Teaching with Technology Team
The Teaching with Technology Team focuses on faculty development initiatives specifically related to teaching with technology.
According to statistics gathered by staff at our Scholarly Technology and Resources office:
- A majority of faculty see technology as an integral part of their work either in teaching or scholarship and creative endeavors.
- AHSS has more than 390 sections of courses with Blackboard shells, and 141 sections of these are web-based courses.
- Several AHSS departments now offer distance-learning versions of general studies core courses.
Some Technology Facts:
- The college offers nearly 50 technology-enhanced learning spaces.
- Every classroom in Stabler, the college’s largest building, is equipped with teaching technology; several in the Fine Arts Building are as well.
- The AHSS Learning Technology Center has a staff of 3 people explicitly employed to support classroom technology and faculty who use it.
Training
Educational technology gives faculty the chance to add features to their courses. The Blackboard Exemplary Course Program is a framework for designing an online course. If you’re building or redeveloping your course, this will provide you with guidelines. There is a statewide program and also a national program.
Exemplary Courses
AR Blackboard Users Group (Arbug)
Quality Matters Program:
In addition to the Blackboard Exemplary Course program, the STaR office promotes the Quality Matters peer-review process as a mechanism to certify the quality of online and blended courses. Faculty are encouraged to use the rubric when designing courses or as a self-evaluation tool. Those who are interested in undergoing an official peer-review should contact the STaR office.
Technology training on Blackboard is available on campus through STaR . Please click the STaR link to see the list of workshops for which you may register, or visit the Bb Support Tab once you have logged into Blackboard.
As UALR transitions to a new version of Blackboard (Learn 9.1) training is being offered in a variety of shapes and sizes from the STaR office.
Whether you just need a refresher on the buttons or are eager to learn all about online teaching, STaR has a training solution for you. Opportunities include everything from ½ hour webinars to 3-day Boot Camps.
Assistance with the old version (Blackboard CE 8) is now available by appointment only. The old version will be phased out by Summer of 2012.
You may also call STaR at 569-8954, or email STaR at star@ualr.edu with questions about adding Blackboard functionality to your courses; additional on-campus training in technology is available through Computing Services, and online faculty and student tutorials.
Blackboard support for students: STaR is especially proud of their new Blackboard Student Support website, which contains an “Orientation Guide” to Blackboard: Blackboard Student Support
Technology enhancements done well can facilitate three kinds of interaction in a course:
Student - Course Content
Teacher - Student
Student - Student
Grants
The Teaching with Technology Team invites you to apply for two grant opportunities. Eligibility is limited to full-time AHSS faculty who anticipate employment in AHSS during the academic year following receipt of a grant. (Faculty may apply for both grants; faculty whose applications are approved for funding may only be funded for one.)
1) Conference Attendance Grants are available to attend one of the following conferences: ARBug (state), Sloan Blended Learning Conference 2012 (national), US Distance Learning Association 2012 (national), Society for Applied Learning Technology 2012 (national), New Media Consortium 2012 (national), Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Advanced Collaboratory (HASTAC) December 2011 (national). Sample successful proposals are provided here: Sample Conference Proposal 1, Sample Conference Attendance Grant 2, and Sample Conference Attendance 3.
2) Faculty Development Grants are available for funding of training in software and/or technology that will be used in teaching courses at UALR. Supported training may be regional or national; grants vary in size depending on the nature of the training project and the location of the training. Two successful proposals are provided as samples for faculty who consider applying for a grant: Sample Training Proposal 1 and Sample Training Proposal 2
The grants are intended for AHSS faculty at all career stages.
Blackboard: Advice for students: How to Use Blackboard.
Other Resources: Healthy Keyboarding for Computer Users.
Questions? Contact Linda Holzer, current team leader.