Integrating Technology – Page 3

Teaching Through Re-Reading

April 2, 2019

main web page view of mill marginalia online

by Albert D. Pionke, Department of English Although not specifically designed with the classroom in mind, Mill Marginalia Online offers instructors in philosophy, history, law, Classics, and English and European literature and culture the opportunity to incorporate Digital Humanities research results and methods into their courses. Each of these major subject areas is amply represented in nineteenth-century philosopher and liberal theorist John Stuart Mill’s personal library. Mill Marginalia Online seeks to digitize all of the handwritten marks and annotations found […]

Put Your Teaching on a Swivel

March 20, 2019

by Kimberly A. Blitch, College of Human Environmental Sciences Our department (Human Development and Family Studies) is using SWIVL robot cameras in the 10 classrooms of The Children’s Program (TCP serves children from birth to age five). This technology supports our students — teacher candidates — in conducting video observations of their teaching and interactions with children. Here is an example of how an instructor at Grand Valley State University uses Swivl for classroom observations: This is instrumental as […]

Piloting ePortfolios in the First-Year Writing Program

March 19, 2019

Students working on ePortfolios in Dr. Kidd's classroom.

by Jessica Fordham Kidd, Department of English On February 22, 2019, Natalie Loper, Brooke Champagne, and I participated in the Faculty Technology Showcase with a presentation on the First-Year Writing Program’s (FWP) ePortfolio Pilot program, which is in its second semester. This ePortfolio initiative was inspired by Dr. Kathleen Blake Yancey’s visit to UA in February 2018 when she presented “EPortfolios for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment.” Her faculty website lists her recent scholarship, much of it related to ePortfolios. The […]

Electronic Whiteboard Alternatives in Large Lecture Halls

March 18, 2019

by Diana Leung, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The Large Classroom Challenge Since chemistry is a visual subject, where structures must be drawn out, problems worked through, and equations presented, the use of handwritten notes is critical. During my time in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Alabama, I have taught in a range of classrooms: from a small, 80-seat room to a larger, 400-seat lecture hall. My teaching style relies on the use of a […]

Recommended Apps for Teaching and Research

February 7, 2019

With more than 2 million apps in the App Store, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are the apps eTech recommends for teaching, research, and productivity. Most are free, but some are paid or require a University account. For more information about setting up your iPad, or about using it as a teaching and research tool, visit the eTech iPad page or schedule time with an eTech consultant. Productivity Adobe Reader: PDF reader with the ability […]

Use Your LMS to Reclaim Your Syllabus

January 11, 2019

by Nathan Loewen, Department of Religious Studies Cutting to the chase Here is how to make your syllabi openly accessible online. Have your syllabi do less and then use your institution’s Learning Management System (LMS) to make up the difference and then some! I previously challenged the notion of “learning management” and championed what an LMS does. Now I want to think about how to divide tasks between publicly accessible syllabi versus password-secure course pages: Keep your syllabus basic with a […]

Blackboard Pro-Tip: Step Up Students’ Blackboard Literacy

January 8, 2019

by Nathan Loewen, Department of Religious Studies “We couldn’t find it on Blackboard!” Maybe you heard this about your syllabus? I heard this from my class after I returned their assignments online. Some people could not find their grades. Others could not find the general feedback I wrote about the assignment. Others still could not find the individualized notes that I added to each of their assignments. “Blackboard Literacy” means being able to navigate, find and use items on UA’s […]

Blackboard Pro-Tip: Tweaking Your Course Shell

January 8, 2019

by Nathan Loewen, Department of Religious Studies The College of Continuing Studies likely houses the most people at UA with a total mastery of Blackboard Learn. If you use Blackboard and want to quickly learn how to optimize it for your teaching, then the folks at CCS may well have the answers you are looking for on their Information for CCS Online Instructors page. Likewise, the home page for the Online Course Technical Support site has a slew of resources for […]

Zooming Your Students to Rescheduled Classes

December 10, 2018

by Todd Hutner, Curriculum and Instruction Like many faculty members, my professional obligations sometimes take me away from campus — guest speaking invitations, data collection for research projects, professional development workshops for science teachers both in Alabama and nationally, and conferences. All of these commitments require I leave Tuscaloosa for two or more days at a time. While these types of faculty activities raise the profile of the University and engage faculty with the broader community, such opportunities often conflict […]

Zoom Your Students into Campus Classrooms to Authentically Teach Research Practices