sandbox
Creating Digital Presentations
YuJa allows instructors to record lectures for students to view any time and anywhere. Students can easily review recordings, allowing for a more thorough understanding of the course material, and online students enjoy a more humanized learning experience.
Add audio to your presentations to enrich the online learning experience and replicate the traditional classroom lecture environment.
VoiceThread is a web-based platform that enables instructors and students to upload images, video, or documents, and then record audio, video, or text comments onto the same file. VoiceThreads can be private or shared, so users can invite others to participate and add their own commentaries.
Online Collaboration
Microsoft Teams can be used for chat and video collaboration. Use instant message, audio call, or video conference with instructors, classmates, club or other organization members. Use teams to coordinate messages, files, calendars, meetings, and so much more within your department, team, or group.
Zoom is a cloud-based videoconferencing and collaboration platform. With Zoom you have the flexibility to create virtual classrooms and invite students to join from their desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Students can also share content from their devices such as PowerPoint presentations, and YouTube videos.
Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a virtual classroom that includes audio, video, application sharing, content display, whiteboard, web tours and archiving. Blackboard Collaborate Ultra provides the option to record your session for review and also convert it into a video.
Interacting Online
A blog is a personal online journal that is intended to be shared with others. Blogs may also allow users to comment. The commenting provides students with an opportunity to interact with each other and express their thoughts and ideas.
The Blackboard Discussion board tool allows students to think critically about a topic or related topics where threads are created either by the instructor or by the student. Discussion boards create interaction among students because you can reply below the initial thread which creates a dialogue.
VoiceThread is a web-based platform that enables instructors and students to upload images, video, or documents, and then record audio, video, or text comments onto the same file. VoiceThreads can be private or shared, so users can invite others to participate and add their own commentaries.
Wikis allow students to contribute and modify one or more pages of created content and allow for sharing and collaboration among students. It is a source of information compiled by course members.
Evaluating Student Learning
High-stakes testing would typically involve some form of proctoring in an online or remote learning environment. Proctored exams pose several challenges during this current public health situation and are not always necessary for assessing a student’s mastery of course learning objectives. Consider whether or not these tests can be replaced with other alternative assessments.
We recognize that tests are one of the most common methods utilized for evaluating student learning. Blackboard provides instructors with the ability to give exams for both online and on-campus students fulfilling one of UND’s goals of offering more educational opportunities online.
Using Blackboard, for students to submit papers, provides an electronic copy of their work that you can grade online using the Inline Grading tool or download to grade offline. You can use Blackboard rubrics, provide written feedback or attach files if using a separate rubric or audio/video feedback. There are also several assignment options to support a number of attempts, group work, and plagiarism checking.
Using a clicker or polling software can significantly change classroom interaction by enabling instructors to assess students' knowledge, keep their attention, provide immediate feedback, and encourage all students to participate.
Peer assessment occurs when students assess each other's work using a set of assessment criteria. The students can provide formative back (e.g., peer review) and/or summative assessment (e.g., students grading each other's work, moderated by a faculty member.)
Accessible Technologies
It is important to keep in mind that accessibility is not a feature to be added after the design of your content. It is a set of principles to be considered throughout the design process.
Blackboard Ally works seamlessly with Blackboard Learn to gauge the accessibility of your content. Ally provides guidance and tips for lasting improvements to your content accessibility.
Read&Write is an easy-to-use, intuitive toolbar add-on for PCs and Macs that supports students with reading, writing, studying, and research. Read&Write seamlessly integrates with Microsoft applications, PDFs, e-mail, the Internet, and other software.
Tutoring, Training & Student Success
SMARTHINKING’s online tutoring service is available 24/7 for assistance with UND coursework. To access SMARTHINKING, log into Blackboard and enter a Blackboard course. Select Tools or Student Tools from the menu on the left and click on Access SMARTHINKING.
Hoonuit provides online training solutions that answer “How do I do that?” questions through an extensive library of short, easy-to-understand video tutorials. Faculty, staff, and students will be able to stay on top of the latest technology applications and get answers to software question 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Starfish is a tool that provides an efficient way to quickly offer coordinated support to all students ensuring they receive the right type of assistance/intervention to keep them on track.