CTC Ed Tech 1/22/13 Digital Detours

When you are teaching a distance class if Blackboard or eLive go down, you have to take a "digital detour" to get around the outage and meet your learning objectives. 

The eLearning Workgroup put together a list of suggestions to be ready in case you have to take a digital detour.  Here is their first step -  make sure you can communicate with your students if Blackboard and/or email is down:

Collect external contact information from students at the beginning of the semester. 

1. Create local spreadsheet or email contact group to save your students’ contact info.
2. Create a content folder or menu item in Blackboard (e.g. Start Here or Precourse Activity) that might include:
   1. An activity for students to update their UAOnline contact information (phone/email primarily) so you will be able to utilize the Email Class feature in the Faculty section of UAOnline.
   2. Create a Blackboard quiz or form (e.g. Google Docs) to collect student alternative email/cell phone.
   3. Create student groups that have each others’ contact info (or a phone tree).

If you want more information on preparing for digital detours, check here.

I will be sending regular emails to CTC faculty on educational technology topics.  Let me know if there is something you'd like me to write about.