Monday, December 9, 2019

Blackboard Learn Grade Center Checkups for Final Grades

The fall semester is winding down and it will soon be time to enter final grades for your courses. If you are using Blackboard Learn to record and/or calculate student grades, the CTLI is offering Blackboard Learn Grade Center checkup drop-in sessions to help you double check the Blackboard Learn Grade Center in your course sites. 

If you want to make sure the Grade Center is set up correctly to calculate a final grade, please feel free to stop by the CTLI offices in Danvers DB387 and Lynn LS313. Team members will be available Monday, December 9th through Thursday, December 12th from 9:00am to 3:00pm (please note that on Tuesday, December 10th, staff will be available until 2:00pm).

As a reference, here are the directions to set up the Blackboard Learn Grade Center to calculate a weighted grade. You can use these directions to also check to make sure the weighted grade column is calculating correctly.

Step 1: Create categories
a. Manage > Categories > Create Category (make sure you have one for each of the %s listed in your grade calculation statement)   

Step 2: Assign percentages in Weighted Total column
a. Click on chevron to the right of the Weighted Total column and select Edit Column Information
b. In the Select Columns section (middle of screen), under Categories to Select, select the categories to the left and send them over to the right
c. Once the categories are over to the right under Selected Categories, enter in the appropriate %s

Step 3: Ensure all columns are associated with appropriate categories
a. Manage > Column Organization (make sure all columns are in the correct categories)
b. On the Column Organization page, you can change any of the column categories by checking off the boxes to the left of the column name and selecting a new category in the Change Category to drop down menu

Here is a great article from Virginia Commonwealth University with some tips on troubleshooting weighted totals.
If you are using the Total column to calculate a grade, you just want to make sure there is a column in the Grade Center for every gradable item that should be included in the grade. To see the number of points that the grade is calculating on, go to  Manage > Column Organization. You will see the Total column listed with the number of possible points over to the right. That number should match what you think the total points at mid-term should be.

Also, it is important to make sure a 0 has been entered into a column if a student did not complete an assignment or assessment. The default setting is to calculate the Weighted Total or Total columns as a running total which means that columns and categories without grades aren't included in the calculations.

If you are unable to stop by and would like us to look at your Grade Center, please feel free to send us an email at ctli@northshore.edu.

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (12/9/2019)

Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
  
Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

20 Minute Online Professional Development
This is the last of the sessions for the fall Monday Morning Mentor series (professional development in twenty minute snippets.) The topic for the week of December 9th is How Can I Teach Soft Skills to Better Prepare Students for the Workplace? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-can-i-teach-soft-skills-to-better-prepare-students-for-the-workplace-15238-1.html.

Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.  

The Monday Morning Mentor series, professional development in twenty minute snippets, will kick off in the spring semester on January 27, 2020 with What is the Best Teaching Advice I Ever Received? More information will be available in an upcoming issue of iDevelop. The complete spring 2020 schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2019/12/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.html
  
 Other Professional Development Opportunities
  • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching Online. This fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The final meeting will be Thursday, December 12th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Please save the date in your calendar. An email with additional information about the November session will be sent out in early December.
      
Blackboard Learn Grade Center Checkups for Final Grades
The fall semester is winding down and it will soon be time to enter final grades for your courses. If you are using Blackboard Learn to record and/or calculate student grades, the CTLI is offering Blackboard Learn Grade Center checkup drop-in sessions to help you double check the Blackboard Learn Grade Center in your course sites. If you want to make sure the Grade Center is set up correctly to calculate a final grade, please feel free to stop by the CTLI offices in Danvers DB387 and Lynn LS313. Team members will be available Monday, December 9th through Thursday, December 12th from 9:00am to 3:00pm (please note that on Tuesday, December 10th, staff will be available until 2:00pm).

Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development OpportunitiesIf you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

This will be the last issue of iDevelop for the fall semester. We will publish the first one for the spring semester on January 13, 2020. We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

Thank you,
CTLI

20 Minute Mentor - Online Faculty Professional Development - Spring 2020 Schedule

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI) offers faculty a professional development series from Magna Publications, called the 20 Minute Mentor. The goal of the 20 Minute Mentor series is to offer faculty practical professional development opportunities in twenty minute snippets that can be accessed from anywhere and at any time during the given week. Session topics cover the areas of student engagement, teaching and learning, teaching online, assessment and learning goals, and classroom management.

