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Published on 3 Comments on Drive Right In

Note: While some useful and relevant information may be extrapolated, readers should understand that this post contains dated information from when Xavier was a Google Campus (2015-2022).

In a big win for Xavier faculty, ITC recently "opened up" Google Drive for global collaboration.

What does this mean?

As you may know, Google Drive is a service for storing, syncing and sharing files. When Xavier adopted G Suite (formerly Google Apps), all Xavier users got an account allowing them store files in Google Drive. You can access your files at drive.google.com.

However, files stored in Google Drive could only be shared with other Xavier users — until now. Now you can share your files with colleagues at other institutions around the world. (Please note that the new policy applies only to faculty at this time.) We anticipate this will greatly aid in your efforts at scholarly collaboration.

What's the benefit?

Instead of emailing files back and forth, you can share a file in Google Drive. If you grant editing access to others, they can make changes; Google keeps the file in sync. You are less likely to run into the confusion that commonly arises when different versions of a document are edited by multiple contributors.

How to do it?

Sharing files with Google Drive is pretty easy, but not entirely goof-proof.

First, naturally enough, you have to have some files in Google Drive to share! I'm going to assume you already do; if that's not the case, a basic tutorial is available.

Second, navigate to the file you want to share in the Google Drive web interface. Remember, you can access your files at drive.google.com.

Finally, click the share icon for that file. (It looks like a little person with a plus sign next to their head.) You'll be prompted to enter the names or email addresses of the people you want to share with. (Names will generally only work for others in the Xavier system. For anyone outside Xavier, you'll need to use their email address.) You'll also want to specify the level of sharing. Do you want them to be able to view the file only, or to make comments, or to make edits? It's up to you.

But what about security?

Files uploaded to Google Drive are stored in the Cloud — on servers controlled by Google. You may have some concerns about what this means.

According to Google, your files are located in "secure data centers." There are some clear advantages. If your computer (or other device) is damaged or misplaced, you don't lose your data. You can get still get to your files once you get your hands on a new device.

Google also stipulates that "your files are private unless you share them."

When using Google Drive for collaboration, you'll want to observe the same common sense guidelines that you use when sharing information with anyone. If the data is sensitive, think twice before sharing it.

How can I learn more?

  • Learn more online.
  • Keep an eye out for ITC workshops.
  • CAT+FD has a workshop on collaborative authoring planned for Thursday, 16 March 2017; stay tuned!

Published on Leave a comment on National Distance Learning Week

NDLW logo

November 7-11, 2016 is National Distance Learning Week (NDLW). In association with NDLW, the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is offering free webinars on a variety of topics related to online teaching and learning. A few other organizations are offering free webinars during NDLW as well.

For more information on the activities and to register for the webinars visit NDLW 2016.

Published on Leave a comment on Email Newsletter Transition

Those of you who get these blog posts by email are in for a treat. (If you aren't already signed up, please subscribe now so you never miss a post.) We're upgrading to MailChimp, and going forward, our email newsletter should look better than ever. We're retiring our FeedBurner newsletter (for good reason), and we have high hopes for a smooth transition.

What do you need to do? Nothing! We'll make the switch in a few days. Just relax and enjoy.

The old newsletter usually went out at 4PM, whereas the new newsletter goes out at 4AM. You may get one duplicate issue. Please bear with us!

Actually, however, there is one potential "gotcha" for those who use the tabbed inbox in Gmail.

...continue reading "Email Newsletter Transition"

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #171: Grade Center – Row Visibility

Have you ever met with a student and wanted to review the student’s grades in Blackboard, but couldn’t because the Grade Center shows the grades of all the other students? Row visibility allows you to temporarily hide the grades of all the other students and only show the grades for a single student.

Follow these steps to do it.

