Teaching with Technology

Teaching with Technology

Turnitin Workshops

(Updated 10/25/21)

Academic Technology Services is presenting Turnitin workshops on the following dates and times. Each session will cover the same topics, although there will be time for participants to ask questions.

  • Thursday, October 28th: 4pm to 5pm
  • Friday, October 29th: 9am to 10am
  • Friday, October 29th: 1pm to 2pm

Join the workshop at that dates and times above by using the the Zoom details.

https://clarku.zoom.us/j/96669153121?pwd=YnlscGlUa0x4Tndxam5SOHVXTkpQZz09
Meeting ID: 966 6915 3121
Passcode: Turnitin

Click here to watch how-to videos and to learn more about Turnitin at Clark University.

Digital and Information Fluency, November 2020, Resources, Teaching with Technology, Tool Spotlight

Who Loves LinkedIn Learning? We Do!

Since LinkedIn Learning, the online learning platform formerly known as Lynda.com, was launched on campus in August it has found many fans. This month we talk to three of our most active users.

Affoue Koffi – Graduate Student, School of Management

Affoue, a student in her first semester of a Masters in Finance graduate degree, was thrilled when she heard that Clark was providing access to LinkedIn Learning. Initially she was just hoping to get a refresher on finance basics prior to taking her Financial Accounting class this semester (click here for Financial Accounting videos), but then became hooked. She has since progressed to more in-depth financial videos, giving her a head-start on important skills and concepts for her dream of becoming a Corporate Financial Analyst (click here videos from the Becoming a Financial Analyst course).

To make time for extra-curricular learning in addition to her regular course work, Affoue sets herself a weekly goal that equates to about 20 minutes a day. When watching the videos she takes notes in a notebook, and takes advantage of the replay option for more complex topics that may require a second watching. By sticking to this reasonable goal, she’s made impressive progress in her learning paths, and is one of our most active LinkedIn Learning users.

John Freyermuth – Faculty, V&PA

This semester saw a new way of teaching and learning for many faculty and students. John Freyermuth, a faculty member in V&PA, turned to LinkedIn Learning to keep his teaching engaging and authentic. For his Computers and Music course, John wanted his students to see and hear complicated concepts covered in class demonstrated in professional environments. A series of curated LinkedIn Learning videos offered this opportunity to students, with John stating “the ability to visualize an auditory phenomenon has been beneficial for a lot of students.” They were particularly excited to watch animations of Microphone Polar Patterns, and on and off-axis microphone frequency responses (Click here to watch videos from the Digital Audio Foundations course.)

For John, the videos offered by LinkedIn Learning don’t offer an alternative to opportunities in the classroom, but actually enrich the learning from a different perspective. He’s excited for other faculty to consider using LinkedIn Learning but warns that with so many wonderful videos it can be easy to post too many!

Michelle Johnson-Sargent – Assistant to the Director, IDCE

Michelle Johnson-Sargent, Assistant to the Director in IDCE is one of Clark’s most active LinkedIn Learning users, and a true life-long learner. “I’m always looking for ways to be more efficient and work smarter not harder…LinkedIn Learning has definitely helped with that.” Michelle has spent lots of time learning more about Excel (click here for the Master Microsoft Excel videos), particularly how to format and present data better and be more effective at using formulas.

While working in a very busy role in IDCE, Michelle makes time for extra learning by multi-tasking. “It’s easy to have a topic of interest playing in the background or with the screen minimized.  When I really want to focus on a topic, I log in and learn on the weekend.” Next on Michelle’s agenda? Project Management – a skill she knows will align well with her work in the department (click here for Project Management Foundations.)

Interested in LinkedIn Learning

If Affoue’s, John’s and Michelle’s stories have inspired you to check out LinkedIn Learning, click here for more information, and get learning!

Academic Continuity, Teaching with Technology, Tips and Tricks

Classroom Technology – Owl Cameras

ITS has placed Owl (360-degree, smart) Cameras in many classrooms. See below for additional resources

Should you need help or more information contact the Help Desk via email at helpdesk@clarku.edu or call 508-793-7745.

November 2019, Teaching with Technology, Tips and Tricks

Finals are coming …

As the end of the semester is approaching, technology can either be your friend, or foe. Here are some quick tips for students and faculty on how to ‘tame the tech’.

Students

Backup your work

The last thing you need as finals approach is to lose a semester’s worth of work if your computer has an issue. Backup your work regularly on your favorite cloud provider. Don’t forget that you have access to 1TB of storage in OneDrive with your Clark account.

