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EFFECTIVE SUPPORT AT THE SMALLER UNIVERSITY

EFFECTIVE SUPPORT AT THE SMALLER UNIVERSITY. Crystal Nielsen, M.A. July 10, 2007. Where We’re Headed. A little background A spiral approach to support A closer look Q & A. How Much Do We Have in Common?. Northwest Nazarene University is in a town of 80,000 just outside Boise, Idaho.

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EFFECTIVE SUPPORT AT THE SMALLER UNIVERSITY

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  1. EFFECTIVE SUPPORTAT THE SMALLER UNIVERSITY Crystal Nielsen, M.A. July 10, 2007

  2. Where We’re Headed • A little background • A spiral approach to support • A closer look • Q & A

  3. How Much Do We Have in Common? • Northwest Nazarene University is in a town of 80,000 just outside Boise, Idaho

  4. Background: NNU by the Numbers • 1,200 undergrads • 500 graduates • 400 online professional studies students • 100 faculty • 50 adjuncts • 1 Blackboard trainer/admin

  5. Background: More Numbers • Blackboard became mission-critical before we knew it • Statistics show a healthy usage: • 400 active courses in June 2007 • 1,100 active users in June 2007 • 23,400 average page views per day in 06-07 academic year (late August to early May) • 40,100 page views on most active date

  6. A Deliberately Spiral Approach • Combination of training and support methods is designed to meet user needs from a variety of angles • Approach runs the gamut from self-paced orientation shells in Blackboard to a facilitated 4-week online course • Hope is to embolden faculty to excel in teaching with Blackboard, whether for supplemental, hybrid or online use

  7. Spiral Approach: Overview • Self-paced orientations • An online support center • An online newsletter • Traditional workshops • A faculty-driven Bb User Group • Office visits • A 4-week online course • Help desk support

  8. Spiral Begins: Self-Paced Orientations • Blackboard Orientation for Instructors is a training course built in Bb itself • Open perpetually • New faculty and adjuncts enrolled right away • Includes practice items • Longtime instructors learn to use it as a resource for material related to upgrades

  9. Spiral Begins: Self-Paced Orientations Blackboard Orientationfor Instructors

  10. Spiral Begins: Self-Paced Orientations • Orientations for students packaged in several ways • Undergrads placed into one of four shells according to class for better manageability • Graduates and students in other programs have their own orientation shells to address their specific needs • Help for students consists of the orientations, the online support center and the help desk

  11. Spiral Begins: Self-Paced Orientations Blackboard Orientationfor Students

  12. 24/7 Access: An Online Support Center E-Learning Services Blackboard Streaming Media TurnItIn ePortfolios

  13. 24/7 Access: An Online Support Center

  14. 24/7 Access: An Online Support Center • Tip sheets categorized and named to be user-friendly • Start • Build • Communicate • Manage • Assess • Style template used for consistency • Length usually 1-2 pages

  15. 24/7 Access: An Online Support Center Tip Sheet

  16. NNU E-Learning E-Letter a part of the online support center for faculty Posted every two to three weeks E-mail to all faculty and adjuncts includes hyperlinked Table of Contents Newsworthy items Training schedule Functionality tips Policy reminders Just-in-Time Approach: Online Newsletter • Professional development opportunities • Articles and resources

  17. Just-in-Time Approach: Online Newsletter Online Newsletter

  18. The Staple: Traditional Workshops • Basic class once monthly, even in summer • Intermediate class every other month, alternating with Advanced class • TurnItIn alternating with Streaming Media • Varied days of the week and times • Scheduled late in the day sometimes to catch adjuncts • Kept to one hour, maybe 1.25 hours

  19. The Staple: Traditional Workshops • Basic Blackboard • Navigating • Basic course planning • Adding content, files and links • Using communication tools such as announcements and e-mail • Creating and managing trackable Assignments

  20. The Staple: Traditional Workshops • Intermediate Blackboard • Using and managing the Discussion Board • Setting up and managing Groups • Using Review Status and the Performance Dashboard • Customizing course content through Adaptive Release

  21. The Staple: Traditional Workshops • Advanced Blackboard • Giving online tests and surveys • Managing the Gradebook • Using the Early Warning System

  22. Peer Consulting: Blackboard User Group • Monthly, informal gathering of faculty and program assistants • They do the bulk of sharing • The power of peer mentoring often extends into faculty offices • Topics designed to be timely, gain buy-in • Effectively Orienting Online Learners • Assessment and Online Course Design • Confessions of Newer Blackboard Users

  23. Pressing the Flesh: Office Visits • House Calls made to each department during first week, midterms, and finals • Puts a face to the name (both ways) • Opportunity to hear questions and offer help then and there • Time spent ranges from 5 minutes to an hour depending on need

  24. Intensive Training: Asynchronous Course • Distance Learning & Teaching taught quarterly or more often if needed • Course lasts four weeks, fully online • Week 1: Bb orientation, intro to paradigm • Week 2: Online learners, instructors, teaching • Week 3: Course planning, online community • Week 4: Coursebuilding, assessment and evaluation • Available for credit

  25. Intensive Training: Asynchronous Course • “I think that the take-home message from this course has been that online courses take an enormous amount of organization. Whilst I know that we all have to be organized in our management of our courses, somehow the online structure requires that one really thinks ahead and is very proactive.” – Barbara, director of a forthcoming online Nursing program

  26. Intensive Training: Asynchronous Course • “I like the constraints that online preparation brings to course development. …I find that this forces me to sharpen my objectives and then make sure that the activities correspond to the learning objectives.” – Dave, designing an online course in anthropology

  27. Intensive Training: Asynchronous Course • “I found it especially interesting to think of the desire for adult learners to participate in the planning for their education and the need for immediate relevance. …I think I should re-think my assessment forms for these students to involve less memorization and concrete learning and to allow for more critical thinking and application.” – Donna, MBA professor

  28. Part of the Team: Help Desk • Technical Response Center staffed by adults and student TAs to handle all users • Not yet 24/7… but pressure is building • Go-to spot for troubleshooting problems, account creation and management • Problem: Faculty skip help desk • Solution: Redirect, or if time, solve issue and note that help desk is best

  29. Results of Overall Approach • Less time spent spinning wheels • Conducting fewer one-on-ones • Canceling fewer workshops due to no-shows • Able to address varying learning styles and speeds • Trust from faculty continues to build

  30. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel • Find my resources at www.nnu.edu/elearning • If you want to use something, contact me at CDNielsen@nnu.edu or (208) 467-8782

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