U of A Faculty Invited to Readiness Labs in May to Refresh Blackboard Courses

Instructional designers and academic technologists will be available to answer questions or help University of Arkansas faculty refresh their summer courses in Blackboard during “Course Readiness Open Labs” in mid-May at two locations.

The readiness labs will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, in Room 372B of Mullins Library, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 15, in Room 209 of the Global Campus Building, 2 E. Center St., on the downtown Fayetteville Square.

“Did you forget how to change the quiz setting? Do you want to try a tool to enhance learning? Do you need to clean up your grade center? We are here to help,” said Miran Kang, director of instructional design and support services at the Global Campus.

Each readiness lab is a drop-in event that gives faculty the opportunity to set aside time to focus on updating their courses in Blackboard for the next semester. No reservations are necessary, but faculty are encouraged to bring their laptops. Those who need laptops provided for them should contact Shelly Walters, instructional designer, at saw034@uark.edu.

The May readiness labs will focus on updating courses to be offered this summer. Labs in early August will provide preparation assistance for courses offered in fall 2014.

The course readiness tutorial video will walk faculty through verifying and updating their courses in Blackboard. This step-by-step tutorial showcases some tips and best practices that will enhance the quality of courses. Use a readiness checklist to determine if a course is ready for the start of a new semester.

If a course has not been created in Blackboard for the new semester, view the course request website page.

For more professional development opportunities related to course design, check the Training & Workshops tab on the Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support site. 

Faculty with questions can contact the instructional design and support services team at online@uark.edu or 479-575-6510.