Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)

Summer 2020 Workshops

Prepare for Fall semester online teaching with a series of workshops on course design, delivery and technology!

View On Demand Videos of Training Sessions

Session Detailed Descriptions

  • Track 1 Effective Online Learning Design Fundamentals
    • Session 1: Introduction to Online LearningDescription:  What are the attributes of a well-designed online or hybrid course?  How do expert online instructors facilitate student learning and promote learner success online?  This session will provide an overview of online/hybrid course design and facilitation best practices and explore key factors for online student success.  Presented by Maya Aloni, Adam Brewer and Aura Lippincott
    • Session 2: Online Course Quality ChecklistDescription: The OLC/SUNY OSCQR course quality review rubric provides a set of research-based online course design practices and standards that you can use to design, redesign or evaluate your online course for continual improvement. Participants will learn about the 6 categories of evaluation that comprise the rubric and will have the opportunity to practice applying the rubric to the evaluation of an online course.  Presented by Adam Brewer and Aura Lippincott
  • Track 2 Online Course Design 
    • Session 3: Introduction to Backward Design (Part 1)Description: Backward Design (Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J.) is a model for course design that starts with the end results and works backward to the learning strategies, content, technology resulting in a course that is aligned in terms of outcomes, assessments, and content. This session will provide an overview of each step in the model, then dive more deeply into the first phase of the model in which the course designer identifies what the learners should know, understand, be able to do, or value (in other words, the learning outcomes and objectives).   Presented by Maya Aloni and Aura Lippincott
    • Session 4: Backward Design: Assessing Student Learning (Part 2)Description: In this session we will explore the second phase of Backward Design, which involves designing learning assessments, both summative and formative. We will discuss approaches to learning assessment in the online and hybrid classroom, including discussion, groupwork, and quizzes/tests (including online assessment and academic honesty).    Presented by Maya Aloni and Aura Lippincott
    • Session 5: Backward Design: Designing Engaging Learning Environments (Part 3)Description: In this session we will finish our exploration of Backward Design with the third phase, planning the learning experience and instruction. What online or digital pedagogy approaches will you use to help your learners succeed? Are there theories of how students learn that can inform the design of your online learning environment?  Presented by Adam Brewer and Aura Lippincott
    • NEW Session 15 Creating Effective Writing Assignments to Support Course Goals (part 1/2)

      Description: Writing is an essential component of critical thinking and learning, and students in all courses can benefit from even short writing assignments. Adding these assignments can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. In the first workshop of this series, we will build on the concepts of backward design to create effective writing assignments that support student learning and are manageable for the instructor. We will discuss assignment design and alternatives to the traditional academic research paper, including shorter assignments, assignments that build on one another, and low-stakes writing. Participants are encouraged to have a current or previous syllabus and writing assignments available.(Presented by Kelli Custer)
    • NEW Session 16: Designing Rubrics and Providing Feedback for Writing Assignments (part 2/2)
      Description: Now that the students are writing, we must find effective, efficient ways to provide quality feedback. This workshop builds upon Workshop 1: Creating Effective Writing Assignments to Support Course Goals. We will explore different types of rubrics and strategies for commenting on writing to maximize student learning while minimizing instructor frustration. Participants are encouraged to have a current or previous syllabus and writing assignments available. (Presented by Kelli Custer)
  • Track 3 Content and Course Building
    • Session 6: Developing and Curating Course ContentDescription: Keeping students engaged online can be challenging. But supplementing your courses with different types of content can help. This session will address how to find and add a wide range of learning content to your course, helping students achieve learning outcomes. Discussion will include different ways to facilitate interaction with the content you’ve provided in your course. Presented by Julie Hunter and Elisabeth Morel

      This session will also explore equitable access to digital learning materials. As we know, technology access varies greatly among our students and may impact student success. In order to promote an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students, we will review simple technology adoptions that can assist in facilitating student learning as well as meeting accessibility requirements in the online environment. Presented by Julie Hunter and Elisabeth Morel

    • Session 7: Blackboard course templateDescription: Maximize the new Blackboard course template to design your course with consistency and structure. This session will show you how to organize your class content so that it flows, reducing cognitive overload and encouraging student success. Tips will be provided on how to deliver clear course expectations and ensure that university student support services are readily available to students in your Blackboard courses. Presented by Colleen Cox, Lauren Eddy, and Julie Hunter
  • Track 4 Course delivery/facilitation (Teaching Online) 
    • Session 8: Creating community and engaging your online studentsDescription: Now that you have designed your online or hybrid course, how do you create, build and sustain community in your online classroom so that students have opportunities to engage with you and one another? In this session we will explore the importance of instructor presence and discuss techniques that you can use to keep your students engage and learning with or without face-to-face meetings. Presented by Maya Aloni, Adam Brewer and Aura Lippincott
  • Track 5 Instructional Technology Tools  
    • Session 9: Blackboard ToolsDescription: Besides Discussion Boards, what else can Blackboard do? Let’s look at the other tools available and how best to use them. How can these tools help to maximize student learning? Explore using tests, rubrics, the Grade Center and the Kaltura video tools. How can these tools help me manage my course? Explore using Attendance, Course Calendar and Date Management. Presented by Cheryl Bermani-McCann and Colleen Cox
    • Session 10: Synchronous Meeting Tools Description: An in-depth look at effective ways to use the synchronous meeting tools that will be available to you in the fall. Go beyond just video conferencing. How to use breakout sessions to facilitate group work and team building. Presented by Colleen Cox and Scott Volpe
    • Session 11: Microsoft Tools: Office 365, Microsoft Teams, and moreDescription: Learn how you and your students can use Microsoft products in your online courses. Presented by Microsoft
    • NEW Session 12: Blackboard BasicsDescription: Learn the basics of Blackboard: adding items to the menu; uploading files, videos and images; creating announcements; creating assignments. Learn the difference between a content area and a tool link and how to set up your gradebook and let Bb doing the grading for you. This course will get you started and is a great follow on to using the Blackboard template. Presented by Cheryl Bermani-McCann and Colleen Cox
    • NEW Session 13: Kaltura CaptureUse Kaltura Capture to create your “Welcome” and “How to navigate my course” videos. Record your voice and/or video with your PowerPoint or course lectures. Embed quizzes in your recorded presentations. Learn how to upload your videos to Blackboard and request closed captioning. Presented by Scott Colpe and Colleen Cox
    • NEW Session 14: Blackboard Ally Accessibility ToolsDescription: Ally is a Blackboard product that helps make every document accessible to multiple learning styles by checking content, attachments and structure of the materials that you load into Blackboard. A rating is shown next to each document indicating how accessible it is for students (red, yellow, or green) along with a scale on how accessible they are to students with disabilities and other learning issues. Learn how Ally will help you determine where the errors are and how to fix them. See where your students can download alternative formats of the files that you add to Blackboard to use them in the format that is best for them. Presented by Cheryl Bermani-McCann