Digital Learning Start of Term Event

The Digital Learning Team will be hosting a three day online event in January, with a range of sessions to help staff prepare for the coming term and enhance their online delivery. Themed around Content Creation, Assessment and Online Teaching, we will look at the digital tools and approaches for learning and teaching. This includes the use of Blackboard Ultra, Turnitin, Panopto and Microsoft Teams Meetings.

While aimed primarily at academic staff, some sessions will also be useful for Professional Services colleagues, and enrolment is open to all staff.

Booking form for the event

Tuesday 14th January - Content Creation and Accessibility

10.00-11.00 Blackboard Ultra - What's new and what's coming?
A look at recent new features in Blackboard, and some forthcoming enhancements, giving ideas of how these can be used in your modules.

11.00-12.00 Designing creative and accessible content
This session looks at some of the ways to create more compelling and accessible content in Blackboard Ultra, including using the advanced Document features, embedding media, and customising your site with images.

12.00-13.00 Discussion with Digital Learning Team and other participants on the morning's topics

13.00-13.30 SCULPT principles of digital accessibility
A bitesize session on SCULPT, a framework for digital accessibility, looking at its six principles and how to apply them.

13.30-14.00 Blackboard Ally: A tool to check and enhance digital accessibility
A bitesize session looking at Blackboard’s Ally tool, and how it can both report on potential accessibility issues and allow students to convert materials in different formats.

14.00-15.00 Using Panopto to record classroom teaching
A practical guide to recording classroom teaching using Panopto, looking at how to access the software in teaching spaces, with tips for recording effectively.

Wednesday 15th January - Assessment and Feedback

10.00-11.00 The assessment cycle in the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook
We look at the Gradebook in Ultra, and how each stage of the marking and feedback process can be handled effectively, from submission, to marking, to releasing grades, and finally downloading a spreadsheet of grades.

11.00-12.00 Effective formative feedback in Blackboard Ultra
This session will look at creating formative feedback opportunities in Blackboard Ultra. This includes automated feedback in formative tests, and using the new Knowledge Check feature in Documents.

12.00-13.00 Discussion with Digital Learning Team and other participants on the morning's topics

13.00-13.30 How to use Groups in Blackboard Ultra
This bitesize session goes through the practicalities of setting up Groups in Ultra, and how these can be used.

13.30-14.00 Creating a Test in Blackboard Ultra
This bitesize session goes through the process of setting up a test in Blackboard, with examples of question types and settings for both formative and summative assessment.

14.00-15.00 Turnitin, Draftcoach and interpreting originality reports
This session gives an update on originality checking tools, including the in-built Turnitin tools in Ultra, and the new Draftcoach plug-in for Microsoft Office. We look at tips for interpreting originality reports, and next steps for referring suspected academic integrity issues.

Thursday 16th January – Teaching and learning online

10.00-11.00 Effective online teaching
This session gives advice and tips for effectively teaching online, in blended and wholly online sessions. We look at ways to help engage your participants, tools at your disposal, and

11.00-12.00 Teaching in Microsoft Teams
A practical look at Microsoft Teams Meetings, the recommended way to engage in online teaching sessions.

12.00-13.00 Discussion with Digital Learning Team and other participants on the morning's topics

13.00-13.30 Managing inappropriate behaviour
This bitesize session gives tips on how to manage inappropriate behaviour in Teams meetings. We look at settings and moderation tools, and tips for pre-session communication with students to set expectations.

13.30-14.00 Ideas for polling activities
A bitesize session looking for ideas of how polls can be used to add meaningful engagement to synchronous online sessions.

14.00-15.00 Managing videos in Panopto and Blackboard Ultra
A practical look at how Panopto videos are managed within Blackboard Ultra, looking at the ways they can be embedded into content, as well as other features including quizzes and student submissions.