Communicating Visually During Online Sessions Using Blackboard Collaborate Whiteboard

October 22, 2012 By Jason Rhode Leave a Comment

Learn how to use the Whiteboard feature within Blackboard Collaborate to present content in a visual and engaging way during an online Web conferencing session. During this online session I led 10/19/2012 we explored the options within a Blackboard Collaborate session for sharing and annotating content on the Whiteboard, including loading content on the Whiteboard, enabling access for students, drawing and writing, adding images and screen shots, and saving content from the Whiteboard for access offline.

For archives of other online workshops offered by NIU Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, visit our YouTube channel

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Upgrading is Not an Uphill Battle: How NIU Easily Transitioned to Blackboard Collaborate

October 12, 2012 By Jason Rhode Leave a Comment

In July 2011, Blackboard announced the release of Blackboard Collaborate™ 11 web conferencing, the first product that combined the best of both Elluminate Live! and Wimba Classroom. Drawing from the best elements of these two long-competing products, it boasted a new, modern interface that represented a tremendous leap forward. However, it also meant that schools using Wimba Classroom faced an upgrade process that was more significant than any upgrade before. Wimba Classroom customers not only had to learn the new user interface, they also had to learn a new administrative system as well. In this presentation at 2012 SLATE Conference, learn how the technology team at Northern Illinois University balanced other technology upgrade initiatives and staffing requirements in order to ensure a smooth-yet-quick upgrade to Blackboard Collaborate, and ultimately, enjoyed a much easier upgrade experience than they anticipated.

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Introduction to Social Media in Education

October 4, 2012 By Jason Rhode 1 Comment

Do you use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube? Have you ever considered leveraging social media tools like these in your teaching? During this introductory online session I led on 9/28/2012, we explored what social media are and the pedagogical potential for use of social media in educational settings. We set the stage for future sessions to further explore use of social media tools and the design of engaging and innovative learning activities. Slides are available here.

For archives of other online workshops offered by NIU Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, visit our YouTube channel

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Designing an Exemplary Online Course: Blackboard Announces Open Online Course to be Offered

September 14, 2012 By Jason Rhode Leave a Comment

Let's build a better education experience

Blackboard has announced a new open online course “Designing an Exemplary Course,” as part of the CourseSites Open Course Series. The course will run from September 26th – October 17th, 2012. Registration is free and opens Wednesday, September 19th.

Whether you are just getting started or are an advanced online educator, this course will provide you with a framework to help identify and apply best practices for designing engaging online courses.

You will learn from 11 instructors and instructional designers including distinguished Exemplary Course Program (ECP) Directors and several of the 2012 ECP winners. Using the Blackboard ECP Rubric as a guide, the course will focus on the four critical elements of a course: design, interaction and collaboration, assessment, and learner support.

You will have the opportunity to participate in weekly live, online sessions, learn with peers in focus groups, and complete optional assignments to aid your course development and improvement. A panel of course design experts will facilitate each group to provide you with valuable feedback.

The learning environment will offer learners the flexibility to choose their own learning outcomes and time commitments based on individual needs. To maximize benefits of participation, optional homework assignments will be provided each week to apply concepts to build out one’s own course structure and materials. The course will provide a framework for forming collaborative teams.

For more details or to sign-up to be notified when registration opens, click here.

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Miscellaneous Texting in Teaching Resources

September 14, 2012 By Jason Rhode Leave a Comment

Here are a few other miscellaneous resources related to text messaging in teaching, not previously mentioned.

Are you aware of another miscellaneous resource regarding texting that you’d recommend be added to the list above? Leave a comment with the name, description, and link.

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