build wikis, blogs and podcasts. (Note: Wikis are also helpful for committee work!). A resource page may be found at www.nnu.edu/webtools
Learning Objects, the company behind Campus Pack, is offering several free webinars this month to help you become familiar with what you can do:
Campus Pack Personal and Group Spaces
Thursday, February 24
11 a.m. to noon MT
Register or Watch Recording
Campus Pack Best Practices and Ideas
Friday, February 25
7 to 8 a.m. MT
Register or Watch Recording
Online Form Simplifies Requests for TA Help
It's easier than ever to get free assistance from an eLearning TA! Bookmark this link to a new online request form: https://www.nnu.edu/input/request/angel_assistance
The form ask whether you want a consultation, a task, or both:
- Consultation - In the privacy of your own office, a TA can come to show you how to use a certain feature in ANGEL or any of the other technologies we support.
- Task - Rather than taking the time yourself, have a TA do the work for you!
How can a TA help you?
- Build the Gradebook
- Create online tests
- Create links in your text to online articles
- Build rubrics to help with grading
- Place items on the Calendar
- Convert your videos and DVDs for online streaming
- Make a nice graphic for your course home page
- Build a wiki or blog
- Reorganize your ANGEL pages to look great
- And other projects both basic and complex that either you do not do very often or that are time-consuming
New Tech Page Covers Copyright, Screen Capture & Microsoft Office Info
Quick, do you have answers to these questions:
- Is it OK to upload an article to ANGEL if my course is password-protected?
- Is there simple software available to help me post a narrated slide presentation?
- How can I reduce the file size of a presentation with lots of images?
If you're at a loss, visit our new web page devoted to the "miscellaneous" technologies that are handy for developing your course; the link is www.nnu.edu/technologies. You'll find information on the following:
- Copyright and fair use issues
- Screen capture
- Microsoft Office Suite
If you have ideas for other topics that should be included, please contact Crystal Nielsen (cdnielsen(at)nnu.edu or 208-467-8782).
ANGEL Tips and Tricks
- Use the Content Link icon (resembles a yellow manila folder) to create course links.
Creating a Link to Another Part of the Course
Go to most any website and you're likely to find links to other pages of the site. Such links make for user-friendly navigation, and you can add them in your ANGEL course. For instance, you might write an announcement about an upcoming assignment, then create a link to that specific item. Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page for details on how to create a Course Link.
Adding Columns or Rows to a Rubric
A recent patch to ANGEL addresses an issue that was preventing instructors from entering a zero score in any given cell. All rubrics now need to have a column for zero percent in order to allow for proper grading. You can easily add such a column:
- At the top of a column (Achievement level), click the triangle dropdown.
- Choose Insert Before or Insert After.
Note that you can also adjust the Criteria rows by clicking the triangle dropdowns on the left edge of your rubric. If you prefer to ask that an eLearning TA make these adjustments for you, please complete a request.
Seeing Your Course from a Student Perspective
Sometimes it's helpful to make sure you've set up an exam correctly, or to check that content visible to a certain Team is actually accessible. ANGEL has a nice feature called the User Preview that allows instructors to see content from the view of a student. Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page for details on how to preview a course.
Copying a Test or Survey for Reuse
If you have a weekly self-assessment in your course or otherwise want to use the same questions for multiple exams or surveys, ANGEL allows you to quickly and easily copy those questions - however many times you need. This video tutorial shows you how to copy test questions.
Online Learning Opportunities
MERLOT - An Introduction
Wednesday, Feb. 23
Noon to 1:30 p.m. MT
Let's say you teach economics and need a creative way to cover the topic of supply and demand. Did you know that you can search the MERLOT site for resources created by other instructors and incorporate them into your course? This free webinar offered by the Sloan Consortium will help you navigate MERLOT, which stands for Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching. Visit the Sloan-C website for details.
