You can also add the calendar to your Google calendar or iCal. You can even subscribe to updates by clicking on the XML button.

We hope to see you at one of our upcoming workshops!

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.

Upcoming MyNIU-Entering Final Grades Open Labs faculty sessions:

• May 4, 2009 from 1:00 until 4:00 in Founders Library 297
• May 5, 2009 from 8:30 until 11:30 in Founders Library 297

These sessions are come and go – come for 5 minutes or stay for longer to learn about entering final grades into MyNIU. The ERP Training team will be available to demonstrate the entering grades process and answer any questions.

Help with Entering Final Grades is located on the MyNIU Training website at http://www.niu.edu/myniutraining/training/self_service_tutorial.shtml. Select the Job Aid link to see a printable version of Entering Final Grades or the SeeIt! link to see a video-like format.

Please view the MyNIU training calendar to see a complete listing of MyNIU training classes. Go to: http://www.niucalendar.niu.edu/EAS/Caldirect.aspx?cal=228&view=month

Teaching Effectiveness Institute: Fundamental Principles of Effective Instruction will be offered on Thursday, August 13, 2009 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Day one of the institute is geared toward an audience who is new to teaching and to those wanting to refresh their knowledge about teaching fundamentals.

Teaching Effectiveness Institute: “Raising the Bar: Lower Expectations and Higher Learning,” by Connie Staley, Ph.D. (University of Colorado, Colorado Springs) will be offered on Friday, August 14, 2009 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The workshop is open for faculty and staff, and will explore complex issues, such as what can those of us who value higher learning do to help students with lower expectations dig in and grapple with the challenge, and how we can raise the bar, This workshop will also generate innovative teaching strategies to counteract the issues. For more details and to register online, visit http://www.facdev.niu.edu or email facdev@niu.edu.

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.

Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm CST (USA)
7:00pm to 8:00pm BST (UK)

Place: Online – Register Here

The movement into online education has raised concerns about the workload demands placed on faculty teaching online classes. Research indicates that faculty report a greater time investment for online classes than for equivalent face-to-face courses; concerns about time investment are compounded with the considerable ambiguity surrounding the perceived availability of faculty teaching in a 24/7 online environment.

The continuous, open nature of the virtual classroom raise a host of questions surrounding the frequency of instructor interaction, timing of interactions, and an instructor’s availability to students. One of the most popular and pedagogically effective form of virtual classroom interaction is via threaded discussions. This session will review best practices for facilitating online discussions and will help participants identify strategies to more effectively utilize their time in the online discussion to create an effective online discussion management plan.

For more information about participating in upcoming online faculty development sessions offered by the NIU Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, visit http://www.facdev.niu.edu/facdev/programs/online

The archive of the session is available here. For more information about participating in upcoming online faculty development sessions offered by the NIU Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, visit http://www.facdev.niu.edu/facdev/programs/online

Whether teaching in a traditional face-to-face, hybrid, or online course, offering optional office hours provides students with the opportunity to seek further clarification and assistance, enriching the learning experience. The Wimba Classroom online collaboration suite is one technology that integrates seamlessly with Blackboard and can be utilized to offer online office hours, allowing students to communicate in real time with faculty at a mutually convenient time and location. This online workshop will provide a brief introduction of Wimba Classroom and explore best practices of conducting online office hours using Wimba Classroom.

Anyone else interested in joining us for this session? Send an email at jrhode@niu.edu for login information to join us.