TIAA webinar - live!
Stay on target toward a confident retirement
TIAA is offering a live webinar to help you understand the importance of planning ahead for retirement and the advice tools available to you so you can stay on track.
The webinar will cover several topics:
- How to get tailored advice through the Retirement Advisor tool.
- TIAA will share education on the importance of having a retirement strategy.
- How to pursue your retirement goals independently, with online advice, or with help from a TIAA financial consultant.
This webinar is being held on
Thursday, September 21 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Register here!
TIAA offers one-on-one support through a dedicated team of financial consultants. Schedule your session with a TIAA financial consultant—by phone or virtually—to create a personalized plan for your retirement goals.
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TIAA is offering a live webinar to help you understand the importance of planning ahead for retirement and the advice tools available to you so you can stay on track. The webinar will cover...
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retirement
Training
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Training
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Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:24:22 -0400
Call for Proposals: Blackboard's Digital Teaching Symposium
Submissions due September 18, 2023
Do you have a digital teaching best practice or experience to share with other educators? What strategies help educators excel and thrive in a shifting higher education landscape? Share your experiences with faculty, lecturers, academic technologists, and instructional designers at the Fall 2023 Digital Teaching Symposium, a fully-online, one-day conference, scheduled for Thursday, November 2, 2023.
Examples of topics include:
Innovations in Teaching and Learning - Low-cost (or free) apps/platforms to enhance teaching
- New teaching tools
- Safeguarding against plagiarism & academic misconduct
- Simple technology for late adopters of technology in the classroom
Digital Teaching Strategies - Accessibility
- Alternative assignments and assessments
- Competency-based education
- Data & analytics
- Discipline-specific strategies (science, math, psychology, business)
- Diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging
- Evaluation & feedback
- Faculty training & engagement
- Hybrid/blended learning
- Pedagogy Online student engagement
Teaching in Ultra - Assignments, alternative assessments, course design
- Built-in tools such as journals, quizzes, discussions, etc.
- How to organize information on Learn Ultra
- Transitioning to Learn Ultra
- Using templates in Learn Ultra
Please see the information below about the upcoming retirement webinars from MSRP Nationwide and how to register:
“Catch the Match,
It’s Back!”
·
As of July 1, 2023, the State Match was reinstated
for eligible employee deferrals/contributions to MSRP’s 457(b), 401(k), or
403(b) plans or State higher education institution's 457(b), 401(k), or 403(b)
plan (MSRP, TIAA, or Fidelity Investments), up to $600 per eligible employee,
for the fiscal year. Attend this webinar to learn how you may be eligible
and additional details to qualify.
·
Please note:
eligible employees are those who are current members of the Maryland State Employee's Pension
System. Employees enrolled in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) are not
eligible for the Match.
“Frauds and Scams”
·
Identity theft, fraud, and scams could derail your
financial life if undetected. We cover what to look out for, including some
lesser-known schemes, and what to do if it happens to you.
“Managing Market
Volatility”
·
A
volatile market can make even the most seasoned investors unsure. However,
navigating the ups and downs of the market doesn’t have to be so tricky and
nerve wracking. This presentation will help you make sense of the recent market
turbulence and discuss strategies to manage market swings in a portfolio, and
what this may mean for your financial plan.
“Borrowing Against
YOUR Future: What You Need to Know”
·
Borrowing
money from your MSRP 457(b), 401(k), or 403(b) plans before you retire is a big
decision. It can affect your savings progress and long-term retirement goals.
It’s important to learn about the impact of borrowing, terms and conditions,
fees, and serious repercussions if you were to default on this obligation.
Click HERE to register for Featured Webinars
All webinars are approx. 45 mins in length
Enroll with MSRP Nationwide today at MarylandDC.com!
As the fall semester starts, the next update for Ultra courses brings improvements to the course management tools and a new stock image resource for course banners. Additionally, faculty will also have access to a new grading interface and we begin exploring an exciting suite of course design assistant tools powered by AI.
Course Management
- Search Unsplash, the largest stock image database for royalty-free images to use for your course banner.
- Batch Edit availability and due dates for content in your course by expanding folders and learning modules on a single page.
Image 1: In the new Batch Edit, all items are now visible on a single page and you can expand and collapse Folders and Learning Modules.
- Copy one, some or all course announcements between Ultra courses, or from Original courses to Ultra.
