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Center for Teaching and Learning
  • Strong recommendations for using a tablet device
  • Using the ink feature and use of the notes sections is recommended for PowerPoint
  • Lots of recommendations for Google Classroom, though it has some issues
  • Google Drive recommended
  • Students reported to like Google Forms
  • Both Zoom and Google Meets are highly recommended
  • Zoom is recommended for interface and breakout rooms (& for showing video)
  • Using the Grid extension for Google Meets is a MUST
  • Lots of praise (and use of) Blackboard as well as many tips for use
  • Panopto is a hit (with students and faculty)!
  • Other software ideas: Google Colaboratory for Python, Gradescope, test development software, Adobe Acrobat Pro
MSC Classrooms
  1. MSC videotaped lectures can be posted them to Blackboard. It was definitely easy and the result is professional.
Tablet use
  1. If you are using Google Hangouts and have an iPad with a stylus, you can get the Google Hangouts App and a note taking App (such as Notability or Notes) for the iPad and use it as a virtual whiteboard. I log in using my issued laptop and again with my iPad.  Then I can present the screen on my iPad and use Notability as a white board.

  2. Also, having a tablet computer of some sort and a stylus to write is much better than my USNA issued laptop.

  3. Use your Iphone and Google Meet as an effective document camera / whiteboard. Really not much different than teaching using a whiteboard or document camera in class.

  4. Use one device (e.g., phone) for audio and video and use a 2nd device (Surface or iPad) for slides, documents, and to write on like a white/black board

  5. There were several recommendations to use a Wacom writing tablet (Intuos). In interfaces with Windows ink seamlessly and works better than a stylus on a Surface. It's definitely cheaper than a Surface and allows you to use the bigger screen of your laptop or desktop.  I actually answer email questions with videos of me working examples on the ""whiteboard"" like I would in EI and students like them.  Even with my dog barking.

  6. I display what would normally be my whiteboard work (solving equations) via a separate login into my Google Hangout through my iPhone camera. I place the phone to it looks straight down onto white paper and, by selecting my other login, students get a view of my hand working through equations.

  7. What has been working for me is Zoom with a cell phone serving as a makeshift document camera. I point it at a table and then write with regular pen and paper. 

  8. A pen or stylus is essential; I'm not sure how you effectively go about writing out solutions and demonstrating solution methods without it. Way more effective than trying to mount a camera and draw on paper.

  9. I feel strongly that every faculty should have the option to own a tablet. I personally use a Microsoft Surface Pro with Windows 10 and Adobe Pro and have been able to teach almost the same way I do in the classroom, by using Meet, screen sharing, and document editing capabilities using the Surface, One Note, and Adobe Pro.  I have also conducted eight EI sessions using the same format (Meet + Surface screen share + OneNote) and was able to grade the 12-week exam with relatively little extra time over paper grading. 

    Here is how I accomplished grading using a Surface Pro enabled with Microsoft Office and Adobe Pro:

    1. Students emailed me their exams, either in PDF form or a photograph of their work.
    2. I imported these files into Microsoft OneNote by using: Print/Send to OneNote.
    3. In OneNote and using the Surface stylus, I corrected the exams.
    4. From OneNote, I printed the marked up exam to a PDF file by using Print/Save as PDF, and returned it to the student.

  10. Apple Pencil + iPad is wonderful

  11. Screen record with a nice microphone on an iPad. No blurriness in the video and with a good mic, I sound more present and unclipped.

  12. I find it useful to use a tablet as a second device during zoom meetings. I use the tablet as a "whiteboard"

  13. Using a separate tablet as my virtual chalk board during online lessons has been invaluable.

  14. Using a tablet and active pen works best when presenting your screen. e. IPad with Apple pencil

  15. Students seem to enjoy EI when I am able to use a tablet with stylus. I broke down and bought an iPad Pro and stylus for myself when I found out we were going to teach virtually indefinitely. It has been very effective since they can watch me work through problems and follow and I can "point" to things on the screen by circling them. Definitely a worthwhile investment.

  16. Used my phone on an extended arm bought on Amazon. It allows me to show my students exactly what I am doing on MoBoard paper while I use my laptop camera to show my face.

  17. I set up a webcam for use as a document camera.

  18. The most effective tool for me to conduct EI and share my 'writing on the board' is to use OneNote in a shared screen so they can see what I am writing clearly. This has been much better than aiming my cell phone at a board or piece of paper while I write.

  19. I'm using an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and 60" Flat Screen and Google Meet. All good
PowerPoint features
  1. I found it a struggle to explain conceptual issues remotely until I started using PowerPoint creatively to give me a "white board" using the built-in pen tool

  2. I have found using the annotate ppt feature (where you can draw on slide when presenting them) very useful. Also, a chrome extension that does the same thing for browser windows works well for online weather discussions.

  3. In using PPT lecture slides, populate the Notes Page View with the commentary you would use in the classroom. Takes 3x the time, but delivers the message.
Google Classroom
  1. Google Classroom rocks.

