Welcome Survey Takers
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Many thanks to those who have just completed the survey on Learning Management System (LMS) functionality. We hope that this survey will give some clarity to the LMS project team on the features you use in KnightVision (Blackboard) and how you use them. We will be analyzing the data, reviewing your comments, and posting these results here on The Hoot.
Your feedback is vitally important as we work toward migrating from Blackboard to an open source alternative. Please contact us or leave comments for us on The Hoot.
-Matt Jeltema, on behalf of the LMS replacement project team
*** While you are here, make sure to subscribe to The Hoot to receive updates regarding the LMS transition, as well as other Teaching & Learning announcements, technology tips and faculty highlights.
Posted in: LMS Transition
Six-hundred ninety-five
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
As of Wednesday, September 30, six-hundred and ninety-five clickers have been registered in KnightVision for Fall semester. They are being used by fourteen instructors in seventeen courses.
Biology professor, David Koetje, who has been using the clickers in his Biology 141 classes for the last four years, has shared with us a couple of thoughts. “Clickers have greatly facilitated collaborative learning in Biology 141. Through the reporting features of the clicker software, student teams are able to compare answers to questions on formative quizzes, turning their attention to the rationale of different responses instead of simply obsessing about ‘right answers.’ Improvements in individual preparedness, critical thinking, and classroom engagement are three noteworthy benefits of our use of clicker technology.”
What does this mean? There is a powerful assessment tool being used on campus just waiting for you to tap into its potential. Just ask your students how many of them already have their own clicker in which they’ve enrolled in other course(s). In many cases, you might be surprised by the response.
How do the clickers work?
- Students purchase a clicker at the Campus Store for around $23.00. (Calvin College will subsidize the cost of enrolling the clicker, which will remain active for the duration of their time here at Calvin.)
- Instructors register their course(s) in KnightVision.
- Students register/enroll their clicker in your course(s) in KnightVision. (Students may register their clickers in multiple courses per semester.)
- You can use your clickers anytime in a variety of ways with results available right at your fingertips! Grades and data gathered from any class session can then be uploaded into your KnightVision grade center.
Posted in: Academic Software: Best Practices
Wimba Classroom is taking off at Calvin!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
CIT’s Teaching & Learning Team is pleased to report we’ve had thirty-eight faculty and staff members trained on how to use the Wimba Classroom set of tools. Many of these same faculty members have decided to move forward with this set of tools, which include web-based videoconferencing, audio-conferencing, an interactive whiteboard, chatting features, application sharing and more.
Here are a couple of faculty who are currently integrating Wimba Classroom for various applications:
- Steve Wykstra (Philosophy) is using Wimba Classroom to record his lectures in real-time. Students who were missing—or even students who were in class—can access archived recordings of his classes to review and reflect upon what was covered.
- Susan Felch is using Wimba Classroom to interacting with thirty-eight different Lilly Graduate Fellows from various colleges and universities throughout the nation.
- Shirley Roels, Yvonne Ferwerda, and Steve Kline have hosted several webinars (spread throughout various locations) for the Van Lunen Fellows.
Posted in: Academic Software: Faculty Highlights
Blackboard replacement - an open letter to faculty
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Dear faculty member,
As many of you have heard, Calvin is planning a move from KnightVision (Blackboard) to a new learning management system (LMS) by fall semester 2010.
Our history with Blackboard. In 1997/1998 Calvin was one of the first 40 colleges to begin using Blackboard’s new course management system (CMS). Eleven years later there is a whole industry of technology for teaching and learning (now generally referred to as LMS or learning management systems) and Blackboard is the most widely used system in the industry. At Calvin Blackboard has become an important instructional resource.
But times change...
Posted in: LMS Transition
Will your students be able to see your course in KV?
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
When you first start building your semester course it is not available to students. When you login to KnightVision and look at your My Course list on the My Calvin page you’ll see an (unavailable) next to the course name. KnightVision is setup this way so you can work on your course before making it visible (available) to your students. Before your course begins you need to be sure your students can see the course.
To make your course available:
- Login to KnightVision and click on your course link.
- Go into your course Control Panel.
- Under Course Options click on Settings.
- Select Course Availability.
- Set course available to Yes.
- Click on Submit.
Even though your course is available, each part of your KnightVision course can be made unavailable until you want your students to see it. If you want help developing your curriculum in KnightVision, CIT’s Teaching & Learning team is available to help you. Please contact Rob Bobeldyk at x6-6837, or Krista Spahr at 6-6819.
Posted in: Academic Software