Information on how to access the 20 Minute Mentor sessions is available each week in the Bulletin and the iDevelop e-newsletter.

New video presentations (with supplementary materials) go live at 10:00am each Monday morning and are only accessible through Sunday. 

Banner with "Got 20 Minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor!"

The following sessions are on the schedule for spring 2020. For session descriptions, objectives, and mentor bios, click on the titles below.
We would love to hear your feedback on the usefulness of these sessions. Please send your input to ctli@northshore.edu.

Monday, November 25, 2019

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (11/25/2019)

Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
  
Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The topic for the week of November 25th is How Do I Design Effective Combinations of Gamified Elements to Encourage Deeper Learning? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-do-i-design-effective-combinations-of-gamified-elements-14863-1.html.

Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.  
  

 Other Professional Development Opportunities
  • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching Online. This fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The final meeting will be Thursday, December 12th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Please save the date in your calendar. An email with additional information about the November session will be sent out in early December.
      
Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development OpportunitiesIf you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

Thank you,
CTLI

Monday, November 4, 2019

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (11/4/2019)

Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
  
Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The topic for the week of November 4th is How Can I Ensure Academic Honesty in My Online Assessments? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-can-i-ensure-academic-honesty-in-my-online-assessments-15195-1.html.

Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.  
  

 Other Professional Development Opportunities
  • (LS)^2 Fall 2019 Lecture. This semester’s Liberal Studies Lecture Series is “An Artist and a Philosopher Go to the Doctor” and will take place on Wednesday, November 6th from 12:30-1:45 in Danvers, MS119. Join Bonnie Ashmore, full time faculty in the Fine Arts/Visual Studies program, and her colleague, Dr. Dien Ho, as they discuss the intersection of medicine and the humanities and specifically how it impacted their collaboration in creating the cover for Dr. Ho’s book. For more information, see the flyer at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B78eXBKxK6wWS0xjTkZuUVdtOE43c2k3WFpSdHBBNm9QZEhv/view.
  • Affordable Textbooks Awareness Panel. The SGA and MASSPIRG Students are working together this semester to make college more accessible to students. Join us on Wednesday, November 6th from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in Danvers, MS 106B to learn more about the movement. You will hear testimonials from NSCC students and from faculty who have made the switch from traditional textbooks to free or cheaper options. Following the testimonials will be a discussion, we want to hear from you and hope to answer your questions and hear your ideas. Join us to learn more! Refreshments will be provided. 
  • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching Online. This fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The third meeting will be Thursday, November 14th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Please save the date in your calendar. An email with additional information about the November session will be sent out in early November.
       
Affordable Textbooks Awareness Panel
MASSPIRG students are excited to be working on our Affordable Textbooks Campaign this semester with the SGA and we have an event on November 6th from 1:30-2:30PM in the Math and Sciences building on the Danvers campus room 106B. So far we have collected dozens of surveys from students who want to tell their story about their college experience with high cost textbooks and are hoping for a solution. 65% of students are opting out of buying textbooks because they are too expensive and therefore are not able to succeed as well simply because they cannot afford the book. I am sure you are aware, there is a solution. Open Educational Resources (OER) are widely used across the state and the whole country.

NSCC has already begun taking action on this issue by providing faculty with grants to switch from traditional textbooks to open resources, but there is more to be done! We can tell from the student surveys that students are still paying ridiculous amounts of money of textbooks. This is because 3 companies control 80% of the textbook industry and have increased the cost of textbooks by 88% in the past decade — that’s three times the rate of inflation!

MASSPIRG students and the SGA at NSCC believe that faculty need more information about OER and need to have the discussion with statewide staff and their peers to know exactly what it takes to make the switch. So, we are hosting a panel next week. Robert Awkward, the HED Director of Learning Outcomes, will be talking about what they are doing at the state level, other faculty members who use OER or some other form of open access books will talk about their experiences, and students will tell their stories about how the high cost of course materials has affected their college experience.
  
