The Cuyamaca College library subscribes to a database of academic video clips on a wide variety of subjects that you can incorporate into your on-campus and online classes to enhance learning. This database is called Intelecom and the library put together a web page about how to use it.
This morning, in response to a question from a faculty member, I created a short video that shows how to use Intelecom Videos in Blackboard that I hope you find useful.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Creating Audio for your Courses
In this 4-week online course offered by @ONE, you'll create audio files to help make your words and ideas come to life for your students. And you won't need a fancy studio to do it -- your PC or Mac will do just fine! Learn how to create compelling audio content, and then record, edit, and package this content for later delivery in your online courses.
Mon, 01/24/2011 - Fri, 02/18/2011
For more information and to register, go to:
http://www.onefortraining.org/node/430
Mon, 01/24/2011 - Fri, 02/18/2011
For more information and to register, go to:
http://www.onefortraining.org/node/430
Friday, January 14, 2011
Don't Fall for Phishing Scam
Many of us have received an email similar to the one below in your campus email. This is a scam that's trying to get you to give away your password. Please do not fall for it! Do not click on any links, just delete the message. No one from our district will ever ask for your password.
Attn: User,
Verify your account immediately. Enter your Username and Password below or
your account will be terminated within the next 48 hours.
Username:
Password:
GCCCD SUPPORT TEAM.
Attn: User,
Verify your account immediately. Enter your Username and Password below or
your account will be terminated within the next 48 hours.
Username:
Password:
GCCCD SUPPORT TEAM.
Begin the Semester with a Checklist
Today Tim Phillips showed me the checklist he uses at the beginning of every semester to make sure that his courses are ready to go. He generously gave me permission to borrow his idea. I modified his spreadsheet somewhat to make it more generic so that others can use it, and posted it to the web using a new feature in MS Office 2010. You can download it from:
http://cid-4da03d6c4d5d68a0.office.live.com/view.aspx/.Public/begin-semester.xlsx
Do you use a checklist that you'd be willing to share? Please use the comments on this blog or email me with suggestions and ideas for other items that should be on this checklist. Together we can create a really good resource that everyone can use.
http://cid-4da03d6c4d5d68a0.office.live.com/view.aspx/.Public/begin-semester.xlsx
Do you use a checklist that you'd be willing to share? Please use the comments on this blog or email me with suggestions and ideas for other items that should be on this checklist. Together we can create a really good resource that everyone can use.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New CCC Distance Education Accessibility Guidelines
The newly revised version of the California Community Colleges Distance Education Accessibility Guidelines were released today. You can review these guidelines at http://bit.ly/CCCDEAG.
The short and sweet of it is summarized in this section (reformatted for readability):
General Access Strategies by Media Type
Text
Make use of semantic markup capabilities to identify message elements such as headings, lists, page numbers, and footnotes. Use at least 11 pt fonts, and always ensure strong contrast between the font color and the background color. When possible, utilize a style sheet so the end user can determine how text will be rendered. HTML is generally accessible to most assistive technologies, such as screen readers and electronic reading systems.
Images
Provide a textual equivalent that can be rendered into an accessible format via assistive technology for non-sighted viewers. Keep your descriptions concise and specific to the main point of the image. For complex images, describe the image using a caption or a separate text document that can be accessed via the ‘longdesc’ attribute.
Audio
Provide a text transcript of the audio information that can be rendered into an accessible format via assistive technology for students with disabilities.
Video
Captioning should be put in place (open or closed) in order to provide an equivalent experience for individuals who are unable to hear the audio content.
Complex
Complex media, which includes applications, interactive content, a content management system, or a file containing multiple media types (i.e., text, images, audio, and video), must begin with the best practices for accessibility in each of the included media types. In addition, appropriate markup of headings and other content must be applied to each of the different media types from beginning to end. By applying appropriate markup and definition to content, as well as the document or delivery system it is contained within, assistive technologies can better process and interact with the complex media.
The short and sweet of it is summarized in this section (reformatted for readability):
General Access Strategies by Media Type
Text
Make use of semantic markup capabilities to identify message elements such as headings, lists, page numbers, and footnotes. Use at least 11 pt fonts, and always ensure strong contrast between the font color and the background color. When possible, utilize a style sheet so the end user can determine how text will be rendered. HTML is generally accessible to most assistive technologies, such as screen readers and electronic reading systems.
Images
Provide a textual equivalent that can be rendered into an accessible format via assistive technology for non-sighted viewers. Keep your descriptions concise and specific to the main point of the image. For complex images, describe the image using a caption or a separate text document that can be accessed via the ‘longdesc’ attribute.
Audio
Provide a text transcript of the audio information that can be rendered into an accessible format via assistive technology for students with disabilities.
Video
Captioning should be put in place (open or closed) in order to provide an equivalent experience for individuals who are unable to hear the audio content.
Complex
Complex media, which includes applications, interactive content, a content management system, or a file containing multiple media types (i.e., text, images, audio, and video), must begin with the best practices for accessibility in each of the included media types. In addition, appropriate markup of headings and other content must be applied to each of the different media types from beginning to end. By applying appropriate markup and definition to content, as well as the document or delivery system it is contained within, assistive technologies can better process and interact with the complex media.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Flex Week Workshops
Here is a list of Professional Development Week workshops that will interest those that teach online or use Blackboard. I'm looking forward to seeing you all there!
