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FACULTY RESOURCESUMB E-LEARNING NEWS AND SPECIAL EVENTS IN FEBRUARY Dear Faculty: Welcome to teaching with BLS/WebCT for the spring 2007 semester. We do appreciate you using this tool. As of today we have a total of 397 courses with a total enrollment of just under 10,000 students – 9,990 to be exact. We are experiencing a growth of nearly 10% and are here to help you and your students use BLS/WebCT. As part of our services we offer: (a) Technical Support: Faculty only: 617-287-3074 Students only: email bostonsupport@umassonline.net (b) Training: WebCT Vista Workshops: TWT Program a. http://www.itc.umb.edu/twt/ The Teaching with Technology program is offering 4 new workshops for faculty on WebCT tools. The workshops are just 50 minutes in duration and with the exception of Communications each focuses on just 1 tool. The new workshops are: 1. Assignments; 2. Assessments; 3. Grade Book; 4. Communications The TwT will offer half day workshops on January 16, 17, 23, and 24 that cover all the basics for getting started using WebCT. Want to use WebCT for your courses? The workshop schedule and online registration is available at: http://www.itc.umb.edu/twt/index.cfm (c) Consulting services: a. e-mail to: UMBgrc@yahoogroups.com If there is anything I can do to make your experience of using BLS/WebCT more rewarding, please do let me know. I can be reached at 7-5952 or via email at apurva.mehta@umb.edu NEWS: WEBCT Vista Has A New Name. WEBCT Vista was purchased by Blackboard last year and is now part of Blackboard's Academic Suite and officially known as the Blackboard Learning System Vista Enterprise License. As a transition strategy over the next 6 months we'll be calling it BLS/WEBCT Vista and starting in the fall '07 it will called BLS/Vista. LMS Instructional Design Lab (formerly the GRC Instructional Design Lab) Has Moved! The Instructional Design Consulting Lab has moved from the 5th floor of the Healey Library to Lower Level (LL) Room 54 and been renamed the LMS Instructional Design Lab. To find us take the elevator to the Lower Level and, turn right out of the elevator and walk down the first corridor you come to on the left; turn left at the third door and Room 54 is the first door on your right. If you find yourself at the WUMB radio station you know you walked too far! Instructional Design Grad Assistants can help you design your BLS/WEBCT Vista course, upload files, set release dates for your course content, structure your course, create an assignment, manage your drop box, evaluate e-packs, create a quiz, create a threaded discussions, manage your Gradebook, load your slides into Adobe Presenter (Breeze) and other curriculum design related activities at the following times this spring semester: Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Irene Yukhananov), Tuesday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Gene Shwalb) Wednesday 1:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Gene Shwalb) Thursday 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Irene Yukhananov) Friday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Irene Yukhananov) To make an appointment send an e-mail to: umbgrc@yahoogroups.com stating a couple of convenient meeting times and include your goals. The maximum appointment time is 90 minutes but there is no limit to appointments that you can schedule. LMS Web Site Has A New Look And UMB Faculty List Serv Will Move To Lyris In the next week or so, you'll see a redesigned and rearchitected LMS web site (http://www.lms.umb.edu) packed with helpful info. for faculty and students using BLS/WEBCT Vista. The new look makes it clear that we're part of the IT Team and the new navigation will make it easier for you to find the information you're looking for faster. The site redesign will allow us to retire the UMB faculty list serv on Yahoo groups and replace it with a Lyris hosted list serv sometime in February. All current subscribers to UMB faculty yahoo groups will automatically be subscribed to the new list. More details a will be posted on the UMB faculty list serv in advance of the transition. BLS/WEBCT Vista 4.0 Is Being Piloted This Spring Semester! Vista 4.0 is being piloted by a handful of faculty this spring semester and will be rolled out to the whole campus during the summer semester. Starting in February most BLS/WEBCT Vista workshops will be geared to getting faculty up speed in 4.0. The workshop schedule and register info is available at: http://www.itc.umb.edu/twt/index.cfm Turn It In On Trial UMOL has just purchased a six month trial license of
TURN IT IN (http://turnitin.com) a plagiarism
tool which will be available as a power link in BLS/WEBCT Vista 3.7 starting
in mid to late February. Several workshops are being planned for Turn IT In including Feb. 1st, Feb. 8th and Feb. 14th. Registration information, as well as helpful quick start guides is posted at http://www.lib.umb.edu/turnitin.cfm SPECIAL EVENTS: Digital Classroom Seminar Series The Digital Classroom Seminars are sponsored by the Instructional Technology Center and the Division of Corporate and Continuing and Distance Education. Date: Wednesday, February 14th from 12:30 – 2:00 PM "BLS\WEBCT Vista 4.0 Demo" Come see a presentation of BLS\WEBCT Vista 4.0 which UMB courses will be upgraded to starting this summer. 4.0 has an improved interface, and many new and enhanced features that are part of Application Pack 1 including a peer review tool, a blogging tool and more efficient course management capabilities. Location: Campus Center Room 3540 A light lunch will be served. Please RSVP to UMBgrc@yahoogroups.com. Save these dates: Upcoming Digital Classrooms are scheduled for Wed. March. 14thand April 11th Now Online! Next Faculty Open Forum on Educational Technology scheduled for February 21st The next Faculty Open Forum on Educational Technologies is scheduled for from 2:00Pm - 4:00 PM on Wednesday, February 21st. It will held in LL P3 in Healey and also as a live classroom event on Horizon-Wimba so you don't have to leave your office to participate. The Open Forum is primarily an opportunity for faculty to ask questions about educational technologies at UMB but other technology related questions can also be addressed. Refreshments will be served in P3. Please RSVP to UMBgrc@yahoogroups.com. If you can't attend, but have some questions, e-mail them in advance to Apurva.mehta@umb.edu. The Blue Balloon This is informal forum for UMB faculty and staff using Prometheus and/or Web CT meets on the second Thursday of each month. Bring your lunch and wireless pc to exchange tips and experiences. Date: Thursday, February 8th from 12:30PM – 1:30 PM LL (Lower Level) Healey Library Room 54 Topic: Customizing The Look And Feel Of Your Course Please forward this message to interested colleagues!
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