As UMBC prepares to offer all SU2020 courses in an online format, DoIT’s Instructional Technology team is pleased to introduce Planning Instructional Variety for Online Teaching (PIVOT), a new professional development program for instructors who wish to take a more deliberate and holistic approach to preparing their courses for remote, synchronous and asynchronous, online instruction. PIVOTconsists of five 60-minute webinars over five days with recorded replays available later that same day. Prototype versions of the live PIVOT webinars will occur daily from May 4 to 8 at noon (up to 225 people can participate, but registration via myUMBC is required).
PIVOT topics will focus on helping instructors achieve competency in areas related to pedagogy, course design and development as well as technical and administrative skills:
Engaging Students & Building Online Community (5/6) - view recorded session here
Reconceptualizing Online Assessments (5/7) - view the recorded session here
Supporting Students and Monitoring Progress (5/8) - view the recorded session here
The first phase of PIVOT is the live webinars open to all instructors, including graduate students, especially those teaching in the Summer [view proposed agenda]. Throughout the summer, PIVOT webinars will be available and part of college-based models with experienced online instructor colleagues who can help provide support or customize content, pending feedback on the early prototype of topics and formats.
In addition to the PIVOT live webinar series, two additional tracks to support faculty are currently under development: PIVOT+ will be a facilitated, cohort-based online workshop available to faculty who are preparing for FA2020 courses. PIVOT Solo will provide a self-directed experience using the PIVOT webinar recordings (available after the PIVOT protype week), complemented by DoIT’s Academic Continuity and the Faculty Development Center’s (FDC) Keep on Teaching sites, as well as select FAQs for a robust reference collection or “playlist.” Also, the FDC will provide multiple opportunities after PIVOT offerings for faculty to reflect and refine lessons gleaned from the initial training.
Inspired by nearly 90 faculty participating in the Alternate Delivery Program (ADP), which focuses on redesigning select courses for winter and summer delivery in online or hybrid format, PIVOT is grounded in the evidence-based principles for how people learn and shares many of the best practices of teaching in face-to-face classrooms, but leverages those principles and adapts the practices to the online environment. Like the ADP, PIVOT leverages the highly-regarded Quality Matters (QM) standards for effective online course design, and is ideal for participants who found themselves thrust into online teaching this Spring, but would like to be more proactive and intentional about their future online course design and instruction.
Beyond responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, PIVOT leverages the University’s prior investment in instructional technology and supports UMBC’s vision of “redefining excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning.”
For additional information, please contact the following:
Dr. Philip Rous, Provost rous@umbc.edu
Dr. Sarah Shin, Associate Provost shin@umbc.edu
Dr. John Fritz, Associate Vice President, Instructional Technology fritz@umbc.edu
Dr. Sherri Braxton, Senior Director of Instructional Technology sbraxton@umbc.edu
Dr. Mariann Hawken, eLearning Manager mariannhawken@umbc.edu
As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:
Academic Continuity | Keep On Teaching | Student Technology Resources
Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups
SkillSoft Spotlights focus on just-in-time online learning that supports you in navigating complex challenges in personal and professional life, helps you to increase your effectiveness, and to improve your relationships. Each course is 30 minutes or less and is curated to provide tools, strategies, and practices to accelerate your success.
This week's spotlight course is Challenges of Working Remotely.
Challenges of Working Remotely (5 min) - video
Working at home poses some challenges as well as opportunities that need to be explored and each person has a different set of unique circumstances. In this short video you'll explore ways to stay focused, maintain a good work-life balance, and avoid burnout. Take note of your own unique situation and identify strategies to aid you in creating a healthy remote working experience.
TO LOGIN:
Using Internet Explorer or Google Chrome, Login to SkillPortusing your FULL UMBC email address for both the username and password boxes.
Once logged in, simply type the name of the course in the search bar.
Need Login Assistance? Email hrtraining@umbc.edu to set up your account and to help with login difficulties. UMBC faculty and staff accounts are set up within 1 month of hire.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit our UMBC SkillSoft page for information on UMBC’s curated role and topic-based certificate tracks as well as professional industry certifications that align with SkillSoft courses.
SkillSoft Spotlights focus on just-in-time online learning to help you more masterfully manage yourself personally and professionally, improve your effectiveness in managing your work, and support you in skillfully leading your teams. Each course is 30 minutes or less and is curated to provide tools, strategies, and practices to accelerate your success.
This week's spotlight course is Strategies to Motivate and Engage Remote Workers.
Strategies to Motivate and Engage Remote Workers (4 min) - video
Working remotely poses unique challenges, first among them isolation. Keeping your employees motivated and engaged doesn't have to be difficult. In this video you will learn some top strategies and techniques for providing support in motivating and engaging your team. Watch the following video and consider which strategies work best for you.
What stood out to you in the video?
Was there anything that resonated with your own lived experience here or in other previous positions or organizations?
How did you feel about the solutions or strategies presented?
What would you have done in this or a similar situation?
Where do you see application in our environment? Do we have similar challenges and if so, how do they show up uniquely in our department?
Where have we already been successful in the past and what has contributed to this success?
Given or culture and our shared values, what suggestions do you have for mitigating these challenges in the future?
TO LOGIN:
Using Internet Explorer or Google Chrome, Login to SkillPortusing your FULL UMBC email address for both the username and password boxes.
Once logged in, simply type the name of the course in the search bar.
Need Login Assistance? Email hrtraining@umbc.edu to set up your account and to help with login difficulties. UMBC faculty and staff accounts are set up within 1 month of hire.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit our UMBC SkillSoft page for information on UMBC’s curated role and topic-based certificate tracks as well as professional industry certifications that align with SkillSoft courses.