TILE’s Masterclasses help you get more from your VLE

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Part of our work in the TILE Hub involves running training sessions on how to use the various teaching and learning tech tools available at Staffs. Over the past year, courses have been transitioning from the Original Blackboard VLE to Blackboard Ultra, and we’ve been helping you get to grips with the new features of Ultra in our Blackboard Ultra Induction and Masterclass series.

We’re running these in-person, hands-on training sessions throughout the summer, until the end of September. If you’ve not been to any yet, but are curious to know whether you might benefit from them, here’s a taste of what’s covered in each session.

Induction / Refresher (Rowan Walker)

Are you new to Blackboard and feeling a bit overwhelmed? Or perhaps you’ve used it before, but it’s been a while, and you’d love a refresher to boost your confidence? If so, the Blackboard Induction / Refresher session is just what you need.

In this comprehensive two-hour training session, I’ll take you through the fundamentals of Blackboard with live demonstrations, providing you with the knowledge and tools you need to navigate and access the platform with ease. You’ll then get some guided hands-on experience at using Blackboard yourself, so you’ll feel more confident with navigating the interface, accessing your modules, sharing content with students, knowing where to find the different features, and engaging and communicating with students through the site.

If you’re completely new to Blackboard, I would definitely recommend attending one of my sessions before any of the Masterclasses, and give yourself a bit of time to practice and consolidate what you’ve learned of the basics.

There are two of these sessions running in August – click on the links below to book on (Staffordshire University staff only).

1st August (Tuesday) 10:00am – 12:00pm – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

17th August (Thursday) 13:00pm – 15:00pm – LT114 Ashley – IRIS Link

Designing your Module Site (George Hill)

My Masterclass is focusing not only on designing your module site but also how Blackboard Ultra relates to Original, understanding why we have set up the modules the way we have, how to transfer from your old modules, and how groups can be useful when designing your modules.

The session is focused on you feeling confident as an instructor and user. It takes the form of a brief demonstration, where you can follow along on either your own module or a test site we can arrange access to. This is followed by an opportunity to ask any questions or get assistance with your own unique use-cases to help you feel more confident with Blackboard Ultra.

If you are new to Blackboard Ultra, I highly recommend all of our sessions but this one may prove very useful for understanding where things may have moved to and how you can now access everything.

There are two of these sessions running in August – click on the links below to book on (Staffordshire University staff only).

9th August (Wednesday) 11:00am – 12:30pm – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

24th August (Thursday) 10:00am – 11:30am – CA201 Catalyst – IRIS Link

Using Multimedia Content (Simran Cheema)

If you are trying to find ways to engage your students in a whole new way and make your course content more accessible and dynamic, sign up for my practical Masterclass in using Multimedia Content in Blackboard Ultra. Effective use of multimedia can have a huge positive impact on your students’ learning experience, making complex concepts more understandable and fostering active engagement.

In my 90-minute training session, I will demonstrate how to use the full range of functions in the Blackboard Rich Text Editor to easily insert and present multimedia elements in your course materials. You’ll practice adding images, video and sound into your module sites, creating a rich and immersive learning experience for your students.

There’s a whole range of different tools you can embed in your Blackboard modules, such as MS Forms, YouTube videos, Padlets and ThingLink creations. You can also use integrated Lecture Capture software to share recordings of your lectures, allowing students to refer back to important learning after the lecture. I’ll show you how to do all of this in the session.

However experienced you are with Blackboard Ultra, I hope you come away from this Masterclass with new ideas about how make your modules more creative and accessible.

There are two of these sessions running in August – click on the links below to book on (Staffordshire University staff only).

10th August (Thursday) 11:00am – 12:30pm – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

21st August (Monday) 11:00am – 12:30pm – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

Assessments (Robin Ray)

What I’d like people to get out of the Assessments Masterclass is twofold. Firstly, I want to make sure anyone setting formative or summative assessments on Blackboard knows how to set them up correctly from the start to avoid running into some all-too-common problems later in the academic year, when the pressure is on for marking and releasing feedback. Prevention is better than cure!

Secondly, I want to open up a conversation around more creative, authentic and appropriate ways to use the different digital assessment tools available. The discussions we’ve had about this in the sessions so far have been really interesting (for me at least!).

The 90-minute session starts by questioning which of the assessment tools is right for your needs: Turnitin, Bb Assignments, Bb Tests, or maybe something else entirely. I’ll then give you some step-by-step guidance on setting up each of those three main tools, and I encourage you to follow along by setting up a test assignment on your own module (or a test site if you prefer). You can ask me questions throughout, and once you’ve got to grips with the setup, we’ll discuss some wider considerations around assessments (e.g. accessibility, plagiarism). I’ll also show you where you can get further support for setting up assessments after the class.

