Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is a worldwide event held annually on the third Thursday of May to raise awareness about digital accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.  Join us virtually on 5/15 between 10 am and 12 pm to get assistance to learn how to run an accessibility report in your course and how to use Bb Ally to make content accessible.

Stay 10 minutes or up to 2 hours!

At this virtual event, you’ll collaborate with experts from University Libraries, Student Accessibility Resources, eLearning Technologies, and University Marketing to learn best practices for making your digital content accessible.

• May 15, 2025 10 am - 12 pm

Grand Valley Technology Summit

Mark your calendars now for the first Grand Valley Technology Summit on October 2, 2025. Sponsored by Information Technology and developed in collaboration with colleges and departments across the university, this event will welcome faculty, staff, and students alike. Connect, collaborate, and contribute to the conversation about the future of technology at GVSU.

Before you head offline for the spring/summer semester, the eLearning team knows many of you are excellent at integrating technology into your teaching and learning practices. We would love to have you consider submitting a proposal for a roundtable discussion, poster session, or breakout session. 

Interested in attending? Register now to secure your spot!

Stay informed by bookmarking the event webpage — we'll update it regularly with new details about speakers, topics, and more. 

• October 2, 2025 12 pm - 5 pm

Exploring Quality Matters Spring Intensive

In this special May learning community, participants will gain experience applying internationally-recognized and research-driven standards for online and hybrid courses. Participants will explore each of the eight standards that make-up the 7th edition of the Quality Matters rubric, and will apply those standards to one of their own existing courses. Meetings will include discussion of the QM rubric's content, accompanied by a dialog among participants based on their own experiences teaching in both digital and non-digital environments.

More details coming soon

• May 12 – May 16, 2025 • 9am – 12pm (1pm – 3pm: optional focused working time)
• DCIH, room to be announced
  
  Those interested in participating can register on the FTLC Learning Community website. If you have questions, please email Matt Roberts ([email protected]) or Glenna Decker ([email protected]).

Blackboard Ultra Essentials for Courses 
GVSU eLearning Technologies Sponsored
Instructors are encouraged to review our Ultra Instructor resources in the Service Portal and contact their eLearning liaison for assistance. 

5/1/25 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
5/2/25  2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
5/6/25 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM 
6/19/25 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
6/20/25 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
6/23/25  3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
8/20/25 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
8/21/25 7:00 PM -  8:00 PM

Blackboard Essentials for Instructors: Exploring Course Structure and Content Creation 
Anthology/Bb Sponsored

4/9/25 -  11:00am - 12:00 PM
4/24/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
5/14/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/3/25 -  11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/19/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM

Blackboard Assessments Simplified
Anthology/Bb Sponsored
Learn how to effectively set up and manage assessments within a Blackboard course. Instructors will learn how to use assignments, rubrics, and tests to evaluate learner performance and engagement. By the end of his webinar, instructors will understand how to leverage assessments to enhance the learners' experience in their courses.

4/10/25 -  11:00am - 12:00 PM
4/29/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
5/15/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/4/25 -  11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/24/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM

Inclusive Design in Action: Maximizing Accessibility in Blackboard
Anthology/Bb Sponsored
Join our accessibility specialists to review common accessibility issues while working with digital content in online learning. We will analyze why these issues are so crucial, explore tips for creating more accessible content, and use Ally to help you learn and expand access to more inclusive content. Now is a great opportunity to review your course materials and activities to ensure maximum engagement for all learners.
4/17/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
5/7/25 -  11:00am - 12:00 PM
5/27/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/12/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM

Streamlined Grading in Blackboard: Best Practices for Educators
Anthology/Bb Sponsored
It explores the grading process and the methods to make it easier than ever to grade learners’ work. In Blackboard, instructors can provide feedback, post grades, and easily check the originality of a learner’s work. Instructors can provide audio and video feedback to the learner, helping them understand areas of their work that may need attention. Join us in this informative session on using Blackboard’s grading tools to make your online teaching experience more efficient and less time-consuming.

4/30/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
5/20/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/5/25 -  11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/25/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM

Navigating Blackboard Gradebook: Tips for Instructors and Course Builders
Anthology/Bb Sponsored

This webinar is designed to introduce you to the power of Blackboard’s gradebook. The Gradebook is more than just a location to record learners’ grades, it is an interactive tool that allows instructors to utilize the different views to filter, sort, and access data, calculate grades, and monitor student progress. Join this session to learn the basics of efficiently managing your learners’ work and grades.

4/15/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
5/1/25 -  11:00am - 12:00 PM
5/21/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/10/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM
6/26/25 - 11:00am - 12:00 PM

Accessibility Best Practices for Respondus LockDown Browser
Unlock the tools to make online assessments accessible for every student in this hands-on seminar designed specifically for faculty. Discover how to create inclusive, responsive assessments that seamlessly support students with disabilities using Respondus LockDown Browser. Through practical tips and expert guidance, you'll learn how to configure settings for screen readers, integrate adaptive technologies, and set up accommodations for extended time. Tackle common accessibility challenges head-on and explore solutions to test accessibility before exams go live. Leave with the knowledge and confidence to uphold assessment integrity while fostering an inclusive learning environment for all students.

This webinar has concluded and will be rescheduled for the Fall 2025 semester.  You are also encouraged to review this resource about Respondus.

LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor

This training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams.

Please note that this is a Respondus-sponsored session. Faculty are encouraged to review our Respondus Best Practices resources and contact their eLearning Liaison for assistance. 

• Wednesday, May 7 at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT
• Tuesday, May 13 at 12 pm ET / 9 am PT
• Wednesday, May 21 at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT
• Wednesday, May 28 at 3 pm ET/ 12 pm PT

Using Learn Ultra Analytics

Holding every student accountable and identifying individuals who are falling behind is made easier in the Blackboard Learn Ultra experience. This seminar will focus on the data and analytics available throughout your Ultra Course and include an overview of Blackboard’s Assessment and Accreditation solution, EAC Visual Data. During the session, we’ll guide instructors through assignment analytics, student progress analytics, and course data that will allow you to measure and boost your students’ performance.

This webinar has concluded for the Winter semester and will be offered again in the Fall 2025 semester.  You are also encouraged to review this resource about Analytics.

Evaluating Student Performance Outcomes with Blackboard and EAC

Join us for an insightful seminar designed to empower faculty with the tools and strategies needed to effectively evaluate course level student performance outcomes using Blackboard and EAC’s assessment and accreditation solution. In this session you will explore how to leverage the robust analytics and reporting features of EAC to track student progress, identify learning gaps, and provide targeted support.

5/19/25 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
You are also encouraged to review these resources about  EAC. 

AI-Powered Productivity: Transforming Faculty Workflow 
Discover how AI tools can revolutionize your teaching and administrative tasks, freeing up time for what matters most—engaging with students and innovating in your field. This workshop provides practical insights and hands-on guidance on integrating AI into everyday workflows, from automating routine tasks to enhancing course planning and communication. Learn to work smarter, not harder, and transform your approach to academia with AI-powered strategies.

• 5/1/25 - 1 PM - 2 PM 

Exploring AI in Higher Ed- Ethical and Effective Use of AI, a Faculty Discussion
Are you ready to transform your teaching methods and enhance student engagement? Join us for "Exploring AI in Higher Education", a dynamic three-part series designed to equip educators with the knowledge and tools to harness the power of artificial intelligence in the classroom.

• 5/6/25 - 1 PM  - 2 PM

Introduction to Quality Matters
In this session, you'll be introduced to the nationally recognized standards for online/hybrid courses.  In addition to an overview of each of the eight standards, we'll discuss the QM rubric, what informs it, its value, and how to take the next step toward validating the quality of your online courses and recognizing where you can make improvements.  

