NMC Horizon Report 2012

The NMC (New Media Consortium) Horizon Report 2012, produced in collaboration with EDUCAUSE, identifies emerging technologies that are likely to have a large impact on education over the next five years. The technologies identified reflect key trends in contemporary society and how these trends affect teaching, learning and creative inquiry in higher education.
These trends were ranked according to how significant an impact they will make on higher education within the next five years:

1. People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to.
2. The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based, and our notions of IT support are decentralized.
3. The world of work is increasingly collaborative deriving changes in the way student projects are structured.
4.  The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators.
5.  Education paradigms are shifting to include online learning, hybrid learning and collaborative models.
6. The new emphasis in the classroom on more challenged- based and active learning.

These trends are considered to be the key drivers of educational technologies through 2017. The six technologies are placed along three adoption horizons that indicate likely timeframes into mainstream use for teaching and learning:

Near-term Horizon: One Year or Less
• Mobile Apps
• Tablets

Mid-term Horizon: Two to Three Years
• Game-Based Learning
• Learning Analytics

Far-term Horizon: Four to Five Years
• Gesture-Based Computing
• Internet of Things



NMC Horizon Report > 2012 Higher Ed Edition

The Voice of the Active Learner

Does this sound familiar? Are you ready?

MOOC Week 2: R2D2

This week in the MOOC we explored the the Read, Reflect, Display, Do (R2D2) Model. This model is designed to help blended and online instructors integrate various learning activities with appropriate technologies with the goal of optimizing learning. Basically, this four-phase model helps instructors meet the diverse needs of students found in the classroom. It allows for flexibility in teaching and flexibility in learning. In the live event Bonk provided examples of technologies to consider at each phase, which are also available on the companion site to his book Empowering Online Learning 100+ Activities for Reading, Reflecting, Displaying, and Doing.

This week solidified my own thoughts about the benefits of the online classroom. In this environment students are able to learn and demonstrate knowledge in the way that best meets their needs. With so many resources and new technologies it is no wonder that faculty are often overwhelmed. Using the R2D2 model as a framework truly helps to sort through all the options. 

MOOC Week 1: Motivation and Retention Online

This week is devoted to keeping learners motivated in online courses. The main reading for this week focused on things online instructors can do to foster motivation. The assigned article,  “We’ll Leave the Light on for You:  Keeping Learners Motivated in Online Courses,”  is from a book called Flexible Learning in an Information Society. As the authors point out, even when tools are available for engaging and motivating students, instructors lack the training and knowledge on how to effectively use them. Highlighted are ideas and examples for motivating online learners from setting the tone of the class, providing feedback, engaging learners, providing meaningful real-world scenarios, helping students make a personal investment in the course, sparking learner curiosity, etc. 

Bonk also introduces the TEC-VARIETY model that he developed along with Dr. Elizabeth Khoee. Each letter of the TEC-VARIETY model stands for one or more motivational principles. For those 2500+ of us enrolled in the MOOC, two chapters form Bonk’s upcoming book, Adding Some TEC‐VARIETY: 100+ Activities for Motivating and Retaining Learners Online have been made available. The principles of Tone and Encouragement were explored as well as specific activities for motivating and retaining online learners using these principles.

TEC VARIETY Model

(1) Tone or climate,

(2) Encouragement or feedback,

(3) Curiosity,

(4) Variety,

(5) Autonomy or choice,

(6) Relevance and meaningfulness,

(7) Interactivity and collaboration,

(8) Engagement,

(9) Tension, and

(10) Yielding products and goal setting.

As for the MOOC itself, taking a “class” with 2500+ is overwhelming. The sheer number of discussions taking place makes it impossible to keep up. The good news is that groups have been created and people are seeking out those who have common interests so I have decided to concentrate on group discussions and only skim the new postings in the class discussion.

My First MOOC!

