Widgets and Gadgets to Enhance Online Courses in Blackboard and Canvas | Dr. Jose G. Lepervanche | Workshops

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Florida State College at Jacksonville – Open Campus

Thursday, February 21, 2013

1 PM-2 PM

Widgets and Gadgets to Enhance Online Courses in Blackboard and Canvas

Dr. Jose Lepervanche, Professor of Management, Information Systems, & E-Commerce, Florida State College at Jacksonville Emerging technologies have allowed online learning to add interactive tools to courses. New web, media and mobile applications, or widgets, and new devices, or gadgets, bring innovative resources to the hands of students and faculty. These tools have been extensively used in Blackboard and now have been extended to Canvas. Dr. Lepervanche’s Web Media Lab (www.webmedialab.org) has been also testing these widgets and gadgets applying both Technology Acceptance and Affordability Models to explore real usability beyond courses into real life. Wireless, tablets, and mobile technologies allow users to be in a virtual office all the time. You are your office.

CyberChronicles: Piloting Canvas in Online Waters

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I have been piloting Canvas (www.instructure.com), an open-source learning management system, in my Florida State College at Jacksonville (www.fscj.edu) courses since Summer 2012. This is my log of the features I “like” and those that I would “like” to have. This post will be updated as I explore new features. Updates follow a Twitter format. Follow @DrLepervanche and #CanvasFSCJ hashtag.

I like…

1. Import feature from Blackboard. It was easy to import old content from old Blackboard courses. In some courses courses it did not work smoothly. I had to manually import each component due to deadlines. I will try again next term.

2. Ipad and smartphones applications. I can read discussions and emails in all courses. Limited features so far in interactivity. I am sure it will improve.

3. Front Page. I like the options to include links, videos and guide students to other pages.

4. Integrated Inbox. Checking all pending emails from all courses at the same time is a cool feature to reply to students in less time.

5. Due dates page. Easy to read page with all discussions, exams, and assignments deadlines and it is linked to calendar.

6. Recent Activity. It displays all recent activities from all courses in one page.

7. SpeedGrader. Easy to read papers and to add rubrics.

8. Conference. Professor and students can set specific conference times if needed.

9. Gradebook. To Do list with pending grading. It reminds professors to finish grading.

More coming soon…

I would “like”… (maybe they are available and I have not used yet)

1. Color codes for different courses. It will help to identify each course in a multiple course screen (recent activities, inbox)

2. Improve Import feature. If you manually import content from Blackboard, you have to eliminate references to BB and work on the code.

3. SpeedGrader. Waiting for feature to add comments to papers.

4. Groups. Some students says it is confused on their side. Still checking.

More coming soon…

Here is a detailed comparison between Blackboard and Canvas.

Making Your Blackboard Course “Pop” Workshop | Dr. Jose G. Lepervanche

April 19-23, 2010 – 21st International Conference on College Teaching and Learning

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 – 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Advanced Technology Center
Making Your Blackboard Course “Pop”
Are you or your students tired of the same old, boring online look of black letters on a white background? If so, this workshop is for you. In this interactive, hands on workshop, you will learn how to add images, banners, sound, and videos to the announcements, content, and discussions in your Blackboard courses. Liven up your class to help keep your students motivated. In this workshop, resources will be shared that will help you with adding and manipulating images, sound, and video. Prior experience with Blackboard is helpful but not necessary for this workshop.

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Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m., Players D (Macintosh Multimedia Room)
Eventoons: Experimental creative art using educational eventoons, cartoons and avatars
Cartoons and Second Life (SL) avatars have been used in management and information systems courses to bring educational current events to ground and virtual classroom. Eventoons are an experimental creative way to use art to shape current events in a drawing and/or virtual world to enhance their impact in our students. Drawing cartoons for a class is done on a whiteboard and/or posted on a website (www.eventoons.org), blog or SL virtual world. Creations are experimental because they are tested for usefulness to enhance the learning experience. (ID #143/Track 1)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Players D (Macintosh Multimedia Room)
Microblogging and social media groups to enhance classroom discussions topics
Microblogging and social media networks are two of the current web technologies that bring classroom activities outside the traditional ground and virtual platforms. Microblogging using Twitter is a creative way of posting comments and links that can be replicated in social groups, Blackboard announcements or inside a discussion board. Students are able to read and reply to tweets as part of a class or comment in a social group. Professors can select good responses and tweet them as a microblog in both Twitter and social media groups to expand discussions outside the classroom. (ID #139/Track 4)

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Thursday, April 22, 2010, 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m., Players D (Macintosh Multimedia Room)
Capstone course development for the BAS in Supervision and Management
The Capstone in Supervision and Management is a course that focuses on the integration of knowledge, skills and abilities learned in the BAS in Supervision and Management program through a capstone project. Integrating management knowledge was accomplished by including the core competencies and program outcomes (professionalism, problem solving, literacy skills, management perspective, information technology and teamwork), business advisory board current industry needs, students’ current workplace experience, and faculty academic and practitioner experience. The result was a matrix of course components (team project simulation, individual project, OPQ, professional development, current topics, and mentoring) that combine and integrate the above-mentioned areas. (ID #158/Track 1)

Instant Knowledge Generation: Young Leaders of Tomorrow.

