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Grand Valley State University
Welcome to this month's eLearning Technologies newsletter! As we gear up for the spring/summer semester, we're excited to share a new game-changing tool that allows students to sign up and easily schedule Zoom office hours via your Blackboard course. We'll also explore three essential tips to help you prepare for the new semester. Additionally, we'll invite you to learn more about Quality Matters standards, the renaming of our Digital Studio to the Bridge, share upcoming professional development opportunities, and connect with us each Wednesday for virtual drop-in help.
In this email newsletter:

Weekly Wednesday Office Hours are Back!

Starting May 8, 2024, join us each Wednesday for Blackboard Ultra Lunch and Learn virtual office hours! eLearning staff will be ready to help you from 12 to 12:30 pm. Join us in Zoom. Bring your Ultra questions. Reservations aren't required.

3 Tips to Help You Prepare for the Spring/Summer Semester

If you're teaching the spring semester or gearing up for the summer semester, we have three practical tips to help you prepare.
Tip 1. Learn Your Students' Names
Using your students' ID photos is an excellent way to learn their names. You can easily access these photos through the "Class List" tool in GVSU Faculty/Staff Additional Banner Applications (a VPN connection is required for off-campus access).
Note: Faculty will only see photos in courses in which they are the instructor of record in Banner. Assistance with using this tool can be found in this Knowledge Base article found in our Service Portal.
Tip 2. Check your Blackboard Readiness
The New Semester Checklist is a great place to review some of Blackboard's basic and essential functions. Blackboard makes it easy to share your syllabus or a lecture, efficiently collect and manage assignments, and securely share grades and feedback.
Tip 3. Get your Students Oriented
All students and faculty have been enrolled in a Blackboard "orientation" site geared toward helping students prepare and determine their readiness for online learning. The orientation provides advice and skills for online learning success and familiarizes students with many Blackboard Ultra features that their courses will use. When you create your weekly reminders or new announcements, remind your students to review the orientation site so that they are prepared to have a successful semester.

Zoom Appointment Scheduler - It's a Game Changer for Virtual Office Hours!

Streamline your virtual office hours with Zoom's new scheduling feature, empowering students to book appointments with you directly. This functionality is accessible exclusively through the Zoom tool within Blackboard Ultra courses. Before configuring appointment schedules, ensure you've integrated a Zoom link into your Blackboard course.
This video will walk you through setting up your Zoom link and then teach you how to use the appointment scheduling tool.
See this Knowledge Base article for additional assistance, or contact your eLearning Liaison.

Quality Does Matter - An Opportunity to Learn about the 8 Standards and Review the Updated QM Rubric for Online/Hybrid Courses

We all know quality matters, but have you heard about the Quality Matters (QM) Rubric? In this upcoming webinar, you'll get an introduction to the rubric and its internationally recognized standards for online/hybrid courses. In addition to an overview of each of the rubric's eight standards, we'll talk about what informs it, its value, and how to take the next step toward validating the quality of your online courses and recognizing where you can make improvements.
Location: Zoom - Sprout Registration required
When: Thursday May 23, 2024 • 11:00am – 12:00pm
We plan to partner with the FTLC this fall to create a QM-focused learning community. We will happily schedule a consultation with interested faculty who want to learn more about QM. For more information, contact Glenna Decker or Matt Roberts.

Digital Studio Renamed to The Bridge

Our three Digital Studios will rebrand to "The Bridge" during the Summer 2024 semester. Our mission and work will remain the same, and our goal is to enrich, evolve, and enhance student learning experiences by inspiring and supporting GVSU faculty and staff. We achieve this through content creation, project development, and modernizing academic practices to bridge the gap between media and education.
If you have an idea for a project but are still determining the best option, please schedule a consultation with a Digital Media Developer. Additionally, we are happy to provide personalized training and support for any media creation technologies we utilize in our studios.
Some of our popular projects include lightboard videos, video editing, getting started with podcasting, and creating interactive modules that can be integrated into Blackboard. We encourage you to review past projects to get ideas on how we can help you create digital media content!

From Surviving to Thriving: Extend Your Learning!

Didn't ask that burning question or want to delve deeper into a specific topic discussed during the May 13, 2024 event? We're committed to supporting your continued journey and enhancing your pedagogical practices. Let's keep the conversation going and make the most out of our learning experience together! Topics and presenters are included on this website so that you can reach out for follow-up support.
Reach out to us for:
  • Additional resources on the topics covered
  • One-on-one consultations for tailored support
  • Follow-up workshops or training sessions

Upcoming Professional Development Offerings

The eLearning team offers webinars covering various teaching and technology topics each semester.
  • All sessions are facilitated in a LIVE webinar format using Zoom.
  • Participants will be emailed a webinar link 24 hours before the session.
  • If you cannot attend but are interested in a topic, please fill out a consultation request form so we can provide you one-on-one assistance.
Ethical and Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom
May 22, 2024 • 10:00am – 11:30am
Join us in a session where we will explore new AI tools and discuss the ethical use of AI in our classrooms.
Microsoft Bookings Basics
May 22, 2024 • 11:00am – 12:30pm
June 20, 2024 • 11:00am – 12:30pm
This training is intended for faculty/staff who have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office 365 web applications and need to know how to use Microsoft Bookings to schedule and manage appointments.
Introduction to Quality Matters
May 23, 2024 • 11:00am – 12:00pm
In this session, you'll be introduced to the nationally recognized standards for online/hybrid courses.
Getting Started with Microsoft Teams
May 30, 2024 • 11:00am – 12:00pm
This training is intended for faculty and staff who have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office 365 web applications and need to understand the basics of Microsoft Teams to collaborate more effectively.
Media Assessments: Transform Your Existing Assignments Into Student Created Video
June 11, 2024 • 11:00am – 12:00pm
In this course, we will walk through how to convert one of your existing assignments into a project to help your students develop their media creation skills.
Blackboard Ultra Essentials for Organizations
June 12, 2024 • 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Learn about migrating Blackboard Classic Organizations to Blackboard Ultra Organizations and best practices for organizing content.
Blackboard Ultra Essentials
June 20, 2024 • 7:00pm – 8:00pm
This webinar is designed for faculty/staff who want to learn the most commonly used features of Blackboard Ultra. It has been scheduled in the evening to accommodate our part-time faculty.
Microsoft Excel 101
June 26, 2024 • 1:00pm – 2:00pm
This training is intended for faculty/staff who have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office 365 web applications and need to understand the basics of Microsoft Excel to manage and organize data.

Connect with eLearning!

You can locate your assigned eLearning Technologies team members on our eLearning Technologies Support by Colleges website. You can also reach out through email or phone or conveniently submit a consultation request via our Service Portal.
Let us know how we can assist you!
Sincerely,
Kim Kenward, Director of eLearning Technologies
kenwardk@gvsu.edu
GVSU Information Technology
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