A Smart Idea

Submitted by:  Janet Wortman

It is now easier for students to access free online tutoring then ever before.  COM has provided student's access to the Smarthinking service since the fall semester of 2009. 

A Blackboard building block has been installed that provides direct, single sign-on access to all students through our course management system.  This eliminates the need for students to go to a different web site which uses different log on credentials.  Effective immediately students will see the Smarthinking link in the Tools module on the COM Online page when they log on to Blackboard. 

All credit courses are on Blackboard so all students can access this service through Blackboard.  You do not have to put anything in your course or even use Blackboard to give your students access.  If you want to place a link to Smarthinking in your class follow these simple steps.

Enter your course and go to Control Panel -> Customization -> Tool Availability

Scroll down until you see Smarthinking and place a check in the box.  If there is already a check in the box,  remove it, replace it and click Submit.

This makes the tool available for use in your course.

Once you have made the Smarthinking tool available you can add a link to your course menu or place it under another appropriate link on your menu. (See the OCR Tip - Reduce Menu Size post this month about the importance of keeping the number of links on your course menu to a minimum.)

As many of you know Smarthinking provides tutoring in the following disciplines:

Math • Bilingual Math • Introductory Anatomy and Physiology Biology • Chemistry • Organic Chemistry • Physics • Economics Finance • Accounting •Statistics • Spanish • Writing • Computers and Technology

For questions about Smarthinking or how to create a link to the Smarthinking site please contact the distance education department.

Keeping track of hyperlinks: Or where did my files go?

Submitted by:  Brad Denison

Do you need to add hyperlinks to a presentation that will be shared on a USB flash drive?  The key is organization.

1.  Create a file folder for the Microsoft office document that will include hyperlinks.  This folder can be created on your desktop, in “My Documents” or on a flash drive.  The example folder is labeled “Presentation.”

2.  Create sub file folders in the main file folder.  You will want to create a folder for each file type you will be using.  The example has folders for videos, music, pictures and PDFs.  You are able to add sub folders as you go as well.

3.  Create and save your file type for the presentation.  The example will use PowerPoint and the file is labeled “Hyperlink Presentation Example.”

4.  Add files to these folders before putting them in your presentation.  Again, files can be added to the folders as you progress in building your presentation, but you will need to add them to their related source folder before adding the hyperlink.

5.  The problem with copying your presentation from drive to drive and running it on different PCs is the creation of “absolute links” which require the various drive letters to stray the same.   

6.  Now when you “Insert Hyperlink” the address for the file location will be a “relative link” which is based on the location of the files relative to where the presentation file is.

7.  The example is using an MP3 file located in the “Music” sub file folder.  Notice that there is no C:\\, E:\\, or even C:\Documents and Settings\User\Desktop\Presentation\Music\COM - 04 - Track 4.mp3 in the address.

8.  Click "OK" to create the hyperlink in your presentation.

You now have a digital presentation “package.”  In this example the PowerPoint and all related files would be transferred to a USB flash drive and will open on any PC with Microsoft PowerPoint.

Folder Fiasco!

Submitted by:  Margaret Cussen

Recently, while consulting a faculty member about using Blackboard, I discovered linked folders instead of the recommended linked files in Content Areas.

So What? Well, if the folder or folders are located within the File tool, then any or all of the students enrolled in the course can download course content from within the File tool!  To prove it, I logged in as stu_mcussen and the following video shows what I can see and do!

Alternate Approaches:

• Use an item and attach a zipped downloadable file for the students to extract.
• Create a folder and within the folder create individual files for each student example

OCR Tip - Reduce Menu Size

Submitted by:  Chandra Iwasaki

A recurring issue in the current Online Course Reviews are course menus with a large (and growing) number of links. One way to improve Web Organization is to create a Content Area and group like items in separate folders. The many support links required in a course are a good candidate for this fix.