To hide rows:

  1. In the Grade Center, roll your mouse to the Last Name, First Name, or Username cell of the desired student and click on the drop-down arrow in the right of the cell.
  2. Select [Hide Other Rows] from the short cut menu. When done, you should only see the selected student.

image showing hide other rows on shortcut menu in the Grade Center

To show rows:

  1. In the Grade Center, roll your mouse to the Last Name, First Name, or Username cell of the student and click on the drop-down arrow in the right of the cell.
  2. Select [Show All Rows] from the short cut menu. When done, you should see all students.

image showing show all rows on shortcut menu in the Grade Center

Want more information?

Grade Center - Row Visibility (PDF)
Try these Blackboard How-To documents
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center
Visit our Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

Published on Leave a comment on The Thrivers and the Divers

Here is an interesting article in the Washington Post about high achieving high school students who bomb once they get into college. We all know things like socioeconomic class and, to a lesser degree, standardized test scores factor in.  However, this study used personality traits that correlated to academic success in college.

Two categories were created, the thrivers and the divers. The “thrivers” were those who did much better in college than their high school grades would have predicted. The “divers” were those who did much worse.

"What the divers had in common was a tendency toward rashness and disorder. In particular, they lacked a trait that psychologists call “conscientiousness.” Compared with the average student, divers were less likely to describe themselves as organized or detail-oriented, less likely to say that they are prepared, that they follow a schedule or that they get work done right away. Divers were also more likely to say they crammed for exams and more likely to score highly on measures of impatience."

It looks like all of us, especially our students, could benefit from mindfulness and contemplative practices. If only CAT+FD offered resources for those things...

You can read the full article here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/09/21/why-students-who-do-well-in-high-school-bomb-in-college/

And check out the CAT+FD calendar for the Monday Quarter of Quiet and Contemplative Inquiry Team here:

http://cat.xula.edu/events/?id=01495

http://xulacat.wikispaces.com/Xavier+Contemplative+Inquiry+Team

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Published on 1 Comment on Conversation #50: Corey Dolgon on the Declawing of Service Learning

Download Conversation #50

Corey Dolgon

A conversation with Dr. Corey Dolgon of Stonehill College on the "declawing" of service learning.

Links for this episode:

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #170: Grade Center

The Grade Center is more than just a way to record students' grades. It's a dynamic and interactive tool, allowing instructors to record data, calculate grades, and monitor student progress. In addition to being able to record grades, instructors can track student work and share private comments and feedback with students throughout the semester.

image showing Grade Center

The Grade Center is integrated with gradable items such as tests, assignments, discussion boards, blogs, journals, wikis, and ungraded items, such as surveys and self-assessments. Instructors can create Grade Center columns for activities and/or requirements done outside of Blackboard, such as exams given on paper, oral presentations, and participation.

Students also benefit when their instructor uses the Grade Center. Students have the opportunity to adjust their approach to learning to improve their performance when they see their grades and instructor feedback.

Follow these steps to do it.

Listed below are links to previous Bb tips on using the Grade Center:

Want more information?

Working with the Grade Center
Try these Blackboard How-To documents
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center
Visit our Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #169: Grade Center – Understanding Weighted Grades

The Grade Center allows you to create weighted grade columns. There are several different ways to calculate weighted totals in the Grade Center.

Weighted Grade Calculation Example

For example, you can calculate a weighted total:

  • by item
  • by category
  • by weighted running total
  • when dropping the lowest score from a category
  • in categories with equally weighted items consisting of different point values
  • in categories with proportionally weighted items consisting of different point values

Want more information?

Understanding Weighted Grades
Grade Center - Weighting Grades
Grade Center - Categories
Try these Blackboard How-To documents
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center
Visit our Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #168: Grade Center – Categories

Categories can integrate with Grade Center calculated columns such as Weighted Grade Column, Total Points Column, or Average Grade Column. For example, you could weight your grades by categories assigning 20% of the final grade to the category "Assignments," 30% to the category "Tests," 20% to the "Project," and 10% each to the categories "Discussions," "Blogs," and "Journal" as shown in this example:

Grade Categories Pie Chart Example

The total of all the categories should equal 100%.

