Blackboard Learn 9.1 is Here!

HCC’s new learning management system, Blackboard Learn 9.1, deploys College-wide in August, 2011.

CITT Faculty Professional Development and the Blackboard Implementation Training Committee are pleased to announce comprehensive training to prepare faculty to facilitate all levels of distance learning course offerings including including web-enhanced, hybrid, and fully online courses. Training courses include:

• Tier 1 Training: For all faculty who teach using the Blackboard LMS; designed for those who teach pre-designed web-enhanced, hybrid, or online courses (20 hrs)*
• Tier 2 Training: For all faculty who design and develop web-enhanced, hybrid, and online courses (20 hrs)* Upon completion of Tier 2 training, a Blackboard course shell will be made available to begin developing your Fall 2011 courses.
• Tier 3 Training: Optional training of advanced Blackboard functions and multimedia (available Fall, 2011)

*A pilot test of the training revealed that actual time for course completion is 12 – 15 hrs. Training completers receive 20 hours of professional development per course.

Don't Delay - Register Today
Training begins March 1st. To register here for Blackboard training.

**If you are teaching web-enhanced, hybrid, or online courses this Fall, please register for training right away. If you are not using the LMS until Spring, 2012, please do not register until May.

Use a Prezi for your Next Presentation

Tired of using the same PowerPoints in your course? Want to spice up your lectures?

Consider using a Prezi for your next presentation. Prezi is a web-based, zooming, presentation editor. But, what else is a Prezi? Check out this short YouTube Video to learn more:



So, ready to make your next presentation a Prezi? Check out the Prezi website www.prezi.com.

• The "Your Prezis" tab is where you initially sign up for the Prezi site. When you sign up, select "Student/Teacher licenses." This will allow you all of the benefits of the "Enjoy" package, for FREE!
• The "Learn" tab offers a plethora of tutorials on how to use Prezi (everything from Getting Started to Advanced features).
• The "Explore" tab allows you browse popular Prezi presentations.

Register Now for the EduComm Conference

EduComm is higher education's premier technology, leadership and strategy conference. The EduComm conference is June 13-15, at the Hilton - Walt Disney World. For more information, or to register, please visit http://educommconference.com/.

21st Century Classroom Tutorials

Teaching in a 21st Century Classroom this semester? Do you have questions, or are you confused about how to operate the equipment?

Check out the Tutorials page of the CITT website for a host of 21st Century Classroom Tutorials.

Available Tutorials:

• 21st Century Classroom Equipment
• 21st Century Classroom Help Guide
• Control Panel Video
• Document Camera Video
• Workshop Manual

Congratulations to Professor Matt Werhner for being Published in the Journal of Geoscience Education

Professor Werhner's article A Comparison of the Performance of Online versus Traditional On-Campus Earth Science Students on Identical Exams was published in the November 2010 Journal of Geoscience Education.

Abstract
In this paper I compare the performance of online versus traditional on-campus students on identical exams in an earth science class. The number of college level distance learning classes offered online continues to increase as they offer greater scheduling flexibility to students, they appeal to students who like to work independently, and allow colleges to increase enrollment without building new classrooms. Hillsborough Community College (HCC) is a two year urban community college in Tampa, Florida. An online earth science class was first offered in Fall 2005. Most students enrolled in Earth Science are non-science majors fulfilling a science requirement for graduation and both online and on-campus classes average about 30 students. As this is a traditional earth science course it covers topics in geology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy. This material is divided into four units with an exam at the end of each unit. The exams are short answer, predominantly multiple choice with diagram identification and contain about eighty to ninety questions. All classes used the same study guide and textbook and all of the classes in this study were given exactly the same exams. This process was repeated over four semesters from Fall term 2005 to Spring term 2007. Statistical analysis comparing exam grades indicates that there was no significant difference in student performance on exams between the online and on-campus students...Click here to read the entire article.

Professor Werhner is the Faculty and Program Manager in the Physical Science Department at the Dale Mabry Campus.

Great Website

The website 21 Things for the 21st Century Educator offers 21 technology tips that every educator should know. View the list of tips in the right hand column and click on them for further explanation.

Happy New Year, from CITT

Wishing everyone a productive and successful spring semester.

Remember to use the resources on the CITT website. Here, you can find a plethora of useful information such as tutorials, tech-tips, ideas on best practices, and news about the Blackboard implementation, among other things.

Also, don't forget to become a follower of this blog!

Happy 2011!