Preparing your Blackboard Learn Course Sites for Fall 2023

 As you start to work on 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
If you had us increase your course content collection quota in the course you are copying forward, please make sure to reach out to us before starting the course copy. We will need to increase the course content collection quota in the new course first.

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. 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.
3. 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.
• If Select All is not used, make sure to include Grade Center Columns and Settings if Assignments and/or Tests are being copied.
• 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.
  
  
4. In the “File Attachments” section, keep the default settings.
5. 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 (below Help). You can easily move them up into the appropriate spot in the course menu by dragging/dropping the menu item. 

Uploading your Syllabus

Once your syllabus is ready, please make sure to upload it into your Blackboard course site. 

To upload your syllabus:

1. In your Blackboard Learn course site, click Syllabus and Course Information in the course menu.
2. Click Build Content and then Item.
3. On the Create Item page, enter Name and Text.
4. Click Browse My Computer to upload a file.
5. Select Date and Time Restrictions if needed.
6. Click Submit.

Linking to Your Video Conference Classroom

If you are teaching a video conference class or a class with a video conference component, we highly encourage you to also include a link to your Zoom Meeting Room or Collaborate Session on the course menu or in an announcement so students can easily find and access it. By default, Collaborate is already on the course menu. If you would like to switch that out for Zoom and need assistance, please reach out to us. We would be happy to help.

Opening your Course (Make your Course Available for Students)

When your course shell is ready for students to view, you will need to give them access. All course sites are unavailable to students by default.

To open your courses (when you are done updating it for the new semester):

1. Click Courses to access your class list.
2. Click the More Options icon (…) to the far right of the course title.
3. Select Open course.
4. Confirm by selecting Open to Students.

OR

1. In your Blackboard course, expand the Control Panel, click Customization, and then Properties.
2. Scroll down to the Set Availability section and choose Yes. In the Set Course Duration section, make sure Continuous is selected.  We recommend these settings to ensure that your course site does not become unavailable to students on the last day of classes.  
3. Click Submit to enable students to access your course site.

OR

1. In your Blackboard course, click the red lock icon at the top of your course window to make your course available.

Preparing your Blackboard Learn Course Site for a New Semester

If you have already been using Blackboard Learn for your courses, please check out this handy reference to help you prepare your Blackboard Learn course site for a new semester at https://bit.ly/3a0NjCT.

Blackboard Learn Pre-Semester Course Checklist
Once your course has been copied over, please review this checklist at https://bit.ly/3sulKrZ to help you make sure your course site in Blackboard Learn is ready to go for the upcoming semester.

Blackboard Learn How-To Guide for Faculty
If you have any questions about using some of the features of Blackboard Learn, we encourage you to check out our Blackboard Learn How-To Guide for Faculty at https://sites.google.com/northshore.edu/blackboard-faculty/home. Here we have step-by-step guides to learn how to use the top ten Blackboard Learn features as well as links to some additional resources for faculty and students.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please do not hesitate to contact me or the Blackboard Learn Helpdesk at bbhelp@northshore.edu.

Preparing for Spring 2022 Courses in Blackboard Learn

As you start to think about your spring 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
If you had us increase your course content collection quota in the course you are copying forward, please make sure to reach out to us before starting the course copy. We will need to increase the course content collection quota in the new course first.

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.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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. In the “File Attachments” section, keep the default settings.
5. 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 your 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. 

Blackboard Learn How-To Guide for Faculty

If you have any questions about using some of the features of Blackboard Learn, we encourage you to check out our Blackboard Learn How-To Guide for Faculty at https://sites.google.com/northshore.edu/blackboard-faculty/home. Here we have step-by-step guides to learn how to use the top ten Blackboard Learn features as well as links to some recorded workshops and additional resources for faculty and students.  

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

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.

September Blackboard Learn Open Labs

CTLI's Instructional Technology and Design (ITD) team will be hosting a series of Blackboard Learn Open Labs during the first two weeks of the semester.

