NIU Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center Blog » Software http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu information, news, and resources from the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center at Northern Illinois University Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:33:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Online Teaching Brown Bag Discussion http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/online-teaching-brown-bag-discussion.html http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/online-teaching-brown-bag-discussion.html#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:31:40 +0000 Jason Rhode http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/?p=233 This Friday, April 10, 2009 we will be facilitating an open online discussion about online teaching from Noon – 1pm CDT. At NIU we’ve offered face-to-face online teaching brown bag sessions in the past but this will be our first attempt at holding such informal discussions online. We’re not limiting the discussion to just NIU folks but are opening it up to anyone who would like to participate.

Some initial questions to get discussion started include:

  • What does every online instructor need to know?
  • What recently has worked really well in your online teaching?
  • What recently have you tried that wasn’t as successful as you had hoped?
  • What advice do you have for others who are considering teaching online for the first time?
  • Any new tips, tricks, or tech that you’ve found and have implemented in your online teaching?

For more details and to register, visit http://www.niu.edu/facdev/programs/online

Please pass this info onto anyone at your campus who you think might be interested in participating. If there is enough interest, we could consider offering similar sessions in the future.

]]> http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/online-teaching-brown-bag-discussion.html/feed 7 How To Create a One-Minute Lecture http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/how-to-create-a-one-minute-lecture.html http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/how-to-create-a-one-minute-lecture.html#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:30:31 +0000 Jason Rhode http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/?p=179 Faculty spend a lot of time crafting hour long lectures. The prospect of boiling them down to 60 seconds — or even five minutes — may seem daunting. David Penrose, a course designer for SunGard Higher Education who developed San Juan College’s microlectures, suggests that it can be done in five steps:
  1. List the key concepts you are trying to convey in the 60-minute lecture. That series of phrases will form the core of your microlecture.

  2. Write a 15 to 30-second introduction and conclusion. They will provide context for your key concepts.

  3. Record these three elements using a microphone and Web camera. If you want to produce an audio-only lecture, no Webcam is necessary. The finished product should be 60 seconds to three minutes long.

  4. Design an assignment to follow the lecture that will direct students to readings or activities that allow them to explore the key concepts. Combined with a written assignment, that should allow students to learn the material.

  5. Upload the video and assignment to your course-management software.

Here is a sample one-minute lecture:

Click here to view the complete March 6, 2009 article from The Chronicle of Higher Education.

]]> http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/how-to-create-a-one-minute-lecture.html/feed 0 Interactive Guided Presentations http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/interactive-guided-presentations.html http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/interactive-guided-presentations.html#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:31:53 +0000 Jason Rhode http://www.facdevblog.niu.edu/?p=159 Looking for a better way to record and present information online? Give the free Flowgram a try! Create interactive guided presentations by combining web pages, photos, PowerPoint, and more with your voice annotation.

Viewers can control the pages, scroll, click on links, view videos and more.

Anyone else already using Flowgram? What are your thoughts thus far?

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