  2. I like google classroom.

  3. We have used Google Classroom pretty effectively as a single point source for the students and faculty. It contains all things pertinent to that class in one place which has very much streamlined the process for knowing what is due and when.  It is integrated into Google Calendar so everyone sees what is still due and there are no surprises.

  4. Google classroom has been a HUGE help, I have one class with, and one class without. Having a one-stop shop that's not email for everything makes a big difference. Google classroom works well to instruct asynchronously with videos, worksheets, notes, and quizzes/exams. However, due to another colleague looking into the classroom grading system of google forms, we recommend not inputting correct answers and grading the quizzes manually using the summary google sheet.

  5. I extensively use Google Classroom, with all of its warts

  6. A few Google classroom assignment vagaries. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for an assignment to show up as a post, and if it's set so each of them gets a "copy" in the Google drive folder, even if they haven't touched it yet it says they "modified" it at that time. Also, some students don't have a file show up at that time, but it seems to work fine for them too.  Many tools in Google Classroom (like “reuse post”) have been helpful.
Google Drive
  1. Google Drive has been fantastic; my students have echoed this sentiment.

  2. Google Hangout works well for my classes along with the use of Google Drives.
Google Forms
  1. They seem to prefer google forms for accountability.

  2. They like google forms

  3. Google Forms is great for exams and collecting assignments!

  4. Google Quiz (from Google survey) worked well but it appears to *not* be safe to grade some entries while other students are still taking the test.

  5. I had students fill out an attendance tracking form for each class meeting day, which was designed to reinforce with them the importance of attending online class meetings.

  6. Google forms can allow for automatic grading for easy quizzes.

  7. Do not use Google Classroom Quiz assignments with automatic grading. It is not a difficult task to obtain the solutions while taking the quiz by viewing the page source.

  8. I started using Google Form quizzes as a way to administer what would have been paper-based assessments.
Zoom
  1. I got used to Zoom, I resend the students teaching materials as many of them do not have their notes or textbooks

  2. Zoom and online virtualized lab resources have been effective

  3. Zoom generally has a better interface than Google. Just be sure to password protect the meetings.

  4. Read the documentation for Zoom.

  5. Zoom with the option for breakout rooms seems to work quite well for the situation.

  6. using Zoom - very helpful for face to face class.

  7. Zoom with a laptop and iPad is very easy and intuitive

  8. Zoom Breakout Rooms for exam help are awesome! You can have discussions with students without disturbing everyone.

  9. Yes- showing videos online with sound. Used Zoom - received this input from CTL and shared with department

  10. Zoom with breakout rooms works well for cases when students need to work independently or in groups during lecture or lab

  11. Online (Zoom) has worked well for class and it is actually great for EI

  12. I prefer Zoom over Google Meet. However I use Zoom more in the workplace.

  13. I think that now I’ve worked out how to schedule a zoom meeting through the google calendar, I’ll use that from now on. Google meet was not a great platform for meaningful discussion.  I felt like I was lecturing into the ether and that’s not how I run my classroom!
Google Hangouts (& Grid!)
  1. Google Hangouts works well and serves to connect instructor with the students

  2. If using Hangouts, download and use the grid extension so you can see all of your students at the same time: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-meet-grid-view

  3. Invite yourself to Google Meets so that the event shows up in your calendar and is easy to join

  4. My teaching improved significantly--I feel--when I went to "grid view" on Google Hangouts...so good to be able to see 16 faces (and their responses).

  5. I added Grid View to Google Meet, which is helpful. I also had students add the Nod extension to Chrome, which offers a nice quick way to get immediate feedback from them, without having to keep a distracting eye on the Chat box.

  6. Definitely use the Grid view extension for Chrome when using Meet.

  7. google hangouts works best.

  8. Google Meet Grid View allows you to see all of your students at once. The EpocCam App has been a great way to transition your cell phone into a document camera.

  9. Google Meet is a very nice tool, useful for presenting my screen.

  10. Google Hangout works well for my classes along with the use of Google Drives.

  11. Using the "duplicate" function on google calendar for repeated events vice creating a new event entirely allows the google hangout meet link to be the same for the duplicated event, so that the students only ever need one link for my class.

  12. Blackboard and Google Hangouts have worked effectively in combination with Google Calendar. I've recorded sessions and they post to my G-Drive as well as link to the meeting that was recorded on my calendar.  This made it easier for students to review sessions.

  13. Google hangout works very well. Thanks to Julie and Karen for training
Blackboard
  1. I have found Discussion Forum in Blackboard to be a really good asynchronous tool. I was not planning to use it, but added it after spring break and moved some points to it.

  2. I have really gotten to know Blackboard this semester-- it may be a little clunky but it's amazingly powerful and I feel like my time spent figuring it out will be useful even once we're back on the yard.

  3. 2/C and 1/C will need to download the latest version of respondus, the load on their issued computers is outdated and does not work if this is their first time using.

  4. My colleagues are awesome in creating online content, like exams and quizzes. They made blackboard tutorials and everything.

