As summer and fall courses begin to appear in Canvas, it is possible that your Course Dashboard will become cluttered, or certain courses that you still need to access regularly will fall off (Canvas will only display a maximum of 12 courses on your Dashboard). You can customize which courses appear on your Dashboard by clicking on “Courses” in the Global Navigation Menu, and then “All Courses.” When viewing your entire course list, simply star the courses you want to appear on your Dashboard. Details instructions on how to do this can be found in the Canvas Community.
Category Archives: Academic Innovation & eLearning
March 28 NISOD Webinar on online instructor presence
Are you looking for ways to increase student engagement in your online class but feel like you don’t have the time, energy or motivation to revise the entire course? Well, there’s good news! Through Instructor Presence (IP) — the process of creating an online learning community through applications of teaching, social and cognitive presence techniques — you can revitalize your online courses, energize your connections to students and create a warm, friendly classroom environment primed for student success. Come learn with us, and walk away with strategies you can implement today!
March 28, 1-2 p.m.
Register for the NISOD webinar: How to Improve Your Online Teaching With Instructor Presence.
Note: You will need to have a NISOD account to register for the webinar. If you do not have a NISOD account, you may create one using your LLCC email address. This webinar is free for LLCC faculty.
Monday Morning Mentor
This week’s Monday Morning Mentor subject is, “How Can I Create Authentic Engagement Through Feedback Dialogue?” From the presentation link, you can view the featured 20-Minute Mentor and access the transcript, handouts and supplemental material. These materials are only available for the week of the presentation. NOTE: You will need to entire the following password in order to view this week’s program: authentic47.
Presentation date, Monday, March 25, and on-demand for one week.
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.
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.
Friday’s AIeL Workshop: Beyond Diversity: A Guided Discussion
For those who have viewed the webinar, “Beyond Diversity: How to Build a Truly Antiracist Organization,” join local leaders from the Springfield Coalition on Dismantling Racism for a deeper dive into the topics explored in this Crossroads webinar. The workshop will include a discussion on how faculty and staff at LLCC might implement anti-racist principles and practices into their daily work and advocate for institutional transformation. This workshop is co-sponsored by the LLCC Workforce Equity Initiative. Faculty participants will receive 3 points toward their Training and Innovation professional development total for successful completion of this workshop.
Friday, March 22 from 1-4 p.m. in the Robert H. Stephens Room.
Register for Beyond Diversity: A Guided Discussion.
Professional Development Day Schedule and LEAGUE Kickoff Details
Spring 2024 Professional Development Day will be held Tuesday, March 26. An overview of the faculty professional development day activities can be found below. The LLCC Foundation will also be hosting the Annual LEAGUE kickoff event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on this day.
AIeL would like to thank all of the presenters who have graciously agreed to share their knowledge and experiences with their colleagues on this day.
Faculty Professional Development Day
Beyond the Basics: Engaging All Learners Time
9-11 a.m. – Instructional department activities. Department specific information will be provided by deans.
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – LLCC Foundation Annual LEAGUE Kickoff Event and Luncheon in the Student Union, Menard Hall
1:15-2:15 p.m. – Welcome by Dr. Jason Dockter, Vice President, Academic Services and “Who Are Our Students?” by Cody Cox, Research and Analytics Associate II, Institutional Research and Effectiveness – Location: Trutter Center
2:30-4:20 p.m. – Concurrent sessions
| Time | Track 1 Beyond Accessibility: Bridging Our Gaps |
Track 2 Beyond DEI: Refreshing Our Approach |
Track 3 Beyond the Lecture: Activating Our Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30-3:20 p.m. | Design for All, Teaching for Success: Universal Design for Learning
Dr. Vance Martin (University of Illinois’ System) Robert H. Stephens Room |
Building an Inclusive Face-to-Face Class
Dr Jennifer O’Malley, Leigh Giles Brown Menard 2202 |
See, Experience and Learn: Active learning Classrooms in Action
Dr. Ted Babin, Dr. Gillian Bauer, Dr. Matthew Schownir, Dr Karen Sisk, Kimberly Alexander, Rebecca Miller Sangamon 1102, 1103 and 1104 |
| 3:30-4:20 p.m. | Level Up Your Files: A Hands-On Lab
Dr. Vance Martin (University of Illinois System) Menard 2229 |
Building an Inclusive Online Class
Rebecca Miller, Rihab Sawah, Amy Strawn Menard 2202 |
Mental Health Resources: Promoting Mental Health in College Students
Dr. Tamilore Odimayo (Mental Health Savage LLC) Trutter Center |
Late Afternoon/Evening – Instructional department activities with adjuncts, adjunct coordinators and deans. Department specific information will be provided by your dean.
