LLCC Academic Innovation and eLearning (AIeL) welcomes Matt Trueblood to the team. Matt, an instructional designer, started on Aug. 1. He’s a community college alum who holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in education. Before LLCC, Matt was a content creator for the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) and an elementary school teacher for the Champaign School District. You can reach Matt at matthew.trueblood@llcc.edu or at 217-786-2874.
Category Archives: Academic Innovation & eLearning
Only one more week to save SoftChalk content
As a reminder, LLCC will not be renewing the college’s SoftChalk license after the current contract expires. The deadline to export and save any content currently stored in your SoftChalk Cloud accounts is Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Content that is not exported by the end of the license expiration will be lost.
Keep in mind:
- The deadline of Aug. 15 is for exporting and saving Softchalk Cloud content.
- The export files created are html/index files and can be loaded directly into Canvas and will function the same as they do in Softchalk Cloud. The exception to this is SoftChalk lessons that are connected to the Canvas Gradebook. These connections will be lost when the html/index files are uploaded directly into Canvas.
- AIeL has developed both written directions and video tutorials on how to download SoftChalk lessons from the cloud and upload them in Canvas.
H5P
LLCC has now licensed new content authoring software called H5P, which offers more design flexibility and a richer feature set than SoftChalk. H5P can be used to create a wider variety of interactive content types, including quizzes, games, and simulations. H5P content is designed to be accessible to all users, which is especially important for students with disabilities. H5P is also mobile-friendly, so students can access H5P on almost any type of device. H5P is also open source and has a large and active community of users who contribute to its development and who share different kinds of content with one another.
Please note:
- Transitioning content from SoftChalk to H5P is not required. As described above, exported SoftChalk Cloud files (html/index files) can be loaded into Canvas courses and will look and function the same as they do when stored in SoftChalk Cloud with the exception for those lessons tied directly to the gradebook.
- AIeL began training and support for H5P during the fall 23 semester with the intent to provide a full academic year for those who wish to transition from SoftChalk to H5P.
- Workshops on H5P are still being offered through the spring 24 semester and can be found on the AIeL Workshop Schedule. Questions about the use of H5P can also be answered at AIeL open labs or by appointment with a member of the AIeL Team.
If you have any additional questions, contact Becky Parton, dean of LLCC Academic Innovation and eLearning, at 217-786-2351.
AIeL closed today
LLCC Academic Innovation & eLearning will be closed Tuesday, July 16, for a department retreat. The AIeL team will return to the office on Wednesday, July 17.
Sunsetting SoftChalk, save content before Aug. 15
As a reminder, LLCC will not be renewing the college’s SoftChalk license after the current contract expires. The deadline to export and save any content currently stored in your SoftChalk Cloud accounts is Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Content that is not exported by the end of the license expiration will be lost.
Keep in mind:
- The deadline of Aug. 15 is for exporting and saving Softchalk Cloud content.
- The export files created are html/index files and can be loaded directly into Canvas and will function the same as they do in Softchalk Cloud. The exception to this is SoftChalk lessons that are connected to the Canvas Gradebook. These connections will be lost when the html/index files are uploaded directly into Canvas.
- AIeL has developed both written directions and video tutorials on how to download SoftChalk lessons from the cloud and upload them in Canvas.
H5P
LLCC has now licensed new content authoring software called H5P, which offers more design flexibility and a richer feature set than SoftChalk. H5P can be used to create a wider variety of interactive content types, including quizzes, games, and simulations. H5P content is designed to be accessible to all users, which is especially important for students with disabilities. H5P is also mobile-friendly, so students can access H5P on almost any type of device. H5P is also open source and has a large and active community of users who contribute to its development and who share different kinds of content with one another.
Please note:
- Transitioning content from SoftChalk to H5P is not required. As described above, exported SoftChalk Cloud files (html/index files) can be loaded into Canvas courses and will look and function the same as they do when stored in SoftChalk Cloud with the exception for those lessons tied directly to the gradebook.
- AIeL began training and support for H5P during the fall 23 semester with the intent to provide a full academic year for those who wish to transition from SoftChalk to H5P.
- Workshops on H5P are still being offered through the spring 24 semester and can be found on the AIeL Workshop Schedule. Questions about the use of H5P can also be answered at AIeL open labs or by appointment with a member of the AIeL Team.
If you have any additional questions, contact Becky Parton, dean of LLCC Academic Innovation and eLearning, at 217-786-2351.
Upcoming Virtual Workshop Opportunity
Register to attend The Interface of Global Poverty, Inequality, and Social Justice, virtual workshop, Aug. 5-9, presented by the Midwest Institute for International Intercultural Education
This workshop will explore the interface of global poverty and inequality and global implications. What are the major factors impacting poverty and inequality? How poverty and inequality have evolved in the past several decades and are the prominent proposed solutions? How can social justice co-exist with poverty and inequality?
All accepted participants (limit of 15 teaching faculty) will be offered $1,500 or $2,000 stipends to develop a curriculum module based on some aspect of the workshop theme and then present it in a future MIIIE Conference in 2025 or 2026. The 15 faculty will be accepted on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
Application and registration forms can be found on the Midwest Institute for International Intercultural Education website.
