We found 520 results that contain "instructional technology"

Leadership Fellows

2018-2019: David Hernandez Escobar & Olivia Chesniak
2019-2020: Hamid Karimi
2020-2022: Chelsie Boodoo

David Hernandez Escobar (2018-2019)As one of the first College of Engineering Leadership Fellows, David worked with Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services, Dr. Katy Colbry, to develop a needs assessment survey to identify the concerns of graduate students in the College of Engineering. The assessment collected over 100 responses, included open-answer personal reflections from graduate students and ideas on effective actions that could be taken to strengthen the graduate student community within the College of Engineering. Jacob also focused on his own leadership development by collaborating with other Fellows as a strong, cross-disciplinary team who attended professional development sessions together and discussed program communication, building buy-in, and a variety of other topics.
Olivia Chesniak (2018-2019)Olivia’s Fellowship focused on bringing together graduate student organizations focused on women in STEM with the goal of sharing resources, networking, and providing peer mentorship. Olivia’s relationship-building efforts reinforced a cosponsored event among her connections in the College of Natural Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. During the Spring semester, Olivia worked with Lydia Weiss to develop, advertise, and facilitate discussion sessions for graduate students following the Academic Womens Forum, known as the gradAWF. The Academic Womens Forum has been a valuable and unique space for women in the university to connect with fellow faculty, staff, and administrators. However, the lack of space for graduate students was reflected in unsteady attendance. Olivia was able to work across the university to create a space for graduate student women and ensure its promotion within her College.
Hamid Karimi (2019-2020)Hamid worked with Assistant Dean Dr. Katy Colbry and engaged with stakeholders across the College to identify the need for professional development sessions regarding graduate students' knowledge of and preparedness for the job market following the completion of their degrees. Hamid also explored how to build DEI awareness within the lab setting and promote the benefits of diverse teams in STEM.
Chelsie Boodoo (2020-2022)Chelsie organized the MSU SciComm Conveyance Conference, a virtual science communications conference that brought experts and students from various disciplines together to discuss scicomm practices and the role of science in today’s society. The conference offered an incredible twenty-two sessions including workshops, lectures, networking opportunities, and social events. Sessions included Science, Equity, and Advocacy in the Nuclear Weapons Field, Science vs. Journalistic Writing, Podcast Kickstarter, Creating Effective Data Visualizations, and Building Trust in Scientists, among others. Through her program, students were able to gather valuable information on the science communication field and experts were given the opportunity to connect with peers and provide advice to the next generation. Chelsie led a team through the difficulties of hosting a virtual conference and the process of learning skills related to event planning, public relations, marketing, grant-writing, and innovative-technology use. In her second year as a Fellow, Chelsie worked on developing a Science Art Tool Kit to help graduate students in the science field to communicate about their research using the arts. Her goal was to equip scientists to utilize physical and digital art to more effectively convey data and information. Her tool kit has a wide array of practical examples and resources.

Check out the May training courses available at no cost to all MSU students, faculty, and staff. Visit SpartansLearn for more information and to register. As a bonus, participants are invited to share their feedback on the course anonymously through our End of Course Survey! Each completed survey earns you an entry into a quarterly drawing for a prize. Don’t miss out on this chance to learn, grow, and win!

Microsoft OneNote – Getting Started
May 21, 9:30 a.m.
Instructor: Lindsey Howe
Get ready to embark on an electrifying journey into the world of OneNote! Discover the secrets of harnessing OneNote's power to seamlessly access information across countless devices and collaborate effortlessly with a legion of users. Don't miss out on this exhilarating opportunity to supercharge your productivity!
 What participants are saying...
“Lindsey is very creative and great! Her courses are interactive and help keep your attention. The activities are very different than any other offerings on campus.”
To register for the following virtual instructor-led training courses go to SpartansLearn.
 
Zoom – Meetings
May 2, 9:30 a.m.
Unlock the full potential of Zoom and revolutionize your virtual meetings! Dive into the heart of collaboration as you learn to effortlessly orchestrate breakout rooms, harness the power of seamless recording and reporting, spice up engagement with advanced polls and quizzes, and discover the art of content sharing.
 
OneDrive – Working with OneDrive
May 10, 9:30 a.m.
Expanding on the basics of OneDrive, learn more about this great storage tool. Discover navigation strategies, explore the desktop app settings and options, manage accessibility of files and folders, and more.
 
