*Special Notice*
In order for attendees to personally track their current registrations and attendance
at CTE workshops and events, CTE requires that registrants create an account in our
registration system and login to register. If you have an existing training account with the Division of Human Resources, Office
of Organizational and Professional Development, you do not need to create an account.
You can login using your HR training username and password. By logging in to register
for CTE events, your complete record for both CTE and HR trainings will be available
in a single location with a single account and login.
How to Check Your Progress?
Did you know you can personally track your current registrations and attendance at CTE workshops and events? Participants with a CTE training account can check their progress online. View and print training record.
Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View Training Sessions
USC is transitioning from Blackboard Learn Original to Blackboard Learn Ultra. Beginning in Fall 2024, all new USC courses will be created in the Ultra Course View. Plan to attend webinars and presentation accessed through the Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) Calendar to sign up for UCV webinars and presentations.
You can choose to use the Calendar View of CTE events if you prefer.
Click on the "+" sign next to each event to see description.
March 2024
This workshop is designed to familiarize participants with Blackboard Learn’s Ultra Course View. eLearning Services will demonstrate how instructors can navigate an Ultra course, communicate with students, add content, find and utilize tools available in Blackboard, and grade assignments. Register
The session will focus on Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) and, in particular, how we can use UCV tools and features to manage our large undergraduate courses more efficiently.
Our aim is for this session to be as helpful to you and as tailored to your specific course needs as possible. Do you have a question for the speakers? Is there a topic you would like the group to discuss? What has been your personal experience using Ultra Course View in your large course(s)? Please share your questions/comments for discussion on the RSVP form.
This event is open to all. Please feel free to share with potentially interested colleagues. RSVP
Don’t stress! We can help. We will cover best practices for producing lecture videos from your office or home that are both engaging and accessible. We will include tips and resources for making your video content accessible and also provide additional resources available to you here at USC. Register
Programmatic assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development. Across research universities in the U.S., research priorities coupled with workload challenges for faculty have yielded limited faculty engagement with programmatic assessment. This session will include an overview of USC’s programmatic assessment practices and provide practical tips from case studies of research universities across the country that have implemented successful strategies for engaging faculty in programmatic assessment. The session culminates in a roundtable discussion of the strategies that are most feasible for academic departments here at USC and how we can all “make space” for improving student learning in our educational programs. Register
The session includes a networking lunch with USC faculty and support staff, as well as an open lab for working on individual courses and asking questions from Anthology and USC's UCV implementation team. You are welcome to join for the entire day or a part of the session. Computers are available in the lab, but feel free to bring your own laptop.
Explore the fundamentals of Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View’s (UCV) assessment features with Anthology, Blackboard's parent company. Attendees will learn how to create tests, assignments, and grading rubrics and how to grant accommodations for individual student needs.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, attendees should be able to:
- Create assessments (tests and assignments).
- Develop grading rubrics.
- Grant student accommodations for due dates and time limits in UCV.
Topics
- Tests
- Assignments
- Rubrics
- Accommodations
Agenda
10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Interactive Session: Assessing Student Learning in Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Open Lab/Q&A |
Determining whether mentees understand core concepts about the research they are doing is critical to a productive mentoring relationship, but it is surprisingly difficult to do. Developing strategies to assess how well mentees understand the purpose of their research, the principles underpinning their research and experimental techniques, and the context of their work is an important part of becoming an effective mentor. Moreover, it is important for mentors to be able to identify causes for confusion among mentees and strategies to address misunderstandings.
This is a required session for the Entering Mentoring certificate of Completion. Register
This workshop is designed for Blackboard Learn users who are familiar with the new Ultra Course View but want a more intensive look at the Ultra Gradebook. In this 60 minute session, a consultant from eLearning Services will share some best practices and tips & tricks for setting up a Gradebook that works for you. There will be time for questions after a live demo and presentation. Register
Introduce your students to the integrative environment of digital projects without overwhelming yourself. A digital project assignment can be a web site, database, podcast, or any multimedia platform. This type of assignment can draw students into the class but can be cumbersome for the teacher. Drawing on faculty experiences and twenty years of managing USC Libraries’ Digital Collections, this presentation will help you understand how to set up and manage such an assignment so that you can all enjoy learning and collaborating and not lose sight of the main topic. Learn about the Libraries services so you can take full advantage of them. If this talk piques your interest, the Library offers in depth online, workshops on many of the tools mentioned in this overview.
This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Teaching with the Library. Register
Though scholars understand primary sources as the foundation of original research, in truth, few students are accustomed to reading historical documents and even fewer are familiar with their material forms. Teaching students to both read and see primary sources as historical objects can sometimes be cumbersome. Even so, the intimacy of handling historical material, whatever its medium or genre, helps students feel more connected to the past and the topics discussed in their coursework. As Matthew Kirschenbaum emphasizes, the importance of knowing “how textual things work” better teaches students to “see the text as a social artifact.” This workshop will help faculty learn how to teach students that the topics they discuss in class are products of a specific time and place generated by people that may have had a shared horizon of expectations that is different from our own historical moment.
This will be a workshop that takes place in the Hollings Library. Faculty will have the opportunity to work with artifacts that align with their own teaching and will be able to workshop ideas with peers across related disciplines and library faculty who specialize in teaching with primary sources.
This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Teaching with the Library. Register
The 2024 Focus on First Generation Symposium provides an opportunity for faculty to explore how to cultivate academic success, and foster well-being and sense of belonging among USC’s first-generation students.
The keynote speaker for the symposium is Dr. Darris R. Means, Associate Professor of Higher Education and Dean’s Faculty Scholar in Equity, Justice, and Rural Education in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh.
The symposium is co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence, Office of Access and Opportunity, TRIO Programs, the Graduation and Retention Network (GARNET), Aramark, and University Libraries. Register
The first half of the Support Zone training focuses on providing context for the necessity of faculty and staff being well-versed in recognizing and responding to students experiencing mental health distress. The facilitator will review definitions, national and local statistics about mental health in college students and discuss how stigma affects help-seeking behaviors. The facilitator will also discuss how COVID-19 has exacerbated the aforementioned issues. This session will also cover crisis support protocol, how to recognize signs of distress, warning signs of suicide, non-suicidal self-injury, and how to respond and intervene to a student of concern.
This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency. Register
Through Recovery Ally workshops, Gamecock Recovery strives to empower students, faculty and staff to make campus more accepting, engaging, and supportive of students in recovery from substance use disorder. Learn to confront myths about substance use disorder, support someone in early recovery, and advocate for a recovery-oriented campus culture.
Using a recovery oriented systems of care model, faculty and staff sessions focus on conveying campus norms in the classroom and building recovery-supportive workplaces.
This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency. Register
Blackboard Learn Ultra provides a modern course experience that engages students and eases the burden on instructors. However, the transition to the Ultra Course requires careful preparation and support. This Anthology seminar is the path to Learn Ultra mastery.
Comprised of two enlightening 60-minute sessions, we will explore in depth the Learn Ultra major features and how to make the most out of the Ultra Course View in two primary areas:
1. Setting Up and Designing a Learn Ultra Course:
- Learn the ins and outs of creating an engaging and interactive Learn Ultra course.
- Discover best practices for designing your course to maximize student engagement.
2. Using the Course for Flexible Assessment, Grading Workflows, Interaction, and Collaboration:
- Streamline your assessment and grading processes.
- Foster interaction and collaboration among your students for enhanced learning experiences.
- Gain insights into providing more meaningful and insightful feedback to your students.
Participants have direct access to product experts with extensive backgrounds in education and peers who are also preparing to use the Ultra Course View. Register
The second half of the Support Zone training focuses on participants learning how to refer students of concern experiencing varying levels of distress (mild, moderate and severe), what to do if a student refuses a referral, how to maintain the students' privacy, and how to follow-up with the student. This session includes role-plays and other interactive activities to help participants practice their recently acquired skills. The facilitator will also discuss the how responding to students of concern affects faculty/staff mental health and how to respond accordingly.
This session includes a review of resources specific to faculty/staff needs and tips on dealing with COVID-19 related stressors. Lastly, the facilitator will review campus and community resources to ensure participants have a thorough understanding of what is available to students and when to use each resource.
This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency. Register
The Virtual Environments Community of Practice is planning ways to integrate virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality into teaching and learning environments at UofSC. Meetings are open to faculty, staff and students.
If you are interested in participating in the Virtual Environments CoP, or would like to be on the email list for further information, please email Charles Andy Schumpert at schumpca@mailbox.sc.edu. RSVP
This presentation focuses on the benefits of incorporating artificial intelligence into lesson plans and course content. This new technology spans across disciplines and has an infinite amount of possibilities for its users. It is important that rather than shying away from artificial intelligence we as educators add it to the vast toolkit at our disposal to better prepare our students to become competitive global citizens. This presentation will provide tangible examples of how to incorporate AI in your classroom, discuss some pitfalls to avoid with AI and share information from the viewpoint of the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. Register
This workshop is designed to familiarize participants with Blackboard Learn’s Ultra Course View. eLearning Services will demonstrate how instructors can navigate an Ultra course, communicate with students, add content, find and utilize tools available in Blackboard Learn, and grade assignments. Register
You'll feel more comfortable in the classroom when you understand how copyright applies to course materials. Come explore how to use freely available, licensed, and copyrighted materials in instruction and on Blackboard. We’ll discuss the practical applications of fair use and other exceptions and limitations. Finally, we’ll examine how the library can assist you with posting materials for your class.