Check your work and your dates

Using Moodle (if available) and your syllabi, double-check that all of the work that you’ve completed has been correctly submitted and received. Additionally check all your upcoming due dates so that you don’t miss something important.

Don’t leave Technology until the last minute

If your final assignment involves technology, don’t leave it until the last minute. Install and try out any new software now so you can focus on the content in the last couple of weeks instead of working out new tech.

For example, if you’re doing a poster presentation, check out our poster printing guidelines early so that you don’t waste time creating a poster in the wrong dimensions. Or, if you’re doing an in-class presentation, make sure that your presentation software will work well in the classroom.

Faculty

Get a Gradebook Check-up

The Moodle gradebook is great, but it can get complicated. As you start your final grading, feel free to email or call your Academic Technologist so that we can run a quick check on your gradebook. We’ll make sure it’s calculating correctly and you’re comfortable with how the students are viewing grades. We can usually do that in about 10 minutes. Click here to find your Academic Technologist

Submit your Grades

First time submitting grades, or just need a refresher? Check out this handy guide from the Registrar’s Office on how to finalize your courses for the semester. 

Think about Spring

While we hope you get to have a relaxing and/or productive Winter Break, remember that ITS staff, including Academic Technologists and the Help Desk are available on campus for much of the break. So as you begin thinking about those Spring courses, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and let us know how we can help.

April 2019, Teaching with Technology

Boost Your Moodle: A Fresh New User Experience

After Spring semester you will find that Clark Moodle will look a little different and we wanted to share the news!

At the end of May, Moodlers will log in to find a more modern look, improved navigation and better accessibility. Some highlights include:

  • A new sliding navigation menu that allows for more space in courses for content
  • Navigation benefits including placing often-used links, such as Participants and Grades, above links to the Dashboard and other courses.
  • A more consistent experience between desktops and mobile devices.
  • A new access point for editing courses which makes creating and changing courses more convenient.

We hope you’ll find the changes refreshing and a benefit to your teaching and learning, and we look forward to working with you to help you learn all about the new Moodle layout.

We’ll be back in touch with more information about the change in the coming weeks. But if you have any questions about Moodle’s new look, please contact Joanne, Michael or Tim in Academic Technology.

(Example Course From the Moodle Upgrade)

March 2019, Teaching with Technology

Using Moodle for Digital Assignment Submissions

Did you know that you can have your students submit their assignments digitally via Moodle?

At this point in the semester, you may find that your email inbox is beginning to fill up with a number of student assignments. Or perhaps you collect your assignments on paper and have stacks piled around your office. If you find these unwieldy, and if you want to be able to provide digital resources and feedback to your students, you should consider using the Moodle Assignment activity.

Some of the benefits of using the Moodle Assignment activity are:

  • It provides a space where students can submit work.
  • It allows you to collect all of the instructions, rubrics, examples, links or any other resource connected to an assignment in a single place. This can help your students keep track of all of the requirements and allow them to have quick access to the resources.
  • You can require students to submit one or several files, and they can submit files of many different types (Word, Excel, Powerpoints and many more). It’s is possible to have them submit work as a group.
  • Assignments can have deadlines and cut off dates.
  • Student submissions are together on one screen, which makes for a more organized grading experience for you and your TAs.
  • It is also possible to create Moodle marking guides or rubrics, which can make grading even more efficient.

Interested in using the assignment activity in your course? Click here to contact the Academic Technology team for more information.

 

January 2019, Teaching with Technology

Using Video in Your Course

Using video in the classroom can allow you to offer your students a different way to learn, engage and be inspired. It is also a great resource to leverage on those days when students do not have a physical class on campus. With providers like TED, PBS, Khan Academy and many others, there are many options for quality videos that can help your student engage with your content and that can be linked into your Moodle course.

Clark faculty use videos in a variety of ways including:

  • as a starting point for a discussion.
  • performing a group critique of a movie/documentary.
  • showing a difficult-to-replicate demonstration, experiment or experience.
  • reiterating lecture or textbook concepts in new ways.
  • supplementing concepts from the lecture/textbook.

If you are interested in using videos in your classroom, consider some of the following providers:

  • TED Talks: inspiring & educational talks on a wide range of topics.
  • PBS: news, science and cultural documentaries.
  • Khan Academy: short clips explaining topics from a range of disciplines including math, science and economics.
  • CGP Grey: explanatory videos on varying subjects, including politics, geography and economics.
  • Crash Course: introductory videos on World History, Biology, Literature, Psychology, and more.

If you are interested in learning more about using video in your course, click here to contact the Academic Technology team.