National Distance Learning Week
SUNY Online annually hosts several diverse presentations from our SUNY campuses in celebration of National Distance Learning Week (NDLW). These free, virtual showcase webinars are designed to generate greater awareness of and appreciation for distance learning, discuss current issues and emerging trends, highlight best practices, and recognize leaders in the field.
SUNY Online NDLW webinars are included on the USDLA website making this a terrific opportunity for SUNY faculty to share with their peers and to a national audience.
For the complete NDLW 2024 schedule, please click on the dates below.
Time: 10:00-10:45AM EST
Title: Elevating Design in your course (Introduction)
Presenter: Dave Ghidiu, Finger Lakes Community College
Description: We will learn the basics of a custom tool built by a faculty member, Aaron. Aaron’s Custom Tool (ACT) is a tool that is specifically designed to create killer content in Brightspace. This session is part one of a two-part series. In it we will:
– Look at examples of what can be done with the tool
– Contextualize what “markdown” means for this tool
– Differentiate between “Descriptions” and “Content” in Brightspace
– Generate ideas of how the tool might be used to structure content in any course
– Examine at the easy-to-implement design tools that can be used immediately to potentiate the graphic design in a course (“jumbotron”, bulleted/numbered lists, bold/italic/headings/links, YouTube videos)
– Establish benchmarks for the second session (Thursday, November 7 at 1PM)
Handout
Recording
Time: 11:00-11:45AM EST
Title: Using Padlets and Google Forms in Online Mathematics Courses
Presenter: Jennifer Shloming, Fashion Institute of Technology
Description: This presentation will showcase the use of Padlets and Google Forms in Online Mathematics Courses for different kinds of assignments. Learn how these tools can increase engagement with your students and make assignments more fun for everyone.
Recording
Time: 11:00-11:45AM EST
Title: Addressing RSI at the Institutional Level
Presenter: Steve Sturman, University at Buffalo, School of Social Work
Description: Regular and substantive interaction (RSI) is the distinguishing characteristic of online courses that differentiates them from correspondence courses. Higher education programs must ensure that online courses within their programs meet RSI requirements or else they may be considered correspondence programs and be ineligible for federal financial aid. Federal regulations require institutions to ensure that faculty are regularly engaging with their students and that faculty are monitoring student engagement and actively reaching out to students based upon that monitoring. To meet these requirements institutions need to create expectations for faculty, which can be done by enacting policies and procedures to monitor student engagement and faculty outreach. This presentation will discuss the current regulations regarding RSI and the institutional requirements, specifically. It will outline the development of minimum standards at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work to meet the regulatory requirements and the steps being taken to educate their faculty about the RSI requirements.
Click to join the LIVE Zoom room for Tuesday, November 5.
There is no NDLW session today, however you may register for the SUNY Online Teaching webinar happening today – details below.
Time: 12:00-1:00PM EST
Title: SUNY Online Teaching webinar: Asynchronous Authentic Assessment in Brightspace: Increasing Integrity and Engagement
Presenter: Judith Littlejohn, Genesee Community College and John Kane, SUNY Oswego
Description: Asynchronous authentic assessments are crucial: they reflect real-world scenarios, adapt to individual schedules, and significantly reduce the likelihood of cheating due to their practical and unique nature. In this session we will look at the theory behind, best practices for, and examples of these assessments, delving into the methodologies, benefits, and integrity of asynchronous authentic assessments in Brightspace and highlighting how they promote honest and meaningful learning experiences and increase student engagement. Participants will brainstorm how to adapt the examples to fit their courses, and will leave with resources for continuous improvement and an opportunity for ongoing networking.
Please note: This session will be held in a different Zoom room and requires registration.
Time: 12:00-12:45PM EST
Title: Lessons learned using Lumen: the good and bad of online homework systems
Presenter: Mark Mattson, SUNY Poly and Jeff Birt, Mohawk Valley Community College
Description: This presentation will identify lessons learned after having developed and used a new online homework system for engineering courses in Lumen OHM. The session will discuss general pros and cons of online homework systems with a particular emphasis on engineering education where problem solutions are often multi-step and require hand drawn diagrams. Benefits of online systems including instant feedback for numeric answers, question randomization and scaffolded approaches for multi-step problems will be presented. Disadvantages such as students not performing proper documentation, the inability to check the solution process, and the lack of individualized feedback will be discussed. A hybrid system will be presented as a middle-ground to optimize student engagement and learning with both instantaneous feedback and individualized feedback based on work submitted. As a bonus, a grading rubric will be provided for evaluation of hand calculations.
Time: 1:00-1:45PM EST
Title: Elevating Design in your course (Intermediate)
Presenter: Dave Ghidiu, Finger Lakes Community College
Description: After reflecting on the tools we examined in the introduction, we will do a deeper dive into tools in Aaron’s Custom Tool (ACT) that are a bit more niche. If you missed the first session, you are still invited to this session! This is part two of the two-part series. In this session we will:
– Recap ideas from previous session and answer any questions
– Dive into specialized tools (columns, accordions, tabs, callout boxes, specialized boxes, icons, and images)
Click to join the LIVE Zoom room for Thursday, November 7.
Time: 10:00-10:45AM EST
Title: Designing with Empathy to Meet the Needs of Our Modern Learners
Presenter: Dan Barrancotta, Genesee Community College
Description: By being empathetic we can continually analyze and evaluate our modern learners and our courses to develop and design learning experiences that meet the needs of the individual learners and ultimately lead to improved learning outcomes for all. Learn more about best practices for continuous iteration of your courses.
Time: 11:00-11:45AM EST
Title: International Color Connection
Presenter: Heather Jones, SUNY GCC
Description: Presenting a Fulbright sponsored teaching collaboration where students from Mexico and New York studied the meaning of color in their daily lives documenting their observations through photographs and sharing on social media between countries and participation in an International art exhibit.
Time: 1:00-1:45PM EST
Title: The Importance of Digital Literacy for the Health Sciences
Presenter: Vikram Pagpatan, Downstate Health Sciences University
Description: This presentation will highlight the research, instructional and clinical application of digital literacy within the health science education disciplines and how to best prepare students for the increasing digitization of the healthcare systems.
Click to join the LIVE Zoom room for Friday, November 8.