E-learning, Course Development and Support
The Educational Technology Center (ETC) assists Metro State faculty with online course design and development, multimedia design and development, content implementation, training, technology consultation and WebCT/Blackboard Vista support.
Please complete our Service Request Form for assistance.
WebCT/Blackboard Vista
Metro State uses Blackboard Vista, a powerful learning management system (LMS), to host online and blended course offerings. It provides web-based tools that simplify and streamline course creation and delivery of content. It includes tools such as gradebook, internal email, a calendaring system, discussion tool which is able to facilitate student-instructor and student-student interaction and a synchronous chat function. Exams and Assignments can be delivered, completed and submitted online.
ETC provides consultation, training and support to effectively utilize and leverage WebCT/Blackboard Vista system. For more information on training visit our Training page.
Blackboard Vista Print Materials are available upon request. Please submit the request using our Service Request Form. Select "Request Blackboard Vista Print Materials " from the "Category" drop-down menu and include your full name, MetroConnect username, and Campus Box # or mailing address in the request.
WebCT/Blackboard Vista for On-Campus Courses
The course management system is available for all sections, residential and online. Faculty who plan to use Blackboard Vista in their residential course and have not taught online or completed the Blackboard Vista Orientation are strongly encouraged to view the online tutorial. An online video tutorial is available for all instructors. This is the starting point for faculty without previous experience with Blackboard Vista. The 25 minute tutorial introduces the basic functions that instructors may want to incorporate into their residential courses. This video tutorial introduces the following functions:
- Syllabus
- File sharing
- Announcements
- Calendar
- Discussions
- Web Links
- Grade Book
Services
Online Course Design
The ETC development team assists faculty with the design, development and delivery of instructional materials. We combine technology resources and expert consultation to help faculty create quality online, hybrid and blended courses. Our experienced course developers are available for a Blackboard Vista design consultation. Consultations may be brief, a phone call or may be extended, taking place over the course of a few months or a semester.
Additionally, we offer teaching and learning tips and tricks, best practices, as well as templates, icons, and headers. These resources were created by ETC and are for you to freely use in your courses. Please note; as the subject matter experts (SME), faculty members are responsible for all content related to the course. Course content includes all course materials (lecture notes, learning materials, assignments, assessments, discussions, relevant links, etc).
Dates for Course Design
Deadline dates are established to ensure the ETC team has appropriate time and resources to allocate to your request. Please schedule a planning meeting with a course developer at least two weeks prior to the deadlines to ensure the completion of your request. You will need time to gather your material before the technical work can begin. Requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. To schedule a meeting with a course developer, please complete the Service Request Form.
New Course or Course Redesign – Eight weeks prior to start of term
All content must be developed and delivered to us no later than eight weeks prior to the start of term. Content delivered after that date is not guaranteed to be ready for the new semester. Media and interactive applications require time to produce and schedule. All requests for new media must be submitted eight weeks prior to the start of term. The appropriate staff will contact you to setup a follow-up meeting to discuss and clarify the scope of your needs.Major Modification – Six weeks prior to start of term
Outline of the changes and updates must be submitted electronically no later than six weeks before the start of term. Content delivered after that date is not guaranteed to be ready for the new semester.Major modifications include: major text revisions, structural/architectural changes, file or organization changes, changes to media (video/audio material), and changes to animation/interactive applications.
Minor Editing – Four weeks prior to start of term.
Please provide an outline of the changes and updates electronically no later than four weeks prior to the start of the semester. Content delivered after that date is not guaranteed to be ready for the new semester.Minor modifications include: changing dates and minor text changes or updates (no extensive changes or additions). Also, we welcome you to drop by any of our open lab sessions for assistance. The schedule is available on our Laboratory page.
Media Production
The ETC offers state-of-the-art Classroom and Multimedia recording, editing, compressing and digitizing services for high-end video production. We use the latest and the greatest software programs in the market, to produce accessible, quality online audio and video.
We can also take your learning material and develop commercial-quality interactive applications to enhance your instruction and help your students reach learning goals and performance objectives.
For more information on media visit our Media Production page.
Open Lab and Resources
The ETC lab is located in CN 220A. It is a state-of-the-art lab designed specifically for instructional technology. For more information about Open Lab and for the Open Lab Schedule visit our Open Lab page.
For up-to-date information regarding software, hardware availability please visit our Laboratory page.
Training
The ETC offers assortment of workshops and tutorials relating to Blackboard Vista and other technology topics. These workshops or tutorials are designed to meet the needs of Metro State faculty. For all our training opportunities and resources please visit our Training page. To register for a training or workshop, please submit a Service Request.
Resources:
Online Communities:
- EDUCAUSE (http://www.educause.edu/)
- The Sloan Consortium (http://www.sloan-c.org/)
- LearningTimes (http://www.learningtimes.org/)
Journals, newsletters, Magazine and articles
- eLearn Magazine (http://elearnmag.org/index.cfm)
Accessibility:
- WebAim (http://www.webaim.org/articles/)
- Section 508 Law (http://www.section508.gov/)
- W3C Schools (http://www.w3schools.com/)
- W3C World Wide Web Consortium (http://www.w3.org/)
Copyright and Fair Use:
- US Copyright office
- Fair Use law
- Article, "The Educator's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use" at techLEARNING.com
- Hall Davidsons Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers Handy Chart
- PBS Teachers Copyright and Fair Use
Blogs and Podcasts: