Friday, February 26, 2010

Spring Session 2 Rosters Available

You can now view your Spring Session 2 class roster.

Please go to the Faculty Gateway here,

https://at.ccconline.org/faculty/login.php

Login using your S# and Password.

Please note that while you will be able to see your courser roster from the faculty gateway, students will not be loaded into your course shells until after midnight tonight (Friday, February 26). This change in process is due to a difference in the way D2L loads files.

Please contact myself or Frank Vazquez, frank.vazquez@cccs.edu, if you have any trouble accessing your roster.

Thanks!
John

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

D2L Webinar and Tip

We will have a D2L Dropbox Webinar and QA session Friday February 26th from 1-3 pm. You can log in as early as thirty minutes prior to the session at http://elm.elluminate.com/FRONTRANGE. Archives of the sessions are stored at https://at.ccconline.org/faculty/wiki/Professional_Development_-_Webinar_Archive for your reference should you not be able to attend.

Need to open a dropbox for a student to submit something late? Here’s how:
1. Click the Dropbox Tool
2. Find the dropbox item in the table
3. Click the pencil to the right of the item
4. Click the Restrictions Tab
5. Scroll down to the Special Access section
6. Click the radio button-Allow users with special access to submit assignments outside the normal availability dates for this folder
7. Click the Add Users to Special Access button
8. In the Special Access window identify the new time frame for which the student can submit the dropbox item & in the user section search for the student who needs special access
9. Click the checkbox to the left of their name(s)
10. Click Add Selected
11. Verify the Special Access settings
12. Click Save

If you have any questions, please contact me directly at Karen.kaemmerling@cccs.edu

Job Opening at Community College of Aurora

Hi Everyone-

I try not to send too many of these to everyone, but this is another local job opening.  This one is from the Community College of Aurora.

Lisa Cheney-Steen

Position Announcement
Instructional Technologist

POSITION TITLE: Instructional Technologist        POSITION #: 210340
POSITION STATUS: Exempt                FLSA STATUS:  Exempt
REPORTS TO: Director of Online Learning
SUPERVISES: May supervise Work Study Students

The Position:   Located in the beautiful Rocky Mountain Region, the Community College of Aurora is looking for someone to provide leadership for faculty in the effective use of new and current technologies, for instructional purposes to support and improve student learning. The individual hired will plan and promote learning environments and effective use of learning technologies.  This position will assume a leadership role in directing and providing faculty training and support in the use of instructional methodologies and computer technologies. This person must perform as a member of a team, as well as, possess the ability to work independently.  Competitive candidates will be creative and energetic, with a passion for student and faculty success and an enthusiasm for teaching and training others on the use of technology in the classroom. They will be able to handle multiple tasks and deadlines while maintaining the requirements and integrity of the department.

Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Train faculty who teach hybrid and online courses on all functions of the learning management system and other instructional technologies used online.  Examples of this would be podcasting, audio presentations, creating online content, as well as utilizing Web 2.0 technologies where appropriate. This person would assist the faculty in designing their online and hybrid courses using elements that contribute to sound pedagogy for inquiry learning.
  • Train faculty to use the learning management system functions required for face-to-face courses, including training and assisting with the creation of learning objects such as presentations, videos, podcasts, etc.  This would include assisting faculty in locating learning objects available for use under creative commons licensing. 
  • Train faculty on classroom educational technologies, such as clickers, and interactive whiteboards.
  • Provide support for students and faculty with the use of learning technologies.
  • Train and supervise work study students to assist in training of faculty and students on Desire2Learning, Course Management System.
  • Assist faculty individually, and through workshops, in the integration of different forms of technology into their curriculum.
  • Provide hands-on assistance to faculty in the use of instructional and computer technologies.
  • Must have an understanding and the ability to demonstrate how technology can enhance the teaching and learning process and work collaboratively with faculty and department chairs to enhance the integration of technology across the curriculum.
  • Must work well with a variety of people across the college.
  • Must demonstrate excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Must demonstrate knowledge of various forms of multimedia such as DVD, Streaming Video, and other digital media.
  • Serve as a member of CCA’s Faculty Development Committee.
  • Work must be completed on-site and this individual must be willing and able to conduct workshops during the days, evenings and Saturdays.
  • Other duties as assigned.
In order to perform the essential functions of this position, the individual must possess the ability to effectively communicate, concentrate, analyze data, pay attention to detail, retain learned knowledge, instruct/teach demonstrate strong organizational skills and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.

Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor Degree, preferably in Instructional Technology, Educational Technology or related field.
  • Strong computer skills including experience in MS Office application programs.
  • Experience in course development, course conversions, and online delivery.
  • Strong communication and organizational skills.
  • Experience teaching in both an online and classroom environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Masters Degree, preferably in Instructional Technology, or Educational Technology.
  • Minimum of two years of higher education experience preparing and delivering faculty and staff training in a variety of formats.
  • Experience using a Learning Management System.
  • A minimum of two years experience training adults.
  • Experience in a community college setting
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively
Salary:   Salary is commensurate with education and experience and in accordance with the 2009-2010 Administrative Salary Schedule.  Starting salary range is mid 30’s to high 40’s.  CCA offers a competitive fringe benefit program including health, dental and life insurance.  Leave benefits and holidays are also included.  For more information on the insurance benefits, click on the following link:  http://www.cccs.edu/HR/Admin.html#ExemptBenefitMaterials.
 
Application Process: To apply, send a letter of application specifically addressing the position requirements and a professional resume to HR@CCAurora.edu  
 
Any applicant who knowingly or willfully makes a false statement on any material or fact or thing in his/her application material is guilty of perjury in the second degree as defined in section 18-8-503, Colorado Revised Statutes, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished accordingly.
 
Deadline to Submit Application Material:  Application material will be accepted until position is filled, however, we anticipate that we will begin screening on March 15, 2010.   E-mail HR@CCAurora.edu with questions regarding the application process.
   
Notice to all Applicants:
  • Proof of eligibility to work in the United States must be produced within three (3) days of hire.
  • Direct deposit of payroll is a condition of employment.
  • Final candidate is subject to a criminal background check prior to final selection process.
  • Final candidate is required to submit official transcripts.
  • CCA is affiliated with the Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) and as such, employees contribute to PERA in lieu of Social Security for retirement benefits.  For more information, visit www.copera.org.
  • Former employees of the Colorado Community College System or one of its 13 colleges, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information in your application material.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
The Community College of Aurora does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability in the admission, access, treatment or employment in its programs or activities.  Inquiries about Title VI, Title VII, Title IX and Section 504 should be made to Debbie Irvine, 16000 E. CentreTech Parkway, Suite A201, Aurora, CO 80011-9036
 
CCA Mission:
“The Community College of Aurora provides lifelong educational opportunities, prepares the current and future workforce, and promotes excellence in teaching, learning and service to our diverse community.”


Thursday, February 18, 2010

Second Life Event

Colorado EduIsland would like to introduce you to SecondLife!

When: February 19th, 2010 from 3-6 pm
Where: Colorado EduIsland in SL http://slurl.com/secondlife/Colorado%20EduIsland/132/110/22
About the Event: Colorado EduIsland is hosting a “Mixer” event. This is both an educational and social event to introduce beginning users (i.e., “newbie's”) to Second Life (SL). New and experienced users are welcome to join in the fun as experienced “Avatars” escort and tour you through the educational facilities on the island. There will be discussions and valuable teaching tools for you to exhibit and see how to utilize SecondLife (SL) in on-ground and online classrooms. If you haven’t recently visited our island, you will experience some new terrain for exploration and teaching purposes. Our training facility is now equipped with a Maze and a Planetarium to get up and running in SL in no time. Activities, both structured and unstructured, will be staged around the island for educators and students to discover basic functionality, maneuvering, and broadening of proficiency skill sets. There will be a treasure hunt with door prizes and plenty of free gifts for participators! Of course you will also have a chance to meet new and old friends from various colleges around Colorado and other neighboring educational places.

Planned training stations activities and exercises will be available to instruct you on:
1. How to maneuver, fly, and teleport your avatar·
2. How to access and utilize the program menus and tools that come with your account and avatar·
3. How to Change appearances, wear objects, and work with the inventory that comes with your account·
4. Also included are fireside chats and other discussions include topics on how to teach in SL and using various teaching tools, and other valuable educational conversations

If you would like more information to get started, check out details on the CCCOnline Faculty Wiki, TechTools – SecondLife for Education

Hope to see you then.
Please contact Cheryl Comstock CCCOnline, Director Online Program Development
cheryl.comstock@cccs.edu with your questions.

Job Opening at eCollege/Pearson in Denver

Hi Everyone-

Gail Krovitz sent information about a local job opportunity some of you may be interested in.

From Gail:

I'm the Director of the Academic Training & Consulting group at Pearson eCollege, as well as being an online anthropology instructor for CCCOnline.

We are looking for another Academic Trainer and Consultant (ATC) for eCollege and I’m wondering if you know anyone you can forward the job ad to. I am looking for candidates with online and on ground teaching experience, who are excited about online education and the use of technology in education. The ATCs are the academic voice of eCollege and we work with a wide variety of faculty and administrators to help them get up to speed with online learning or to learn more advanced skills. This is a full time position in the Denver Tech Center office, but the ATCs are encouraged to continue their online teaching (if applicable), so any adjunct instructors you know who are looking for full time work might be a great fit.

If someone you know wants to apply, they should submit a resume and cover letter through this website: http://sh.webhire.com/servlet/av/jd?ai=205&ji=2415932&sn=I

Please let me know if you have any questions I can answer about the position. Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Gail Krovitz
--

SUMMARY
The Academic Training and Consulting Team is committed to assisting faculty and administrators at academic and corporate institutions in the exploration and implementation of Internet Educational technology.  All Academic Trainers and Consultants are responsible for faculty development in the use of Internet technology tools for the traditional on-ground and online classrooms and in the design, development and teaching of online courses using the eCollege System. Academic Trainers and Consultants are also called upon to train on a wide variety of technical solutions that the company offers.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
  • Consult (in person and/or via phone and email) with faculty and administrators to provide general information about online education, Internet technology, the eCollege system, and its tools, as well as specific assistance with online course design and development;
  • Train users regarding process, best practices, and instructional strategies relating to the eCollege system to meet their needs through online workshops, consultations, and demonstrations;
  • Works closely with Academic Services’ Project Managers and educational partners on the implementation planning for eCollege’s products, as well as train users on functionality and academic strategies relating to these systems;
  • Train users on the functionality and use of additional eCollege products, solutions, and third party integrations;
  • Conduct instructional design course reviews, a comprehensive quality appraisal of an individual course relative to learning theory, content presentation, and system features/tools utilization;
  • Coach instructors on teaching strategies for online learning through personal knowledge of pedagogy, instructional design, and previous experience in online teaching and various available presentations;
  • Maintain resources for faculty through manuals, teaching tips, student orientations, and postings that allow for self teachings;
  • Write articles and tips for the Educators’ Voice and ATC Blog sections of the company newsletters;
  • Other duties as assigned.
  • Travel is required (up to 40% of the time)

QUALIFICATIONS  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
: Two or more years experience in classroom teaching (including curriculum design and development) is required, and previous wok in online teaching/learning is also preferred.  Master’s (or Terminal) degree in related field is required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Required
  • Ability to multitask and prioritize
  • Detail-oriented
  • Must be self-directed and have the ability to operate with little supervision as well as in a team environment
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Ability to visualize on a global level and understand how online events can affect the programs and systems of an institution
  • Excellent presentation and training skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to perform academic research
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office
  • Comfort with computers, technology, and related tools
Preferred
  • Knowledge of HTML as well as a familiarity with multimedia and audio/video programs
  • Understanding of educational cultures, environments, etc.
 
