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Support for Online Challenges: Labs, Group Work, and Class Discussions
Mar. 28, 2022—In a recent article, Inside Higher Ed described the results of a new survey highlighting a few of the biggest challenges instructors have faced during remote and online teaching over the last two years. You can find the article here: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/03/23/survey-views-pandemic-learning-overwhelmingly-negative According to this survey, labs, group work, and class discussions have been the...
Updated Teaching Guide: Personal Devices in the Classroom (Formerly Wireless in the Classroom)
Dec. 2, 2021—The CFT first published a guide on considering how to work with wireless devices in the classroom in 2010. Given the rapidly changing digital landscape since then, this guide has been updated to better consider and account for the changes in how personal electronic devices are used, and how widespread they have become. It considers how personal electronic devices (especially laptops) can impact learning in...
A Survey to Assess Student Needs in Your Course
Aug. 20, 2021—As we near the beginning of a new semester, many of us are thinking about how we can make space in our classrooms to learn about our students’ needs. In higher education, the question of how we can support students coming back to campus after mostly online experiences is a hot topic in almost every...
Welcome to Vanderbilt, New Faculty!
Aug. 19, 2021—If you are new to teaching at Vanderbilt, I hope you got to attend the CFT’s new faculty orientation called Teaching at Vanderbilt (TAV). It’s always a wonderful opportunity to get to know new faces and learn some tips for success at Vanderbilt. I did a session at TAV this year called Tools for success:...
Lessons from D2L Fusion: How to Support First Generation Students in Brightspace
Aug. 7, 2021—My name is Jenny, and I am a new instructional technologist at the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching. My colleagues and I recently attended the annual D2L Fusion Conference, which focuses on how to maximize the use and support for the Brightspace platform. I had the opportunity to attend sessions on how to support first generation...
Lessons from D2L Fusion: My Top 5 Tips to Improve Discussions
Aug. 4, 2021—By Michael Coley, Fall 2021 Over the month of July, the Brightspace Support team had the opportunity to attend the 2021 D2L Fusion Conference. While this annual conference usually is held in locations across North America each summer, for the past two summers it has been all digital just like much of higher education. Throughout...
Brightspace hours in July and August
Jul. 4, 2021—For many of us at Vanderbilt, August is the busiest month of the year. That is certainly true for us here at Brightspace support at the CFT! And to get ready for our return to campus in August, we have new guides and resources, new faces, and a new expanded schedule ready to unveil. August...
The Brightspace Support Team is Taking Time for Professional Development
May. 22, 2021—The Brightspace team normally provides support to the Vanderbilt campus Sunday through Friday, usually from 7am to 11pm. In particular over the last year at Vanderbilt, we have been proud to step up to the challenges of remote and online teaching and offer expanded hours and services. For the next 10 days, the Brightspace team...
Brightspace Support this Summer
May. 4, 2021—During the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, the Brightspace Team held drop-in hours each Thursday to allow faculty to meet with our team and discuss any questions they had about using the Brightspace platform. We’ve wrapped up our final drop-in session for the spring, and we’ll be dedicating our time during May, June, and...
Don’t Forget These Grading Setup Steps!
Oct. 27, 2020—As instructors give assignments, quizzes and discussions, there are some key grading setup elements to check before opening these activities to students. Start with the Gradebook If you intend to use the Brightspace gradebook, then I would start with this setup. Step 1: How do I set up my gradebook? Step 2: How do I...