This week I signed up for my first MOOC aka  “massively open online course”. The course, Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success, is both open enrollment and cohort based with a start and an end date - not to mention free. As of today I am learning along with over 1800 others from Dr. Curtis Bonk who is an expert in course design and how people learn. Dr.Bonk not only designed the course but has also provided quite a bit of the content where learners also contribute and act as teachers. Using the tools within the course, along with social media outside the course, we are encouraged to collaborate with our classmates through the sharing of our own experiences, ideas, thoughts, and resources.The sheer number of students is overwhelming but we are able to choose how to connect and share what we are learning with others. The course is delivered using CourseSites by Blackboard which is a free, hosted online course creation service available to any educator who wants to use it. Using the latest Blackboard technology this course is also demonstrating the capabilities of Blackboard with regards to course design and effective collaboration.

I will be posting my thoughts and what I am learning over the next 5 weeks. Registration ends on 4-30 so it’s not too late to join me on the journey!

Swimming in a Sea of Apps!

When thinking about apps most people immediately associate them with gaming. With the explosive growth of mobile devices in classrooms across the nation, one can bet that mobile apps are now commonly utilized to facilitate learning in many classrooms. According to the Pew Internet Project 49% of all American teens have gone online in the last 30 days using their mobile phones, while 92% of those with smartphones have done the same. These devices are becoming more prevalent and providing educators with the opportunity to harness the power of mobile "learning" devices in the classroom through the use of apps.

The trick is finding the perfect app in a sea of over one million. Robbie Melton, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs a the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) understood the potential of apps in education and decided to create the TBR eLearning Initiative, a resource designed to assist educators looking for the perfect app to facilitate learning. This site allows educators to go to one site, describe what they would like to achieve, what device they would use and what audience they want to address. At this time over 40,000 educational apps are in the database. The beauty of this resource is the fact that each app goes through a curation process:

• App-review teams evaluate mobile apps for teaching and learning
• Quality-control standards for using mobile devices and apps in education and business are utilized
• A set of common standards are used to categorize apps
• A collection of data, case studies, and materials about how apps have been used in the classroom is provided

Not only has TBR established standards of quality for each app in the database, they also must meet ADA standards, and be content and age appropriate.

As more mobile devices are getting into the hands of students this site will become even more valuable

6 Technologies That Will Shape Higher Ed

In collaboration with the Educause Learning Initiative, the New Media Consortium has released the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition. This annual report identifies technologies that are likely to have a major impact on education within the next five years. The researchers and analysts working on this report focused on technologies that have the potential to “break down linguistic and cultural barriers, make education more affordable and efficient, open up new modes of learning, improve students’ chances of success and satisfaction in school, and connect us with the everyday objects in our lives.” This report not only identifies technologies to watch, it offers examples of how they are being used and recommended readings. In addition, the report identifies technology-oriented challenges facing higher education.

Technologies to Watch

Each of the following technologies aligns with three adoption horizons. The near-term horizon assumes that the technology will enter mainstream education within the next 12 months; the mid-term horizon within 2-3 years; and the far-term within 4-5 years.

Near-term Horizon

Mobile apps – small and simple pieces of software that do one thing, or a few things really well.

Tablet computing – due to their portability, large display and touchscreens, tablets are ideal for sharing content, videos, images and presentations.

Mid-term Horizon

Game-based learning – open ended, challenge-based, and collaborative games engage students in problem solving, communication, critical thinking, and digital literacy.

Learning analytics – combining a wide range of data produced by students and gathered on behalf of students to assess academics and tailor educational opportunities.

Far-term Horizon

Gesture-based computing – allows users to engage in virtual activities that do not rely on specific languages but  with motions and movements, common to all cultures, that are similar to what they use in the real world.

The Internet of Things – the evolution of smart objects that connect the physical world with the world of information.

What's New in Blackboard 9.1 Service Pack 7?

Check out the new features and enhancements in the latest upgrade of Blackboard!

• Interactive Rubrics - These rubrics are included as an option in assessments. They allow instructors to provide students with clear expectations and evaluation criteria. Scores entered into a rubric that are associated with an assignment or gradable forum, wiki, blog, or journal are reflected in the Grade Center. The same rubric can be used for multiple assessments and exported and imported across courses.
  