Faculty are welcome to drop by the open labs if they have any questions/issues or would like to come in to work on your courses and get assistance from CTLI ITD staff. CTLI ITD team members will be available to assist on both the Danvers and Lynn campuses.

Week of September 2nd

• Tuesday, September 3rd from 9:00am-3:00pm in DB387 and LS314
• Thursday, September 5th from 9:00am-3:00pm in DB387 and LS314
• Friday, September 6th from 9:00am-3:00pm in DB387 and LS314   

Week of September 9th

• Monday, September 9th from 9:00am-3:00pm in DB387 and LS313
• Tuesday, September 10th from 9:00am-2:00pm in DB387 and LS313
• Wednesday, September 11th from 9:00am-3:00pm in DB387 and LS313
• Thursday, September 12th from 9:00am-3:00pm in DB387 and LS313

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

Preparing for Fall 2018 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. 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.

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

Preparing for Summer 2018 Courses in Blackboard Learn

As you start to think about your summer 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.
    
Making your Course Shell Available to Students
When your course shell is ready for students to view, you will need to give them access. All course sites are unavailable to students by default. You can easily make your course sites available from the My Home page using the Qwickly multi-course tool.

If you are in your course site, here are the directions for making it available to your students. To open your course:

1. In your Blackboard Learn course shell, in the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Properties. 
2. On the next screen, scroll down to the “Set Availability” section and select Yes to make the course available.Note: We recommend that you select Yes instead of Use Term Availability. Term Availability is set to the last day of classes and will close your course site that day (even though your students might still need access to finish up the course). 
3. Click Submit to enable your students to see and access your course shell.
    

Preparing your Blackboard Learn Course Site for a New Semester
If you have already been using Blackboard Learn for your courses, please check out this handy reference to help you prepare your Blackboard Learn course site for a new semester at http://goo.gl/pZbUZ8.
  
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.

Preparing for Spring 2018 Courses in Blackboard Learn

As you start to think about your spring 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.
    
Making your Course Shell Available to Students
When your course shell is ready for students to view, you will need to give them access. All course sites are unavailable to students by default. You can easily make your course sites available from the My Home page using the Qwickly multi-course tool.

If you are in your course site, here are the directions for making it available to your students. To open your course:

1. In your Blackboard Learn course shell, in the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Properties. 
2. On the next screen, scroll down to the “Set Availability” section and select Yes to make the course available. Note: We recommend that you select Yes instead of Use Term Availability. Term Availability is set to the last day of classes and will close your course site that day (even though your students might still need access to finish up the course). 
3. Click Submit to enable your students to see and access your course shell.
    

Preparing your Blackboard Learn Course Site for a New Semester
If you have already been using Blackboard Learn for your courses, please check out this handy reference to help you prepare your Blackboard Learn course site for a new semester at http://goo.gl/pZbUZ8.
  
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.

Preparing for Fall 2017 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. 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.

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

Preparing for Summer 2017 Courses in Blackboard Learn

As you start to think about your summer 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. 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.

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (3/27/2017)

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).
  

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the spring semester to bring you professional development in twenty minute snippets. The topic for the week of March 27th is How Can I Evaluate Online Teaching If I Haven’t Taught Online? Even though the focus of this session is on evaluating online teaching, there is a lot of interesting information presented about successful online teaching practices that may be of interest. 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 http://www.magnapubs.com/onlinementor/how-can-i-evaluate-online-teaching-if-i-havent-taught-online-13944-1.html. The complete spring schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.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

• Massachusetts Community College Teaching, Learning, & Student Development Conference. This year’s Massachusetts Community College TL&SD Conference, titled Education for All, will be held on April 7, 2017 at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, MA. Register by March 31st at http://massasoit.mass.edu/tlsd-conference/index.
• Open Education Week Webinars. All week, during Open Education Week, there will be a variety of webinars offered to learn more about open educational resources. Check out the list of webinars offered by members of the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources at https://www.cccoer.org/2017/01/09/open-education-week-march-27-31-2017/. 