• Spring/Summer dates are coming.

Declutter Your Digital Life
Are you feeling overwhelmed by a cluttered inbox and disorganized files? Join our webinar to learn practical strategies for mastering file and email management. This hands-on session will teach you how to streamline your digital life by organizing your files, naming and storing them effectively, managing your email with ease, and implementing systems to keep everything running smoothly.

• 5/5/25  - 1 PM – 2 PM

Empowering Student Teams: Building Self-Led Collaboration
Creating effective student teams can be challenging, but with the right strategies, instructors can foster self-leading teams that collaborate productively throughout the semester. This one-hour course will guide college instructors through key principles of team formation, structure, and maintenance, ensuring that students take ownership of their group work on projects, papers, and assignments. Faculty will explore best practices for setting expectations, managing team dynamics, and implementing accountability measures that encourage autonomy while minimizing instructor intervention. By the end of the session, instructors will have practical strategies to create cohesive, high-functioning teams that enhance student learning and engagement.

• 5/7/25 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
   

Innovation in Your Course
Improve student engagement and promote innovative thinking in your courses. Students need to develop creative, innovative thinking for today’s jobs, and instructors can build this into their courses for any subject content. Help students apply their learning with real-world scenarios and authentic assessments, and encourage innovative thinking while aligning to your learning outcomes. This webinar will share many examples, tech tools, and engaging options to try in your courses.

• 8/18/25 1 PM – 2 PM 

Learn more about creating and managing video and digital applications in these seminars.

Creating Instructor Presence with Panopto

Learn more functions in Panopto, such as video creation, captions, quizzing, and student video assignments!

• 4/3/25   - 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• 5/5/25 -  11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• 6/9/25  - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• 8/4/25  - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• 8/18/25 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Media Assessments: Transform Your Existing Assignments into Student-Created Video
In this course, we will walk through how you might be able to convert one of your existing assignments into a project that will help your students develop their media creation skills. There are many different methods that you could use, from Panopto assignments to having your students create TikToks for class. Importantly, we will cover different assessment categories that you might want to consider when developing a rubric for a project of this nature.

• 5/13/25 - 11 AM – 12 PM
• 9/16/25 - 11 AM – 12 PM

Using Padlet to Engage Online Learners
Padlet lets you create a virtual bulletin board where you and your students can write notes and upload documents, photos, slideshows, record videos/audio files or add hyperlinks. During this webinar, participants will learn how to activate their Padlet account and how it can be used for brainstorming, storyboarding, collecting resources (such as images, attachments, hyperlinks, recording videos/audio), gathering the results of group work, and much more!

• 6/5/25 - 11 AM – 12 PM
• 8/19/25 - 11 AM – 12 PM

 For immediate assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your eLearning Liaison. You should also review this resource about integrating Padlet into Blackboard Ultra.

Hypothesis Academy: Social Annotation 101

Hypothesis Academy: Social Annotation 101 is a two-week course designed for both new and experienced users, to teach you not only how to use the Hypothesis tool, but how to design social annotation assignments to best support your students’ learning.  By the end of the course, you’ll have set up a Hypothesis-enabled assignment in your course site, complete with instructions for your students and a grading plan.

If you complete all of the required components of the course, you’ll also receive recognition as a Hypothesis Certified Educator for the course Social Annotation 101. This includes a digital certificate (which can easily be shared to your social media pages or downloaded and saved to a portfolio) and recognition on our website.

Please note that this workshop is hosted by Hypothesis. To participate, you must register directly with Hypothesis using the virtual classroom link provided with enrollment confirmation for this session. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email from Hypothesis with the Zoom meeting details.

• 5/2725 - 6/10/25

Hypothesis Summer Intensive

This 3.5-hour comprehensive session includes everything you need: Activating Annotation, Annotating Your Syllabus, Modeling Annotations, plus workshop time to apply what you've learned. Summer Intensive sessions require registration with a minimum of eight participants.