For questions, please contact Rihab Sawah.
Congratulations to Andy Mitkos
Congratulations to Andy Mitkos, director, academic technology systems and support, who recently completed a year-long leadership program. The Academy for Leadership and Development is a premier leadership development organization for higher education emerging and experienced leaders. It is centered around developing inclusive and influential leaders whose purpose is to advance their academic and administrative leadership, regardless of position.
There’s still time for AI summer camp
As you plan your summer activities, LLCC Academic Innovation and eLearning invites you to participate in the Online AI Summer Camp designed for LLCC faculty and staff. The Online AI Summer Camp is a self-paced, asynchronous opportunity to enhance your AI skills and knowledge over the summer break.
Whether you’re new to AI, a seasoned AI explorer or just looking to learn “s’more” about AI this summer, this summer camp is for you. Your virtual camp counselors, John Freml and Becky Parton, have curated a collection of resources including webinars, readings and other material designed to support your professional growth and exploration in AI.
The AI Summer Camp will guide you through the emerging trends, best practices and ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in learning environments. Designed for self-paced discovery, this collection includes short tutorials and programing from familiar providers such as Monday Morning Mentor and NISOD, as well as a collection of interviews and webinars featuring leading voices in the field of education and artificial intelligence. You will also find articles and whitepapers that explore the crossroads of AI and pedagogy.
For those seeking even more adventure, we are offering the course “Teaching With Artificial Intelligence” hosted by Auburn University. This self-paced course weaves expertise from a diverse range of faculty to provide a meaningful learning experience that is focused on supporting educators in thinking through the urgent questions that the AI disruption of higher education presents. The course also offers opportunities to learn from and with your LLCC colleagues and will be guided by your virtual camp counselors. Those who complete the course will receive their Auburn University AI Explorer Badge. Registration is required to participate in “Teaching With Artificial Intelligence.” Virtual tents are limited so please register for “Teaching With Artificial Intelligence” soon. Join us for this AI summer journey.
Reminder, Sunsetting SoftChalk, save content before Aug. 15
LLCC will not be renewing the college’s SoftChalk license after the current contract expires. The deadline to export and save any content currently stored in your SoftChalk Cloud accounts is Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Content that is not exported by the end of the license expiration will be lost.
Keep in mind:
- The deadline of Aug. 15 is for exporting and saving Softchalk Cloud content.
- The export files created are html/index files and can be loaded directly into Canvas and will function the same as they do in Softchalk Cloud. The exception to this is SoftChalk lessons that are connected to the Canvas Gradebook. These connections will be lost when the html/index files are uploaded directly into Canvas.
- AIeL has developed both written directions and video tutorials on how to download SoftChalk lessons from the cloud and upload them in Canvas.
H5P
LLCC has now licensed new content authoring software called H5P, which offers more design flexibility and a richer feature set than SoftChalk. H5P can be used to create a wider variety of interactive content types, including quizzes, games, and simulations. H5P content is designed to be accessible to all users, which is especially important for students with disabilities. H5P is also mobile-friendly, so students can access H5P on almost any type of device. H5P is also open source and has a large and active community of users who contribute to its development and who share different kinds of content with one another.
Please note:
- Transitioning content from SoftChalk to H5P is not required. As described above, exported SoftChalk Cloud files (html/index files) can be loaded into Canvas courses and will look and function the same as they do when stored in SoftChalk Cloud with the exception for those lessons tied directly to the gradebook.
- AIeL began training and support for H5P during the fall 23 semester with the intent to provide a full academic year for those who wish to transition from SoftChalk to H5P.
- Workshops on H5P are still being offered through the spring 24 semester and can be found on the AIeL Workshop Schedule. Questions about the use of H5P can also be answered at AIeL open labs or by appointment with a member of the AIeL Team.
If you have any additional questions, contact Becky Parton, dean of LLCC Academic Innovation and eLearning, at 217-786-2351.
New Canvas Template
As you think about updating your fall courses, we encourage you to take a look at the new LLCC template, available now in the Canvas Commons. The new template provides several benefits and enhancement over the previous template, including:
• A choice of several new homepages, each thoughtfully designed to help your students get started in your course.
• A variety of new designs for pages and assignments that can be duplicated and customized for your own needs.
• A menu of new images and icons that can be used to make pages and assignments more visually appealing.
• Optional HTML code snippets that advanced users can utilize to add even more engaging features to their pages.
• Detailed instructions on how to customize and adapt the template
To import the new template into a future course or a development shell, simply click on the “Commons” link in the Global Navigation Menu, and search for: “New LLCC Template.”
Still time to register for “Teaching with Artificial Intelligence” workshop with Auburn University
“Teaching with Artificial Intelligence,” hosted by Auburn University, is a self-paced course developed by a diverse range of faculty. The online workshop provides a meaningful learning experience focused on supporting educators in thinking through the urgent questions that the AI disruption of higher education presents. The course also offers opportunities to learn from and with your LLCC Colleagues and will be facilitated by AIeL staff. The self-paced workshop will open to participants on Monday, June 3, 2024 and will remain open all summer. Those who complete the course will receive their Auburn University AI Explorer Badge. Registration is required to participate in “Teaching with Artificial Intelligence.”