Microsoft Teams – SharePoint Site
May 13, 1:00 p.m.
Embark on your journey of digital collaboration and dive into Microsoft Teams SharePoint Site. Unlocking a world where document libraries, site pages, and lists seamlessly converge to redefine the way you work while elevating your collaborative experience and revolutionizing your productivity.
 
Microsoft Teams – Managing Teams and Settings
May 15, 1:30 p.m.
Specific to collaborating with others, this course will help you understand Team properties, Private Channels, and options for members, owners, and guests. Learn how to change status messages, participate in another Teams tenant, review saved messages, and set notifications.
 
Spartan 365 – Overview
May 29, 1:30 p.m.
Have you ever wanted to work collaboratively in a document or simultaneously on any device? Spartan 365 makes this type of teamwork easy! Spartan 365 offers robust features and a secure environment. This course will give an overview of the main Microsoft 365 apps including Forms, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Teams.
 
Can’t attend a live course? Each is available on-demand to watch anytime at SpartansLearn.
Weekly office hours are available for those with questions about content shared in the courses. Find the schedule at SpartansLearn.
For any other questions about technology training, please contact train@msu.edu. 
 

Click on the image above to access a PDF file of the Quick GuideRemote Lectures
This quick guide provides an introduction to lecturing as you move to remote teaching. It outlines key steps to Plan, Modify, and Implement when making this move to optimize student learning. As with any steps you take in moving to remote teaching, it’s important to anchor your decisions in course learning objectives and to be transparent, flexible, and generous with students.
Plan
Remote lecturing can work as an alternative to delivering lectures in large, lecture-driven courses. Lectures can be created and offered using a combination of Office 365 (PowerPoint),  Zoom, MediaSpace, and D2L. Planning for remote teaching involves creating a workflow for transitioning your course and setting up and utilizing the necessary technology for recording your remote lecture to then share with students.
Modify
When modifying lectures for remote learning, you’ll use Office 365 (PowerPoint),  Zoom, MediaSpace, and D2L to approximate the in-class lecture experience. These modifications involve scheduling your lecture as a Zoom Webinar, communicating with students about this scheduled webinar, and then creating a “Virtual Classroom” module in D2L to hold your lecture.
Schedule Your Lecture as a Zoom Webinar that automatically records

Navigate to http://zoom.msu.edu and click the Login button
Click the Webinar tab, on the left-navigation
Click the Schedule Webinar button
Complete the Schedule a Webinar page with the following settings:
Topic: Enter course your name
Description: This is the dedicated location for virtual classroom
Recurring Webinar: Check
Recurrence: No fixed time
Registration: Uncheck
Webinar options:

Q&A: Check
Enable Practice Session: Check
Record webinar automatically on local computer: Check

Click on the Schedule button
Click in the Link to Join the Webinar field to copy link to clipboard

Let students know about your lecture

Post invitation or link to D2L Announcement
Email classlist a copy of the invitation in D2L

3.     Create a dedicated Virtual Classroom module
Create a dedicated Virtual Classroom module

Add a module in your D2L course to serve as a dedicated “Virtual Classroom.” This module will contain the link for the dedicated Zoom session
Click the Upload /Create drop-down menu
Select Create a Link

Complete the New Link window

Title: Enter Link Name
URL: Paste Zoom link from your clipboard
Open as External Resource: Check



Implement
When it’s time for your lecture, you’ll run your slideshow/presentation as you would with an in-person lecture. This time, though, you’ll share your presentation screen in the Zoom Webinar that you set up, record your screen, and then upload that recording to Kaltura MediaSpace to then share with your students later.
Run Slideshow/Presentation

Open your PowerPoint Presentation
Click on the Slide Show tab, from the Ribbon bar
Click on the From Beginning icon

 
Tip: Running your presentation before beginning your Zoom session will make the presentation immediately available from the Share screen.
Start Webinar

Navigate to http://zoom.msu.edu and click the Login button
Click the Webinar tab, on the left navigation
Locate your previously scheduled webinar and press the Start button to initiate the session
Click the Share icon and select Screen. This will ensure everything on your screen is visible during the broadcast

 
Tip: If you have dual monitors you will need to decide which screen will broadcast your presentation.
Stop Webinar/ Render Video

The session will record automatically. When you are done simply press the Stop button
The recording will begin rendering after you press the End Meeting > End Meeting for All button

 
Tip: Render time is proportional to length of session. Please expect to take 3-5 minutes to render your lecture.
 
