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Five Key Takeaways from the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference 2016
Introduction In the first week of August, I spent three days soaking up the latest in technology, strategy, and policy at the 32nd annual Distance Teaching and Learning Conference held at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin by–you guessed it–the University of Wisconsin – Madison.…
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All About Captions
Captions are one of the most well-known accessibility aids. They are a common sight on TV screens in noisy restaurants, and the option to activate them is available on nearly every DVD and blu-ray menu. But as common as they are, many people may not understand the importance of captioning as an accessibility tool.…
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Open Position: Director of Online Learning Technologies
Northwestern SPS Distance Learning is hiring for a Director of Online Learning Technologies! This position: will support technology-based strategic initiatives for the Distance Learning (DL) unit at Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies (SPS). The Director will plan and perform needs assessment, research, and selection of new and emerging learning technologies for SPS online programs.…
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Incorporating Current Events into Online Course Content
Because of Northwestern University’s quarter system, teaching the same course four times each year can start to feel repetitive! One way to keep your course up to date and interesting is to incorporate current events into your course content and facilitation.…
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Blue Jeans Desktop Application Change as of September 1
Northwestern IT has shared the following announcement with all Blue Jeans users: Beginning September 1, how you access the Blue Jeans videoconferencing service will be changing. If you are using the Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari browser you will need to download the Blue Jeans desktop application to access your meetings.…
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Behind the Scenes of a DL Video
While you can use a variety of tools to produce an instructional video, a video with high production value still takes some careful planning and expert use of advanced production equipment. A recent video production in Abbott Hall required an alternative setting to the DL Studio, and since one of our conference rooms was recently upgraded…
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DL Studio: August 2016 Online Learning Webinar
William and Aaron hosted a webinar about uses for the studio. They demonstrated the following four features of the studio: Ability to record multi-angle demonstrations Capture handwriting lessons using a digitizer tablet or mini lightboard Record high quality podcast audio or voiceover for screencasts Replace green screen backdrop with custom graphic or setting to contextualize…
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Putting Learners In Charge: Learner-Centered Teaching
The first paragraph of your course syllabus states, “Welcome to the course! In this course, we will cover many topics.” The first paragraph of your colleagues’ syllabus states, “Welcome to the course! In this course, you will learn about many topics.” Do you notice the difference?…
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Online Group Presentations: July 2016 Online Learning Webinar
July’s Online Webinar, hosted by instructional technologist William Guth, featured a demonstration of his newly developed method for student group project presentation and evaluation. The pre-recording and evaluation method takes advantage of built in and integrated Canvas features and is encouraged for use by any and all faculty whose online curriculum culminates in lengthy final…
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Copyright & Fair Use: An FAQ
Copyright and fair use are important fields in education, especially distance learning. However, they can also be daunting concepts to understand and apply. The following frequently asked questions, along with their answers, should help to make copyright and fair use a little easier to understand.…