Travel is required (up to 40% of the time)
 

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Accommodation Requests

***If you have questions about this post, please email donna.welschmeyer@cccs.edu***

Due to changes in legislation around who can request accommodations in a class, we are seeing an increase in the number of accommodation requests we get from students. Remember these important "guidelines" when addressing accommodation requests:

1) Students must request accommodation every semester in which they enroll, and they do so through the appropriate office on their home campus.
2) You will receive official notification of accommodation requests from CCCOnline Student Services Staff. If a student asks you directly about accommodation and you haven't received this notice from us, please contact John Schmahl (john.schmahl@cccs.edu).
3) The primary accommodations requested are for additional time on homework and additional time on exams. Because our courses typically provide information about homework assignments from the beginning of the term, we don't as a rule provide additional time for homework. We do, however, provide additional time on exams if requested, and D2L has made that process very simple! If you need assistance setting this up for a student, please let your D2L mentor know.
4) It's a good practice to touch base with any student who has requested accommodation to be sure that the accommodation(s) granted are working for him/her.
5. Click here for some great information and a tutorial on the ADA process: https://at.ccconline.org/faculty/wiki/Policies_%26_Procedures_-_Faculty_Handbook_-_Teaching_for_CCCOnline_-_Faculty_Role_In_the_Classroom_-_ADA_Training

Faculty Bloggers

Hi Everyone-

I really hope you are all finding the time to check in on the faculty bloggers.  You can find them in the Community Shell (click on content and then on Master Teacher Blogs).

If that doesn't work for you you can also follow them on Blogger -- they are 
There are lots of thoughts on how to improve your communication with students and how to think about incorporating new technologies in your classes.
Lisa Cheney-Steen

Friday, February 12, 2010

Discussion D2L Tip

Have you experimented with Grid View and Reading View in your D2L discussions yet? The default in D2L is to be in Reading View but many faculty and students prefer Grid View. Both you and your students control this setting for yourselves. To experiment with the views to see which is best for you:
-Click on Discussions
-Click on Settings on the left hand side
-Click on Grid View and Save
-Go back to discussions and see if you like it better.

You may also want to share this tip with students since they have to set it for themselves. I’ve started a D2L tips discussion in my course to help students adjust to D2L. For more tips on using discussions, join us from 1-3 pm for our D2L Discussion and QA Webinar today or go to the Webinars Archive page and listen to it at your convenience. To log into the webinar go to http://elm.elluminate.com/FRONTRANGE ... to listen to the webinar and other ones go to https://at.ccconline.org/faculty/wiki/Professional_Development_-_Webinar_Archive

If you have questions, please contact me directly at Karen.kaemmerling@cccs.edu rather than responding here to everyone.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

CCCOnline Employment Opportunities!

Hello Everyone-

CCCOnline currently has two employment positions open: a Quality Assurance Coordinator and an Academic Technology Professional.  See the position descriptions and application procedures below.  Please feel free to forward this information to anyone you know who might be interested.  Send any questions directly to Lisa.Cheney-Steen@cccs.edu.

I strongly encourage any of you who are interested to apply!

(If the position descriptions are difficult to read in email format, please go directly to the blog for improved formatting:  www.CCCOnlineFacultyNews.blogspot.com.)

Lisa Cheney-Steen
Co-Exec. Director

Posted February 8, 2010    Open until filled
Title of Position: Quality Assurance Coordinator  Position #297880

CCCOnline is a consortia program offering online courses for Colorado’s community college system.  The Colorado Community Colleges Online is comprised of the 13 member colleges in the Colorado Community Colleges, Dawson Community College, Northwest Missouri State University, and Pickens Tech.

Through CCCOnline students can earn fully accredited Associate of Arts Degrees, Associate of Applied Science Degrees and Certificates, in various disciplines. Colorado Community Colleges are accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Job Summary

The Quality Assurance Coordinator provides leadership and expertise in the development and maintenance of an effective quality assurance model for CCCOnline. This position also assists the Training Director through workshop visits and by identifying training needs for faculty.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

The Quality Assurance Coordinator is responsible for the management and supervision of the CCCOnline Quality Assurance Program:
  • Produces quality assurance reports in accordance with CCCOnline requirements and calendar.
  • Compiles and reports student evaluations and quality-assurance results.
  • Evaluates online curriculum to determine faculty’s use of interactive learning tools and works with faculty to add interactivity where needed and/or possible; works with faculty who are interested in new teaching methods and technologies and assists in evaluating those new teaching methodologies.
  • Evaluates, plans, and designs procedures for quality-assurance review of curriculum.
  • Analyzes/designs quality-review documents and checklists.
  • Suggests/manages /disseminates changes in quality standards and indicators.
  • Confers with and assists program chairs as needed to improve quality in course curricula and improve the Quality Assurance processes.
  • Performs ongoing research into appropriate quality standards and implementation of new technologies and teaching methodologies in online courses.
  • Participates in the online “Managing Discussions” workshops as the “Guest Discussant” to answer questions from new faculty about the QA guidelines and procedures.
  • Organizes a roundtable discussion on quality assurance at the annual faculty conference for all faculty to promote continual communication and a mastery of the necessary skills to create a successful online environment for students.
The individual in this position is responsible for managing the faculty hiring process which includes:
  • Coordinate advertisement for new faculty, work with program chairs to ensure they have appropriate faculty applicants.
  • Manage the application process, including S# assignment, and all paperwork; work closely with the human resources department.
  • Work with new hires to ensure they receive appropriate notification, are enrolled in appropriate training and professional development workshops, and are interacting with their faculty mentors.
This position also provides administrative support for the Assoc. Academic Dean.

Applicant Qualifications Education and Experience:

Required Qualifications
  • BA degree in an appropriate field, from an accredited college or university.
  • Requires excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, great attention to detail, the ability to work effectively as part of a team, and effective written and oral communication skills.
  • A thorough understanding of the online-learning environment, including familiarity with at least one learning management system.
  • Ability to use Microsoft Office software products at an advanced level.
Preferred Qualifications
  • MA degree in an appropriate field from an accredited college or university.
  • A minimum of 5 years working in a post-secondary training environment
  • Experience working with faculty and students in a post-secondary setting
  • Experience teaching online in a post-secondary setting.
Unique Personal Characteristics
  •  Comfort working in a virtual environment.
  • Familiarity and comfort with the world wide web.
Salary
  • $39,000-$42,000
  • Excellent benefit package including health, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement.
Application Process
 
Submit a current resume, list of three professional references and your three most recent supervisors, copies of your transcripts (unofficial are acceptable as part of the application process – official copies will be required prior to hire) and cover letter addressing the position requirements to:
 
E-Mail: jobs@cccs.edu
Fax:  303-620-4030

Or mail to: 
Executive Director of Human Resources 
Colorado Community College System 

9101 E. Lowry Blvd.
Denver, CO 80230  


Applications will be accepted until position is filled; however, resume review will begin on February 24th.   Candidates are evaluated based on their qualifications as related to the duties and responsibilities of the position.
 
Equal Opportunity Employer -The Colorado Community College System is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or disability in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504, Age Discrimination Act, and Title II of the ADA.  Former employees of the Colorado Community College System or one of its 13 colleges, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this within your application materials. This position may require irregular hours, including nights and weekends, as well as working more than eight (8) hours per day at certain times.  Candidates must successfully pass a criminal background check prior to hire.


Posted February 9, 2010    Open until filled
Title of Position: Academic Technology Professional   Position #298410
 
The Colorado Community College System is the state’s largest system of higher education, comprising 13 state community colleges, career/technical programs in more than 150 school districts, and program oversight for seven other post secondary institutions.  Each college offers a blend of core courses for the university-bound as well as career programs that meet local employers’ needs.  Our high school programs are designed to increase the number of qualified entry-level and skilled workers for the Colorado economy.  Altogether, we serve over 117,000 for-credit students per year.  The community colleges also serve secondary and continuing-ed constituents, increasing the total number of students served.
 
CCCOnline is a consortia program offering online courses for Colorado’s community college system.  The Colorado Community Colleges Online is comprised of the 13 member colleges in the Colorado Community Colleges, Dawson Community College, Northwest Missouri State University, and Pickens Tech.  We are a national model for utilizing advanced technology to deliver state-of-the-art academic and career education across the entire secondary through post-secondary continuum.