Upload Video

Log into MediaSpace: https://mediaspace.msu.edu/
Click on the Add New button
Choose a file to upload
Navigate to: \\Documents\ Zoom\[Session Name + TimeStamp]\zoom_0.mp4
Double click on the file to upload to MediaSpace
As it is uploading, scroll lower on the page, enter a name for the video, and click the Unlisted option and hit Save

Share link with students

Click on the Go to media link at the bottom of the page
Under the video there is a tab called Share, click on it
Copy the link it gives you to the Media Page and post that in D2L

In your D2L course, click on the Content tab
Click on the “Add a module…” field located in the left-navigation
Type Recorded Lectures and press enter
In the module, click the Upload/create button and choose the Create a link option
Paste the link you copied from MediaSpace

Complete the New Link window

Title: Enter Link Name
URL: Paste Zoom link from your clipboard
Open as External Resource: Check




Additional Help
For additional help and support, please check out the other remote teaching articles on iteahc.msu.edu or contact the MSU IT Service Desk at local (517) 432-6200 or toll free (844) 678-6200.
 
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Edit a Question During its Availability
Occasionally, a test question will need to be edited while an exam is in progress.
 

Quizzes – Manually Grade a Quiz - Instructor
Short answer questions, although auto-graded by D2L, should be double-checked for grading accuracy.
 

D2L Assessment Analytics
Examining quiz question statistics can help instructors determine if a question is too easy, too challenging, or needs editing for clarification.
The following is a quick guide for D2L Quiz and Grade Item statistics to help you monitor and improve your assessment questions and results.
D2L Quiz Statistics
To see how students performed overall on each of the quizzes, in your own course go to Assessments > Quizzes > Statistics (click on Statistics from the tab view across the top).

This list displays all of your course quiz averages.
Click on a quiz to see more details including User Stats, Question Stats, and Question Details.

Question Stats
The Question Stats list the Standard Deviation, Discrimination Index, and Point Biserial value for each question. 

You can click on the link, "What do the statistics on this page mean?" above the table in your course to learn more. The information is also copied below.
What do the statistics on this page mean?
All statistics are calculated based on each user’s first attempt on the quiz. If a question is changed after attempts have been made, only the attempts on the newest version of the question are included in the statistics (ie. First attempts made before a question was changed are not included in the statistics for that question).
STANDARD DEVIATION
The standard deviation indicates how much scores vary from the average, ranging from 0% to 100%. A high standard deviation indicates that scores are spread out from the average, whereas a low standard deviation indicates that scores are close to the average.
DISCRIMINATION INDEX
The discrimination index indicates how well a question differentiates between high and low performers. It can range from -100% to 100%, with high values indicating a “good” question, and low values indicating a “bad” question.
POINT BISERIAL CORRELATION COEFFICIENT
The point biserial correlation coefficient is an analysis only applied to multiple choice and true/false question types that have only one answer with weight 100%, and all others with weight 0%.
Similarly to the discrimination index, the point biserial correlation coefficient relates individuals’ quiz scores to whether or not they got a question correct. It ranges from -1.00 to 1.00, with high values indicating a “good” question, and low values indicating a “bad” question.
*Note that only first attempts are included in that question's statistics.
Question Details
This tab will show you the summary of student responses for each question. If you notice a low or negative value for the Point Biserial or Discrimination Index, you may want to investigate the question. It could indicate a badly worded question or improperly keyed question answer.


 

For more, view the video tutorial on Generating Reports in D2L Learning Environment opens in new window. Currently, the statistics do not display for random "pool item" question types. Contact the MSU Service Desk to check on obtaining reports through the Data Hub.


Grade Item Statistics
To view grade item stats, in your own course go to, Assessments > Grades > (Grade Item) View Statistics – Use the pull down menu by a grade item title and select Statistics to display Class and User Statistics. If you have a grade scheme setup to display, you will also see the grade distribution chart on the page.

Working with student data

Keep the MSU Institutional Data Policy opens in new window in mind when storing data and making reports public in order to protect the security and confidentiality of student data.
Read more about best practices for handling data at secureit.msu.edu/data opens in new window from MSU IT Services – Academic Technology.

Addressing Issues of Academic Misconduct
What should you do if you discover cheating in your course? Follow the link to find out more. 
What is an Academic Dishonesty Report
If you give a penalty grade as a result of academic misconduct, you must submit an Academic Dishonesty Report (ADR) to the university. See the link above as an example. 

