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Workshops

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Faculty Blackboard Support:
860.768.4661 | actech@hartford.edu

Student Blackboard Support:
860.768.4636 | E-mail | File a ticket

Faculty interested in attending any of these sessions do not need to pre-register unless otherwise indicated; however, we would appreciate it if you do. To join a virtual workshop, click on the link for the date/time of your session. If you do not have a headset, there is a call-in line for audio during the conference. 

Wednesday, January 24, 7 p.m.8 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, January 25, noon1 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, February 1, noon - 1 p.m. (Virtual)
Tuesday, February 13, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Tuesday, February 27, noon - 1 p.m. (Virtual)
Monday, March 18, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Wednesday, April 3, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, April 18, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)

This is an orientation and drop-in clinic for Blackboard, the application used to put courses online. If you’re new to Blackboard, you’ll learn strategies for organizing your Blackboard course, review the many tools and features available in Blackboard, and start adding course content items like your syllabus and web links to your course. Be sure to bring a digital version of your syllabus and/or other course materials; this is designed as a hands-on seminar. If you’re using Blackboard already, or need an orientation, feel free to drop in with a question or for troubleshooting. All of these sessions will be virtual and you can click the link to join the workshop at the time of the session. If you require a 1:1 assistance to set up your course, email actech@hartford.edu, and we will be happy to arrange either a face-to-face or virtual appointment.

Come Learn the New Blackboard - Ultra Workshops

A newer, more modern version of Blackboard called Ultra Course View is currently being rolled out at the University of Hartford and the Office of Academic Technology, Teaching, and Learning over the next year. In spring 2025 all spring Blackboard courses will be created in Ultra. Faculty are encouraged to attend special Ultra training now so they can begin to transition their courses.

IN-PERSON ULTRA WORKSHOPS

The following in-person trainings will be held in the Woods Classroom in Harrison Libraries on campus and lunch will be provided. Be sure to RSVP to actech@hartford.edu ahead of time so a sandbox can be created for you. We appreciate at least a week’s advance registration so we have a final number for lunches.

Session 1: Friday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Session 2: Monday, July 22, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Session 3: Friday, August 16, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

VIRTUAL ULTRA WORKSHOPS

Each of the following is a 2-part, 2-day, 2-hours each day, offered virtually on Microsoft Teams. Participants need to attend both parts one and two. Be sure to RSVP to actech@hartford.edu ahead of time so a sandbox can be created for you. A week in advance is best, but at a minimum, register 24 hours prior to the workshop.

Session 1: Wednesday, March 27, and Wednesday, April 3 - 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Session 2: Tuesday, April 2, and Thursday, April 4 - 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Session 3: Tuesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 23 - 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Session 4: Monday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 12 – 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Session 5: Wednesday, June 26 and Friday, June 28 – 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Session 6: Tuesday, July 9 and Wednesday, July 10 – 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Session 7: Tuesday, August 6 and Thursday, August 8 – 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Session 8: Tuesday, August 13 and Thursday, August 15 – 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

For more on Ultra Course View, watch  Blackboard Learn Ultra: It’s never been easier to teach and learn

Instructors with questions about the transition to Blackboard Ultra are encouraged to contact the Office of Academic Technology, Teaching, and Learning at 860.768.4661 or actech@hartford.edu.

Friday, March 1, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, March 21, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Monday, April 15, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Virtual)

Blackboard Ultra Courses have a new tool implemented called the AI Design Assistant.  Design assistant can help faculty with the following functions:

  • Course Structure Suggestions
  • Discussion Prompt Suggestions
  • Journal Prompts
  • Rubrics
  • Test Question Suggestions
  • Question Bank Generation from Ultra Documents.

In this workshop, we will discuss best practices and how to use each of these functions.

Monday, February 5, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Tuesday, March 26, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Wednesday, April 10, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)

Learn how you can post student grades in Blackboard. Academic Technology staff will show you the basics of how to set up your online gradebook and post grades, as well as more advanced gradebook features such as weighting grades. All of these sessions will be virtual and you can click the link to join the workshop at the time of the session.  If you require a 1:1 assistance to set up gradebook, email actech@hartford.edu, and we will be happy to arrange either a face-to-face or virtual appointment.

Monday, February 19, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, February 22, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Monday, March 4, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, March 7, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Wednesday, April 17, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, April 18, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Virtual)

Video and audio files should never be added directly to Blackboard; instead, instructors should be using Kaltura (the new replacement for Ensemble).  Kaltura works like an in-house YouTube, allowing faculty to upload videos to a media library quickly and easily, then link to them from Blackboard and other websites. Faculty who are flipping the classroom, teaching online, using video clips in instruction, or working with student video projects should plan to attend this special information session about Kaltura.  Kaltura Capture is a simple, convenient tool that can capture your voice, the action on your computer screen, and webcam video to create lecturettes. You can use it to record audio podcasts, video lectures, or narrated presentations and demonstrations.  This session will guide you through the process of recording a narrated screen capture, editing it, and publishing it to Blackboard. All of these sessions will be virtual and you can click the link to join the workshop at the time of the session.  If you require a 1:1 assistance to set up Kaltura, email actech@hartford.edu, and we will be happy to arrange either a face-to-face or virtual appointment.

 

 

Wednesday, February 7, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, February 15, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Tuesday, March 19, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Monday, March 25, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Tuesday, April 16, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Friday, April 19, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Virtual)

Microsoft Teams is a video-conferencing application that now integrates with Blackboard.  It is a platform that can be employed for remote instruction, office hours, or collaborative group work in your courses. Microsoft Teams can be accessed via a desktop application or a browser and is available on mobile devices as well. In this session, we will show you how to set up a Teams Meeting in your Blackboard course, how to navigate the Teams interface, how to share files or documents with students, and how to share screens. We will also show you how to set up groups so your students can work on collaborative activities together. All of these sessions will be virtual and you can click the link to join the workshop at the time of the session.  If you require a 1:1 assistance to set up Teams, email actech@hartford.edu, and we will be happy to arrange either a face-to-face or virtual appointment.