North Island College Teaching & Learning Supports
 
Faculty Update: Helpful Resources for You and Students

Faculty Update: Helpful Resources for You and Students

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