Categories are useful when you want to drop grades. Use categories to drop the lowest grade (or a number of grades) and then include the result in Grade Center calculations. Alternatively, you can use the highest grade in a category to include in Grade Center calculations. Regardless of how many items are in each category (as shown by the white circles in the pie chart example above), the category weight remains the same.

Additionally, you can create an Average grade column to calculate statistics for all columns that are in a particular category. Gradable items that are in that category would automatically be included in the average calculation.

Categories are helpful in organizing and utilizing the Grade Center. If you assign columns to categories you would be able to sort the Grade Center by a specific category to compare how the students scored in the category.

You can use categories with Smart Views in order to have only columns associated to specific category or categories shown in the Smart View.

Follow these steps to do it.

To create categories:

  1. Goto the [Control Panel] for the course and click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it. Click on [Full Grade Center].
  2. Roll your mouse over [Manage] on the menu bar and select [Categories] from the drop down menu.
  3. Click on the [Create Category] button.
  4. Enter a name for the Category then click [Submit].

To edit/delete categories:

  1. Goto the [Control Panel] for the course and click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it. Click on [Full Grade Center].
  2. Roll your mouse over [Manage] on the menu bar and select [Categories] from the drop down menu.
  3. Roll your mouse over the category you would like to like to edit/delete then click on the arrow to the right of the category name. Select the appropriate action from the shortcut menu.

NOTE: You can delete any category you created as long as the category is not in use. Default categories cannot be deleted. Categories currently in use will not have the Delete option.

Want more information?

Grade Center - Categories (PDF)
Grade Center - Weighting Grades
Grade Center - Smart Views
Try these Blackboard How-To documents
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center
Visit our Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

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Published on 1 Comment on Bb Tip #167: Grade Center – Weighting Grades

A weighted grade column is a calculated column that displays the calculated result of component parts (columns and/or categories); each part is worth some percentage of the total. You can create a weighted grade based on any column and/or category in the Grade Center. For example, you can create a weighted grade column that calculates the final grade for the course. Categories such as Test, Discussion, and Assignment would be given a certain percentage of the final grade along with the percentage for other grade columns (e.g. Mid-term, Final Exam).

Weighted Grade Pie Chart Example

Follow these steps to do it.

To add a weighted column to the Grade Center:

  1. Go to the [Control Panel] of the course you want to add a weighted column. Click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it.
  2. Click on [Full Grade Center].
  3. Move the mouse over the [Add Calculated Column] button and select [Weighted] from the drop down menu.
  4. Enter a name that describes what the weighted grade column is in the Name field. Grade Center display name and description are optional.
  5. Select how you would like the results of the weighted grade to be shown by clicking on the pull down arrow and selecting primary display from the list. Secondary display is optional and will only be shown in the Grade Center.
  6. In the select columns section, choose which grade columns and/or categories will be used in the calculation of the weighted grade by clicking on the grade column or category and then clicking on the respective arrow to move the column/category over to the selected columns area.
  7. Enter the weight percentage to be applied to each column/category you selected. The total weight must equal 100%.
  8. When selecting a category you can choose to weigh columns equally or proportionally and whether to drop grades in the category or to use the highest or lowest grade in the category.
  9. Choose whether to calculate the weighted grade as a running total which would include only the columns that have been graded in the calculation.
  10. In the options section you should indicate whether you want to include this weighted grade column in grade center calculations, show the weighted grade column in My Grades, and show statistics for the weighted grade column in My Grades. My Grades is what is shown to your students when they go into your course.
  11. Click [Submit] when you are finished entering all your information and selecting the options. The weighted grade column will be added as the last column in the Grade Center.

Want more information?

Grade Center - Weighting Grades (PDF)
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Visit our Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.