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We are updating #TECHKnowledge: Five knowledge trends using technology. Young digital leaders of tomorrow are already beyond the #hashtags exploring for #InstantKnowledge. The #InstantKnowledgeGeneration is already connected. Stay tune. #IknowGen

Drawing shows 2013 college student exploring new virtual worlds with tablets and smartphones. New generation of smartphones, apps, and faster connections are contributing to expand instant knowledge. What is next?

CyberChronicles: Piloting Canvas in online waters

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I have been piloting Canvas (www.instructure.com), an open-source learning management system, in my Florida State College at Jacksonville (www.fscj.edu) courses since Summer 2012. This is my log of the features I “like” and those that I would “like” to have. This post will be updated as I explore new features. Updates follow a Twitter format. Follow @DrLepervanche and #CanvasFSCJ hashtag.

I like…

1. Import feature from Blackboard. It was easy to import old content from old Blackboard courses. In some courses it did not work smoothly. I had to manually import each component due to deadlines. I will try again next term.

2. Ipad and smartphones applications. I can read discussions and emails in all courses. Limited features so far in interactivity. I am sure it will improve.

3. Front Page. I like the options to include links, videos and guide students to other pages.

4. Integrated Inbox. Checking all pending emails from all courses at the same time is a cool feature to reply to students in less time.

5. Due dates page. Easy to read page with all discussions, exams, and assignments deadlines and it is linked to calendar.

6. Recent Activity. It displays all recent activities from all courses in one page.

7. SpeedGrader. Easy to read papers and to add rubrics.

8. Conference. Professor and students can set specific conference times if needed.

9. Gradebook. To Do list with pending grading. It reminds professors to finish grading.

More coming soon…

I would “like”… (maybe they are available and I have not used yet)

1. Color codes for different courses. It will help to identify each course in a multiple course screen (recent activities, inbox)

2. Improve Import feature. If you manually import content from Blackboard, you have to eliminate references to BB and work on the code.

3. SpeedGrader. Waiting for feature to add comments to papers.

4. Groups. Some students says it is confused on their side. Still checking.

More coming soon…

Here is a comparison between Blackboard and Canvas.

@DrLepervanche’s Web Media Lab Timeline. Widgets and Gadgets…before e-learning to m-learning and beyond…

@DrLepervanche’s Web Media Lab Timeline. Widgets and Gadgets…before e-learning to m-learning and beyond…

Widgets and Gadgets: From E-learning to M-learning and Beyond
Emerging technologies have allowed online learning to add interactive tools to courses. New web, media and mobile applications or widgets, and new devices or gadgets, bring innovative resources to the hands of students. Education is moving from e-learning to m-learning and beyond as hybrid methods are also being incorporated to both on-land and online courses. Our Web Media Lab (www.webmedialab.org) has been testing these widgets and gadgets applying both Technology Acceptance and Affordability Models to explore real usability beyond courses into real life. Wireless and mobile technologies allow users to be in a virtual office all the time.(ID #145/Track 2)

23rd International Conference on College Teaching and Learning

Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 10:30-11:15 a.m., Heritage C. Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott resort, Ponte Vedra.

Extreme Time Management: Busy People Always Have Time. A Personal Leadership System.

Extreme Time Management: Busy People Always Have Time. A Personal Leadership System.

Time is one thing in the world that we cannot change. Information, communications, family, friends, and work overload our time. We fill our day with activities that overwhelm our capacity to handle them. We need extreme time management methods to cope with stress, unproductivity, and procrastination. Time survivors keep them busy without losing sanity. Busy people always have time to do more. Lazy people always complain about the things they cannot do. Managers select busy people when assembling successful teams. Methods include beliefs, values, priorities, lifelong project management, effective delegation, and technology usage to simplify life and work.(ID #146/Track 1)

23rd International Conference on College Teaching and Learning

Thursday, April 12, 2012, 2:00-2:45 p.m., Heritage C. Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott resort, Ponte Vedra.