CTC Ed Tech News August 22, 2014

Here are my musings for this week:

Thinking About Learning

I have an ongoing fascination with how learning happens, how to facilitate learning, and how to verify that learning has transpired. Here are two articles on learning that I recently read:

Confuse students to help them learn –A fascinating article on research about engaging learners by not presenting everything in a straightforward, clear manner. The right amount of confusion causes cognitive dissonance and engages the brain in resolving the dissonance. In the study, students who were presented the material in a straightforward fashion didn't learn the material as well as students who had to figure it out. However, the students who didn't have to resolve confusion had more confidence that they had learned. 

Expert performance and training: what we really know -This article by a computer science professor reminds us that how students study is important.

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." Albert Einstein

Caring About Student and Their Success

At the CTC In Service on Thursday August 21, the Dean asked all of us to walk out of our offices or classrooms between classes during the first week and welcome students to the fall semester and provide assistance for those who need help. Then, during the semester, don't just notice if students miss classes, act on that knowledge. Call them, ask why they stopped chasing their goal of earning a degree, and offer assistance to get back on track. 

Blackboard Tips

Clear your Browser Cache

 When you receive any error messages in Blackboard, first clear your browser cache and cookies or try using a different browser before submitting a help ticket.

Clear Word Formatting

This is an ongoing problem in Blackboard. Unfortunately, MS Word copies proprietary HTML code into Blackboard that doesn't always play nice with Blackboard. Occasionally, Blackboard does not strip all of the bad code out and the web browser will display the content incorrectly. You can clear the formatting by highlighting the text and clicking on the "Remove Formatting" button that is to the right of the highlight button (in the text formatting box). In most cases this works. If not, copy text into Notepad(PC) or TextEdit (Mac) and then paste back into Blackboard.

Allow Mixed Content in Browsers

All new versions of browsers are set to block mixed content by default until the user changes this setting. If a picture, presentation, audio track, or video is missing inside Blackboard, most likely the problem is the decision to embed HTTP (un-encrypted) content into a HTTPS (secure) environment. If you need to embed the HTTP content in a HTTPS page (all Blackboard is HTTPS), see this tutorial on how to allow mixed content on Firefox, Chrome, and IE. Please remember that to view HTTP content in a HTTPS environment, every student has to follow the tutorial directions, not just the author/instructor. You can as an alternative, link out to the content and have it open in a new window or tab. 

Creating Tests: Avoid 'Force Complete' or Suffer the Consequences

We see a great deal of help tickets because of Force Complete in tests. When a test is set to Force Complete, it must be competed in one session. After a session begins, the student must complete all assigned work within the session. Students may not exit a session for any reason. So, if that same student has to restart their computer or exit the test for issues such as internet connectivity, they are then kicked out of the test and the only way to regain access is to email their instructor to have their attempt reset. We strongly recommend NOT using Force Complete. Instead, set a timer and enable auto-submit inside Blackboard. Using the timer/auto-submit option, students can re-enter the test and continue where they left off as long as there is time remaining. The timer/auto-submit option accomplishes the same goal of Force Complete, without students having to email the instructor because they lost connectivity.

These tips were slightly edited from a list from Arizona State University. They said it was ok to share, just give credit to ASU. More from this list (tailored to UAA's context) next week.