November/December 2013
Welcome to the CETL Insider
This newsletter contains tech
tips, helpful resources, and
the workshop schedule.
Blackboard End of Semester Checklist
The end of the semester is a busy time for everyone.
Before the holiday break don’t forget to wrap up your
Blackboard course sites. Save some time with this
end of the semester checklist.
1. Download your Grade Center.
In This Issue
Blackboard:
End of Semester Checklist
Page 1
Blackboard:
Guest Student
Page 2
Save the Grade Center as an Excel file.
Control Panel > Grade Center > Full Grade Center > Work Offline (top
right) > Download > Submit > Download > Save the file
2. Make the course unavailable to the students (optional).
Since courses are kept on the Blackboard server for several semesters,
students will be able to access the course unless the instructor makes
the course unavailable.
Control Panel > Customization > Properties > “Set Availability” to No
3. Print or Save Discussion Board posts.
Windows 7 Tip:
Split Screen in 10 Seconds
Page 2
Microsoft Office:
SmartArt Tips
Page 3
IDEA Reports:
How to read your report
Page 3
Universal Design for Learning
Page 4
Discussion board posts can provide a valuable source of evidence of participation and outcome achievement, which might be helpful for program assessment.
Discussion Board > Title of a Forum > Select all the posts > Collect >
Print
4. Export or Archive your course.
There is one main difference between exporting and archiving. Exporting the course makes a backup copy of the course without any student
data and archiving saves the course content and the student data. All
courses are routinely archived on the Blackboard server, but instructors
may wish to save their own copy. Keep in mind that these files can only
be opened using Blackboard.
Control Panel > Packages and Utilities > Export/Archive Course > Select Export or Archive > Wait for the file to save > Click the dropdown
arrow next to the file name > Open and Save
5. Perform a course review.
Workshop Schedule
Page 5
The best time to make decisions about course revisions is when the
teaching experience is fresh in your mind. Think about:
a.
b.
c.
d.
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What worked well and what did not work as planned?
What technical difficulties did I or my students have?
What areas of the course would I like to improve?
What content or activities would I like to modify/add/remove?
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Use your guest account to view Blackboard from the student perspective
Did you know that each faculty member with a Blackboard account also has a special guest account? A guest
account is a dummy student account that is not linked to
any data and only used for the purpose of testing the
course. Log in as the guest student in the course to double-check that materials you posted are available, make
sure your links and documents open correctly, and even
take your tests to ensure that they are set up properly.
Guest Student
Username: zz_yourlastname (i.e. zz_taylor)
Password: zz_yourlastname (i.e. zz_taylor)
Note: Contact the CETL to change this password.
Add the Guest Student to your course
 Control Panel > Users and Groups > Users > Find Users to Enroll > Type Username (zz_yourlastname) >
Submit
Log in as the Guest Student
 If you are already logged into Blackboard with your
instructor account, it is helpful to open a different
web browser (such as Internet Explore, Firefox, or
Google Chrome) to log in as the guest student.
 Go to Blackboard > Login with guest student
username and password > click on course name
Having both instructor and student views open at the
same time can help you make changes. Use the directions below to view two windows side-by-side.
Windows 7 Tip: Snap to Split Screen in 10 seconds
You can quickly view two windows side-by-side with the split screen feature in Windows 7. For example, you can view a Word document and Internet Explorer at the
same time. Here are 4 simple steps to snap to Split Screen in 10 seconds or less on
your PC.
1. Open the first program, such as Microsoft Word.
Click anywhere on the page to make it active.
+
On the keyboard push the Windows button and the
left arrow key.
2. Open the second program, such as Internet Explorer. Click anywhere
on the page to make it active. On the keyboard push
+
the Windows button and the right arrow key. Now
you can view two windows side-by-side.
This is also a great way to access Blackboard using your guest student. Open one
web browser such as Internet Explorer and log in to Blackboard with your normal
instructor username. Then open a different web browser such as Firefox and log in
to Blackboard as the guest student. Then move one window to the left and one window to the right and you can view
Blackboard instructor view and Blackboard student view side-by-side.
Want to see how it is done? Watch this short Youtube video to see it in action. http://youtu.be/_Y2YG8xydGk
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Microsoft Office
SmartArt Tips
What is SmartArt?
SmartArt is a Microsoft Office tool for creating graphics,
diagrams, charts, and visual displays of information. It is
available in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (2007 and
newer) and it is easy to use. There are over 200 different
templates in 8 different categories of SmartArt.
SmartArt is a great way to break away from traditional
bullet points and add meaningful visuals and color to documents and presentations.
Where to find SmartArt
1. Click Insert > SmartArt.
 When should I use a SmartArt Graphic?
When your information will be understood better if
shown graphically.
 Should I use a SmartArt list instead of bullet points?
Not always. You can still use simple bullet points in
your presentations, but remember do not overload
the bullet points or the slide. Bullet points should
be short and not lengthy sentences. A SmartArt list
would be useful to show relationship between
points and
add color.
 What should I do
if my text does
not fit in the
SmartArt graphic?
