Jan. 2023 instructional workshops highlight Brightspace, educational technologies, at-risk students

The Innovative Learning Team at West Lafayette, the Office of Instructional Technology at Purdue Northwest, and the Purdue Fort Wayne Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) offer several workshops and sessions in January to help instructors prepare courses in Brightspace, use technology to engage students, and identify at-risk students.

Purdue West Lafayette

Starting Your Brightspace Course Off On the Right Foot
Wed., Jan. 4, 1-1:50 p.m. ET
Want to make sure the first week of class goes smoothly? This workshop will help.
This session will review the steps faculty should take to ensure that their courses are ready on the first day of class. Presenters will cover some of the most common issues that come into Teaching and Learning Technologies about Brightspace courses at the start of each semester, with a focus on ensuring that your course reflects the work you’ve put in to make it perfect.
-Discover common issues with course release in Brightspace.
-Learn how to check your assignments, quizzes and gradebook for errors.
-Learn how to send out an announcement to students prior to the start of the semester.
-Know how to use the Demo Student to preview course materials and layout.

Setting Up Your Brightspace Gradebook
Thu., Jan. 5, 9-9:50 a.m. ET
Ensure your gradebook is set up correctly in Brightspace by attending this workshop. Presenters will cover many of the common mistakes that can be made in setting up and utilizing the gradebook.

Seeking assistance with your Brightspace course? Have questions about a TLT-supported technology? This includes tools such as Gradescope, Kaltura, Circuit, iClicker, Hotseat, Respondus LockDown Browser/Monitor, and Variate. Daily drop-in sessions are offered every weekday throughout the semester. Additionally, TLT staff will be offering two drop-in help sessions on Jan. 3, 4, and 5. For drop-in session days/times, see the Training & Consultations calendar.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Speed Dating with PFW Ed Tech – Session 2
Wed., Jan. 11, 12 noon-1:15 p.m. ET
Online, hybrid, and even traditional classrooms today often rely heavily on technology to engage students with the materials, with each other, and with the instructor. But how do we determine what technologies are simply cool and which technologies can promote engagement and effective learning? Join this session will play with the educational technologies that are supported by the university. Consultations will be available for each table to answer questions and discuss how to use each tool for different teaching and learning needs.

After Identifying Students at Risk for Failing Your Course – Now What?
Mon., Jan. 23, 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET
Retention and student success are part of the mission of our university. In this presentation we will review Brightspace tools that you can use to effectively identify at-risk students and ways to easily contact them. We will also present different types of interventions and resources available on campus to help those students.

Creating & Managing Group Discussion in Brightspace
Wed., Jan. 25, 12 noon-1:15 p.m. ET
The group tool in Brightspace allows instructors to create discussion topics based on group enrollment. In this hands-on workshop, we will walk-through the steps of creating groups and setting up group discussions.

Purdue Northwest

Foundational technology for faculty
Ongoing
Explore the core components of instructional technology in the Foundational Faculty Training module in the PNW Brightspace Instructor Training Course. These self-paced topics include: creating Brightspace content and communication, flexibility in modality, grading, and using activities. Earn a badge for each completed area. This module is part of a series of competencies created for you by the Office of Instructional Technology. Look for our upcoming functional faculty training module that takes a deeper dive into technology tools supported at PNW.

Express Training Session: Course Copy, Change Dates, Add Zoom
Wed., Jan. 4, 12 noon-12:30 p.m. CST
Join the Office of Instructional Technology for a review demo of how to course copy, bulk offset dates, add a Zoom link, and use the Brightspace Zoom integration with your classes.

For questions and support at your campus, contact:
Purdue Global: Direct teaching-related questions to askctl@purdueglobal.edu. Technical support questions should be directed to TechSupport@purdueglobal.edu or 866-522-7747 (toll-free).
Purdue Fort Wayne: Teaching-related questions should be directed to PFW’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) at celt@pfw.edu, 260-481-6354, or CELT’s website for resources and to request one on one consultations. Technical support questions should be directed to PFW’s IT Services Help Desk helpdesk@pfw.edu or 260-481-6030.
Purdue Northwest: Direct teaching-related questions to the Center for Faculty Excellence at cfe@pnw.edu, 219-989-8328, or CFE’s website. Technical support questions should be directed to The Office of Instructional Technology by email oit@pnw.edu or OIT’s website or through their Virtual Help Desk.
Purdue West Lafayette: Visit the Innovative Learning website or email InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu.