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SLCL Eva KM

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All sessions will be held online and all you need to do is click on the black field saying Bb Collaborate to join, you do not need to book it in advance as these are open sessions. Just come in here and join us - If Eva is not logged in, please send an email.

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Brigthspace Assignments + Grading workshop 

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Brigthspace Assignments + Grading workshop 

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Dates: 9th April @4pm; 15th April @11am; 23rd April @2.30pm

This workshop has the following Learning Outcomes:
1. Set your Brightspace Assignments
2. Attach the grade item to the Assignments
3. Annotate, grade and provide feedback in Brightspace

It will be delivered via the Virtual Classroom tool - link in the heading
SLCL EvaKM

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Dates: 23rd and 30th April @3pm
Learning Outcomes:

Design a rubric in Brightspace (holistic, no score analytic and graded analytic)

Deploy the rubrics in Brightspace assessment

Grade with Brightspace rubrics

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Designing your content in Articulate Rise 

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Designing your content in Articulate Rise 

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Dates: 14th April and 21st April at 11am
Learning Outcomes:

Design a Rise learning object

Develop Rise learning object

Publish the object and use in Brightspace

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Screencast-o-matic for our content delivery 

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Screencast-o-matic for our content delivery 

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Dates: 16th April @ 11.30am and 3.30pm
Learning Outcomes:

Design a screencasting video

Use Screencast-o-matic as a recording tool

Use the editor to edit videos

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Dates: 8th April @12noon; 9th April @4.30pm
Learning Outcomes:

use the appropriate scheme mapped to the types of assessments within a module

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Dates: 9th April @11am; 14th April @12 noon
Learning Objectives:

using the main functionalities of the tool for a teleconference and virtual classroom

experiencing as a attendee

sharing content in Zoom

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Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as executive offices and classrooms. Founded in 2011, Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done.

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Dates: 17th April @ 11.30am and 3pm and 21st April @ 4pm
Learning Outcomes:

use the functionalities in Brightspace

grade and add annotations in Brightspace

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Virtual Classroom - have a look at a quick poster about the Virtual Classroom tool available in Brightspace 

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Virtual Classroom - have a look at a quick poster about the Virtual Classroom tool available in Brightspace 

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Assignment Set Up Documents developed by Eoin McEvoy 

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Assignment Set Up Documents developed by Eoin McEvoy 

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To access a series of manuals click on the link above

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Alternative Assessment Methods from UCD TL

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Alternative Assessment Methods from UCD TL

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Here you will find a link on how to use the hangouts with some further documents to follow. Above a manual from UCD School of Nursing.

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How to Use Zoom -Watch that space as there is more to come

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How to Use Zoom -Watch that space as there is more to come

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You might consider using Zoom for any business related to UCD and link out with external collaborators. More info to follow

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Here you can read about how to make our modules accessible to all students regardless of their abilities. Have a look at some instructions in Advice for Academic Staff

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We appreciate that you are working hard to adjust and reshape elements of your teaching and assessment. We want to assure you that we will support you in whatever way possible, so that all students can participate as fully as possible. Much of the advice below is drawn from our Toolkit for Inclusive Higher Education - physical copies are available upon email request to all@ucd.ie

There are 3 Principles of Inclusivity that will assist you - flexibility, accessibility and engagement. We have developed a Brightspace module "(opens in a new window)Universal Design for Brightspace " that will give some additional tips and tricks: please feel free to self-enrol.

Flexibility: Being as flexible as possible in the content you deliver, how you deliver it and how you assess students, results in you needing to make less bespoke arrangements. Flexibility also enables all students to thrive if they have the opportunity to learn in a way that suits them best.

Accessibility: Think about how you can maximise the accessibility of your materials, now that students no longer have access to physical libraries and may have limited time. Using technology, such as lecture slides, class readings or help with note taking.

Engagement: at this time many of us are all feeling a little isolated. Embedding simple engagement activities may help. Starting a discussion board or asking students to contribute to FAQs are low stress ways for you to engage your students with each other, the content and with you.

Some suggestions and ideas that may help as you prepare your Teaching & Learning

1. Recordings of all classes that are readily downloadable are very helpful to students as they create a sense of staying connected, even at a distance. It is best to record synchronous sessions and enable downloading of recordings in the Session Settings before you start the class.

