This is a new type of post here at Interact at the Center. We will provide a general topic related to teaching and learning and ask for contributions from our visitors. This is your opportunity to interact with other faculty members and graduate students.
Today’s topic is Blackboard, and for those who do not use or are unfamiliar with Blackboard, it is a teaching tool that provides an online grade book, assignments posting, calendar, discussion boards, virtual classroom, digital drop box, and much more. This discussion is focused on the following questions…
• What innovative uses of Blackboard have you implemented into your teaching?
• What is your favorite feature that you would share with a new faculty member?
• How do students feel about using Blackboard as a learning assistance tool?
If you are interested in learning more about how to use Blackboard to facilitate teaching and learning, contact IDEAL at 2-6792 or ideal@bgsu.edu — For technical questions, visit the ITS Blackboard Help web page or contact ITS at 2-0999.
February 21st, 2007
The February 9th Chronicle of Higher Education featured an article authored by Dr. Paul Cesarini from BGSU’s College of Technology.
The issue centered on ITS’s concern with Paul using Tor, or The Onion Router, which masks online activity from others (including ITS). Being that it is one of ITS’s charges to be aware of activity on the university network, they obviously felt the need to look into Paul’s usage and express their concerns. Here are some snippets from the article (reprinted with permission):
“My reason for downloading and installing the Tor plug-in was actually simple: I’d read about it for some time, was planning to discuss it in two courses I teach, and figured I should have some experience using it before I described it to my students. The courses in question both deal with controlling technology, diffusing it throughout society, and freedom and censorship online.
…Their (ITS) job is to protect the network that allows me to do my job: to teach classes that are mostly or entirely online, and to conduct research. If they weren’t here as the first or even only line of defense against the unscrupulous elements of our technological society, my university would cease to function. It’s as simple as that.
…A moment later, I heard another knock on my door. One of the detectives had come back to ask if I would reconsider my position. I told him that while I would think about giving up Tor, I honestly felt that this was a clear case of academic freedom, and I could not bow to external pressure. I reminded him that Tor is a perfectly legal, open-source program that serves a wide variety of legitimate needs around the world.”
• As a faculty member, have you had to defend your academic freedom? If so, how?
• Where does one balance the institutional needs (rules) with student needs and professional ethics?
February 20th, 2007
Have you read the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement? Bowling Green State University is listed as one of the 557 participating four-year institutions. The report surveyed first year and senior students and found student engagement to be positively related to grades. The survey also found that students only spend around 13-14 hours a week preparing for their classes.
We’d like to hear from the BGSU community what kinds of engagement strategies are being used during classroom discussions and for class assignments. To add your ideas to the discussion, click on the “Comments” link below.
More Resources:
Developing Course Discussions through Re-Engagement Techniques
Click here for article.
Creating Authentic and Engaging Assignments in your Online Course
Click here for article.
January 23rd, 2007
It is undeniable that effective forms of assessment help improve the learning process by keeping the student and the teacher on the same track. We want to hear from BGSU faculty and graduate students about the multiple forms of assessment being used on-campus. What have you found that works in assessing learning beyond the traditional multiple choice testing and research paper writing?
Read More Information:
Bollag, B. (2006). Making an art form of assessment. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(10). Click here for article
Types of Assessments
9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning. (AAHE, 1991).
Share your opinion and experiences by leaving a comment below:
December 1st, 2006
The newest classroom technology trend in keeping the attention of millennial generation learners is Audience-Response Systems. These wireless handheld devices are not just being used for “America’s Funniest Videos” anymore. Several manufacturers are selling these devices for use in the classroom- one for each student. These devices allow instructors to pose questions to the entire lecture and see if students really comprehend the learning. Harvard’s Eric Mazur, in his Foreword for “Clickers in the Classroom,” advocated for these devices stating: “After an instructor has been exposed to the feedback this method of teaching affords, it is impossible to go back to the passive lecture format and remain ignorant about what goes on in the minds of students.”
Resources
Conoley, J., Moore, G., Croom, B., & Flowers, J. (2006). A toy or a teaching tool? The use of audience-response systems in the classroom. Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers.
Available online: BGSU Libraries
Bruff, D. Classroom Response Systems, Vanderbilt Center for Teaching.
Click here for article.
Krueger, C. (October 3, 2005). Remote: New tool for alert classes. St. Petersburg Times Online.
Click here for article.
Share your opinion and experiences by leaving a comment below:
For those using “Clickers” in your classroom now: Are these handheld response devise purely entertainment, or do they really enhance learning? How so?
November 15th, 2006
Podcasting has taken the world by storm and has emerged in the academic world as a powerful teaching tool. While some have taken the new technology and implemented it into their classroom, the majority of faculty have not yet utilized this new tool. Here at the Center we offer podcasting workshops focused on teaching and learning and also provide consultation on how to start your own podcast. However, with every new technological tool, a debate seems to develop on its effectiveness and how to utilize the tool properly. Below is a link from Nomadic Media providing both the positives and negatives of this newly adopted technology.
Click Here for Pros and Cons of Podcasting
Additional resources on podcasting can be found at the CTLT Podcasting Resource Page and in this article, “Teaching with Technology.”
Share your opinion and experiences by leaving a comment below:
How have you subscribed to a podcast? If so, which one and why? Haved you created a podcast before? Do you believe it can be used effectively as a teaching tool?
November 7th, 2006
PowerPoint presentations have become an automatic feature attached to the newest learning model. PowerPoint users praise the software for enriching the learning content. Critics of the PowerPoint phenomenon argue students have become passively engaged rather than actively engaged in the learning process. Craig and Amernic (2006) state, “When we taught without PowerPoint or led a case discussion without PowerPoint or acted Socratic-like without PowerPoint, our relationship with students was unmediated and more human, more direct, less pre-meditated and less structured”. Are you a fan or a skeptic?
Read the article:
Craig, R. J. & Amernic, J.H. (2006). PowerPoint presentation technology and the dynamics of teaching. Click here for article
Share your opinion and experiences by leaving a comment below:
Has PowerPoint been an effective tool in enriching student learning in your classroom?
November 7th, 2006
On November 2, 2006, Barb Toth from the BGSU Writing Center facilitated a workshop on “Constructing Effective Writing Assignments.”
• What types of writing assignments do you use for your courses to solicit student understanding?
• What kind(s) of assessment strategies to you employ – rubrics, checklists, peer evaluations, etc.?
Visit the Writing Center’s website for many online resources, including student and instructor resources. Some samples resources and handouts include: MLA, APA, and other stlye guides, consultant tips, plagiarism prevention, resume tips, and much, much more.
November 7th, 2006
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