Distributed Learning/Technology

CTE sponsors workshops, seminars, and other events that allow participants to explore a broad range of topics important to the development of high-quality distributed learning courses.

Click on the "+" sign next to each event to see description.

You can choose to use the Calendar View of CTE events if you prefer.

January 2021

This workshop is a thorough overview of Blackboard's capabilities. Learn how to log-in, add course content, create announcements and send email. Explore online course design, the discussion board, see how to set up groups and use the Grade Center. Register

Learn how to set up Blackboard assignments and SafeAssign plagiarism detection. Register

Blackboard’s inline grading feature just got a lot easier to use. New Box View has been replaced with Blackboard Annotate. When you go to grade an assignment or a discussion forum, you will see the new Blackboard Annotate feature. You will be able to draw comments, make edit marks, type comments and more with this new feature. Participants will learn about the many new options to provide meaningful feedback to your students. Register

Learn the basics of setting up and using the Blackboard Grade Center. Register

Learn to create tests and surveys, to use pools of questions while creating these items, and to modify the deployment rules for individuals or groups of students. Register

Learn how to hold meetings or teach a class with this convenient and reliable web conferencing tool. With Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, instructors can record sessions, share materials, allow participants to chat with each other, use a digital whiteboard, allow participants to share presentations, and more. Register

Learn the basics of setting up and using the Blackboard Grade Center. Register

In this session, participants will learn how to use the Blackboard Grade Center to their advantage and manage grades more efficiently. Creating and managing categories, weighting grades, dropping grades, downloading grades to work offline and using Smart Views are some of the topics to be covered. We welcome users with any level of experience, but this course is designed for instructors or graders who are already comfortable with Grade Center basics. Register

In this session you will learn simple instructional techniques that benefit all users, technology tools that can be used to provide specific accommodations, and resources that are available to meet accommodation needs. Register

Don’t stress! We can help. We will cover best practices for producing lecture videos from your office or home that are both engaging and accessible to all students. We will include tips and resources on how to provide transcripts and closed captioning to your video content. Register

This is a hands-on workshop demonstrating the use of a Garmin 360 VIRB camera and associated software to record, edit and share 360° videos. The class will receive tips for recording quality videos and walk through the features of the camera with the instructors. Participants will record short videos and upload them to VIRB EDIT. Instruction on editing with VIRB EDIT will enable participants to modify their recordings and then upload the videos to YouTube. Participants are expected to have a Garmin 360 VIRB camera for the class, and, prior to class, download Garmin VIRB Edit software on their computer and create a YouTube account.

The Center for Teaching Excellence has a limited number of Garmin 360 VIRB cameras available for check out. Visit Virtual Environments for more information. Register

The Virtual Reality Interest Group is planning ways to bring virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality into teaching and learning environments at UofSC. Meetings are open to faculty, staff and students.

If you are interested in participating in the Virtual Environments Interest Group, or would like to be on the email list for further information, please send a message to Aisha Haynes at haynesa@mailbox.sc.edu. Register

Learn the basics of setting up and using the Blackboard Grade Center. Register

As an instructor, you know how to teach your discipline using best practices for creating a learning environment, and you have moved your understanding of a good online or hybrid course either partly or fully online. But what are your students’ perspectives on the shift to online courses this past year? What do they say they want, and need, from their courses and instructors, beyond the course content? What do they wish you knew about their “side” of the screen? Join us for a discussion of recent studies surveying student satisfaction and feedback about their satisfaction with online teaching, as well as student feedback and recommendations for better learning and engagement in both synchronous and asynchronous environments. Register

Online courses present unique challenges and opportunities for both instructors and students. In this presentation, Ozgur Ince will discuss his experience converting a large introductory finance course from in-person to both synchronous and asynchronous online delivery. He will discuss best online teaching practices based on his experience and recent pedagogy. He will introduce strategies educators can utilize to tackle common challenges facing online learners, such as time management, lack of motivation, lack of interaction, and lack of community. He will also discuss alternative methods of delivery, student engagement using various online tools (such as polls, breakout groups, chat, discussion boards) and online assignments. The session will conclude with a question-and-answer session. Register

Are you looking for a way to spice up your online courses? Ever thought of using virtual reality to supplement your curriculum? Student engagement is difficult, especially when discussing concepts that are hard to visualize or explain which can be further amplified in an online course. One method of increasing student engagement is by using virtual reality to demonstrate concepts in an engaging manner.