2. Use integrated and familiar platforms. While many of us look for new methods of teaching and learning, it is important that we don't over-complicate the situation for students. Using the tools available through Brightspace such as Collaborate Ultra or Google Apps (particularly useful for collaboration and groupwork).

3. Clarity of Communication is even more critical now, when students are distant from us. Making sure students know how to contact you and when you will be able to reply, as we know, provides reassurance and helps reduce stress and anxiety.

4. Using a Programmatic approach will be helpful for students, but also for you. Work with your colleagues to find the best methods across the programme e.g. not using multiple platforms across modules.

5. Flexibility is even more critical during these challenging times. For example, facilitating students to engage at their own pace, to work around new time commitments, child care, and other family responsibilities, is needed now more than ever. Facilitating flexibility around assessment will also be needed. For example, timed online exams that must be completed in a very short window of time, are not designed with flexibility in mind. Unfortunately these types of online assessments may lead to a higher number of applications for extenuating circumstances, which we know can cause additional stress and anxiety for students, and may also be a further burden on your time.

6. We know that practice makes perfect as the adage goes - so if you are planning to use a new assessment method for final exams, giving students sample exams would be very helpful. Sample answers and rubrics would also assist them to understand what quality of answer is needed to achieve certain grades.

7. Some students may experience particular difficulty finding resources at this time. Wherever possible, ensure your resources are available online. Better still, uploading them to your Brightspace module, could reduce anxiety considerably.

Some pointers to help where students need additional supports and services

Many of our students avail of disability supports, and these continue to be available, even though they are remote for the University. We are available to you too. As you know, each student has an assigned set of accommodations which you can access on the Infohub class list. Module Coordinators should continue to provide exam accommodations to students for timed tests that are taking place online.

You will find the instructions for providing additional time in Brightspace Exams (opens in a new window)in this guide.

Some students require Readers and they can continue to use the Read and Write Gold extension for Chrome. If they are not currently using this and have the Reader accommodation, we recommend that they (opens in a new window)install the Read and Write Gold extension for Chrome. This will require them to access their exams on Brightspace from the Chrome browser and use the 'hover speech' function. If they are having difficulty, we are delighted to help if they contact us at (opens in a new window)disability@ucd.ie

Some students require alternative grading guidelines (i.e. consideration of spelling and grammar), and again they continue to have this accomodation for all timed tests. Access & Lifelong Learning will send students with this support a piece of text to insert at the beginning of the exam script. We are asking all Module Coordinators to confirm that students are entitled to this support by checking the Module Class List on InfoHub.

We also continue to support you and provide additional guidance; please contact us disability@ucd.ie

Some factors that may need attention when thinking about new learning environments

We are all getting used to new work arrangements and like us, students find themselves having to cope in this new learning environment.

1. Our students are so diverse now, in terms of age, disability, low income, caring responsibilities, accomodation, etc. These factors as we know can, and do, impinge on their learning.

2. As you set tasks and assessments for students, consider the different environments in which they are now learning - for example:

Some can no longer engage easily in live classes

Some will not have the equipment needed such as laptops, or a stable internet connection

Some will be caring for children or other family members

Some will live in shared accommodation

3. We know the efforts that you are making to reshape the learning experience and offer flexibility wherever possible. As you will appreciate, there is no one size fits all solution in our current situation. During these challenging times, your creativity, flexibility and care will prevail and our students will continue to have the best experience possible at this time.

Ideas and suggestions about using technology

1. The challenges of today are met more than ever, by increased use of technology, but it is important that we are not overwhelmed. Our students are similar, and it is important that we don't ask them to learn multiple new platforms. Using those that are already integrated into Brightspace or UCD systems, would help here.

2. If possible, point students to resources that could help them learn these platforms and point them towards support as necessary. Will Smith from Mechanical Engineering has produced a (opens in a new window)useful student guide for using Collaborate Virtual Classroom in Brightspace and Access & Lifelong Learning have produced a (opens in a new window)video guide for students on how to rewatch or download their virtual classes.

3. Some students do not have a device to access materials and cannot afford a device: please refer them to their Student Adviser, who can assist in making an application for financial support to enable loan or purchase of a device.

4. There are many ways to provide information and using as many ways as possible is worth considering; for example using email, Brightspace, your website and Social Media.

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We appreciate that you are working hard to adjust and reshape elements of your teaching and assessment. We want to assure you that we will support you in whatever way possible, so that all students can participate as fully as possible.