Through CCCOnline students can earn fully accredited Associate of Arts Degrees, Associate of Applied Science Degrees and Certificates, in various disciplines. Colorado Community Colleges are accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
 
Job Summary

The Academic Technology group at CCCOnline supports the learning management system, currently Desire 2 Learn, as well as a variety of additional learning technology solutions for the community college system.  The individual in this position will support cutting-edge-technology used to deliver educational resources to the approximately 125,000 students currently enrolled in community college courses in the state of Colorado.  S/he will work in a team environment with both local and geographically distant constituents.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

The Academic Technology Professional position will:
  • Provide system administration support for Linux web servers, database servers, and a SAN arrays, including scheduled back-ups, OS and other software patches, and reviews of logs and security issues.
  •  Respond quickly to server availability alerts and troubleshoot causes.
  • Maintain the operability of the intranet for user access to various administrative processes, including course duplication; archival retrieval, designer and chair interfaces to name a few that operate by web forms with databases.
  • Provide technical support and troubleshooting for student services, the Webmaster, the designers and administration as needed concerning user access issues, web site issues, course management issues, and intranet issues.
  • Work collaboratively with other technical personnel to resolve issues affecting CCCOnline courses, intranet and other administrative operations.
  • The Online Course environment operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and as a result, will require participation of this position in rotating call-back coverage for vital services.

Applicant Qualifications Education and Experience:

Required Qualifications
  • Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in CIS, computer programming, computer science, computer operations, or equivalent field of study related to the work assignment. Two years of computer, networking or programming experience may be substituted for each year of the college degree requirement.  Therefore, combinations of college and experience can complete this requirement.
  • Minimum of two years of professional experience
  • Experience using LINUX/UNIX operating system, maintaining and troubleshooting networking servers and Apache web servers, attached storage devices, and tape libraries.
Preferred Qualifications
  • One year of experience working with a course management system or in an online business environment
  • Two years experience working with MYSQL and/or SQL databases,
  • Experience with PERL, XML, shell scripting, and PHP is highly desirable.
  • Experience troubleshooting SAN arrays and working in a VM ware or other virtual environment.
  • Experience maintaining Window 2000 server or higher is highly desirable
Unique Personal Characteristics
  • Comfortable working with groups;
  • Comfortable working in a virtual environment;
  • Enjoys a learning environment.
Salary
  • $48,000-$50,000
  • Excellent benefit package including health, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement.
Application Process
 
Submit a current resume, list of three professional references and your three most recent supervisors, copies of your transcripts (unofficial are acceptable as part of the application process – official copies will be required prior to hire) and cover letter addressing the position requirements to:
E-Mail: jobs@cccs.edu 

Fax:  303-620-4030


Or mail to: 

Executive Director of Human Resources

Colorado Community College System 

9101 E. Lowry Blvd.

Denver, CO 80230


Applications will be accepted until position is filled; however, resume review will begin on February 24th.   Candidates are evaluated based on their qualifications as related to the duties and responsibilities of the position.
 
Equal Opportunity Employer -The Colorado Community College System is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or disability in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504, Age Discrimination Act, and Title II of the ADA.  Former employees of the Colorado Community College System or one of its 13 colleges, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this within your application materials. This position may require irregular hours, including nights and weekends, as well as working more than eight (8) hours per day at certain times.  Candidates must successfully pass a criminal background check prior to hire.
***Do not reply to this message*** If you have questions about the tutoring services offered, please email donna.welschmeyer@cccs.edu; if you have questions about adding the Helpful Links widget back to your course, please contact your mentor.

As a service to students, CCCOnline offers two separate tutoring services.

NetTutor is a 24/7 web-based tutoring service. NetTutor offers real-time online tutoring and homework help for core courses and skills. NetTutor is not an answering or proofreading/editing service. Students can access live tutorials in writing across many subjects, including math, accounting, business, statistics and economics, science, world languages, English, and social sciences. In addition, students can submit writing projects to the NetTutor Paper Center. While free for students, NetTutor is NOT free to CCCOnline, so please do not send students to this service as an assignment or requirement for your courses.