Beyond engagement, virtual reality can help provide empathetic experiences, and promote active learning. In an introductory biological sciences laboratory (BIOL 102L), we used a form of virtual reality called 360° video to enhance student engagement and allow students to experience different environments and events than are typically not feasible within the confines of the normal laboratory or within the timespan of a typical semester.

In this session, we examine the easy implementation of the technology, analyze the results from student surveys collected, and explore the benefits of using virtual reality in the classroom. This session will contain lots of interaction amongst the audience. By the end of the session, audience members will be able to identify specific topics in their online courses that may be enhanced through virtual reality. Register

February 2021

Join us for this interactive session as we discuss strategies to manage the workload for both students and instructors in online and hybrid learning environments. Suggestions for managing course logistics while engaging students in active learning and will be included.

At the end of this session, participant will be able to:

Describe how to organize a course for easy navigation and information retrieval
Create a consistent course schedule
Design engaging activities for automated grading
Identify effective communication strategies for large cohorts of students Register

Learn how to set up Blackboard assignments and SafeAssign plagiarism detection. Register

Are you ready to explore what PowerPoint can do beyond the basic slides and templates? This workshop will show participants how to include audio and video, customize templates, use animation, and create videos. Workshop participants should have PowerPoint installed on their device before the session to gain first-hand experience during the workshop. Participants will occasionally be asked to share their screen during this workshop. Register

Can virtual reality truly be infused with an academic curriculum? What are some of the pros and cons of virtual reality in the classroom and setting up your own virtual-reality lab. Presentation will highlight the infusion of virtual reality into the Counseling and Rehabilitation curriculum. It will also discuss some of the success and trials of hosting a virtual-reality lab. Register

Many of us teach 'large' synchronous online classes, with 'large' defined as classes with more than 250 students. In such cases, Blackboard Collaborate functionalities are somewhat restrictive. Despite Blackboard Collaborate restrictions, how can we teach such classes in ways that strive towards good student outcomes and high levels of student engagement?

This presentation will have two sub-parts. Initially, the presenter will share experiences from Fall 2020. Thereafter, the plan is to have an interactive session, with participants sharing ideas around how to improve student outcomes and maintain student engagement. Register

Learn to create tests and surveys, to use pools of questions while creating these items, and to modify the deployment rules for individuals or groups of students. Register

This hands-on workshop is a continuation of the 'PowerPoint Tools and Techniques: Helping Faculty Create Effective Presentations' workshop. The focus will be on providing group feedback, evaluation methods, and looking at various exercises that can be used to improve existing presentations.

Workshop Prerequisites
Attendance at a 'PowerPoint Tools and Techniques: Helping Faculty Create Effective Presentations' Workshop and creation of a PowerPoint presentation

Participants need to have an existing PowerPoint presentation loaded onto their computer that can be shared during the workshop.
Workshop participants should have PowerPoint installed on their device before the session to gain first-hand experience during the workshop.
Participants will occasionally be asked to share their screen during this workshop. Register

How do you keep your students focused during a 60+ minute online class? Do you notice long periods of silence during your class when you ask questions or you struggle to keep lively discussions going? This workshop will provide participants with practical tips and tools to keep students engaged in a synchronous online environment. Strategies to maintain interest and excitement throughout the semester will also be shared. Register

Learn the basics of setting up and using the Blackboard Grade Center. Register

March 2021

Authentic learning activities can generate and sustain excitement in the online classroom because they make students feel like they are already practicing their professions and solving real life problems. In this interactive session we will describe how we created a continuing multimedia case study to demonstrate the complexity of caring for older adult patients and enable students to practice their new nursing skills in a safe environment.

The case study is rolled out to students one episode a week throughout an entire semester. Multimedia elements enable students to observe their patient in different situations and settings and make appropriate clinical decisions.