Co-Curricular Planning Dates
Student Engagement is hosting a series of co-curricular planning dates for faculty and staff to share ideas and programming options. Hopefully you can attend one of these meetings.
  • Tuesday, November 5 - Lynn Campus 11:30 am - 12:30 pm CTLI Conference Room
  • Wednesday, November 6 - Danvers Campus 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm CTLI Conference Room
  • Tuesday, November 12 - Lynn Campus 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Room LE 203
  • Thursday, November 14 - Danvers Campus 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Room DB 313
  • Monday, November 18 - Lynn Campus 9:30 am - 10:30 am Room LE 303
  • Tuesday, November 19 - Danvers Campus 9:30 am - 10:30 am  Room DB 313
      
Celebrate National Distance Learning Week (November 4-November 8)
Throughout the week, various organizations will be offering free webinars around online learning and instructional technologies that support online teaching.
Resources
Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development OpportunitiesIf you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

Thank you,
CTLI

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (10/28/2019)

Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
  
Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The topic for the week of October 28th is How Can I Manage the Disconnect Between Faculty and Student Perceptions of Rigor to Increase Learning? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/manage-the-disconnect-between-faculty-and-student-perceptions-of-rigor-14954-1.html.

Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.  
  

 Other Professional Development Opportunities
  • (LS)^2 Fall 2019 Lecture. This semester’s Liberal Studies Lecture Series is “An Artist and a Philosopher Go to the Doctor” and will take place on Wednesday, November 6th from 12:30-1:45 in Danvers, MS119. Join Bonnie Ashmore, full time faculty in the Fine Arts/Visual Studies program, and her colleague, Dr. Dien Ho, as they discuss the intersection of medicine and the humanities and specifically how it impacted their collaboration in creating the cover for Dr. Ho’s book. For more information, see the flyer at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B78eXBKxK6wWS0xjTkZuUVdtOE43c2k3WFpSdHBBNm9QZEhv/view.
  • Affordable Textbooks Awareness Panel. The SGA and MASSPIRG Students are working together this semester to make college more accessible to students. Join us on Wednesday, November 6th from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in Danvers, MS 106B to learn more about the movement. You will hear testimonials from NSCC students and from faculty who have made the switch from traditional textbooks to free or cheaper options. Following the testimonials will be a discussion, we want to hear from you and hope to answer your questions and hear your ideas. Join us to learn more! Refreshments will be provided. 
  • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching Online. This fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The third meeting will be Thursday, November 14th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Please save the date in your calendar. An email with additional information about the November session will be sent out in early November.
        
Resources
    Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development OpportunitiesIf you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

    We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

    Thank you,
    CTLI

    Tuesday, October 22, 2019

    iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (10/21/2019)

    Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
      
    Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

    20 Minute Online Professional Development
    The topic for the week of October 21st is How Can I Create a Platform for Difficult Conversations in the Online Classroom? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

    More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/create-a-platform-for-difficult-conversations-in-the-online-classroom-15162-1.html.

    Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.  
      

     Other Professional Development Opportunities
    • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching OnlineThis fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The third meeting will be Thursday, November 14th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Please save the date in your calendar. An email with additional information about the November session will be sent out in early November.
    • 43rd Forum on Tolerance: Online hate – How to see it and how to stop it. This year, the Forum on Tolerance will be Monday, October 21st and Thursday, October 24th. The October 21st event will take place in Danvers DS106B, from 11:00am to 1:00pm and the October 24th event will take place in the Lynn Gym from 9:00am to 2:00pm. More information is available at http://www.northshore.edu/tolerance/.
        
    Resources
      Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development Opportunities If you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

      We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

      Thank you,
      CTLI

      Tuesday, October 15, 2019

      iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (10/14/2019)

      Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
        
      Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

      20 Minute Online Professional Development
      The topic for the week of October 14th is What Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques Can I Use to Improve Learning? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

      More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/culturally-responsive-teaching-techniques-to-improve-learning-15130-1.html.

      Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.  
        

       Other Professional Development Opportunities
      • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching OnlineThis fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The second meeting will be Thursday, October 17th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm in the Danvers CTLI Conference Room, DB301. Check your email as additional information about the October session was sent out on October 3rd. 
      • 43rd Forum on Tolerance: Online hate – How to see it and how to stop it. This year, the Forum on Tolerance will be Monday, October 21st and Thursday, October 24th. The October 21st event will take place in Danvers DS106B, from 11:00am to 1:00pm and the October 24th event will take place in the Lynn Gym from 9:00am to 2:00pm. More information is available at http://www.northshore.edu/tolerance/.
      • QM Accessibility and Usability Resource Site. Quality Matters (QM) has recently opened up access to its Accessibility and Usability Resource Site (AURS) to the entire educational community. “AURS is the go-to — and FREE — resource for educators to get information on how to address key accessibility and usability concerns, including: Universal Design for Learning, Alternative Text, Video Captions and Audio Descriptions, Hyperlinks, Accessible MS Office products, Readability: Color Choice and Contrast, Readable PDFs, and Accessible Design in Learning Management Systems. This resource site was built by the QM community and provides helpful guidance to anyone interested in making online materials more accessible." If you do not already have a MyQM account, you can create one on the https://www.qmprogram.org/myqm/ login page. Once you have created your account and are in MyQM, you can go “Workshop - Register” in the side navigation and select "Register for Accessibility & Usability Resource Site”. More information is available at https://www.qualitymatters.org/qa-resources/resource-center/articles-resources/accessibility-resource-site.   
           