Online Coursebuilding with ANGEL
April 4-24
This is the professional development option for you if you want to learn best practices and how-tos not only for using ANGEL, but also for incorporating other technologies into your online course. Available at no charge or for 1 credit, this fully online course lasts three weeks and is taught by Crystal Nielsen, M.A., Instructional Technologist for E-Learning. See the ANGEL Support page for details.
Online Course Design and Development
June-July
This fully online course taught by E-Learning Director Dr. Christine Bauer is a definitive guide for instructors building new online courses or converting traditional courses. Available at no charge or for 3 credits, the course lasts seven weeks. See the ANGEL Support page for details.
ANGEL Training for Instructors
Self-paced, 24/7
Upon logging in to ANGEL, faculty and adjuncts should see the ANGEL Training for Instructors in the All category of their course list. Click the Content tab to access an overview video and several units of self-paced tutorials. Each unit includes the following:
- Fully illustrated step-by-step guides
- Quick videos
- Practice exercises
- Assessments to solidify what you have learned
Send an e-mail to elearning(at)nnu.edu if you do not see the course on your list.
Onsite Learning Opportunities
eLearning Open Lab
Need a quiet place to come work on your course? Want to learn a quick how-to? Drop in for Open Lab any time - no RSVP is ever needed. You can also send new adjuncts or struggling students for basic training.
ANGEL Grading Workshops
In place of Open Lab sessions during the last week of February, E-Learning Services will conduct two identical Learning Opportunities on grading in ANGEL.
Tuesday, February 22
4 to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 23
8:30 to 10 a.m.
An RSVP is appreciated but not required.
Consultations
Several eLearning TAs are available to meet with you in your office or location of your choice, either to answer a 5-minute question or to coach you through a detailed process. To request free assistance, please use the new eLearning TA request form.
ANGEL Idea Exchange
These are periodic opportunities for a faculty member to share relevant topics with colleagues. The first Exchange of the semester will feature Dr. Mark Maddix, Dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministries, leading a discussion of Top Ten Best Practices in Online Education. Look for details to be announced.
Offsite Learning Opportunities
Heartland eLearning Conference
March 7-8, 2011
Edmond, Okla.
The keynote speaker for this event will be Dr. Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropologist whose work describing the effects of new media is rather compelling. Conference tracks will include:
- Effective eLearning Instruction
- Future Directions in eLearning
- Instructional Media
- Social Networking
Visit the conference website for details.
8th Annual Sloan Consortium Blended Learning Conference & Workshop
March 28-29, 2011
Oak Brook, Ill.
This event focuses chiefly on hybrid courses - those that combine face-to-face instruction with online elements that replace "seat time" in the classroom. See the conference website for details.
Turning Technologies User Conference
April 19-20, 2011: Nashville, Tenn.
April 26, 2011: Columbus, Ohio
If you use the Turning Point "clickers" in your classroom, consider attending one of these user conferences to learn some nuances and network with other instructors. The call for presentations is open through February 22. Visit the company's website for details on the conferences and CFP.
Note: If you wish to integrate your students' clicker assessment results with your ANGEL gradebook, please contact Crystal Nielsen (cdnielsen(at)nnu.edu or 208-467-8782). She recently received how-to information from the company.
United States Distance Learning Association 4th Annual Conference
May 1-4, 2011
St. Louis, Mo.
Serving higher education as well as K-12, military, corporate and several other entities interested in online learning, the USDLA concerns itself with advocacy, public policy, recognition through an awards program, and other such goals. The tracks for this year's conference are:
- Leading Distance Learning in the 21st Century
- Research and Evaluation Processes
- Professional Development
- Best and Promising Practices in Distance Teaching and Learning
- Technology: Changes and Challenges
The conference will include a virtual option for those who cannot attend in person. See the conference website for details.
Online Teaching Conference
June 22-24, 2011
Costa Mesa, Calif.
This event is sponsored by the California Educational Technology Consortium (CETC) and Computer Using Educators (CUE). Both groups focus their efforts on improving K20 education through the use of technology. A free virtual option will also be available. Visit the conference website for details.