Upcoming Webinars of Interest

• Collaboration: Connect With Me (NISOD and Cengage Learning Collaboration, part of the Striving for Excellence series). "In our global world, what methods do we use to communicate and are those methods effective? Join this webinar and collaborate on ways to connect students with us, each other, and course content!". Tuesday, March 28, 2017 from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST. Register at https://shop.nisod.org/webinar-series/register.php?id=96&code=4683617549459044611.
   

Resources

•  Peer Review Guide for Online Courses at Penn State
  http://facdev.e-education.psu.edu/sites/default/files/PeerReview_OnlineCourses_PSU_Guide_Form_28Sept2010.pdf
• Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses
  http://technologysource.org/article/seven_principles_of_effective_teaching/
   

Happy Open Education Week!! NSCC OER Awareness Tables
March 27-31 is Open Education Week, a "celebration of the global Open Education Movement to raise awareness about the movement and its impact on teaching and learning worldwide." More information about Open Education Week can be found at https://www.openeducationweek.org/.

During this week, team members from our Open Textbook Initiative will be hosting OER Awareness Tables for faculty and students to learn more about open educational resources and the Affordable @ NSCC program. We will have sample open textbooks from OpenStax to review.

• Monday March 27th from 11:00am to 1:00pm in Lynn outside of the Café
• Tuesday March 28th from 11:00am to 1:00pm in Lynn outside of the Café
• Wednesday March 29th from 11:00am to 1:00pm in Danvers in the Lobby outside of the Café
• Thursday March 30th from 11:00am to 1:00pm in Danvers in the Lobby outside of the Café

We hope you will take a moment to stop by and see how open educational resources are saving NSCC students money on textbook costs.

Share Teaching Resources or 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 upcomimg 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
 

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (3/13/2017)

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).
  

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the spring semester to bring you professional development in twenty minute snippets. The topic for the week of March 13th is How Can I Create an Online Service Learning Project? 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 http://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-can-i-create-an-online-service-learning-project-13726-1.html. The complete spring schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.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
 
WEBINAR: How to create a mobile friendly course (Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series Lunch N’ Learn)

Watch the recording at http://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1348254/5DFF77C9ECC06AAF667EFC403CD9A264 
 
Share Teaching Resources or 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 upcomimg 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
 

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (3/6/2017)

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).
  

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the spring semester to bring you professional development in twenty minute snippets. The topic for the week of March 6th is How Can I Assess Critical Thinking with Student-Created Work? 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 http://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-can-i-assess-my-students-critical-thinking-skills-with-student-work-13688-1.html. The complete spring schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.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
 
WEBINAR: How to create a mobile friendly course (Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series Lunch N’ Learn)

Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 1:00pm EST
Register at http://bbbb.blackboard.com/bits-create-mobile-friendly-course  

Resources

• Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts.
  http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/what&why2006.pdf
• Critical Thinking VALUE Rubric (AACU)
  https://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/critical-thinking
• The Critical Thinking Community
  http://www.criticalthinking.org/
• Unlocking the Mystery of Critical Thinking
  http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/instructional-design/unlocking-mystery-critical-thinking/
• Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Practical Points
  http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/teaching-critical-thinking-practical-points/
     

Composition 2 Changes
Changes are coming to the college's Composition 2 classes, and the English Department (under the chair's guidance) has created a very succinct "heads up" to and explanation of the BHE-mandated changes that are occurring. Please see the document attached to the iDevelop email for more information.

Share Teaching Resources or 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 upcomimg 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
 

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (2/20/2017)

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).
  