      Upcoming Webinars of Interest

      • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in OER [CCCOER Webinar] on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 from 3:00pm-4:00pm. "The OER movement is deeply rooted in ensuring equitable access to information; but there is more we can do to help increase equity, diversity, and inclusion in our resources and practices. Join us for this webinar to learn about the ways in which colleges can consider issues of equity when designing and delivering OER courses and degree programs." RSVP at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/f6925f520b90866a34538d7d4481ef37
         

      Resources
        Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development Opportunities If you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

        We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

        Thank you,
        CTLI

        Monday, September 30, 2019

        iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (9/30/2019)

        Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
          
        Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

        20 Minute Online Professional Development
        The topic for the week of September 30th is How Can I Use Microactivities to Engage Students and Improve Learning and Retention? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

        More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-can-i-use-microactivities-to-engage-students-and-improve-15212-1.html.

        Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.   

        Other Professional Development Opportunities
        • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching OnlineThis fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The second meeting will be Thursday, October 17th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm in the Danvers CTLI Conference Room, DB301. Check your email as additional information about the October session will be sent out this week. 
        • QM Accessibility and Usability Resource Site. Quality Matters (QM) has recently opened up access to its Accessibility and Usability Resource Site (AURS) to the entire educational community. “AURS is the go-to — and FREE — resource for educators to get information on how to address key accessibility and usability concerns, including: Universal Design for Learning, Alternative Text, Video Captions and Audio Descriptions, Hyperlinks, Accessible MS Office products, Readability: Color Choice and Contrast, Readable PDFs, and Accessible Design in Learning Management Systems. This resource site was built by the QM community and provides helpful guidance to anyone interested in making online materials more accessible." If you do not already have a MyQM account, you can create one on the https://www.qmprogram.org/myqm/ login page. Once you have created your account and are in MyQM, you can go “Workshop - Register” in the side navigation and select "Register for Accessibility & Usability Resource Site”. More information is available at https://www.qualitymatters.org/qa-resources/resource-center/articles-resources/accessibility-resource-site.    
        Resources

        Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development Opportunities

        If you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

        We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

        Thank you,
        CTLI

        Monday, September 23, 2019

        iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (9/23/2019)

        Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
          
        Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

        20 Minute Online Professional Development
        The topic for the week of September 23rd is How Can I Increase Student Completion Rates in Online Learning? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

        More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-can-i-increase-student-completion-rates-in-online-learning-15206-1.html.

        Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.   

        Other Professional Development Opportunities
        • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching OnlineThis fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The first meeting is Thursday, September 26th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm in the Danvers CTLI Conference Room, DB301. More information is available in the email invitation (sent September 13th). Please RSVP at https://forms.gle/GnJ5kodGukP9MFub6 to let us know you are coming. 
             
        Upcoming Webinars of Interest
        • How Successful Students Take Advantage of Classroom Technology [Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series (BITS)] on Thursday, September 26th at 11:00am EST. "Students today expect technology-enhanced learning experiences. Whether it’s how they view grades, assignments, communicate with the instructor or fellow students. This session highlights how Blackboard can partner with faculty and more importantly the student during their class." Presenter: Letitia Davis, University of Texas at Dallas. Register at https://go.blackboard.com/bits-webinars   
            
        Resources
        Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development Opportunities
        If you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

        We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

        Thank you,
        CTLI

        Monday, September 16, 2019

        iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (9/16/2019)

        Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
          
        Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

        20 Minute Online Professional Development
        The topic for the week of September 16th is How Can I Encourage the Growth Mindset with Three Simple Tips? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

        More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-can-i-encourage-the-growth-mindset-with-three-simple-tips-13945-1.html.

        Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.   

        Other Professional Development Opportunities
        • Faculty Conversations: Small Teaching Online. This fall, the CTLI will host informal faculty conversations around making small changes in your teaching practice that can increase student engagement and learning. The first meeting is Thursday, September 26th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm in the Danvers CTLI Conference Room, DB301. More information is available in the email invitation (sent September 13th). Please RSVP at https://forms.gle/GnJ5kodGukP9MFub6 to let us know you are coming. 
             