- Verify student engagement with third-party tools using Progress Tracking. When students complete content in a third-party tool, it will be marked complete.
AI Course Design Assistant Tools
- A course-builder assistant. Create sample learning modules, titles, and descriptions.
Image 2: Example of AI-suggested course structure
- Image suggestion and creation. The assistant can draw from the Unsplash stock image library and suggest thumbnails for illustration in learning modules or identify an image for the course banner. Functionality also includes AI-generated image creation based on course name and keywords.
- Content-based test generation. AI-powered algorithms analyze an Ultra document's content or inputted learning objectives and quickly generate a diverse set of questions for a test or question bank.
Image 3: Example of AI-generated question bank
- Rubric creation. Drawing on an assessment or discussion prompt's content, the AI can analyze and streamline the rubric creation process according to specific learning objectives and assessment criteria.
Other updates in September include
- Flexible Grading, which was activated just before the FA2023 semester started. Flexible Grading features grade by student or question. Instructors can easily move between student attempts and keep track of their grading process. Flexible Grading is supported on desktop, laptop, and tablets. Faculty are invited to join a Flexible Grading preview and training session on September 18, 2023.
- Auto-captioning of audio and video content used in assessment feedback and announcements. Auto-captioning also supports diverse language preferences, aligning with the user's chosen language in both Original and Ultra courses.
Faculty should see the latest updates in Ultra courses around September 7-8 2023. The next update to our Ultra test environment will take place on September 12, 2023; release notes are posted to the What's New in Ultra that same week. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. Please
watch the FAQs, including
the What's New with Ultra page,
and myUMBC for additional information about Ultra.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
The success of students in a Blackboard course is often dependent on their level of engagement and their ability to stay on track with course content and assignments. As an instructor, it's crucial to have the tools and resources to monitor students' progress and ensure they are staying engaged and motivated throughout the course.
An Ultra course provides progress tracking tools to help instructors monitor how much time students are spending in the course, what content they are engaging with, and what their current grades are. This information is invaluable in helping instructors reach out to students who may be struggling or falling behind, and it also helps in retaining students who might otherwise drop out of the course. Progress Tracking is enabled by default in all Ultra courses as of SU2023.
One of the key benefits of tracking students progress is the ability to identify potential issues early on. If a student is not engaging with course content as much as they should be, the instructor can reach out and provide support, resources, or motivation to help the student get back on track. This proactive approach can help students stay engaged and motivated, and it also helps them to understand the importance of their participation and progress in the course.
Image 1: Example of Progress Summary report. The Ultra progress tracker allows faculty to view how students are engaging with content in a course. Within the context of each content report, the instructor can easily check boxes for students who are not engaged with course resources and send a message.
Another advantage of progress tracking is the ability to monitor students' time spent in the course and where students are spending that time. Since students have the flexibility to log in and work on course content at any time, some may procrastinate or get sidetracked, leading to a decrease in their engagement and delay in completing assigned tasks. By tracking how much time students are spending in the course and seeing how and where students spend that time, instructors can intervene and provide support to help students stay on track.
Image 2: Example of Student Progress report, available from the Student Overview. Viewing an individual student's progress in the course will show how s/he has accessed all content to date and the current grade. It's also easy to send that student a message.
Additionally, tracking students' grades helps instructors to monitor their overall performance and provide additional feedback as needed. With progress tracking, instructors can easily see which students are on track for success and which students may need additional support or intervention. From the student's progress report, click on the Student Activity report to view that individual student's time spent in class and its relationship to the overall grade. Instructors can quickly send messages from these various progress tracking tools as well as within the individual submission pages for assessment activities.
Image 3: Example of Course Activity Report. This student spent more time (purple) in his winter course compared to the rest of the class (black).
Here are a few practical tips for instructors to keep in mind when using these tools:
- Leverage learning modules instead of folders. With progress tracking, students can see how much content they've completed and how much content is left to consume or finish. This can be helpful when planning their schedules or motivating to know they have just one or two items left to wrap up.
- Stay proactive. Regularly check the Student Progress report, available from the Student Overview, and reach out to those who may be struggling. Provide feedback, resources, and encouragement to help students stay on track.
- Use data to inform decisions. The data you collect from the Progress Summary report can inform your teaching and help you to make data-driven decisions about how to support your students.
- Personalize your outreach. When reaching out to students, take the time to personalize your message from assessment submissions based on their individual needs and progress. This shows that you care about their success and helps build a positive relationship with your students.
- Encourage self-reflection. Encourage students to reflect on their progress and engagement, and provide opportunities for them to share their thoughts and experiences with you and their peers.
- Celebrate successes. Celebrate and acknowledge students' successes and milestones along the way. This helps to keep students motivated and engaged in the course.
Using Ultra's progress tracking tools can be an essential part of your teaching toolkit. By tracking students' engagement, time spent, and overall grades, instructors can intervene and provide support when needed, increase engagement and motivation, and help students succeed in their coursework.
~ Mariann Hawken
Allocating time to configure the Ultra gradebook before the semester starts can support efficient grading throughout the semester. In the recent Gradebook Hacks: 5 Tips to Prep for the Semester session, we explored best practices for instructors to optimize their online gradebook setup. A recap of the best practices and related Blackboard Ultra features to support your assessment and grading practices is shared below.
Define Overall Grade Calculation
Select an overall grade calculation that aligns with the course objectives and stated grading policy. Instructors may select from points-based, weighted, or advanced overall grade calculations.
- Points-based calculations display students' grades based on points earned out of points possible. This calculation can be represented as a running total throughout the semester.
- Weighted grading assigns different percentages to various categories such as assignments and tests, to individual items, or a combination of the two.
- Advanced calculations allow instructors to create custom formulas and calculations.
Overall grade calculations also support rules such as dropping the lowest or highest grades from a particular category.
Customize Grading Schemas
Grading schemas provide transparency and help students understand how their performance will be evaluated. The gradebook supports up to 100 unique schemas, which can be customized in the Gradebook settings. Instructors may select from existing schemas such as Letter, Percent, Complete/Incomplete, or use custom schemas as they configure the settings for each assessment.
Organize the Gradebook with Categories
Organizing the gradebook into categories streamlines the assessment process. Utilize default or custom assessment categories to classify assignments, quizzes, projects, and other assessments. This categorization makes it easier to manage and track student progress while offering a comprehensive overview of their performance in different areas. Additionally, consider distinguishing between formative (ongoing) and summative (final) assessments with the new "formative" assessment label to give students a better understanding of their progress.
Apply Exceptions and Exemptions
Assignment exceptions offer the flexibility to make changes that are specific to one assignment, such as extending a due date or allowing additional attempts. Exemptions exclude an assessment from the student's overall grade calculation, which prevents the assessment from appearing late or applying automatic zero.
Use Filters and Search Options
Filters can help instructors locate specific assignments, students, or assessment categories quickly. This feature enhances efficiency when managing a large number of assessments.
- Course Groups: Create course groups to support filtering in the gradebook, as well as for releasing content to specific users or groups. This can be especially useful when multiple course sections are merged in a single Blackboard course shell.
- Formative Labels: Use the "formative" label on assessments to differentiate between formative and summative assessments. Use gradebook filters to identify formative assessments quickly.
Download Critical Information
Instructors may download assignment submissions, assessment results, analytics, the full gradebook, as well as a complete gradebook history. Downloading submissions can support offline grading throughout the semester. Need to track a change in the gradebook? The gradebook history provides a comprehensive record of all gradebook changes.
New Flexible Grading
Image 1: Example of flexible grading in an assignment.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
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Allocating time to configure the Ultra gradebook before the semester starts can support efficient grading throughout the semester. In the recent Gradebook Hacks: 5 Tips to Prep for the Semester...
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Tue, 29 Aug 2023 08:47:42 -0400
USM Professional Development Week 2023
Fall into Success: Inspire, Innovate, Lead!
The USM Learning and Talent Development Committee is pleased to announce the third annual USM-wide Professional Development Week will run from September 18th - 22nd. Professional development week is virtual and free for all USM employees. Learning tracks include Workplace Productivity, Personal Leadership Mastery, Inclusion and Belonging, and Wellness for the Workplace. Scroll down for a registration link, the list of keynote panelists, and view workshop titles. In addition to the keynote and workshops, we will have Morning Mindfulness, with our own Jill Wardell, Director of Talent Learning & OD, and networking sessions to meet your USM colleagues.