There are two of these sessions running in August – click on the links below to book on (Staffordshire University staff only).

11th August (Friday) 13:00pm – 14:30pm – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

22nd August (Tuesday) 13:00pm – 14:30pm – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

Using the Mobile Apps (Julia Wisniewska)

Did you know that you can access Blackboard through an app for your mobile device, as well as through a web browser? In my practical Masterclass, I’ll demonstrate how you can use the Blackboard Learn Mobile App to help improve student engagement inside and outside of the classroom.

In the 90-minute, hands-on session, I’ll walk you through the functionality of the app and functions, including both the staff and student views. I’ll explain how to manage your module sites through the app (e.g. on a tablet device), including how to set-up and manage a poll and how marking assessments works. There’s also time to discuss the functionality of the app and its various pros and cons.

There are two of these sessions running in August – click on the links below to book on (Staffordshire University staff only).

7th August (Monday) 10:00am – 11:30am – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

23rd August (Wednesday) 14:00pm – 15:30pm – CA202 Catalyst – IRIS Link

Can’t make the August dates?

We’ll be offering more Masterclass dates in September, so keep a close eye on the TILE Hub teams channel and Workvivo for updates. We’re also hoping to arrange some online sessions for those colleagues who can’t attend the Stoke campus in person.

Welcome to Rafy – a new addition to the TILE Hub team

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The TILE team recently added a new member – our Assistant Learning Designer Azharul Rafy. Here’s Rafy talking about his background, interests and his role at Staffs in his own words.

Azharul rafy – Assistant Learning Designer

A smiling man with short black hair and beard standing on a grassy lawn with trees in the background, giving a double thumbs up sign. He is wearing a light brown sweatshirt and blue jeans.

As an enthusiastic international student from Bangladesh, I am currently pursuing an MSc in Digital Marketing Management at Staffordshire University. With a strong passion for digital marketing, I have embarked on a placement opportunity with TILE Hub, where I serve as an Assistant Learning Designer.

During my placement, I immersed myself in a dynamic learning environment, collaborating closely with the TILE Team to gain in-depth knowledge of the cutting-edge technologies and tools utilized in Higher Education. My diverse range of responsibilities includes assisting with event management, where I have been able to develop invaluable skills in organizing and coordinating podcasts, workshops, and other engaging activities.

Drawing from my previous experience as a content creator on YouTube, I brought a unique perspective to my role, and I manage social media for TILE Hub. With expertise in YouTube video optimization, I ensure maximum visibility and engagement for the TILE hub’s content. In addition, I apply creative flair and strategic thinking to develop captivating social media strategies, designing and publishing posts across platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Through my efforts, I am successfully promoting upcoming events and activities, fostering a vibrant community around TILE Hub.

I believe, with my dedication to my studies and gaining practical experience in Digital Marketing, I will become a valuable asset to any team. With a focus on continuous learning and growth, I aspire to leverage my skills and knowledge to create impactful marketing campaigns, driving success in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing.

Outside of my academic and professional pursuits, I enjoy exploring new avenues for creativity and expression, constantly seeking to push boundaries and make a positive impact in the digital world.

Add some colour to your teaching with the Green Screen room

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Earlier this month, some of the TILE team spent a morning in the Science Building on the Stoke Leek Road campus with Senior Lecturer Edward Stanhope, filming some instructional videos on how to use the Green Screen teaching delivery room.

On the left is a person (George) in shadow standing up looking into a camera on a tripod. The camera is pointing towards another person (Edward) standing in a brightly lit half of the room with green walls and flooring. There is a demonstration skeleton hanging in the back corner of this part of the room.
TILE’s George Hill filming Edward Stanhope in the Green Screen room

If you’re not already familiar with it, the Green Screen room (R209) is a fully-equipped and bookable recording room, fitted with state-of-art cameras and lighting. As the name suggests, the walls and flooring are green – this allows the imaging software to replace the green background with a different backdrop of your choice.

Edward has been putting this to good use in his Sport and Exercise courses, recording demonstrations of staff and students using sports and therapy equipment, as well as asynchronous lecture videos, assessment launches and synchronous live Teams lectures. The Green Screen room has also been used to facilitate community engagement through the Staffordshire University Sports Therapy Clinic (SUST).

The TILE team have been supporting Edward in spreading the word to colleagues across the university about this highly useful (and user-friendly) resource so that more people can benefit from it. As well as using the room for demos and live or recorded lectures, we are inviting you to think of other ways it could be used to enhance your courses – for example, to allow your students to create video portfolios of their practical work for assessment.

Making the room user-friendly

A lot of work has been done to make using the room as intuitive as possible, to allow all staff to take advantage of this innovative tech, regardless of your confidence or experience with recording. An important part of this is the simple touch screen interface you see as soon as you enter the room, from which you can tap a couple of buttons and get started immediately, without needing to play around with complicated lighting and camera settings.

On the left is George standing up pointing a camera towards a tablet screen on top of a deep waist-high window-sill on the right. Edward is standing next to the screen looking towards it, with the door to the room behind him. To the left of the door is a panel of switches and a wall-mounted computer monitor and keyboard (partially obscured)

Here’s a brief overview of how it all works:

When you enter the room, tap the interface panel immediately to your left (as shown on the right of the photo above). You’ll be given a choice of three pre-sets on screen:

  • Asynchronous lecture recording – if you choose this and stand in the centre of the room facing the ceiling-mounted screen and camera, you can appear as just your head and shoulders in the corner of the screen, presenting a slide show that will appear behind you (more on this shortly)
  • Synchronous (live) Teams lecture – if you choose this option, it will connect to a Teams meeting on the main computer in the room
  • Practical demonstration – if you choose this option, the camera will zoom out to take in the full room and record you walking around the room giving demonstrations on any equipment you choose to bring in

The next step is to sign in to your university account on the main computer (shown on the left of the photo above). Open whatever you’d like to have as your backdrop (e.g. your lecture slides) or the Teams link for your synchronous lecture. The software will automatically detect it and display it for recording.

A large monitor screen is shown mounted from the ceiling above a panel of reflective windows, with a camera attached below it. On the screen is a presentation slide, with the image of Edward in the bottom right corner. Edward and George are shown reflected in one of the windows.

Stand in the centre of the room and check that you’re happy with the position and lighting you can see on the screen above you. If you do need to make any adjustments (for example, if you’re a little taller or shorter than the pre-sets account for), you can do this from the interface panel with a couple of simple taps. Then, from the panel, tap to start recording. An indicator light hanging above you will turn red to show that recording has started (and will turn green when you stop it again, also from the interface panel).

When you’ve finished recording, remove the USB memory stick from the wall below the interface panel and copy over your file to your device, replacing the memory stick when you’re done.

And that’s it!

Lecture capture integration

TILE’s resident lecture capture expert, Simran Cheema, was on hand to explain how you could upload whatever you record in the Green Screen room directly to your VLE using lecture capture software such as Panopto. Simply open up one of your Blackboard modules on the main computer, and create a Panopto LTI link wherever you want to upload your recordings. With this link you can record, edit and upload your finished Green Screen session video directly through the lecture capture software interface in a web browser – there’s no need to transfer any files from the memory stick. You can even record and upload your live Teams sessions in a similar way using lecture capture integration in Teams.

Want to find out more?

If you’re feeling inspired to use any of this tech to enhance your teaching, but need some further guidance, let us know at TILEHub@staffs.ac.uk. Or if you’d like to speak to a fellow academic who’s already using the Green Screen room, contact Edward.Stanhope@staffs.ac.uk. If you missed Edward’s presentation “Greenscreen Technology: Create a virtual you, because one of you just isn’t enough” at the recent Learning and Teaching Festival, you can hear him talk about his work at the upcoming TILE Conference on 14th July.

Welcome to the Staffordshire TILE Hub

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A very warm welcome to this brand new blog from the Teaching Innovation and Learning Enhancement team (TILE for short).

The TILE team are here to help staff and students embed and use technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. We’re currently working on a range of different projects, alongside running training sessions, providing bespoke support, and helping to develop an academic community of practice through various networking and showcase events. 

Why we’re starting a blog

Unless you’re a regular attendee at our events, or are working with one of us on a specific project, you might not be aware of all the ways we’re already using tech at Staffordshire University. So this is another way that we can spread the word and encourage curiosity and wider discussion about technology in Higher Education.

It’s also a platform to directly showcase some of the things you might want to incorporate in your teaching – watch this space.

Who are the TILE team?

