Welcome Back, COD Faculty!

by | Jan 14, 2019 | Events, Featured

Welcome back! We hope everyone had a restful and productive break from courses. It’s time to get back to work, however, and we’re here to help. Here’s what’s going on this week and some information you need to know to get the semester started.

Blackboard Updates

Over the break, Blackboard underwent an upgrade has now moved to the Blackboard Learn 2016 theme. What does that mean? Here are a few of the important changes that you’ll want to note:

  • Improved mobile navigation via logins, discussion boards and content areas.
  • The Submit button is pinned to the bottom of the screen (no need to scroll down)
  • WCAG 2.0 guidelines for accessibility. This means structure, color scheme and navigation that meets accessibility standards, which may cause some changes in your courses.

To learn more, go to our Knowledge Base. For specific questions, contact us directly and we’ll be happy to help.

January In-Service

Learning Technologies will be facilitating some break out sessions at In-Service this week, on Thursday, January 17th.

Blackboard Bootcamp

Blackboard Ally, 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m., SRC 3114
In this session, you’ll get a chance to learn about Ally, an upcoming addition to Blackboard that will improve the accessibility of your courses and give students access to alternative formats of course content.

Blackboard Grade Center, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m., SRC 3114
Have questions about setting up and using Grade Center? Here’s your chance to learn and get one-on-one help from Learning Technologies staff members.

Blackboard Course Setup, 3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., SRC 3114
This session can be a great way to help you get started on the right foot for the coming semester. We’ll show you how to get everything ready, from setting up the basics to trying out new features in Blackboard.

You’ll find the full In-Service agenda here.

Getting Started

Can’t attend our Blackboard Bootcamp? No problem! You’ll find a full slate of support materials on our Knowledge Base.

Check out the full Getting Started section here. As always, for more specific questions or other issues that the Knowledge Base doesn’t address, we’re here to help. Learning Technologies is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Stop by or make an appointment ASAP to ensure that you’ll be ready to start the semester. We’d love to help you set up your courses, answer your questions, or even take on a super cool project.

Upcoming Events

In-Service isn’t the only place you’ll find us this semester. We also have some other courses and workshops (for registration, please contact the TLC) coming up. Here’s what’s in the works for early 2019:

  • Blackboard Grade Center I – Basics, Jan. 24 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., SSC 1231
  • Blackboard Grade Center II – Assignment, Feb. 5 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., SSC 1231
  • Foundations of Online Teaching, Feb. 11 to Mar. 15, Online
  • Blackboard Grade Center III – Test, Feb. 13 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., SSC 1231
  • Intro to Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, Feb. 18,  Online

Finally, make sure to keep up with what’s going on in Learning Technologies by following us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and checking out our emails! We look forward to seeing our faculty and staff this semester and hope we can help you make this your best semester yet.