Keynote Panel
The USM Learning & Talent Development Committee’s third annual completely virtual professional development week, Fall into Success: Innovate, Inspire, Lead, kicks off with a keynote panel featuring distinguished leaders in higher education. Moderated by Melody Wright, Coordinator, Talent Learning & Organizational Development at UMBC, this compelling panel promises to provide valuable insights as these exceptional leaders share their experiences and visions for the future of higher education. It is a not-to-be-missed event, setting the tone for an exciting week of growth, learning, and professional development.
Anthony Jenkins, Ph.D., President, CSU
Ellen Herbst, Senior Vice Chancellor Admin & Finance, USMO
Chris Steele, Vice Provost, Division of Professional Studies, UMBC
Patricia A. Perillo, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Affairs, UMCP
Lawanda Dockins-Mills, Ph.D., Interim AVP for Student Affairs, SU
Diane Forbes-Berthoud, Ph.D., M.A., Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer and Vice President, UMB
Workshops
Boosting Workplace Efficiency: Harnessing A.I. Assistance
From Stress to Resilience: Navigating Workplace Challenges
Fostering Retention through Inclusion and Belonging
Leading from Within: Strengthening Leadership Qualities
Mastering Virtual Presentations: Rocking Zoom
Embracing Diversity: Developing Intercultural Awareness
Mastering Business Writing in Higher Education
Recharge and Thrive: Managing Burnout and Stress
Micro Affirmations: Building an Inclusive Culture
Inspiring Innovation with Psychological Safety
Navigating Stress in the Workplace: Strategies for Success
Cultivating Workplace Relationships with Restorative Practice
Please register for this free event here and add to your calendar!
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The USM Learning and Talent Development Committee is pleased to announce the third annual USM-wide Professional Development Week will run from September 18th - 22nd. Professional development week...
https://www.usmd.edu/learning-and-talent/PDWeek2023
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Fri, 11 Aug 2023 14:39:54 -0400
Mon, 11 Sep 2023 16:47:44 -0400
Ultra Courses to Offer New AI Course Design Assistant Tools
Generate images, structure, test questions, and rubrics
As the landscape of education continues to evolve, the integration of cutting-edge technology into the classroom has become more vital than ever. The advent of generative AI tools is poised to revolutionize the field of higher education, transforming the virtual classroom into a dynamic and responsive environment. The potential for positive impact on productivity and efficiency for faculty is significant, opening new doors for innovation in teaching and learning as well as course development.
Instructional Technology invites faculty to preview the suite of new AI Course Design Assistant features during two webinars on Wednesday, August 23. Developed to assist faculty in streamlining course preparation, the AI Course Design Assistant tools include:
- A course-builder assistant. Create sample learning modules, titles, and descriptions.
- Image suggestion and creation. The assistant can draw from the Unsplash stock image library and suggest thumbnails for illustration in learning modules or identify an image for the course banner. Functionality also includes AI-generated image creation based on course name and keywords.
- Content-based test generation. AI-powered algorithms analyze an Ultra document's content or inputted learning objectives and quickly generate a diverse set of questions for a test or question bank.
- Rubric creation. Drawing on an assessment or discussion prompt’s content, the AI can analyze and streamline the rubric creation process according to specific learning objectives and assessment criteria.
Informed by Anthology’s Trustworthy AI Approach and seamlessly embedded into Ultra’s workflows, the AI Course Design Assistant tools are opt-in and the instructor is always in control of the content generated. Faculty can choose when, where, and how to leverage the tools in their Ultra courses.
Instructional Technology expects to launch the tools to the campus during National Distance Learning Week (Nov. 6-10) with a lunchtime series. Limited early access will be available to interested faculty upon request. Please attend a preview session for more information.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
UMBC is committed to providing a consistent learning experience for everyone. The last day we will support Blackboard Original is December 31, 2024. Please check out our training and support: https://umbc.edu/go/ultra.
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As the landscape of education continues to evolve, the integration of cutting-edge technology into the classroom has become more vital than ever. The advent of generative AI tools is poised to...
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Instructional Technology
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology
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Instructional Technology
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Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:35:19 -0400
QM offers free Accessibility & Usability Resource Site
Built by the peer community for the peer community
In response to institutional and educator priorities for making education accessible for all learners, the Quality Matters peer community created the Accessibility and Usability Resource Site (AURS).
Free and open to everyone, AURS provides the online community with important information on addressing key accessibility and usability concerns, including:
- Universal Design for Learning - Discover what you need to know about UDL and how it can assist you in creating accessible and usable content to meet the needs of diverse learners.
