CIDAT Workshops at the Focus on the Future Conference

Maybe time has not been on your side in the past semester, and you were not able to attend the Teaching with Technology workshops that the Center for Instructional Design and Academic Technology to you to help make your course more engaging to your students. No worries! The Focus on the Future Conference from May 18 – May 20 offers you the opportunity to experiment in a relaxing atmosphere with a few instructional tools that you could find useful to incorporate in your classes.

Norma Grassini-Komara and Chris Stormer will be holding the following workshops during the conference:
(Click here for a full schedule of conference workshops and presentations, and to register: http://cele.sxu.edu/2010futureconference/registration.php )

Say It and Send It: Audio Recording and Editing for Faculty and Students (Tuesday, May 18th: 9am – 10:15am)
Recording and editing audio has never been so easy and accessible.  This session will introduce you to a free cross-platform tool for recording and editing audio, and will cover best practices for creating and delivering recorded audio online.  After participation in this session you will be able to:
•    Download and Install the free Audacity audio editor;
•    Record and edit audio using a built-in or USB microphone;
•    Import audio from portable recording devices, such as cell phones or digital voice recorders;
•    Export audio in MP3 format;
•    Use blackboard tools to share audio with students; and
•    Identify ways that students can share audio with each other and with you.

Increasing Student Engagement using Classroom Response Systems (“Clickers”) (Wednesday, May 19th: 1:15pm – 2:30pm)
Saint Xavier University currently has a number of faculty using Classroom Response Systems or “Clickers” in their classes.  A clicker is a small device that students can use to provide instant feedback to the instructor— recent research has shown that this technology can be used to engage students in class discussions, test comprehension, and encourage critical thinking skills.  After participation in this session you will be able to:
•    Use the Turning Point software to develop interactive presentations;
•    Request and check out clicker hardware;
•    Set up the clicker system for use in your classroom.

Blackboard Quickstart: Creating an Online Course Site (Tuesday, May 18th: 10:30am – 11:45am)
Saint Xavier University’s Blackboard system offers an easy way for instructors to create a course web presence.  This session will introduce you to the Blackboard system and some best practices for creating an easy-to-navigate and useful site for students.  After participation in this session you will be able to:
•    Log in and find your Blackboard course site;
•    Attach electronic documents, such as syllabi and PowerPoints;
•    Create assignments that students can turn in online;
•    Use blackboard tools to communicate with students electronically;
•    Identify students and others who have access to your course sites; and
•    Identify internal and external support resources for assistance with the system.

NOTE: This session is geared towards instructors who have not used the Blackboard system before.

Link, Embed, and Mash: Bringing Web-Based Video, Audio, and Data Resources into your Blackboard Course (Wednesday, May 19th: 9:00am – 10:15am)
Saint Xavier University’s Blackboard system offers an easy way for instructors to create a course web presence.  This session will explore ways to integrate web resources of all kinds directly into your Blackboard course site, offering students a more engaging and information-rich environment.  After participation in this session you will be able to:
•    Create internal links to specific course content;
•    Create external hyperlinks to internet content;
•    Identify and embed common web-based multimedia assets into your Blackboard course; and
•    Integrate Web 2.0 tools like Google Docs into your Blackboard course.

NOTE: This session is geared towards instructors who have already used and are comfortable with basic Blackboard features such as the posting of assignments and documents.

(Click here for a full schedule of conference workshops and presentations, and to register: http://cele.sxu.edu/2010futureconference/registration.php )