End of Summer Semester Reminders

Here are some quick reminders of things to do in your Blackboard containers before you head off to enjoy your summer.

Wrap it up

• Double-check your Total column to make sure it is totalling correctly
• Check to make sure you haven't hidden any students that have actually been in the class
• Grade Center > Manage >  Row Visibility > only students with a "no" icon should be grayed out
• Make your course unavailable after grades are turned in
• Backup of your course

No Upgrade

Due to problems with course copy in newer versions of Blackboard, we will not be upgrading to a new version this summer. This means no new stuff to learn in Blackboard for the summer or fall semesters.

Have a great summer!

Photo by Craig Belldina

How to Add Someone to Your Blackboard Course

The new Online Success website has changed the steps you take to add someone who is evaluating your course, another instructor, a guest lecturer, a student making up an incomplete, or a TA into your Blackboard containers.

Here's how to add them:

1. Go to the Blackboard Login page
    
2. Click Faculty Support for Online Success
   
   
   
3. Click Blackboard Requests
   
   
   
4.  Click Add a User form
   
   
   
5.  Login with your campus network username and password
    
6. Fill out the form

Please note: All users added this way will be given a special "technical add" user.name that starts with "ta."  (ie: ta.john.smith).

New Online Success Website

The GCCCD Online website has been completely overhauled. It is now called Online Success. A task force that included Rhonda Bauerlein and Cindy Morrin from Cuyamaca, Chris Rodgers and Janice Johnson from Grossmont, and Debbi Smith from the District, worked over the last few months to revamp the outdated GCCCD Online website. We hope you will be pleased with the changes and we would like to hear any suggestions for improvement.

You can find the Online Success website from the link on the Cuyamaca College website under Online Services or use this URL: http://www.gcccd.edu/online/ .

Unfortunately, this big of a change couldn't be made without breaking a lot of links to resources you may have been using in your courses. Please take some time to review your courses and put in the new links.

Here are some of the major links to check:

• Blackboard Login Instructions - http://www.gcccd.edu/online/student/blackboard/default.html
• How to Submit an Assignment video: http://www.gcccd.edu/online/tutorials/bb/videos/submit-assignment/default.html
• Change your email address in Blackboard: http://www.gcccd.edu/online/documents/tutorials/change-your-email-address.pdf
• Exam Tips: http://www.gcccd.edu/online/student/blackboard/exam-tips.html
• Student Help Desk: http://www.gcccd.edu/online/student/online-student-help-desk/default.html

Please explore the new site to see what may be useful to you and your students.

Blackboard Calendar Tool Survey Opportunity for Instructors and Students

The notice below is from Blackboard. I know many of you have strong feelings about how the calendar in Blackboard could be improved, so please take this survey and let them know. Also, let your students know about it so their input can be heard.

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Attention students and instructors! We need your help.

The Blackboard Product Development team is currently investigating ways to improve our Calendar tool for instructors and students. We want to understand how you feel about specific options for this feature. Please set aside approximately 20 minutes to tell us about yourself and answer 28 question pairs (students) and 36 question pairs (instructors) so we can better understand your motivations.

About the survey: Questions are delivered in pairs to ask you how you would feel if a feature WAS included and if the feature WAS NOT included in Blackboard Learn.

To participate: Share the links with other students and instructors who may be interested! The surveys are available for the next week. To take a survey, click the appropriate URL for your role or paste it into your browser:

Survey link for students: https://bbuxresearch.wufoo.com/forms/calendar-student-perspective/

Survey link for instructors: https://bbuxresearch.wufoo.com/forms/calendar-instructor-perspective/

Make Flashcards with Quizlet

Quizlet is a free web app that lets you create flashcards and study games that can be embedded into Blackboard and viewed on a PC, phone, or tablet. They have thousands of flashcard sets that have already been created. Find out more at quizlet.com.

Embedding does not work in emails, so click the title of this blog post above to see an embedded set of flashcards for Horticulture- Vines/Groundcovers.

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards | Study horticulture flash cards

Free Instructional Ideas Course Offered by Blackboard

Course Title: 

Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success

Description: 

Motivating students and creating community within blended and online learning environments is crucial to academic achievement and success. This open course will provide both theoretical concepts and practical tools for instructors to improve motivation, retention, and engagement within blended and online courses.

Course Objectives:

* Identify and apply relevant motivational strategies and instructional techniques 

* Construct thinking skill options for different types of learners and subjects 

* Design and share innovative thinking skill activities as well as unique cooperative learning 

* Map and apply instructional models and ideas to online learning tools

Enrollment: Open Enrollment begins Monday April 23, 2012. 

For more information, http://bit.ly/ImHv05

To Register: http://bit.ly/I6aiZG

Course Duration:  April 30th- June 4th ( A total of 5 weeks)

About Dr. Curtis Bonk:  Curt Bonk is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University and President of CourseShare. Drawing on his background as a corporate controller, CPA, educational psychologist, and instructional technologist, Bonk offers unique insights into the intersection of business, education, psychology, and technology. A well-known authority on emerging technologies for learning, Bonk reflects on his speaking experiences around the world in his popular blog, TravelinEdMan. He has coauthored several widely used technology books, including The World is Open, Empowering Online Learning, The Handbook of Blended Learning, and Electronic Collaborators.

There are more than 1000 people from all over the world registered for this already.