Here are the team in their own words…

Anshul Lau – Digital Academic Developer

Full length shot of a man with short black hair in a black tuxedo, white shirt and black bow tie holding a large brown owl, standing next to a brick building on a brick paved side street at night

I am currently the Team Lead at TILE Hub, focusing on fostering excellence in digital learning ecosystems. My role involves aligning digital learning services with the university’s teaching and learning goals, collaborating with stakeholders, and developing and enhancing digital learning services. I have successfully led projects in Higher Education and Further Education institutions, and I hold qualifications such as SFHEA and CMALT. With a background in Digital Education and online distance learning, I bring valuable insights to enhance institutional digital learning practices. I am also a certified Lego Serious Play Facilitator and pursuing the Data Science and AI Educators program, allowing me to contribute innovative strategies to the evolving digital learning landscape. As a creative technology and education leader, I am dedicated to improving the student learning experience, and drive innovation and excellence in digital learning.

George Hill – Online Distance Learning Designer

Previously I have worked within Online Radio, leading on the development of asynchronous training for our global team. I have also worked with the TILE Hub as a Graduate Project Officer focusing on content production and videography. I am mainly focused on the development of Online & Distance learning courses, the implementation of immersive and interactive teaching technologies (such as ThingLink and Padlet), the uses of simulation and VR around the classroom and supporting DTA with Blackboard. I will also be running masterclasses throughout the summer on Blackboard module design as well as assisting in the design of Micro-credentials.

Head and torso shot of a person with a full brown beard wearing a dark blue shirt and a Staffordshire University lanyard. He is standing in the Learning Market in the Catalyst building wearing a virtual reality headset.

Simran Cheema – Instructional Designer

Head and shoulders shot of a person with long brown hair and a pale pink top in a sunny garden

I am a Master of Chemistry graduate with 2 years’ experience designing and creating virtual lab simulations specializing in higher education science topics. I am responsible for the development of interactive e-learning courses for staff development and training, and supporting the development of Simulated courses with the use of AR, VR and mixed reality. However, I am currently working on the lecture capture project (trialling two systems: Echo360 and Panopto) and supporting HSW with Blackboard. I will also be running Blackboard masterclasses throughout the summer focusing specifically on Multimedia, and upskilling on VIRTI to encourage the application of this technology in courses University-wide.

Robin Ray – Digital Curriculum Designer

I’m a former FE mathematics teacher with a background in educational and tech publishing. As well as supporting JSS and IoE with using the Blackboard VLE, I’m currently investigating e-portfolio software and alternative hybrid and flexible learning modalities. I’ll be running some Blackboard masterclass training sessions over the summer focusing on Assessments, and will be having input into design sprints for new courses later in the year.

Head and shoulders shot of a person with a light orange fringe under a grey wooly hat wearing a blue walking jacket, with a backdrop of a misty mountain range

Rowan Walker – Student Digital Engagement Officer

Head and shoulders shot of a person with a short beard and glasses wearing a burgundy hat, blue jacket, shirt and a blue tie, standing outside some buildings with a blue sky

Hello, I’m the Student Digital Engagement Officer for TILE Hub. My primary objective within our team is to specifically reach out to students and promote sessions and events that foster digital initiatives at Staffordshire University. As a Film graduate with a passion for interactive technologies, I’m excited to organize a variety of sessions throughout the academic year, allowing students to experience these technologies firsthand. You may have already seen me leading staff sessions in the past, such as the Blackboard Induction sessions or the polling app workshops. I want to assure you that these sessions are still ongoing, and I encourage you to reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to discuss any of these opportunities further!

Julia Wisniewska – Assistant Learning Designer – E-Learning (SPO)

I am a Games Art student, just about to graduate. I have experience with both traditional and 3D art. At work, I assist my team with their masterclasses, and I teach my own class about the Blackboard Mobile App. Aside from that, I participate in a JISC project that helps students and staff in determining the level of their digital skills and I support staff with Blackboard.

Head and shoulders shot of a person with long brown hair and a fringe, wearing a green top and pendant necklace, standing in front of buildings with a blue sky

Follow us…

We have a dedicated Staffs TILE Hub YouTube channel where you can find instructional guides, unboxing videos, webinar recordings and more.

You can follow us on Twitter (@StaffsTILEHub) or Instagram (staffs_tilehub) too.

And if you haven’t already, add yourself to the TILE Hub on Microsoft Teams, where you can chat with a community of colleagues about all things TILE.

Want to share your work?

If you’ve been using or trialing something new or innovative in your teaching, we’d love to hear about it and invite you to contribute to this TILE Hub blog. Please let us know by completing this short form and we’ll be in touch:https://forms.office.com/e/vmtkk421uc