Online Tutoring at Cuyamaca College
Sandra Nolan and Raymond Buckley
Tuesday, January 18, 10:00am - 11:00am
Create Your Faculty Website (preregistration required)
Rocky Rose, Rhonda Bauerlein
Tuesday, January 18, 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Getting Started with Blackboard
Rhonda Bauerlein
Tuesday, January 18, 4:30pm to 6:00pm AND Thursday, January 20, 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Online Teaching Forum
Greg Differding
Tuesday, January 18, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Blackboard Grade Center
Rhonda Bauerlein
Wednesday, January 19, 3:00pm to 4:30pm
Some great and diverse online classes
Jeff Sale, Marsha Fralick, Kathryn Kotowski, Ted Chandler, Tom Doyle, Pat Newman
Wednesday, January 19, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Teach, Meet, and Collaborate Online using CCC Confer
Rhonda Bauerlein
Thursday, January 20, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Effective evaluation of face to face and online classes
Connie Elder, Kathryn Kotowski, Mary Graham
Thursday, January 20, 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Open Lab with Teaching & Learning Center Staff
Rhonda Bauerlein, Rocky Rose
Friday, January 21, 10:00am to 12:00pm
Online Tutoring at Cuyamaca College
Sandra Nolan and Raymond Buckley
Tuesday, January 18, 10:00am - 11:00am
Create Your Faculty Website (preregistration required)
Rocky Rose, Rhonda Bauerlein
Tuesday, January 18, 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Getting Started with Blackboard
Rhonda Bauerlein
Tuesday, January 18, 4:30pm to 6:00pm AND Thursday, January 20, 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Online Teaching Forum
Greg Differding
Tuesday, January 18, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Blackboard Grade Center
Rhonda Bauerlein
Wednesday, January 19, 3:00pm to 4:30pm
Some great and diverse online classes
Jeff Sale, Marsha Fralick, Kathryn Kotowski, Ted Chandler, Tom Doyle, Pat Newman
Wednesday, January 19, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Teach, Meet, and Collaborate Online using CCC Confer
Rhonda Bauerlein
Thursday, January 20, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Effective evaluation of face to face and online classes
Connie Elder, Kathryn Kotowski, Mary Graham
Thursday, January 20, 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Open Lab with Teaching & Learning Center Staff
Rhonda Bauerlein, Rocky Rose
Friday, January 21, 10:00am to 12:00pm
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Get Ready for Spring
Course Copy must include Course Settings to prevent Task Error
To avoid the dreaded big red "Task Error" message on the welcome page, be sure to put a check mark next to Course Settings when doing a course copy. The easiest way to do a course copy is to just check everything except Adaptive Release Rules for Content.
My Grades or External Link cannot be course entry point
Since instructors don't have access to My Grades and an external link will take you right out of Blackboard, be sure to avoid setting either of these links on your course menu as the course entry point.
Not everyone will need to do this, but it's worth taking a few moments to make sure this is set correctly
When you create an announcement, you have the option to set the announcement duration to Permanent or Date Restricted. If you choosePermanent, your announcement will not show up in the My Announcements section on the Welcome page. To make sure it shows up there, you need to choose Date Restricted and assign both a Display After and Display Until date.
Check email Addresses
You can find out who doesn't have an email address in Blackboard by looking at the user list for your course and scanning down the list to see who has update.email@WebAdvisor listed as their email address. In fact, this may be you! Here are the steps to do this:
Add another Instructor or TA to your Courses
To add a TA to your course:
To avoid the dreaded big red "Task Error" message on the welcome page, be sure to put a check mark next to Course Settings when doing a course copy. The easiest way to do a course copy is to just check everything except Adaptive Release Rules for Content.
My Grades or External Link cannot be course entry point
Since instructors don't have access to My Grades and an external link will take you right out of Blackboard, be sure to avoid setting either of these links on your course menu as the course entry point.
- Control Panel > Customization > Style > Step 4. Select Course Entry Point
Not everyone will need to do this, but it's worth taking a few moments to make sure this is set correctly
- Control Panel > Customization > Tool Availability
- Scroll down and make sure that both SafeAssign and SafeAssignment are checked, then click Submit
When you create an announcement, you have the option to set the announcement duration to Permanent or Date Restricted. If you choosePermanent, your announcement will not show up in the My Announcements section on the Welcome page. To make sure it shows up there, you need to choose Date Restricted and assign both a Display After and Display Until date.
Check email Addresses
You can find out who doesn't have an email address in Blackboard by looking at the user list for your course and scanning down the list to see who has update.email@WebAdvisor listed as their email address. In fact, this may be you! Here are the steps to do this:
- Control Panel > Users and Groups > Users
- Use the dropdowns to select Search : Email Contains webadvisor, then click Go
Add another Instructor or TA to your Courses
To add a TA to your course:
- From the Blackboard login page, click on the Faculty Support link.
- Log in with your email username and password.
- Choose Blackboard Course Containers on the left menu.
- Click on the ADD a user to a Blackboard container link
- Fill out the form
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