        Upcoming Webinars of Interest
        • Copyright and Licensing with OER [CCCOER Webinar] on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 from 3:00pm-4:00pm. "No matter how long you’ve been an advocate of OER, you may sometimes feel like you need a (fun and nuanced) refresher on the nuts and bolts of “open.”  This webinar will engage a panel of experts in a discussion ranging from the basics of copyright and Creative Commons licensing to the tough questions we inevitably encounter when working with open resources." RSVP at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/d4eaf383e626c3a734538d7d4481ef37
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        Resources
        Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development Opportunities
        If you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

        We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

        Thank you,
        Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation

        Monday, September 9, 2019

        iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (9/9/2019)

        Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC. The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).
          
        Sign reads:  Got 20 minutes?  Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor

        20 Minute Online Professional Development
        The topic for the week of September 9th is How Do I Set Students up for Success in Online Courses? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

        More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-do-i-set-students-up-for-success-in-online-courses-3173-1.html.

        Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials.   
            
        Upcoming Webinars of Interest
        • How to Be a Better Online Instructor [Chronicle of Higher Education] on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 from 2:00pm-3:00pm. “Online learning is a growing trend in higher education. However, many faculty members are hesitant to try it or find it less rewarding than the traditional classroom experience. To help instructors understand online courses and improve how they teach them, The Chronicle is presenting an hour-long webinar with instructional designer, Flower Darby, co-author of Small Teaching Online, from Jossey-Bass. Geared toward faculty new to online teaching or seeking to sharpen their skills, this highly interactive webinar will teach participants: 10 principles and practices that are essential to teaching online programs; what the common misperceptions are; and where to look for help on campus and beyond." Register at https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=6491685282691723&. 
             
        Resources

        Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development OpportunitiesIf you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

        We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

        Thank you,
        Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation

        Friday, August 16, 2019

        Preparing for Fall 2019 Courses in Blackboard Learn

        As you start to think about your fall courses, we wanted to share with you the following important information that will help you prepare your course site in Blackboard Learn.

        Copying a Course
        To copy a previous course site into a new one in Blackboard Learn:
        1. Go into the course site that has the content to copy. In the Control Panel, expand the "Packages and Utilities" section and click Course Copy.
        2. On the next screen, in the “Select Copy Type” section, make sure Copy Course Materials into Existing Course is selected in the drop down menu.
        3. Now, in the “Select Copy Options” section, next to the Destination Course ID field, click Browse. Then, find and select the Course ID for the new course (the one you want to put the content into). Click Submit.
        4. Select the Course Materials that you want to copy over to the new course. Usually, Select All is the best choice, although you might not want to copy announcements.
          1. If Select All is not used, make sure to include Grade Center Columns and Settings if Assignments and/or Tests are being copied.
          2. Also, under Discussion Board, select Include only the forums, with no starter posts if threads are not created by the instructor for students to respond to. If not, all student threads will copy over as anonymous and they will need to be deleted.
        5. In the “File Attachments” section, keep the default settings.
        6. Click Submit.
        Please note: When a previous course site is copied over into a new course site, any new or changed content areas will be added to the bottom of the course menu.

        Make Your Course Available
        All Blackboard Learn course sites are unavailable to students by default. Here are the directions for making the course site available to your students. If you are in your course site, you should see a lock icon up at the top of your course site (to the left of Edit Mode). If you click that lock icon, it will make the course available to students. 

        If you do not see the lock icon, here are the directions for making it available to your students.

        To open your course:
        1. Go into the course site.
        2. On the Control Panel, expand the "Customization" section and click Properties.
        3. On the next screen, in the "Set Availability" section, select Yes to make the course available.
        4. Click Submit.
        Preparing a Blackboard Learn Course Site for a New Semester
        Please check out this handy reference at http://goo.gl/pZbUZ8 to help you prepare a  Blackboard Learn course site for a new semester.

        Blackboard Learn Pre-Semester Course Checklist
        Once you course has been copied over, please review this checklist at https://goo.gl/18q3r5 to help you make sure your course site in Blackboard Learn is ready to go for the upcoming semester. 


        Please do not hesitate to contact the Blackboard Learn Helpdesk at bbhelp@northshore.edu if there are any issues with Blackboard Learn.