Category Archives: Academic Innovation & eLearning

09.17.24

LLCC is now a member of WCET

WCET stands for the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies and is a leader in the practice, policy, & advocacy of digital learning in higher education. WCET is a member-driven organization that brings together colleges, universities, higher education organizations, and companies to collectively improve the quality and reach of digital learning programs. As a member college all employees at LLCC may access WCET communications and content in a variety of ways.

WCET Webinar – today

Join the webinar, Transforming Curriculum: Time-Saving Strategies for Enhanced Rigor Through Alignment, today at 1 p.m. Register online.

What’s your bandwidth for evaluating programmatic strategies, academic rigor, and student success, and how do you ensure that what is created actually meets these requirements? In this insightful webcast, educators and academic leaders will discover the powerful impact of leveraging foundational alignment practices to drive continuous improvement and support student success. From aligning learning objectives to assessments, this session dives into practical strategies for optimizing educational programs to meet the diverse needs of today’s learners. Speakers will outline how course mapping and the alignment of programs can help institutions save time, proactively foster a culture of excellence, and elevate student achievement to new heights.

09.16.24

Faculty Book Club begins Monday

Join us for a three-part faculty book club series, led by Becky Miller, professor,  psychology, centered on “Small Teaching” by James Lang, a transformative guide offering practical, research-based strategies for enhancing classroom instruction. We will explore how small, targeted changes in teaching practices can lead to significant improvements in student learning. Each session will provide a collaborative space for faculty members to discuss and apply these insights to their own teaching. Engage with your peers, share experiences and discover actionable strategies that can be immediately integrated into your courses. All participants will receive a free copy of “Small Teaching.”

Register now and receive your copy of “Small Teaching” before the session dates.

Note: Faculty will receive one point for each session attended. Those who attend all three will be awarded an extra point (four total).

09.16.24

Monday Morning Mentor: How Can I Teach Courses that are inclusively accessible to all learners?

This week’s Monday Morning Mentor is How Can I Teach Courses That Are Inclusively Accessible to All Learners? The presentation is available Sept. 16, 2024 with this online link, and on-demand for one week. You will need to use the password, accessible579

Access to the programs in the Monday Morning Mentor series is restricted to members of the subscribing institution. Any unauthorized use or access, including sharing access with faculty and staff not affiliated with the subscribing institution, is prohibited.

09.13.24

Faculty Book Club begins Monday

Join us for a three-part faculty book club series, led by Becky Miller, professor,  psychology, centered on “Small Teaching” by James Lang, a transformative guide offering practical, research-based strategies for enhancing classroom instruction. We will explore how small, targeted changes in teaching practices can lead to significant improvements in student learning. Each session will provide a collaborative space for faculty members to discuss and apply these insights to their own teaching. Engage with your peers, share experiences and discover actionable strategies that can be immediately integrated into your courses. All participants will receive a free copy of “Small Teaching.”

Register now and receive your copy of “Small Teaching” before the session dates.

Note: Faculty will receive one point for each session attended. Those who attend all three will be awarded an extra point (four total).

09.12.24

Faculty Workshop today focuses on Single-Mother Learner Engagement

Join us this Thursday for the faculty workshop, Equity and Human-Centered Design for Single-Mother Learner Engagement.

Approximately 1.7 million undergraduate students are single-mother learners. Yet, they are rarely the focus of campus programming. While more campuses are turning their focus to supporting single mothers toward completion, single-mother learners need comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that can lead to long-term, family-sustaining careers. This webinar explores how campuses can apply human-centered design to develop learner-centric programs and partnerships that address the specific needs and motivations of single mothers and other student parents. Drawing from the experience of the Single Moms Success Design Challenge, this session shares new models that seek to dramatically boost education outcomes for single-mother learners and connect them to academic and career pathways that improve their families’ economic mobility and well-being.

Register online for this workshop, which will begin with a viewing of a live webinar in Sangamon Hall, Room 1102 from 1-2 p.m. It will be followed by a discussion led by Dr. Deborah Brothers, professor of English, from 2-2:30 p.m. Those who attend both parts in-person will receive two points. Those who attend only the discussion in-person or on Teams will be awarded one point.