Previously students had to register to obtain access to NetTutor. Students now access NetTutor by clicking the appropriate link in the Helpful Links widget in a D2L course shell. . .so we HOPE you haven’t removed that widget.

If you removed the Helpful Links widget from your course, use the following steps or visit https://at.ccconline.org/faculty/wiki/Tech_Tools_-_D2L_-_Homepages_and_Navigation#How_do_I_Add_a_Widget_to_the_Course_Homepage.3F for help adding it back:
  1. Click on Edit Course on the Course Navigation BarClick on Homepages
  2. Select the active homepage
  3. Click on the Content/layout tab
  4. Scroll down to Add widget on the left hand column
  5. Add the Helpful Links Widget
  6. Move it up with the drop down arrow to right below the instructor widget

For Home page design standards, go to the CCCOnline Community under Instructional Design.

In addition to NetTutor, CCCOnline provides free access to a computer-based grammar checker called SentenceWorks. This is a great tool for writing assignments, so encourage your students to check it out! Note that your students MUST use their CCCS system email accounts in order to use this service.

The student wiki has information for students about both of these applications. See http://students.ccconline.org/index.php?title=NetTutor.

Training Registration in the Faculty Gateway and D2L Tip!

You can now register for training through the Faculty Gateway when you select the Training Registration link at the right of the window. Currently, we are taking registration for:


-Managing Discussions from March 1-March 12- Designed for faculty new to online teaching and required in the first year after hire at CCCOnline, but also a great review of QA requirements and discussion basics.
-D2L Essentials from March 15-26- Are you struggling in D2L and need some more hands on practice? This is a self contained workshop reviewing the basic skills that are presented in D2L Essentials in the CCCOnline Community.
-Managing Discussions from April 12-23


Speaking of Discussions, here's instructions on Grading Discussions in D2L.
1. Go to the Discussions tool
2. From the Forums & Topics list, select the Ruler next to the discussion you want to grade
3. Select the Assessments tab
4. Click the student’s name in the list

5. Post the student's grade in the Topic Score dialog window

6. Be sure to click the “graded” check box
7. Click Save
8. Click Close to close the dialog window which will allow to grade the next student's discussion


For more discussion tips visit the wiki or join us on Friday Feb 12 from 1-3 for our D2L webinar. Log in at http://elm.elluminate.com/FRONTRANGE/ We will record the first hour on reviewing the Discussion tool in D2L and the second hour will be open for questions.



If you have any questions, please contact me directly at karen.kaemmerling@cccs.edu.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Master Teacher Blogs

Have you ever wondered what your fellow faculty are doing at any point in time during the semester?  What do they do when a student has technical difficulties?  How about when a student is a little challenging in class?  I'm sure there are many situations facing you that your fellow faculty also see.

This semester we've asked several faculty to blog about their class experiences throughout the semester.  We've also asked one of the program chairs, who teaches as well, to tell you a little about her classroom life. To access the blogs log into the Faculty Community shell, click on Content, and then on Master Teacher Blogs (under Academic Programs).  Remember you are a student in the Community shell, so you have to click the student tab.

This semester's bloggers are (in no particular order):
  • Al Turner, 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year, Political Science
  • Dan Branan, Chemistry
  • Lorrie Immoor, Physical Geology
  • Jennifer Harr, Health Sciences
  • Vanessa Dahn, Psychology
  • Nate Wadman, Information Technology
  • Phyllis Dobson, Education Program Chair and Information Technology Instructor
We plan to make this an ongoing program with new bloggers each semester.  I hope you find someone in this group that strikes a chord for you!  


best,


Lisa Cheney-Steen
Co-Exec. Director, CCCOnline

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

D2L Grades Tip

I hope week two of the Spring semester is off to a smooth start for you.

As part of your course readiness checklist you ran the Gradebook Wizard, but I would like to point out one additional place you need to check to make sure your grades appear in the Enter Grades screen.

1. Click on Grades on the Course Navigation Bar
2. Click on Grade Settings
3. To the Right of Grade Details make sure a check mark is in the Points Grade Box.