What is D2L?
James Falkofske
SCTC Fall 2007
D2L is an online system allowing…
• Posting of content and files (Word, PowerPoint,
Excel, pictures, audio, video)
• Collection and return of homework files
• Grade and grade feedback entry
• Online threaded discussions (similar to email listserves, but persistent and located in one place)
• Posting of news items and reminders
• Listing of FAQs, Glossary terms, and hyperlinks
• Collection of surveys
Terms You Might Hear
• D2L – Desire2Learn, a Candian based company providing software
for IMS operations
• HTML – Hypertext Markup Language, the base “language of the
web” for displaying web pages, images, media objects, and forms
• IMS – Instructional Management System, online system for
quizzing, homework, grades, and presentation of content
• SCORM – Sharable Content Object Reference Model, a way for
data and content to be transferable from one IMS to another
• Section 508 – a Federal law requiring that all online content be
accessible to all audiences when Federal dollars are involved
• W3C – World Wide Web Consortium, international body defining
the languages and formats used by the Internet
• WAI – Web Accessibility Initiative of W3C
• XML – eXtensible Markup Language.
A process of creating content
that has data tags included to allow easy access to data elements
Getting to D2L
• Campus Home Page
– Hot Spots >
Desire2Learn
– Click link to go to
Login Page
– Run the SYSTEM
CHECK
• IF you have courses in
D2L, your login will be
the same as your
campus Network
credentials
Practice Login
• UserName:
TestFaculty2007
• PW:
2007FacultyTest
My Home
Top Toolbar Links
• My Home: brings you to course listings and help
tutorials
• Email: D2L internal email
• Locker: temporary file storage space
• Schedule: calendar of upcoming tasks and
assignments
• FAQ: Questions students might ask
• Help: basic information about D2L tools
• Links: Campus resource information
• Chat: ability to have instant text-message session with
classmates you select.
Course Home
Course Home Page
• News postings (most recent 3 show, but
students can click SHOW ALL to see past
messages)
• Welcome Box allows changes in preferences
and profile information
• Updates shows work to be done (personalized
to each user)
• Faculty Help widget
Content
Content Page
• Series of headings and hyperlinks (no graphics)
• Structured by MODULE headings (non-click-able,
black titles); sub-modules can also be created
(see Training Materials and Audio Sample Files)
• Many different file formats can be used (.ppt,
.doc, .xls, .jpeg, .gif, .rtf, .html, .pdf); users must
have software that can open the files
• Typical Content would include handouts, PPTs,
syllabi, course schedules, assignment descriptions
and rubrics, sample assignments
Discussions
Discussions Page
• Forums: electronic rooms into which topics can
be discussed
• Topics: the conversation held within a forum
• Both Forums and Topics can be restricted by
groups of users and/or by start and end dates
• Instructors see all discussions; students only see
discussions to which they are enrolled and which
are time/date opened for them.
• Student posts can include file attachments with
the BROWSE button, allowing peer sharing and
peer review of materials.
Classlist
Classlist Page
•
•
•
•
Allows PAGING of users (clicking the name)
Allows EMAIL to users (clicking email address)
Allows view by Group, Staff, or Students
Ability to view PROFILE and HOMEPAGE of
other users
Dropbox
Dropbox Page
• Allows submission and return of homework
• Students can upload multiple files to each
homework folder
• Student receive a notice when they have
FEEDBACK on an assignment
Quizzes
Quizzes Page
• Allows computer-scored quizzes (multiple-choice,
true/false, order and sequence, matching,
mathematics, fill-in-the-blank [exact matches
only recognized])
• Time and Date restrictions as well as duration
(number of minutes allowed); special needs
students can be given SPECIAL ACCESS for more
time / extended dates
• Multiple attempts can be set
• SUBMISSION VIEWS can be set to allow students
to see the correct answers to questions missed
Grades
Grades Page
• Allows grading and tracking of individual
assignments
• Students can view their grades at any time
• Grouping of assignments in a category allows
LOW assignments to be dropped (at instructor
discretion)
• Text-based feedback delivered to students
along with grade
Process for Getting Course Shell
• Contact Kim Vossen (Kvossen@sctc.edu) and
request a course shell
• Provide:
–
–
–
–
Course Title / Name (Microsoft Software)
Course ID and section (BUSM 1200-02)
Term (Spring 08)
Course ID from ISRS (000676)
• You can get a DEVELOPMENT course if you need a
“sandbox” with which to experiment
• Contact James Falkofske (Jfalkofske@sctc.edu) for
training and strategies related to course build