Remember to keep the text short and to the point.
You can also add more boxes to the diagram or
make the diagram larger by dragging the corner to
resize it.
 How often can I use SmartArt?
2. Select a Category.
3. Select a Layout.
4. Read the description and Click Ok.
Use the text pane and the SmartArt Tools ribbon to edit
the text, change colors, and format the diagram.
Smart Art Tips
You will have to be the judge of how much SmartArt
to use in a presentation or document. You can also
incorporate other visuals and images to emphasize
your message.
Want more tips for PowerPoint presentations? Check out
this funny video on the most common PowerPoint mistakes: http://youtu.be/lpvgfmEU2Ck
Sources: Get visual with SmartArt graphics. (n.d.). - Training. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/overviewRZ010177295.aspx?section=1
IDEA Course Evaluation Resources
On October 17, 2013, Dr. Shelly Chapman conducted a workshop for faculty at Saint Francis
University on reading IDEA course evaluation reports. If you were unable to attend the
workshop and want to learn more about understanding your IDEA report, watch Dr. Chapman’s video on interpreting
adjusted scores at http://theideacenter.org/AdjustedScores. The IDEA Center website has many resources and the
CETL also has sample reports. When you receive your IDEA report you might want to begin with the Interpretive Guide
to help you understand the report and judge how instruction can be made more effective.
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Universal Design for Learning
The National Center on Universal
Design for Learning defines UDL as
“a set of principles for curriculum
development that give all individuals equal opportunities
to learn” and UDL is also included and defined in the
Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. Many instructors already know that it is important to meet the needs
of all learners and provide appropriate accommodations
when needed, but as more classes incorporate electronic
resources, providing equal access and meeting UDL becomes more challenging.
One of the most common errors is that the picture does
not have an alternative text; therefore, the screen reader
cannot describe the image to a visually impaired student.
To fix an alt text problem, right click on the picture, click
format picture, and at the bottom of the menu click Alt
Text. Title the picture and type a description.
One simple tool to begin Universal Design for Learning is
Microsoft Word’s accessibility checker. Suppose an instructor wants to post a Word document on Blackboard
that includes text and images. To ensure that all students, including students with disabilities, visual impairments or limited English proficiencies will be able to read
the Word document or use a screen reader to read the
Word document aloud, try the “Check Accessibility” tool
in Microsoft Word (2007 and newer).

Click File > Info

Click Check for Issues > Check Accessibility
You can also add alt text to images in Blackboard. After
selecting the image, type the alt text under the name of
the file (see the picture below).
Let’s begin Universal Design for Learning with small steps
to make sure that all resources are accessible to every
student, materials are presented in multiple ways, and
students are engaged in multiple ways.
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Workshop Schedule
To register email btaylor@francis.edu.
December 2013
Date/Time
Topic
Mon, Dec. 16, 10-12pm
Google Apps: Share documents with Google Drive, gather information with Google forms, and share
Google calendars. The CETL can create Google accounts for employees and students.
Tues, Dec. 17, 1-2pm
Using Ektron to create and manage SFU department websites
Wed, Dec. 18, 10-11am
My.Francis for Staff: check your personal info, budget info, learn about features coming soon, Q&A
Wed, Dec. 18, 11-12pm
Prezi: Create dynamic presentations and classroom lessons using Prezi. Use Prezi’s templates and signature zoom tool to explore concepts, explain relationships, and create a visual journey.
Wed, Dec. 18, 5-6pm
*Online*
Blackboard Collaborate Intro: Participate in an online training session to learn how to conduct virtual
meetings and classes. Collaborate can be used with or without Blackboard. *You will need speakers
and a microphone.
Thurs, Dec. 19, 10-11am Using Excel as the data source for a Mail Merge: create a data file from scratch, learn how to manipulate data imported from other sources, use mail merge to produce a variety of documents
January 2014
Date/Time
Topic
Mon, Jan. 6, 10-11am
*Online*
Blackboard End & Beginning of Semester Checklists *You will need speakers and a microphone.
Tues, Jan. 7, 10-11am
ePortfolio Overview: This session will introduce the Digication e-Portfolio system. Attendees will access
their e-Portfolio account and construct a basic e-Portfolio with customized structure and design.
Tues, Jan. 7, 1-2pm
Classroom Assessment Techniques: Explore different strategies for integrating formative assessment
techniques into your teaching practice.
Wed, Jan. 8, 10-11am
My.Francis for SFU Faculty: Review course information and class schedules, learn how to contact advisees and access advisee info, work with grades, learn about new features coming soon, Q&A.
Wed, Jan. 8, 5-6pm
*Online*
Advanced Blackboard Collaborate: Participate in a live session to experience engaging activities for
online teaching and learn how to manage break-out rooms. *You will need speakers and a microphone.
Thurs, Jan. 9, 10-11am
Respondus Test Generator: Use this application for translating test questions from MS Word and other
test bank formats into Blackboard formats, then upload directly into Blackboard.
Thurs, Jan 9, 1-2pm
Polling Apps: Learn how to conduct classroom polls in real-time.
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