Browser Camparisons
Spy Watch
Improvements to Desire2Learn
The autumn quarter brings improvements and enhancements to the Desire2Learn. Below are just some of the highlights:
Email Notifications from Discussions
To enable, simply click Subscribe to Topic after clicking on a topic heading. As an added convenience you get to decide how often you receive notification – e.g. once a day, upon posting, etc.
Role Switch Widget
The Role Switch Widget has been moved so it appears above the News Widget. This will allow faculty to more easily utilize the feature and, as this widget only appears to instructors, the change will not affect the student display.
Leave Audio Feedback
A new feature for Fall is the ability to easily leave audio feedback for your students, and for your students to provide you with audio feedback/assignments. Anyplace in D2L that you can attach a file you will be able to record audio feedback (see http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/ContributionFolder/Technology/D2L/PDF/dropbox.pdf for directions). There is a 1 minute time limit for each recording.
Custom Widgets
For instructors wishing to add functionality to course homepages through custom widgets, a number of new widgets have been added to the system. These widgets, developed by the University Library, link students to key resources in a variety of subject areas, connect students to a librarian via AskALibrarian, and allow users to directly search certain library resources like JStore and Academic Search Complete. To learn how to add a widget to your course, see http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/ContributionFolder/Technology/D2L/PDF/add_widget.html for more information.
Branching Surveys
For faculty wishing to use the D2L Survey tool it is now possible to create branching surveys. For more information, please see http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/ContributionFolder/Technology/D2L/PDF/surveys.pdf.
17th Annual Sloan-C Online Learning Conference
Tech Tuesdays: How Students Cheat with Technology
The next Technology Tuesdays session will take place on the 30th August from 10-11 a.m. in DPC 7406 (seventh floor of the DePaul Center)
Technology can be a boon to educators, extending the reach and productivity of effective professors. However, there are various technological solutions that can be abused by students to cheat on assignments and high-stakes testing. In this engaging and hands-on session you will be introduced to some of the gadgets, websites and software that can be used by the less-than-ethical students. Methods that professors can use to protect the integrity of their teaching will be presented.
Some of the examples presented include:
- “Spy” pens and wristwatches with hidden cameras and microphones
- Software and website that creates corrupt Office documents
- Sites where students pay others to write papers
- How Desire2Learn can highlight examples of plagiarism.
- How online exams can be secured
For more information, and to RSVP please visit this page.
Teaching & Learning Certificate Program
More information and registration can be found here.
DOTS II: DePaul Online Teaching Series II
In addition to DOTS program, FITS offers a DOTS II training program to prepare faculty to teach (instead of designing a course) online. DOTS II, which is completely online, consists of two tracks:
- Building Community (Aug 8 through Aug 14)
- Making the Most of Synchronous Tools (Aug 15 through Aug 22)
Faculty can take one or both tracks.
Detail description of the programs and registration form are available here.