The context of today... Pandemic + Social Justice Crisis 
this means.. Greater Inequity in the Classroom such as:

access to adequate technology
financial impacts
health and safety concerns
emotional impacts

in turn impacting: belonging, ability to focus, balancing responsibilities, etc.



We are all feeling the weight of inconsistency and uncertainty. We must acknowledge what this means for our students, and particularly our students who hold marginalized identities.  What is "diversity, equity, and inclusion"?

Diversity is a characteristic of a group of people where differences exist on one or more relevant dimensions

this means respecting and valuing people’s differences and treating them with the appropriate respect and dignity.




Equity is the quality of being fair and impartial

meaning everyone has the opportunity to be successful




Inclusion is a measure of culture that enables diversity to thrive


making sure people feel comfortable being themselves in the space, their identity is honored, they feel like they belong and do not have to assimilate in order to achieve this




Why should I care about DEI? The impact of belonging is linked to increased persistence, student satisfaction, and well-being. In our context, a student’s sense of belonging is related to improved retention, graduation rates, etc. 

building belonging how?

Positive interactions with diverse peers
Peer mentoring, staff care & support
Attention to campus climate

read "How Colleges Can Cultivate Students’ Sense of Belonging" by Becki Supiano from The Chronicle of Higher Education for more

Take some time to reflect on your educator identity. What groups are you a part of? What identities do you think about most often? How about those you think about the least? Why might you think more about some of your group identities than others? What experiences lead you to think about the identities that are most salient for you? Which of these identities show up most often when you teach? Least often?
Source: Borkoski, C., Prosser, S.K., (2020) Engaging faculty in service-learning: opportunities and barriers to promoting our public mission. Tert Educ Manag 26, 39–55.
Cover Photo by Sam Balye on Unsplash

Check out December’s courses about collaborative tools training, available at no cost to all students, faculty, and staff. Visit SpartansLearn for more information and to register.

Outlook – Calendar Basics
December 8, 1:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Discover the full potential of Outlook calendar with our comprehensive training. From setting up to managing your schedule like a pro, this course covers it all. You'll learn how to set your email for "Out of Office" and share your calendar with ease. Plus, our hands-on experience with the Scheduling Assistant and other tools will help you streamline your scheduling process like never before. Join us now and take your productivity to the next level!
 What participants are saying...
“This course explained how to do simple tasks that will help me streamline my workflows."
 

To register for the following virtual and in-person instructor-led training courses go to SpartansLearn.
 
Microsoft Teams – Getting Started
December 5, 10:00 a.m. (In-person, Anthony Hall, Rm 1210)
Teams is one of the best tools at MSU for effective communication and collaboration. Join us as we dive into the basics and share how to chat and host meetings with individuals, groups, and entire teams.
 
Zoom – Getting Started
December 5, 1:30 p.m. (In-person, Anthony Hall, Rm 1210)
A great tool for scheduling and hosting virtual meetings, learn how to access Zoom at MSU and explore its settings.
 
Microsoft Teams – Meetings
December 7, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual)
Explore the settings, tools, and interactive options within a Teams video call meeting. Learn how to schedule and join a meeting, use backgrounds, utilize breakout rooms, and record meetings.
 
Microsoft OneDrive – Getting Started
December 11, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual)
OneDrive is a great place to store files in the cloud, share documents, and ensure document security. Learn about the basics in this entry level course.
 
Microsoft Forms – Creating Forms and Surveys
December 15, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual)
December 19, 1:30 p.m. (In-person, Anthony Hall, Rm 1210)
Forms can help survey classmates, students, coworkers, or any group where feedback is needed. Learn how to create forms and surveys, format, branch, collect data, and share with others.
 
Microsoft OneDrive- Working with OneDrive
December 19, 10:00 a.m. (In-person, Anthony Hall, Rm 1210)
Expanding on the basics of OneDrive, learn more about this great storage tool. Discover navigation strategies, explore the desktop app settings and options, manage accessibility of files and folders, and more.
 
Can’t attend a live course? Each is available on-demand to watch anytime at SpartansLearn.
Weekly office hours are available for those with questions about content shared in the courses. Find the schedule at SpartansLearn.
For any other questions about technology training, please contact train@msu.edu. 

