To download files (i.e., Word or PowerPoint) from a Blackboard course using Internet Explorer, follow the instructions below:
1. Within Internet Explorer, click Tools on the main menu bar, and then click Internet Options.
2. Click the Security tab and then click Custom Level.
3. Scroll to the Downloads section of the list. Under Automatic Prompting for File Downloads, click Enable.
August 2009 Archives
Faculty can use the Assignment Tool within Blackboard to allow students to upload a document that is required for one of the course assignments. The tutorial link below will guide students through the steps of submitting their documents through Blackboard to ensure that the instructor receives it.
Assignment Tool Tutorial for Students
The basic process involves students locating the link in their Blackboard course (instructors should provide this information to students). Once students have located the link, they will click on the link and read any instructions that the instructor has provided. Finally, students will browse to locate the file on their computer and then select it. An important step to remember is to click the "Attach File" button below the name of their file that they have browsed and selected. The file will not be attached to the assignment unless students click this button. Students will also have the opportunity to send comments to the instructor on this page. The last step is to click the Submit button. Students will retrieve their grade for the assignment and any instructor comments and feedback by going to the My Grades area in Blackboard.
Since IBM's handed control of its PC division over to Lenovo 4 years ago, the subsequent question on everyone's minds was what was IBM planning to do next. They have a hand in nearly all of the world's computer-related activities, so why give up one of their powerhouse divisions? The answer may be in their recent acquisition of SPSS for the cool sum of $1.2 billion dollars. SPSS has been a leader in statistical analysis for decades and is now in the posession of a company who main goal is to optimitize the business world.
Click Here to Read More -> Techspot News
Last week I attended the first part of the Institute for Emerging Leardership in Online Learning offered by Penn State and the Sloan Consortium. 33 faculty, administrators, and designers came together for an emersive (and intensive) three day workshop based on Sloan-C's Five Pillars of Quality Online Education (Access, Learning Effectiveness, Cost Effectiveness, Faculty Satisfaction and Student Satisfaction). It was a great opportunity to see how other institutions were developing or developed successful online programs as well as hear the challenegs they faced and lessons learned along the way. I thought I would share a few statistics from "Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States, 2008" by I. Elaine Allen, Ph.D. and Jeff Seaman, Ph.D.- Sloan-C
- Almost 4 million students took atleast one online class during the Fall 2007 semester. This is a 12% increase from the previous year.
- The 12.9% increase of online courses exceeds the 1.2% growth rate of the higher education student population.
- Online student distribution per course is very similar to those of traditional face to face courses.
- 20% of all higher education (U.S.) students took atleast one online course during the Fall 2007 semester.
- Based on the data provided in the report, enrollments are expected to increase with no signs of slowing.
- Seven of the eight major disciplines (Business, Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, humanities, Health professions and related sciences, Education, Computer and information sciences, Social sciences and history, and Psychology) each showed between a 25% - 35% penetration rate of online courses/programs.
- The top three motivators for faculty teaching online are; meet student needs for flexible access (62%); best way to reach particular students (56%); and presonal/professional growth (32%).
2009 TLT Center Summer Series - DyKnow: Collaboration Software in a Ubiquitous Computing Environment
The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center Summer Series
DyKnow: Collaboration Software in a Ubiquitous Computing Environment
DyKnow: Collaboration Software in a Ubiquitous Computing Environment
Tuesday, August 4th
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
ITV Room, Walsh Library (Ground floor)
DyKnow software fosters interaction through collaborative note taking, student response tools, content replay, and anywhere, anytime access. Instructors can use DyKnow to transmit content instantly to student screens for annotation and to limit distracting programs (i.e. instant messenger) with its powerful classroom management capabilities.
Teachers can create content in PowerPoint, then import that file into DyKnow. During a class session, the content is then displayed on the student's screen, where they can then either annotate directly on the slide, or add their own notes in a side-panel. Any annotations that the instructor makes during the session are automatically transmitted to the student's screen.
Interactivity is supported via Polling, Panel Collection, and Student Status. Polling allows students to respond to multiple choice questions, the instructor can quickly create a pie-chart to share the results. Panel Collection allows the instructor to collect student work during class for review, and the Student Status feature allows students to self-report their current level of understanding via a green / yellow / red analogy. This information is reported to the instructor as a pie chart for quick reference.
For additional information regarding DyKnow, please contact your Instructional Designer Liaison.
Click Here for additional information on DyKnow, available from previous ePirate blog posts, for previous ePirate DyKnow posts.
Handouts from Tuesday August 4, 2009