Please note that this workshop is hosted by Hypothesis. To participate, you must register directly with Hypothesis using the virtual classroom link provided with enrollment confirmation for this session. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email from Hypothesis with the Zoom meeting details.

6/18/25 11:00AM - 2:30 PM
7/23/25 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Hypothesis Academy: Social Annotation for Student Success

Hypothesis Academy: Social Annotation for Student Success is a two-week asynchronous course focused on designing social annotation assignments to encourage equity and belonging in our classrooms, leading to greater student retention and success. In the course, we’ll examine the importance of student belonging, agency, and voice and review strategies to incorporate these elements into our social annotation assignments.  The course is designed for both new and experienced users, providing optional technical how-tos for using Hypothesis within the LMS for new users. 

By the end of the course, participants will design a social annotation activity that implements strategies to encourage student agency and voice.  If you complete all of the required components of the course, you’ll also receive recognition as a Hypothesis Certified Educator for the course Social Annotation for Student Success This includes a digital certificate (which can easily be shared to your social media pages or downloaded and saved to a portfolio).

Please note that this workshop is hosted by Hypothesis. To participate, you must register directly with Hypothesis using the virtual classroom link provided with enrollment confirmation for this session. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email from Hypothesis with the Zoom meeting details.

7/15/25 - 7/29/25

Hypothesis: Getting Started in Bb

This workshop will focus on how collaborative annotation with Hypothesis can make student reading active, visible, and social. Participants can expect to come away from this session with a clear idea of how to start incorporating collaborative annotation into their courses to improve student outcomes.

Please note that this workshop is hosted by Hypothesis. To participate, you must register directly with Hypothesis using the virtual classroom link provided with enrollment confirmation for this session. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email from Hypothesis with the Zoom meeting details.

7/29/25 1:00PM - 1:30PM

Getting Started with Microsoft Teams

• 7/30/25 - 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
  To get started with Microsoft Teams, see this resource. 
   

Microsoft Bookings Basics

• 9/3/25 - 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
  To get started with Microsoft Bookings, see this resource. 
   

Microsoft Excel 101

• 4/30/25 -  1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
   

Microsoft Excel Formulas & Functions Part 1

• 5/28/25 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
   

Microsoft Excel Formulas & Functions Part 2

• 6/11/25 - 1 PM - 2 PM

Practical Ways to Enhance Your PowerPoint Presentation

• This webinar has concluded and will be scheduled again in the Fall 2025 semester.  Please see this resource for assistance. 
   

Time-Saving Tips in Outlook

• 7/2/25  - 1 PM – 2 PM
   

Introduction to Windows 11
Windows 11 is Microsoft’s newest operating system(OS), offering an upgrade from the familiar Windows experience. This training is intended to provide aa brief overview and detailed instructions on preparing your device, steps to back up your files via OneDrive, action items to help facilitate a smooth transition, and what's new in Windows 11. 

• 3/26/25 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
• 4/16/25 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
• 5/7/25  1:00pm - 2:00pm
• 5/14/25 1:00pm - 2:00pm
• 6/18/25 1:00pm - 2:00pm
• 6/25/25 1:00pm - 2:00pm 
• 7/9/25  1:00pm - 2:00pm 
• 7/23/25 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Zoom 101

Learn how to use Zoom to conduct synchronous class meetings and schedule virtual office hours.

• This webinar has concluded. Additional training will be scheduled for the Fall 2025 semester. To get started with Zoom, see this resource.

Utilizing Zoom Tools Effectively

Discover how to leverage Zoom tools to enhance and support your courses or team collaborations. Participants who attend this webinar will gain proficiency in using the appointment scheduler, chat channels for teams or courses, whiteboards, and Zoom notes.

• This webinar has concluded. Additional training will be scheduled for the Fall 2025 semester. To get started with Zoom, see this resource.

Credits: Sprout by IconMark from NounProject.com