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the spring semester to bring you professional development in twenty minute snippets. The topic for the week of February 20th is How Do I Create and Implement Microlectures? 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 http://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/how-do-i-create-and-implement-microlectures-13984-1.html. The complete spring schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.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
 
WEBINAR: Best Practices for Accessible Instructional Videos Thursday, February 23rd at 2:00pm EST
Presented by Texas Tech, this webinar will outline a step-by-step process which will help ensure both effective recording techniques and accessibility for students. Main themes of the presentation will surround planning and technical basics like longevity, lighting, audio, and the need for practice. 
Register at http://go.onlinelearning-c.org/VCST000LTd0M300CF4oRJq0.

Resources

• 7 Things You Should Know About…Microlectures
  https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7090.pdf 
• Microlectures
  https://facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/microlectures_2016_0.pdf
• Getting Started with Blended Learning Videos
  http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/blended-flipped-learning/getting-started-blended-learning-videos/ 
• Microlectures in a Flipped Classroom: Application, Creation and Resources
  http://www.mwera.org/MWER/volumes/v26/issue1/v26n1-Street-BOOK-MEDIA-REVIEWS.pdf 
• Introduction to Key Concepts in Five Minutes or Less: The ‘Did You Know?’ Microlecture Series
  http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/introduction-key-concepts-five-minutes-less-introducing-know-microlecture-series/
• 10 Tools for More Interactive Videos
  https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/05/04/10-tools-for-more-interactive-videos.aspx

Tech Tool Spotlight: Screencast-o-matic
An easy to use screen capture software program that allows you to record anything on your computer screen (web cam, PowerPoint presentation, software program, etc) along with your voice. Screencast-o-matic can be used to create pre-recorded mini-lectures. Video files can be stored on YouTube or in Google Drive and then linked into Blackboard Learn. NSCC has a ProPage subscription so please contact the CTLI for information about pro access, using Screencast-o-matic, or recording mini-lectures.
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/ (free version)

Share Teaching Resources or 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 upcomimg 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
 

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (1/23/2017)

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).
  

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the spring semester to bring you professional development in twenty minute snippets. The topic for the week of January 23rd is What Is the Role of Communication In Teaching Excellence? 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 http://www.magnapubs.com/online/mentor/what-is-the-role-of-communication-in-teaching-excellence-13784-1.html. The complete spring schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.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

• Blackboard Learn Open Labs. During the first two weeks of the spring semester, CTLI team members will be offering Blackboard Learn open labs in Danvers and Lynn. Please stop by if you have any questions. The schedule is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/january-blackboard-learn-workshops-and.html.   

 
Upcoming Webinars of Interest

• Teach Online? You Need This List of 17 Course Best Practices! (Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series). Date: Thursday, January 26, 2017
  Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern Time. Register at http://bbbb.blackboard.com/bits-course-best-practices

 
Program/Department Learner Outcome Statements
For those participating in program review, the third installment on writing program/department learner outcome statements is being distributed with iDevelop. Questions or assistance, please contact Cate Kaluzny.
 
Share Teaching Resources or 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 upcomimg 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
 

Blackboard Learn Pre-Semester Course Checklist

Do you copy your previous Blackboard Learn course sites to a new semester? If so, here is a checklist to help you prepare your course site in Blackboard Learn for the upcoming semester and ensure that it is ready for your students to use.

1. Course Menu Items
   Reorder and/or rename the course menu items to be more reflective of your course structure. Any course menu items not in the default course template will be added to the bottom of the course menu under Help. Also, hide or delete any course menu items that you are not using for a more streamlined and simplified course navigation tool.
    
2. Announcements
   It is important to check the display dates of announcements to make sure that old announcements are not visible to students. Student Preview is a great way to see if old announcements are displaying. Change the display dates of any announcements that you plan on re-using. Delete any old announcements that you are not using.
    
3. DocumentsCheck all documents to make sure they still open properly. Update and re-upload any semester-based documents such as the syllabus and course schedule.
    
4. Due Dates
   Check and update due dates in discussion forums, assignments, and quizzes/tests so they will automatically be reflected in the Calendar. This also ensures that students do not receive past due notifications for future activities. You can easily view all due dates from within the Full Grade Center under Manage > Column Organization. Also, all due dates can be updated in the Date Management Course Tool.
     