Join us in this session to see examples of case study elements, review case study data on its effectiveness, and discuss student and faculty perspectives. We are convinced that this instructional approach can be applied in many disciplines in face-to-face, online, or hybrid courses. Register

Calling all instructors! Would you like a practice run with Blackboard Collaborate Ultra before the Summer and Fall semesters begins? Join a small group of other instructors and Blackboard admins and get hands-on experience with sharing your screen, displaying content, using the whiteboard, managing breakout group sessions, and more. These sessions are designed for instructors who have already attended a Blackboard Collaborate Ultra training webinar and want a little extra practice. Register

Teaching large courses can present some real challenges for faculty. This is especially true in the online learning environment, where we don’t have the benefit of meeting with students face to face. Make plans to join your colleagues for this interactive workshop as we explore best practices for teaching large distributed learning courses. Register

Learn best practices for your online course from a veteran instructor. Ideas for how to design and deliver your course will be shared including tools that will save you time in creating assessments and grading them, tips and new ideas to engage and motivate learners, and methods to help keep you connected to your learners. See why teaching online can be just as fun and rewarding as teaching in the classroom! Register

Learn how to set up Blackboard assignments and SafeAssign plagiarism detection. Register

Learn to create tests and surveys, to use pools of questions while creating these items, and to modify the deployment rules for individuals or groups of students. Register

Are you interested in teaching online courses? In this webinar, we will explore the basics of online teaching and the components of an online course. As we walk through the 3Ds Instructional Design Model: Design, Develop and Deliver, you will be introduced to best practices for online teaching in preparation for modifying a current face-to-face course for online delivery or creating a new online course. Register

Research literature on the effectiveness of discussion boards on engagement specify that responsibility lies with instructors to create atmospheres that support, encourage, and foster high quality discussions in online courses. Students report high levels of satisfaction with their online courses when they are socially active and participate in online discussion boards. This workshop will focus on methods, strategies, and tools that can be used in online courses to enhance engagement and participation.

This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Fostering Proactive Learning Environments. Register

Learn the basics of setting up and using the Blackboard Grade Center. Register

In this webinar, we'll cover how to Design your course to maximize student learning, with an emphasis on planning. We’ll discuss using Backward Design; aligning outcomes, assessments, and activities; and organizing your course into modules. We’ll also discuss factors you'll need to consider in planning, such as interactions (between students, faculty, and content) and Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles – which outlines the foundation for making your online course active, cooperative and relevant. And as a bonus for attending, we’ll through in some handy templates to help you get started! Register

April 2021

This webinar covers how to Develop the materials and structure for your online course. You'll learn what makes a high-quality and accessible online course, how to choose or create instructional materials and rubrics, how to best organize your course information and materials in Blackboard, and how to select video recording and web conferencing tools for asynchronous and synchronous courses. Register

Student progress in a course is determined via a series of measures, or assessments, implemented by instructors to fully evaluate what students are actually learning and understanding. Good assessments help students learn in tandem with instruction and engage students directly with the material. By using active learning techniques, a student-centered approach in which pre-planned activities are used to engage the student as an active participant in their learning, instructors can measure “in the moment” a student’s level of comprehension, critical thinking, skill development, and achievement of learning outcomes. Commonly used techniques such as think-pair-share, one-minute paper, concept mapping, and others have been shown to improve student learning of material and enhance the presentation format of a course. However, active learning strategies can pose problems for implementation, in both face-to-face and especially the online environment.

This webinar examines the three key student learning benchmarks that should be integrated into active learning techniques, and explores the planning system necessary to incorporate such activities for both face-to-face and online active learning assessments. To illustrate these, attendees will participate in several active learning techniques and practice examples applicable to a wide range of classroom formats and different kinds of learning outcomes. You will learn helpful tips on what you can do, how to do it, and how easily active learning can be implemented in the any classroom delivery style. Register

As you prepare for a new semester, don’t let Blackboard get the best of you! Let us show you some tips and tricks to help you get off on the right foot. We will also cover best practices for using Blackboard as a teaching tool, who to contact for help, and how to access our Knowledge Base. Register

This webinar covers how to Deliver your online course for maximum impact. Join us to learn how to build rapport with students, foster a community of learners and provide meaningful feedback. The session will end with tips to consider to facilitate an engaging and successful online course. Register

Center for Teaching Excellence

Distributed Learning/Technology

Click on the "+" sign next to each event to see description.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.