Transcript Designing Strategies to Motivate Non

Chalkboard to Blackboard
in 8 Months-Strategies for
Faculty and Instructors
Kenley Obas &
Agnes Helen Bellel, Ph.D.
Alabama State University
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Located in Montgomery, AL
Historically Black Institutions
Total Enrollment: 5,666
Produces the largest number of African
American teachers in the nation.
328 faculty members
The Dilemma
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No Campus-Wide Course Management
Software
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Students and Faculty frustrated with lack
of CMS
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College of Business running Bb Basic 5 for
their Students only
Many students entering with CMS experience
Too many renegade course web sites
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.com sites
Our Needs
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Full Integration
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System that Allows Faculty to focus on
teaching and content
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Need to integrate with SCT plus and Active
Directory
Not managing a roster and enrollment
Ease of use
Possible Solution
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Do Nothing?
Purchase a CMS
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WebCT
 Many Faculty used previously
Moodle
 Free
 Open Source
Blackboard
 Recommended by our Distance Learning Committee
 Already being utilized on campus
Our Selection
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Blackboard
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Host ourselves
Hire Global Services
Integration of SCT
 Integration of Active Directory
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Conduct a Pilot
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Participant Selected by Deans of College
Bb Roll-out Timeline
5.24.2005
Bb Go-Live Campus Wide
12.2.2004
Finalized Bb Pilot Participants
9.17.2004
5.10.2005
Signed Contract
Issued Bb Pilot Survey
12.14.2004
1st Pilot Faculty Training
9.1.2004
9.1.2004
4.14.2005
2nd Pilot Faculty Training
12/2/2004 - 5/13/2005
11.7.2004
Worked Onsite with Global Services
10/14/2004
Rec’d Blackboard Server
Blackboard Pilot
8.8.2005
Installed Bb Portal
8.8.2005
8.8.2005
The Pilot
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30 members
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Member from each college
Appointed by Dean
Would become Blackboard Liaison
Survey
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Based on instrument used by UT at Austin
30 page report for University Administration
The Pilot
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Participated in a Blackboard course
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Included two 3 hrs Training Sessions
Posting to Discussion Groups
Using collaboration tools
Reviewing Documentation
Training and Documentation
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Training Session
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2.5 hour training session
Conducted by College
Documentation
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Collaborated with other institutions
Why re-invent the documentation
Create Support Website
System Status
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Running Learning System 6.3
Window 2003
8000 users
3521 course
Bb Integration Workflow
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SCT Mainframe
3
2
Extracts
Bb Controller
4
1 – SCT generates the FOCUS/Report.
2 - Uses a transfer utility to deliver the files to the Blackboard Server on a
shared drive
3 – The Controller then locates the ‘pushed’ files on the Blackboard server 4
– The Controller integrates the information nightly into the Blackboard
database
Bb Database
Bb Integration
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Snapshot
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Imports SCT SIS data in Blackboard
Courses
 Users
 Catalog
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Runs once a day
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FTP’ed to Blackboard Server from SCT
Blackboard Spearheading
Change
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Student Email
Wireless Access
Increase in Computer Labs
Digital Storage
Challenges
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Faculty acceptance
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Storage
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Don’t see the need
Only 60 GB
Support
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Help Desk not ready to support
Lack of Blackboard System Admin
Challenges
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Still have not fully integrated Active
Directory
Removing other Blackboard System
The Future
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Purchased and Installed
Community/Portal
Working with Library to Purchase Content
Management System
Current Look
Considerations Before Planning
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-Adult Learners
-Curriculum Development
-Instructional Techniques to meet all
learners
-Assessment and Evaluation Strategies
-Teaching Adults
“Online” Adult Learners
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Online adult
learners bring a
diversity of
perspectives and
abilities to the
class.
Strategies to Motivate Online
Learner
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Strategies include:
method of instruction,
using peer reviews and
group activities that may
be with the students in
the course or in the
educational communities,
which will enhance
interactive social skills as
well as comprehension of
subject matter.
Strategies for Online Instructions:
Course Design
-Give thought to the
overall design for the
course
-Work backwardsclearly define what is
expected of the
students to learn by
the end of the course.
Course Design (cont.)
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-State the
departmental
expectations of your
course.
-Begin planning well
in advance to work
around problems
-Goals should be
planned at three
levels
-Goal Levels (essential,
desirable, and
optional)
-Must achieve the goals
to meet the
faculty’s/instructor’s
responsibilities
-Note: If you fall behind,
you may delete
optional or desirable.
Course Design (cont.)
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Permit students to
bring life experiences
into the online learning
environment. Most
students tend to
perform best when
content is related to
previous or personal
experience.
Course Design (cont.)
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-Design a procedure to evaluate whether
the students have attained the course
goals and objectives
-Determine the testing procedures and
grading policies
-Make sure the course meets ADA
approval and Section 508 for students with
disabilities.
Consideration of Student Population:
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-Character of the student population of the
course.
-Schedule of the course (time of the course,
season, and time of the year)
-Course required or elective
Students’ motivation for taking the course
-Students’ background and their learning style
and study habits
-Faculty’s/Instructor’s teaching style.
Consideration of Student Participation
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Are the students used to working
independently?
-Collect work/assignments frequently and
respond/give feedback quickly to ensure that
students will have success in the course.
-Conduct summative and formative evaluation
-Construct a flexible plan which can
accommodate surprises that may arise
Course Outline
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-Students learning should build on itself
-Reading materials should be more than
textbook. Other material may include
articles that further illustrate applications
or offer alternative points of view. Use the
virtual library.
http://www.lib.alasu.edu/library/virtual_ref.
html
Course Outline (cont.)
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-Study the academic
calendar.
-Develop a week-byweek sequencing of
topics, readings,
assignments, quizzes
and examinations.
-Check for school
holidays and other
events.
Course Outline (cont.)
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-Have a colleague give
feedback on your online
course .
Is there enough material
to challenge the students
intellectually and keep
their interest?
Is there flexibility for
students to make
suggestions and be
incorporated in the
course?
Course Outline (cont.)
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Is there recognizable relationship between
internet topics, lectures, assigned
readings, and student assignments?
Syllabus
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-Make sure all or part of the syllabus is available to the
students at all times.
-State at a minimum, course description, goals,
objectives, course prerequisites, hardware and software
requirements, a list of assignments and due dates,
notice of exam and their dates, grading with detailed
explanation on submission of (late) assignments and
penalties, bonus points (optional) as incentives, other
policies, virtual office hours, location, email, emergency
contact, telephone number (s), mail address, address of
the course web site, and helpdesk contact
-State policies for “make-up”, “resubmit”, or no
submission of assignments
Self-Reflection on the Facilitation of Learning
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Were my goals reached for this course?
Were the instructional strategies clear?
Did the students have a clear understanding of
the content? How satisfied am I with their
progress?
What key areas should I target for
improvement?
What can I do to improve the online teaching of
this course- content- online support-course
design?
Resources
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http://ctl.standford.edu/teach/handbook/design.h
tml
http://www.worldwidelearn.com/onlinecourses/teaching-online.htm
http://jjconline.jjay.cuny.edu/faculty/teachonine.ht
ml
http://www.byu.edu/fc/fds/pycguides/pycguide.ht
ml
http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/TLBulletins/
2(3)Discussion.html
Contact Info
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Kenley Obas
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Academic Computing Coordinator
[email protected]
Dr. Agnes Bellel
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Associate Professor of Instructional
Technology
[email protected]