09.10.24

Faculty Workshop this Thursday focuses on Single-Mother Learner Engagement

Join us this Thursday for the faculty workshop, Equity and Human-Centered Design for Single-Mother Learner Engagement.

Approximately 1.7 million undergraduate students are single-mother learners. Yet, they are rarely the focus of campus programming. While more campuses are turning their focus to supporting single mothers toward completion, single-mother learners need comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that can lead to long-term, family-sustaining careers. This webinar explores how campuses can apply human-centered design to develop learner-centric programs and partnerships that address the specific needs and motivations of single mothers and other student parents. Drawing from the experience of the Single Moms Success Design Challenge, this session shares new models that seek to dramatically boost education outcomes for single-mother learners and connect them to academic and career pathways that improve their families’ economic mobility and well-being.

Register online for this workshop, which will begin with a viewing of a live webinar in Sangamon 1102 from 1-2 p.m. It will be followed by a discussion led by Dr. Deborah Brothers, professor of English, from 2-2:30 p.m. Those who attend both parts in-person will receive 2 points. Those who attend only the discussion in-person or on Teams will be awarded 1 point.

09.09.24

Canvas Discussions Redesign

Faculty may have noticed changes to the Canvas Discussions this semester. The enhancements to the discussions function aim to improve teachers’ and students’ experiences by offering new customizations and interactive components, including @mentions, anonymous posting, post logging, and enhanced searching and sorting capabilities. To support your use of these new features, Canvas has prepared the following resources:

  • Instructional Video: This brief video provides an overview of the new features and changes that users can expect to see in the Discussions Redesign.
  • Two-Page Guide: This concise document explains which features have changed and includes tips to assist you in leveraging the new features effectively.
  • User Guides: We have created detailed “How-To” user guides for both the student and teacher roles. You can find supplemental resources for those using the Canvas Student (iOS/Android) and Canvas Teacher (iOS/Android) apps as well.
09.06.24

AIeL Open Office Hours today

The staff of Academic Innovation and eLearning have cleared their calendars and are available for you during our fall 2024 open office hours, today from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Sangamon 0114 or on Teams! We’re ready to talk about all things teaching, pedagogy, Canvas, H5P, digital accessibility and more. All faculty and staff are welcome to visit during our open office hours, regardless of department or teaching modality. If you can’t make it in-person to our open office hours, please know that our doors are always open, or you can contact any individual staff member to schedule an in-person or virtual appointment.

09.06.24

Faculty Book Club

Join us for a three-part faculty book club series, led by Becky Miller, professor,  psychology, centered on “Small Teaching” by James Lang, a transformative guide offering practical, research-based strategies for enhancing classroom instruction. We will explore how small, targeted changes in teaching practices can lead to significant improvements in student learning. Each session will provide a collaborative space for faculty members to discuss and apply these insights to their own teaching. Engage with your peers, share experiences and discover actionable strategies that can be immediately integrated into your courses. All participants will receive a free copy of “Small Teaching.”

Register now and receive your copy of “Small Teaching” before the session dates.

Note: Faculty will receive one point for each session attended. Those who attend all three will be awarded an extra point (four total).

09.04.24

Fall 2024 Faculty Development Schedule – Available now!

We are excited to announce our Fall 2024 Faculty Development Schedule, which consists of a variety of face-to-face and virtual sessions in the following topics: accessibility, active learning, AI, Canvas, DEIJ, H5P, innovation, and student success. As part of this semester’s lineup, we are also launching a new faculty book club led by Becky Miller, AIeL faculty liaison and professor of psychology. All participants will receive a free copy of “Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning,” by James M. Lang.

Registration for individual workshops is available on the portal, along with a detailed printable schedule and a one-page at-a-glance schedule. We encourage you to register in advance if possible, so that we can plan accordingly.

If you have any questions about the fall schedule, or you have any ideas or proposals for a future faculty development workshop, please email John Freml at 217-786-4669.