ITaP offers events to help faculty start new semester

As a new faculty member at Purdue this fall, Betsy Parkinson says she was feeling a little overwhelmed as she prepared for the start of the semester. Then, she met ITaP.

“I was trying to figure out how to get my course set up in Blackboard and find out what other technology was available,” says Parkinson, an assistant professor of organic chemistry. She attended ITaP’s start of the semester technology showcase “and that session really helped me to hit the ground running,” she says.

Parkinson says she received help setting up her course in Blackboard, and was also able to talk with educational technologists about how to use the platform to host quizzes. Others at the open house-style event helped her get information about the available classroom response tools (Hotseat and iClickers) and showed her how to register for classroom video recordings through BoilerCast.

“It was all made really easy,” says Parkinson, “and much quicker than if I tried to find out the answers on my own.”

Prior to the start of the spring semester, ITaP is again hosting a series of similar technology events designed to help faculty prepare for teaching:

• Faculty Technology showcase: 9-11 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, in the Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC), Room 2121. This open house-style event allows faculty to learn about available classroom technology, see demonstrations and ask questions. Attendees may come and go as their schedules allow. For more information and to register, click here. 
• Blackboard Orientation for faculty: 9-10 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, in WALC 2087. Faculty can work one-on-one with educational technologists to learn the basics of Blackboard. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop and course materials so they can receive help while creating their own courses. For more information and to register, click here.
• Wilmeth Active Learning Center open house: 9-11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 4, in WALC 1121, and 1-3 p.m. in WALC 1018. With seven different classroom types, the Wilmeth Active Learning Center is one of the most diverse learning spaces on campus. This open house is designed to help faculty teaching in an active learning classroom navigate the features their room provides. Attendees may come and go as their schedules allow. For more information and to register, click here.

Those unable to attend any of these events can request a one-on-one consultation by emailing tlt@purdue.edu.

ITaP holds faculty professional development events throughout the semester; topics and dates can be found on the ITaP training calendar.

Writer: Dave Stephens, technology writer, Information Technology at Purdue, 765-496-7998, steph103@purdue.edu. 

Last updated: November 23, 2018