For example, one Resources & Support menu link opens to a Content Area with three distinct Support folders (click image for detail):

 

In the  example above, the Resources & Support folder contains:

  Course Resources - for course specific links, such as FAQs

  Technical Support - for everything Blackboard 

  COM Resources - from Advising to tutoring, etc.

Note the use of the bulleted lists to describe folder content. This is created in the folder  Description box using the Edit menu option. Also, be sure to set links to open in a new window under Options.

If you would like any of these support folders placed in your course, please contact Chandra Iwasaki.

Finding Closed Captioned (CC) Videos on YouTube

Submitted by:  Janet Wortman

During a recent Online Course Review I suggested to a COM faculty member that she may want to add additional multimedia in her online course.  The problem in adding video is that to get a course rating of Exemplary the videos would need to be closed captioned or have transcripts available.

For faculty members who use publisher provided content this is easy to do.  By providing a link in your course to the publisher's content, faculty can provide their students with rich multimedia options.  But how can you have the same level of multimedia when you are developing your own course "from scratch"?

You can filter your search on YouTube to return only videos that are closed captioned.  This can save endless hours of searching for the videos you need to enrich your online course.

1.  Go to YouTube www.youtube.com
2.  Enter your topic in the search box and hit enter.
3.  Then filter your search by selecting CC (closed captioned) in the Filter drop down box.
4.  Results?  Only the videos on your topic which contain closed captioning will appear.

Quick tip:  To find closed captioned videos even faster enter your subject, comma, space and cc, then hit return.  This will have the same effect as following the steps outlined above with fewer clicks.
Example:    Blackboard, cc      <enter>

Online Subscription for Faculty

Submitted by:  Janet Wortman
For several years I was lucky enough to have a subscription to Online Cl@ssroom, Ideas For Effective Online Instruction.  I shared several of the paper newsletters with members of the de@com group and applied many of the tips and tricks included in the newsletter in the Online Learner Workshop.

This great publication is now available online to all COM faculty members thanks to our Professional Develop Academy.  Magna Publications also provides access to a .pdf version of the newsletter for those of us who still need to hold paper when we read.   =-)    Once you create a user name and password on the publisher's site you have access to current and archived copies of Online Cl@ssroom.

Topics covered in the March edition are:

• Designing and Teaching with Returning Adults in Mind, Part 1

• Frequent, Low-Stakes Grading: Assessment for Communication, Confidence

• Lessons Learned From an Online Service-Learning Pilot

• Managing Controversy in the Online Classroom

• Teaching Online With Errol: New Technology Does NOT Equate to Less Teaching Effort in the Online Classrooms

• Tips from the Pros: Online Service-Learning Considerations

Instructions on how to create your user name and password for the group subscription was distributed by email from Herman Trivilino on February 27, 2012.  Check your email for his instructions.  The publisher's web site is:  www.magnanewsletters.com

 

 

The Library Classroom

Submitted by:  Chris Boyd

Have you ever been wandering through the library and gazed curiously upon the classroom section of the library’s computer lab? You’re not alone, so this month I’d like to highlight the features and uses of this area.

First let’s talk about the nuts and bolts. The library classroom is equipped with 25 student computers which include headphones at each station. You also have an instructor computer, projection screen, data projector, and a wireless microphone system with surround sound (sorry no Dolby 5.1) should you need a little voice amplification.

Now that we know what’s available, I’d like to cover the purpose of the library classroom. In a nutshell, the library classroom is a resource available to any class, but it is primarily used by classes that routinely conduct a lot of research, like the English and humanities courses. Instructors who want their students to be familiar with the various library databases, like the LibGuides for example, or who would like a class provided by the library staff regarding library sources and research in general, can reserve this area by contacting Kathy Park via email or at extension 8201.

If you have any questions regarding the library classroom, you can reach the library circulation desk at extension 8448 or contact Kathy Park directly for reservations. For any questions regarding the technology in the library classroom, contact Instructional Technology at extension 8445.