- Alternative Text - Find out why alternative text is an important principle in accessible web design and how you can use it to help all learners understand the meaning of the image used in your content.
- Video Captions and Audio Descriptions - Uncover the specific steps that must be taken to make video content accessible.
- Hyperlinks - Gain an understanding of how to set up links in the most accessible way possible in order to create accessible content.
- Accessible MS Office products - Explore the basics of Microsoft product accessibility, including alternative text, document best practices and utilizing built-in accessibility checkers.
- Readability: Color Choice and Contrast - Dive into the topics of readability and discover why color choice and contrast play a major role in creating accessible digital resources.
- Accessible PDFs - Take your readability skills to the next level and learn more about how you can make PDFs accessible for your learners.
- Cognitive Accessibility - Increase your understanding of cognitive accessibility and uncover strategies to combat this common barrier to student success.
- Inclusive Teaching Practices - Discover design and pedagogical practices to help you foster an inclusive and diverse online learning community.
Each topic features different resources to assist you with your accessibility challenges. Videos show you step-by-step changes you can make to increase the accessibility of your course. Examples highlight best practices. Articles provide you with additional information and resources. And forums allow you to connect directly with accessibility experts --peers who have expertise in designing accessible courses. There is also a General Accessibility and Usability Questions' Forum where you can ask any question that is unrelated to the listed topics.
Accessing AURS
Anyone can register for the site for free by logging into MyQM and selecting "Workshop - Register" in the side navigation and choosing "Register for Accessibility & Usability Resource Site." Need a QM account?
If you've already registered, the AURS link can be found on your Dashboard in the QM Classroom after you log in.
Blackboard course shells for FA2023 were created on July 25, 2023.
The Ultra Course Preview setting is enabled in FA2023 courses, which allows faculty to preview OR convert a new Original course to Ultra. The recommendation, however, is to create a new course to optimize the design. Note: The last day we will support Blackboard Original is December 31, 2024.
As previously announced, seven departments, many foreign languages, English 100, IHU, FYE, and TRS courses have opted into Ultra to ensure a consistent approach for their students. This means courses will start with Ultra by default rather than Original. For consistency of instructional technology support, FA2023 courses created in Blackboard on/after August 1, 2023 will be created in Ultra by default.
Plan your accessibility and Universal Design for Learning strategy before students begin working with course materials. Ally, an accessibility tool, is enabled in all course shells. Ally automatically scans uploaded and created course content, then performs a series of steps to make that content more accessible. Please review the Ally FAQs for more information about the accessibility indicators on course content and alternative formats, or attend a training session.
For faculty who will be teaching hybrid or online, the instructional technology team would like to share several resources to support online course development and instruction.
- Choose from our PIVOT Solo lessons to refresh or enhance your online teaching preparation. Five key topics cover course organization, active learning, community building, assessment, and supporting students.
- Explore our Panopto folder for a wide variety of recorded webinars on various instructional technologies available at UMBC.
- Learn about the Quality Matters Impact program, a new initiative to formally recognize courses that meet Quality Matters standards and demonstrate exemplary online/hybrid course design.
About Course Creation
- If you are an instructor, and your name is not associated with the course you are teaching in the SOC, please see your Departmental Scheduling Coordinator to resolve the issue. Once you are listed in the SOC, your Bb course shell will be created automatically.
- If you and your Department Scheduling Coordinator believe you are correctly assigned as the instructor of record in the SOC and you do not see your course shell in Blackboard, please submit a Request Tracker (RT) ticket via my.umbc.edu/help.
- If you need a Bb shell for a research or independent study course, please submit a new course request.
Instructors who teach multiple sections of the same course will find those enrollments merged into one Bb course shell. These sections may be split upon request by an RT ticket, which we recommend submitting at least one week before the semester starts, if not as soon as courses are created in Blackboard. NOTE: Courses should not be split after student grade data and engagement activity is recorded since it will be purged as part of the separation process.
Student enrollment in Bb mirrors the official registration in SA and updates hourly. However, courses are not accessible to students by default until the instructor of record makes them available.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
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Blackboard course shells for FA2023 were created on July 25, 2023. The Ultra Course Preview setting is enabled in FA2023 courses, which allows faculty to preview OR convert a new Original course...
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Instructional Technology
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology
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Instructional Technology
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Wed, 26 Jul 2023 09:50:56 -0400
Thu, 31 Aug 2023 13:44:24 -0400