MSU is a big place where a lot of individuals have unique experiences and perspectives. Our idea with the #iteachmsu Ask Me Anything is to create an asynchronous opportunity for educators to be in conversation with their colleagues. We'll be utilizing the #iteachmsu Commons Feed as the space for AMAs!note: the Feed is publicly visible, but only users who have logged in with their MSU netID can reply/comment.The Schedule:The following are confirmed #iteachmsu AMA Hosts, their topics, and the date they'll be answering questions! This list will be continually updated as more Hosts are confirmed.

September 27, 2021 - Susan Kendall, Copyright for Instructors
September 28, 2021 - Brittany Dillman, Teaching Online: pedagogy, assessment & instructor presence
September 29, 2021 - Summer Issawi & Erica Venton, Did you know? Connection is critical - find people and information.

Whether you are a new educator or a seasoned contributor there is always something to discover at MSU. Chat with us about resources, groups, ways to connect, and things to explore. Share your own helpful information or ask for ideas.


October 5, 2021 - Anne Baker, Designing eLearning Modules
October 15, 2021 - Megan Mikhail, Supporting Student Mental Health and Wellness
October 22, 2021 - Dustin De Felice, Ideas for Hyflex Classrooms

"Hyflex" = online & F2F classes running concurrently


November 1, 2021 - Julie Taylor, Incorporating technologies at the MSU Libraries from book design to 3D printers

How does it work: On the day of an AMA, the AMA Host will post an introduction in the Feed by 10am Eastern. If you have a question for the host, related to the topic they've outlined, you can share your questions by commenting on their post. Hosts will share their responses to your questions via the reply to comment function throughout the day. There is no registration required to participate in the #iteachmsu AMAs, and educators are engaged to join as often as they can! “Topics” can be any general activity, area of expertise, or theme that Hosts feel they can speak to.  Remember, Hosts aren't asked to be the be-all-end-all expert. We’re just hoping this will be a new way of having conversations and building connections.In the example below, you can see an introductory post shared by Dustin De Felice, one of our #iteachmsu AMA Hosts last year. The comment button (depicted as a speech bubble) is emphasized with a red box. You'll click that button to share your questions with the Host!
If you're an MSU educator, interested in joining us as an AMA Host, you can sign up via this form. 

This week, we are featuring Dr. Kathy Hadley, Assistant Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures (WRAC).  Kathy was recognized via iteach.msu.edu's Thank and Educator Initiative! We encourage MSU community members to nominate high-impact Spartan educators (via our Thank an Educator form) regularly!
Read more about Dr. Hadley’s perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by their responses!

You were recognized via the Thank an Educator Initiative. In one word, what does being an educator mean to you? What does this word/quality look like in your practice? Have your ideas on this changed over time? If so, how?
Now more than ever, empathy is essential to being an educator.  I teach first-year writing in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures.  My courses are highly interactive, but students struggle to learn when they’re overly stressed, anxious, or generally preoccupied.  Early in the pandemic I participated in a great deal of training for best practices in online-teaching.  What struck me was the emphasis not just on educational technology but on being a genuine caring presence for students and doing everything we can to help them, whether that means connecting them with university resources or simply being there for them.  We also need to remember how much they’ve lost over the past couple of years and how those loses still resonate.  I am fortunate to work in a department that recognizes these concerns and to teach a curriculum that encourages self-reflection. Teachers need to be flexible and understanding as students find their way back. 
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role? Any particular “solutions” or “best practices” you’ve found that help you support student success at the university despite/in the face of this?
One particular challenge is keeping students focused on their learning in a time of great stress, as I noted above.  Academically, best practices include keeping students oriented to course plans and expectations; this can be as simple as frequent reminders about what we’re doing next and why it matters.  More generally, best practices include a wholistic approach to students’ well-being in ways that help them move forward and succeed in the course rather than getting lost or drifting away. 
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
Over the past two years, especially, I’ve benefited greatly from the many resources available through WRAC, the College of Arts and Letters, and the university.  Many of these resources are geared toward professional development, but there’s been a strong through-line of ensuring compassionate and empathic teaching practices.  I am especially grateful to my WRAC colleagues and administrators for their collegiality and their extraordinary efforts on behalf of faculty and students through workshops, shared resources, and check-in sessions.  I also rely, as always, on the MSU Library’s first-year writing teaching librarians and on making sure students are aware of the resources they have through the MSU Neighborhood Centers; the Writing Center; the English Language Lab; the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities; and Counseling and Psychiatric Services.

Don't forget to celebrate individuals you see making a difference in teaching, learning, or student success at MSU with #iteachmsu's Thank an Educator initiative. You might just see them appear in the next feature!