  How to use Interactive Rubrics Tutorials
  How to Create a Grading Rubric
  How to Associate a Rubric with a Gradable Item
  How to Grade with Rubrics
  

• Needs Grading Status - This feature has been significantly enhanced to allow instructors easier access to items that need grading. In addition, Gradable Discussion Boards can now be set to appear in the Needs Grading area of the Control Panel after a specific number of posts by a student.
  
  How to use the Needs Grading Status for Interactive Tools Tutorial
  Needs Grading Status for Interactive Tools
  
  
• Auto-Submit Test Tool - This new capability provides instructors with an intuitive means of setting time limits on assessments and configuring the system to auto-submit the assessment at time expiration. Instructors may now choose to make the timed assessment auto-submit, or to allow the assessment to continue beyond the allotted time as in previous versions of Blackboard. Students are provided with visual cues to track their progress when taking and submitting timed assessments set to auto-submit. Attempt information for timed assessments includes details on how much time the student spent on the attempt versus how much time was allotted.
  
  How to Set Test Options including Auto-Submit Tutorial
  

• Check Course Links Tool - This tool allows instructors to check the links of any items added through Browse Course option, including: links added in the Text Editor, Content Areas, Learning Modules, Folders, Announcements, Contacts, Tools, Discussion Boards, Blogs and Journals.
  
  Consider checking your course links on a periodic basis. It's easy!
  Through the Control Panel > Packages and Utilities > Check Course Links
  Click OK to check the operation > Review the results.

More Ideas for Teaching with QR Codes

Scattered throughout Macys, on realtor signs, in every magazine, even on my pineapple – they are everywhere! Using this technology as the lever, QR codes can also serve as an effective tool as they take instruction mobile. With careful thought, instructors can use QR codes to create engagement with lessons, manage the classroom even facilitate inquiry. While it seems like we have been inundated with ideas for using QR codes in the classroom, a recent Edutopia article provided some fresh ideas. In Twelve Ideas for Teaching with QR Codes, Andrew Miller provides a brief tutorial on what a QR Code is, how to make one, and most importantly how to “harness the excitement of technology with a purpose of effective instruction”.
His ideas include:

• Building 21st century resumes that require interaction
• Linking students to exemplary work
• Integrate codes with a Service Learning Project
• Sustaining a greener classroom
• Provide students with incentives and praise
• Guide students to online activities
• Help students track learning
• Provide students with optional activities
• Compile research
• Create interactive labs
• Differentiate instruction
• Voting

In addition to these ideas, the resources and comments located at the bottom of the article may provide inspiration for using QR codes with your students. Just remember, “this technology is a tool and needs to fit a purpose”.

Going the Distance: Online Education in the United States, 2011

It's that time of year again when The Sloan Online Survey results are released. This annual report focuses on online learning in higher education. Since the initial report in 2002, the series was named in recognition of the support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This year, in addition to the Sloan Consortium; Kaplan University, Inside Higher Ed, and Pearson have offered to support the continuation of these reports.

The current report, Going the Distance: Online Education in the United States, 2011 found that:

*65% of higher educational institutions now report that online learning is critical part of their long-term strategy

*Over 6.1 million students were taking at least one online course

*The number of higher ed students taking online courses increased by 10% from the year before

*67% of academic leaders believe that learning outcomes in online education are the same or superior to those in face-to-face

*The percentage of faculty members who accept online education as a viable form of learning is less than one-third

*Most training for online teaching in higher ed takes place internally

Infographic for the Report

Flip Your Class!

The Kahn Academy (http://www.khanacademy.org/), a free educational library that features thousands of educational videos and an interactive dashboard for formative assessment, is causing quite a buzz in education. In this 10 minute interview the founder of Kahn Academy, Salman Khan, discusses how his videos help to create a “flipped classroom”, one in which the lecture is taken out of the classroom so that project-based learning can take place in the classroom. Kahn talks about how instructors are able to focus on “higher value” activities, such as simulations, discussions, and group work, when students learn the skills on their own time that are often taught face to face. After hearing his thoughts and ideas, you may want to consider a flip!

Add Some Bling to Your Blackboard

If you think you are tired of looking at your boring Blackboard, think how your students feel! This document will give you some fresh ideas for making your course more visually interesting. You will find tips for using Blackboard tools for customizing your course, such as buttons, links, and banners as well as tips for using embedded content and interesting Web 2.0 tools.

Bling Your Blackboard Class

How Exactly are Students Using Technology?

It’s clear that today’s students rely heavily on electronic devices even when they’re not incorporated in the classroom. In one survey of college students, 38% said they couldn’t even go 10 minutes without switching on some sort of electronic device.

But how students are using their devices, how technology is affecting their educational experience, and what effect it has on their well-being are questions that are harder to answer. In the infographic below, online higher education database Onlineeducation.net has summed up some of the existing research on these points.


Via: OnlineEducation.net

Blackboard Beginning of the Semester Checklist

Use the Beginning of the Semester Checklist to ensure that your class is ready for student access. The checklist will assist you in turning off unnecessary tools, making the course available, and initiating communication. In addition you will also find instructions for the Add Test Student feature which allows instructors to login to their courses as a students.

Embedding Video in Blackboard

The ever-growing collection of shared online video content provides an excellent opportunity for educators. The following links offer many sites for online videos, many of which can be easily embedded in your Blackboard course.

Shared Online Video Resources, Portals, and Pedagogical Activities
YouTube
Hulu
TED

Easy Instructions for embedding video in Blackboard:
Embedding Video in Bb

Blackboard End of the Semester Checklist

The End of the Semester Checklist will help you wrap-up your course on Blackboard with end of the semester maintenance tips.

Blackboard 9.1 Tool Guide

Last year I ran across a Moodle Tool Guide for Teachers and thought that whenever I get the time I would create one for Blackboard. Well, the time has come. This guide will allow you to compare the functionality and pedagogical advantages of some standard Blackboard tools, as well as how tricky the tool is to set up.

While the original Moodle Tool Guide was created to be printed as a poster, this one is designed to be printed front to back on 8 1/2 x 11 paper to keep as a handy reference.

Feeback and suggestions are appreciated.

Bb9.1ToolGuide

Modified from Moodle Tool Guide for Teachers (http://www.cats-pyjamas.net/2010/05/moodle-tool-guide-for-teachers/) Joyce Seitzinger. May 2010

Save the Grade Center!

If you are using the Blackboard Grade Center, you really should consider exporting a copy every time you make changes. You can also work in the Grade Center offline once it has been exported as an Excel file

1. In your course, click Grade Center > Full Grade Center
2. Click the "Work Offline" button > Download
3. Leave the defaults as they are and click the "Submit" button
4. Click the Download button.  This will tell your browser to download the file
5. Note where you are saving the file on your computer, and click the Save button

Using Smart Views in the Grade Center

You can easily see only selected columns or Groups  in the Grade Center which makes viewing the Grade Center display more manageable. This video tutorial will show you how to create and use
Smart Views in the Grade Center.

Clearing a Student's Attempt on a Test

Students may get "kicked  out" of a test for several reasons, such as loss of the Internet connection or accidentally closing Blackboard. If the test is set to "Force Complete" the student will not be able to access the test to finish and submit the attempt. . When this happens, it is up to the instructors to re-set the attempt so that a student can retake the test from the beginning.

1. From the Grade Center on your Control Panel click the Smart View for Tests.
   
   

   
   
2. An “In Progress” icon will appear in the test cell to the right of the student’s name. 
   
   
3. Click the chevron and select the Attempt Date to view the attempt details.
   
   

   
   
4. Click the Test Information link near the top of the screen.
   
   

   
   
5. Click the Clear Attempt button.
   
   

   
   
6. A confirmation window will pop open.  Click OK.

Please note: once a student’s attempt has been cleared, all data affiliated with that attempt will be permanently deleted.