LEAGUE Kickoff
Are you a Friends fanatic? The theme of this year’s LEAGUE Campaign is Friends and the committee has some fun things planned for the LEAGUE lunch on Professional Development Day, March 26 including:
11 a.m.-noon – Complimentary lunch from one of three food trucks on the east side of Menard.
11:30 a.m.-noon – Gianna Hines will be playing some 90’s songs on guitar in the Student Union.
Noon-1 p.m. – Program including Kahoot Trivia, LEAGUE Grant Awards and a special feature you won’t want to miss!
50/50 raffle tickets will be available so bring cash. A coffee bar and cookies will be provided and you can also make your donation to the annual faculty and staff giving campaign. There are drawings for some great prizes for anyone who makes a donation including $150 cash prize donated by members of the Cabinet. Make your donation now and avoid the line 2024 LEAGUE Form.
Did you guess Yesterday’s LEAGUE Friend was Mike Dunlap, accounts receivable/collection technician in Finance? Mike also serves on the LEAGUE Committee.
Guess the LEAGUE Friend?
This LEAGUE Friend has been with the college for 26 years and has been donating for 21 years! They are an alum and met their spouse at LLCC. They donate to the LEAGUE Campaign because LLCC has played an important part in their family’s education. In their role, they see every day how education provides opportunities and makes a difference for families. This friend loves water and all sports associated with it. On weekends you can find them with a fishing pole in hand but at work they may be holding a little one’s hand. Can you Guess the LEAGUE Friend? Submit your answer to LLCCFoundation@llcc.edu for a chance to win a prize!
CSIL Workshop, Designing for Diversity is today at noon
Join colleagues from across central Illinois for this workshop during which Professor Michael Gillespie (Eastern Illinois University) will present guidelines for faculty who are interested in making course content more diverse, equitable and inclusive and/or diversifying course content. The presentation will focus on ways instructors can provide a more comprehensive understanding of their subject matter, increase empathy, improve communication and teamwork skills, and validate their students’ experiences. The Central and Southern Illinois Faculty Development Network is an inclusive multi-institutional faculty professional development group including two-year and four-year partners throughout central and southern Illinois.
Today, March 8, noon to 1 p.m.
Join CSIL workshop on Zoom.
Today’s Virtual Workshop: Introduction to H5P, March 4
H5P is a new tool licensed by LLCC for faculty and staff that allows users to create, share, and reuse interactive and engaging educational content including quizzes, games, presentations, interactive videos and images, learning paths, and more. In this interactive introductory workshop, participants will learn more about this exciting tool, see a demo of how to integrate it into Canvas courses, and have an opportunity to build something in H5P to share with others. Additionally, participants will see a demonstration of how SoftChalk lessons can be archived, to aid in the transition to H5P. This workshop will be repeated multiple times throughout the semester and will be recorded for participants to reference as needed. An in-person AIeL Open Lab will follow each H5P workshop two days later at the same time, for anyone who desires further support. Faculty participants will receive 1 point toward their training and innovation professional development total for successful completion of this workshop.
Monday, March 4, 1-2 p.m.
Join on Teams
Register for Introduction to H5P
John Freml, Director, Faculty Development
Gary Bach, Academic Technology Support Specialist
AIeL Open Lab this Wednesday, March 6
Join the staff of Academic Innovation & eLearning to talk all things teaching, pedagogy, Canvas, H5P, SoftChalk migrations, instructional design, digital accessibility and more. We will be available in person at the locations above, or online via Teams, to answer your questions and to support what you are doing in your classes. All faculty and staff are welcome at any of our open labs, regardless of teaching modality or department.
Wednesday, March 6, 1-2 p.m. in Sangamon 1101
Join the open lab on Teams
Monday Morning Mentor: How to use AI to assess student understanding?
The March 4 Monday Morning Mentor topic is “How Can I Use Generative AI to Assess Student Understanding?”
From this link, you can view the featured 20-Minute Mentor, as well as access the transcript, handouts, and supplemental material. These materials will not be available to be viewed until Monday when the presentation becomes available. You will need to enter the following password in order to view next week’s program: generative81. The presentation is available on-demand for one week.
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.