  5. Yes, primarily how to setup a BB exam, and provide links to required equation sheets and calculator on RLB.

  6. Most of my course was on Blackboard already, the only shift that online learning has brought has been lectures online. Everything else (homework, quizzes, exams) was already there.

  7. Grading written work, at least short answer or worked out mathematical problems is quite easy in Blackboard, if you give it as an assignment. The students quickly learned how to scan or take a photo of their answer and upload it to Blackboard.

  8. Although I was new to conducting class via Blackboard, I was able to navigate through their platform and meet my needs to meet the course objectives.

  9. One thing I've done that I think works well is I have given weekly Blackboard quizzes but allowed 2 submissions. On the multiple choice questions (perhaps 70% of the quiz is multiple choice), the students are told after the first submission whether they got it right and they know what all the options are (but they aren't told the right answer after the first submission). For the short-answer questions, to encourage early completion of the assignment, I gave individualized feedback on the first submission if it was submitted early enough. Anyway, I think the students appreciated the 2-submission option (it also can make up for any unforeseen internet/computer problems), and I felt like they were able to find out exactly what they didn't know in a low-stakes way.

  10. Blackboard quizzes are difficult to create and implement. Even with a quiz in a MS Word document completed, assume it will take you twice as long to create the Blackboard quiz as it takes you to start from scratch and print out a paper quiz.  Formatting numbers in Blackboard is a disaster.  Either you waste a lot of time in class teaching data input, or you only have multiple choice questions.  Having students show work in Blackboard takes them at least twice the time as to write it on paper.  This makes a 20 minute quiz a 40 or more minute quiz.  I have switched to MS Word/PDF document sent to the students and have them print (if they can) and write it out.  I have 'screens' on during quiz.  It is as boring as in person. Multiple choice grading in Blackboard is simple and their analysis tools are good.  Fill in the blank quizzes are nasty to grade.  It takes longer than paper, and like my grading printed out quizzes, the students get no feedback other than a score."

  11. I've just learned how to do things online in blackboard like taking timed quizzes.

  12. I am relying on the tools in Blackboard to administer the exam.

  13. Thanks to Julie Zhu and Lori Mateus I was able to solve one issue while the exam was in progress. - Tip for BBK: Do not forget to set the exam to auto submit.

  14. In my classes, teaching online has just allowed me to utilize Blackboard more and automate more of my material so it is more asynchronous.

  15. I have learned how to import/export tests on blackboard and how to move questions between exams, so a course coordinator could have their instructors provide questions for a final exam if it were to be administered on blackboard.

  16. Blackboard is a decent resource that many instructors in my department appear to have seldom used for this change.

  17. If the students upload their work as a pdf, and not a jpg, on Blackboard you can scroll through their work and not have to open individual files.

  18. Blackboard and Google Hangouts have worked effectively in combination with Google Calendar. I've recorded sessions and they post to my G-Drive as well as link to the meeting that was recorded on my calendar.  This made it easier for students to review sessions.

  19. Yes -- have taught other instructors how to use blackboard for weighted grading and creating tests/quizzes, taught others how to record computer/tablet screens with audio.

  20. Sure, but many of them are dependent on the platform and method other faculty members chose to use for instruction. I stayed with Blackboard exclusively and went full asynchronous.  That's how I teach "technical" courses online at other institutions, and I gained lots of experience in online teaching there.
Panopto
  1. I have been using Panopto to record my lessons.

  2. I’ve become a big fan of Panopto Video. My students are very receptive to learning asynchronously through this medium.

  3. Panopto is great for recording lectures and I use the in-video quizzes for accountability and attendance.

  4. I am using Panopto to screencast explanations of some solutions sets.

  5. I learned how to use Panopto which I hadn't about before. It's working well.

  6. Using Panopto with a shared screen and filled in notes has been helpful for me and several other faculty members.
Other Software
  1. I moved all the content of my course to Google Colaboratory as an alternative to running the code on a local installation of Python. This was to accommodate students who didn't have their issued computer, and were unable to install the required software to run Python locally. 

  2. These tasks might not require Adobe Pro. However, the features of Pro are so useful (e.g. merging files, inserting/deleting page(s) into existing PDFs, reorganizing, etc.) that I find myself using them daily.

  3. Adobe Acrobat Pro is VERY useful for making comments on student PDFs and returning to them. This is now my preferred grading method without some sort of stylus and tablet.

  4. For grading, I have become enamored with Gradescope. I plan on using that for all of my future classes (provided my free account doesn't dissolve).

  5. Gradescope is an excellent program for grading submitted exams in pdf format. It has a slight learning curve, but the ability to adjust the rubric real time and have it reflect, as well as annotate comments in the pdf as well as a feedback form were appreciated. Additionally, it provides a statistical breakdown by assessment, as well as student. I also received solid feedback from the students, who appreciated the clarity in the feedback provided by Gradescope. I will continue to use this program even when we return to classes next Fall.

  6. Online test development was a challenge. Blackboard was too difficult for me to learn, so I purchased a test developing software. It is not perfect, but of great help. (https://www.questbase.com). I requested the demo (Owl testing company) but got no response.
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