Copy of email sent to NIC Faculty, October 26, 2020
Dear Faculty, Just wanted to share some free and possibly helpful resources for you and your students – and some instructor tech tips with BlueJeans. Maybe one or two might be helpful. Liesel
Quick Hits for Helping Students
- Students having challenges with Blackboard Learn features? Have them practice and learn more inside NIC’s Student Training Course
- Want a one-stop-shop page of all the NIC Technologies for Learning for Students? Learn Anywhere site > Link
- Need to encourage students to build good strategies for learning how to learn? Learn Anywhere site > Learning Strategies – Link
- Learning to Learn Online – mini-book created by University of Windsor students about how to learn online – Link
Calendly App – Helpful App for Scheduling Meetings with Students
- Looking for a way for students to book appointments with you but don’t want the hassle of back and forth emailing?
- Try Calendly – a fee (for basic plan) app that integrates with Microsoft Outlook
- Post a custom URL, they see all your available times, they choose a time, add their email and a note and it schedules automatically for you in Outlook!
- Pro Tip: Choose Microsoft “Exchange” option for connection NOT Office 365. Use NIC credentials to set up as per the Outlook app instructions here.
- Getting Started: https://help.calendly.com/hc/en-us
- Calendly website URL: https://calendly.com/
Digital Test Taking Tips for Students: New Webpage
- Learn Anywhere Blog Post: https://learnanywhere.opened.ca/digital-test-taking-tips/
- New post I wrote this weekend to help students with taking tests in Blackboard Learn
- Sharing with you so you are in the loop and if want to share with your class
- Note to Instructors: There are a myriad of options for setting up a Blackboard Learn quiz/test. Reach out to helpdesk@nic.bc.ca and we can help you with the proper set up.
Scheduling Group Work Time on BlueJeans – without Instructor
- BlueJeans allows you to schedule long duration meetings (e.g., October 26 – December 11, 2020)
- You can also schedule them ‘without moderator’ required (meaning you, the instructor)
- Provide students a collection of long duration BlueJeans meetings for them to use as group work rooms throughout the term
- First-come, first-served or a group claims a room as theirs for the term
- https://bcnet.bluejeans.com for scheduling via your web account
- PRO TIP: Always schedule ANY BlueJeans meeting with a “passcode” for added security (Advanced Options) = 4 extra digits on end of meeting URL
Transcripts of Recorded Classes via Smart Meetings/Meeting Highlights – BlueJeans
- Want to provide students with transcripts of your recorded classes?
- If you schedule a class/meeting with the “Smart Meetings – Transcription” enabled via your account settings (as per image below)
- While recording is on, have students click on the BlueJeans App to right of screen called “Meeting Highlights” and see tab called “Transcription”
- A running record of what is said is presented and is also available when you send students the URL to the recording
- You can also download the transcription as a .srt file to open in Notepad and copy it into Word
- Although machine-created and anywhere from 85- 95% accurate, it does give a good set of notes for students who need help with language
Live Closed Captioning Available to All Students and Classes – BlueJeans
- If you schedule a class/meeting with the “Closed Captioning” enabled in your account settings (as image below)
- Students can turn on closed captions (live machine-generated) during any class or meeting (per user turned on or off)
- NIC has unlimited use of this now and so – anyone, any class, any time it can be used!
- It is 85- 95% accurate but helps many students with hearing challenges, English as an additional language learners etc.
Teaching Professor Newsletter and 20-Minute Mentor Commons Videos
- Reminder about the NIC subscription to The Teaching Professor newsletter and videos for instructors
- See instructions attached in email attachment
- Quick skimmable teaching, learning and technology reads, 20-minute videos – all free!
- Website with samples: https://www.teachingprofessor.com/
NIC Faculty Care and Share Sessions
- Wednesday evenings from 7:30 – 8:30 pm see Outlook invite OR
- Thursday mornings from 9:30 – 10:30 am – see Outlook invite
- Come to ask questions, explore a topic or listen to the conversation
Trades and Vocational Education Summit Series
- FREE! BCcampus Events each with with keynote and interactive workshop session for trades instructors
- Mondays Nov 2, 9, 16 (1:00 – 3:30) and Nov 23 (1:00 – 5:00 pm)
- Opportunities to explore different avenues for course design and delivery
- https://bccampus.ca/event/trades-and-vocational-education-summit-series/