BbWorld 2011
July 12-14, 2011
Las Vegas, NV
More than 2,000 users of ANGEL, Blackboard and WebCT from around the world typically converge at this annual conference. This instructional technologist has found sessions insightful, whether by clients or by Blackboard company employees. Register by March 31 to save 15% on registration. Visit the conference website for details.
Sloan-C 4th Annual International Symposium: Emerging Technologies for Online Learning
July 11-13, 2011
San Jose, Calif.
Co-sponsored by the Sloan Consortium and MERLOT, the "ET4OL" conference focuses on these tracks:
- Pegagogy
- Instructional Design and Support of Online Classes
- The New Learning Communities
- Inventive Uses of Media and Tools
- Administration, Infrastructure and Support Services
The deadline for the call for presentations is February 21. A virtual option will also be available. Please see the conference website for details.
Northwest eLearning Conference
October 13-14, 2011
Vancouver, Wash.
At less than $100 for a full two days, this conference is one of the least expensive in terms of both registration and travel costs due to its proximity. A call for proposals will be issued soon. Join the NW eLearn email list for updates; you can also use this listserv to dialogue with faculty across Idaho, Oregon and Washington who are interested in eLearning.
17th Annual Sloan Consortium Int'l Conference on Online Learning
November 16-18, 2011
Orlando, Fla.
The call for presentations is now open through May 2 for the 17th annual Sloan-C, which attracted 1,200 attendees last year. Conference tracks include
- Technology and Emerging Learning Environments
- Student Services and Learner Support
- Leadership, Values and Society
Visit the conference website for details.
Resources
Study: Experts Develop Instrument to Gauge Quality of Online Programs
Rubrics to determine the caliber of online course design can be easily found, but not so for measuring the quality of online programs -- until now. Dr. Kaye Shelton of Dallas Baptist University won a 2010 Sloan-C Effective Practice Award for her work heading a project to develop such an instrument. The team of experts created a scorecard of 70 indicators that any institution can use to benchmark its programs.
Report: Economy Driving Growth in Online Enrollments
Three-fourths of the 2,500 colleges and universities responding to the 2010 Sloan Survey of Online Learning reported that the economic downturn has increased demand for online courses and programs. The annual study is conducted as a collaboration among the Babson Survey Research Group, the College Board and the Sloan Consortium.
Also among the findings:
- Nearly 30 percent of all students in higher education now take at least one course online.
- More than 60 percent of chief academic officers said online education is critical to their institution's long-term strategy.
Allen, I.E., & Seaman, J. (2010). Class differences: Online education in the United States, 2010. Retrieved from the Sloan Consortium website: http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/class_differences.pdf
Online Teaching: An Instructor Shares Her Realizations
If you're new to eLearning, you're probably beginning to discern that it's a different animal from face-to-face education in many ways, yet very much like traditional education in others. If you're an online veteran, perhaps you have come to the same conclusions as the author of this essay.
Everson, M. (2009, September 8). 10 things I've learned about teaching online. Retrieved from the eLearn Magazine website: http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=best_practices&article=57-1
Survey: Millennials, Gen X Most Likely to Own Gadgets
Take advantage of the times: Results from a survey by the Pew Research Center show that the majority of adults in the U.S. ages 18-46 own an iPod or MP3 player. With NNU's new access to Campus Pack software, you can create podcasts with very little investment of time or resources. Or, consider using texting to communicate with your students, since more than 9 in 10 of all adults ages 18-46 own a cell phone.
Zickuhr, K. (2011, February 3). Generations and their gadgets. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved February 15, 2011, from http://pewinternet.org/Infographics/2011/Generations-and-gadgets.aspx
E-Learning Services Personnel
Our office is located on the lower level of the Emerson Administration building, but we're always willing to come to you! Learn about the E-Learning Services employees on our main page.
Our E-Learning TAs help faculty, adjuncts and program support personnel with consultations or course development using ANGEL and other online technologies. To request free help from an E-Learning TA, please use the online TA request form.