5. Viewing Options
   Check the viewing date options for content folders, discussion forums, assignments, and quizzes/tests to ensure that only those items that you want students to see are visible. Change any display dates on items that you want to release to students at a later point.
    
6. Web Links
   Check the external hyperlinks to web resources in your course to make sure they still open properly and then update as necessary.
    
7. Quizzes, Tests and Pools
   Double check to ensure that all of your quizzes, tests, and pools were copied over from the previous course site and are deployed properly in the content areas. If not, please contact the Blackboard Helpdesk at bbhelp@northshore.edu right away. Also, check and update if necessary any quiz or test taking options.
    
8. Grade Center
   Check the Full Grade Center to ensure that all of the grading columns are present and visible to students (or not) and that the weighting is set up properly (if you use a weighted grade).
    
9. Student Course Tools
   Hide links to any course tools that you are not using with students to streamline the tool area and reduce confusion.
    
10. Content Collection
    Check the files listed in the course content collection and delete any files that you are not using as this helps manage the course quota. The course content collection can be accessed from the course's Control Panel and the 360 ° View allows you to see which files are linked into the course or not.

A printable version of this checklist is available at https://goo.gl/18q3r5.

When your course is ready for students to view, you will need to give them access. All course sites are unavailable to students by default.

To make your course available (when you are done updating it for the new semester):

1. In your Blackboard course, expand the Control Panel, click Customization, and then Properties.  
2. Scroll down to the Set Availability Section and choose Yes.
3. Click Submit to enable students to see and access your course.

Please send us an email at bbhelp@northshore.edu if you need help with any of these tasks.

Preparing for January Intersession and Spring 2017 Courses in Blackboard Learn

As you start to think about your January intersession and spring 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. 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.

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

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (12/12/2016)

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).
  

20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series, professional development in twenty minute snippets, will kick off the spring semester on January 23, 2017 with What is the Role of Communication in Teaching Excellence? More information will be available in an upcoming issue of iDevelop. The complete spring schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.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

• Blackboard Learn Workshops and Open Labs. In January, CTLI team members will be offering Blackboard Learn workshops over the winter break as well as Blackboard Learn open labs during the first two weeks of the spring semester. The schedule is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2016/12/january-blackboard-learn-workshops-and.html.    
   

Multi-State Collaborative NSCC is participating in the Multi-State Collaborative Refinement Year 2016-2017. What does this mean for faculty? See the attached document for more information and a FAQ regarding this. If you have any questions in the interim, please contact Cate Kaluzny.
  
Program/Department Learner Outcome StatementsFor all those progressing through program review, there is a new emphasis on program/department learner outcome statements. A one-page description of strategies for developing these learner outcome statements is being distributed to current program review teams and will also be included here in iDevelop. Attached is the first strategy including using college mission, vision, and value statements as well as the Master Academic Plan as a basis for developing these learner outcome statements. Enjoy! For more information about learner outcome statements, contact Cate Kaluzny.

Stay Updated on Professional Development

To stay current on professional development opportunities offered by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation over the winter break and during the spring semester, be sure to:

• Read the Learning, Education, Technology and Support (LETS) Blog at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/. CTLI’s goal with this blog is to provide an informative and useful resource for faculty and staff by highlighting events, spotlighting projects, and presenting current information around instructional technology while also providing a growing pool of resources, recommendations, tools, and materials for teaching and learning purposes.
• "Like" the North Shore Community College CTLI Page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/myNSCC.acadtech. On the CTLI Facebook page, AT provides information about upcoming professional development opportunities, links to interesting articles on integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment, and presents tips on using the various instructional technology resources.
   

Share Teaching Resources or 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 upcomimg issues of iDevelop.

This will be the last issue of iDevelop for the fall semester. We will publish the first one of the spring semester on January 17, 2017. 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