This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Teaching with the Library. Register
It’s time to start thinking about your upcoming course! Have you already started planning your syllabus and have ideas but don't know where to start? Or are you feeling mired down in syllabus details, feeling like you're missing a prime opportunity to rethink and revise certain sections? You're not alone - and we're here to help! Join other instructors as we break down the components of the syllabus using the backwards design model: the role of learning outcomes and how to craft them, developing quality learning activities, formulating the appropriate assessment, and determining the most effective teaching methodology. Other tips and advice for syllabus development, including required and recommended components, along with examples of good and bad syllabus construction, will be discussed. Register
In this session, we will show you how to create and organize what you need to get started in the new Ultra courses. You will be able to create learning modules, folders, documents, and assignments, as well as set up a basic gradebook. You will have time for practice with guidance from our eLearning Services and Center for Teaching Excellence Teams. Register
During the Virtual Reality (VR) Showcase participants will learn about the Meta Quest 2 headsets and the apps that are available through the CTE. There will be opportunities for participants to use the VR headsets and explore the learning activities that are available through the apps. Register
The Resilience in the Classroom training is a 50-minute training that focuses on three major components of resilience:
- Self-compassion
- Dealing with failure, and coping skills, and
- How to incorporate these components into the classroom.
Resilience is associated with academic success and psychological well-being. This session will help instructors identify how they can strengthen students' resilience and help them adapt to change and hardships by integrating these core competencies into their curriculum.
This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Mental Health and Well-being Competency. Register
Do you have an existing Blackboard Learn course that you want to transition to the new Ultra Course View? In this session, we will discuss the things you need to consider before deciding how to convert your course to the new version. We will consider your existing structure, tools, and assignments. We will also discuss the next steps to take to make sure you can continue to support your students through Blackboard Learn! Register
April 2024
iClicker Cloud is a mobile-optimized engagement platform designed to facilitate student, education, and institutional collaboration. iClicker Cloud includes both synchronous and asynchronous options including polling, quizzing, and assignments. Regardless of class size or delivery method, iClicker Cloud can help you increase attendance and participation, provide instant feedback, identify misconceptions in real time, and more. Register
A goal of most mentoring situations is to enable the mentee to identify and achieve both academic and professional objectives. Though learning to do disciplinary research is an important academic outcome in research mentoring relationships, there are many other outcomes that will influence a mentee’s future career. Mentors should consciously consider and support their mentees to achieve these other outcomes.
This is an elective session for theEntering Mentoringcertificate of Completion. Register
Now that you’ve moved your existing course to Ultra, what do you do?! In this session, we will discuss the steps to review your course exceptions, reorganize your existing content, and make sure that your course is doing what is best for you and your students. Register
Student engagement is crucial for learning! Studies have demonstrated that using virtual reality in education can boost student engagement, enhance attitudes toward the subject, and even lead to enhanced student performance. In this session, the presenters will explore the various benefits of using virtual reality in the classroom, along with the easiest ways to get started using virtual reality in education. They will demonstrate some virtual reality experiences with a Meta Quest 2 headset so participants will not only hear about virtual reality, they'll get to experience it for themselves. Register
We often hear the term 'politically correct' or 'PC' to describe when individuals feel they have to change their terminology to not offend another person. However, this presentation will challenge us to move away 'politically correct' terms and focus more on inclusive, validating terms, phrases, and descriptors for different groups. The focus will be on exploring how inclusive language in the classroom when teaching, discussing students/faculty, and when creating materials can transform how students absorb information, feel welcomed and safe, and embrace inclusivity. This introductory presentation will focus on defining marginalized population, person-first language, and addressing some of our implicit bias & stereotypes.
This is an elective session for a certificate of completion in Teaching Towards Inclusive Excellence. Register
The session will focus on how we can leverage Chat GPT to enhance teaching and learning in large undergraduate courses.
Our aim is for this session to be as helpful to you and as tailored to your specific course needs as possible. Do you have a question for the speaker? Is there a topic you would like the group to discuss? What has been your experience incorporating Chat GPT (or other generative AI tools) in your teaching? Please share your questions/comments for discussion on the RSVP form.
This event is open to all. Please feel free to share with potentially interested colleagues. RSVP
Smartphones are ubiquitous tools nowadays as 85% of people now own a smartphone. Smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices are undoubtedly something most of us rely on every day, but did you know that a lot of their tools and features can be great for accessibility as well? This session will highlight some common features and apps on our mobile devices that you can customize and optimize to assist with an individual's digital accessibility needs. We'll also dive into how virtual assistants and mobile apps can assist people with disabilities in their daily lives. Register
Are you ready to transform your assessment methods and unleash the power of technology to enhance student learning? In this webinar, we will delve into the world of Generative Artificial Intelligence, a powerful technology that can generate text, translate languages, write different creative content, and answer your questions with human-like responses. With prompt engineering, the art of crafting effective instructions for generative AI, you will discover how to design prompts that elicit thoughtful responses. Discover how to generate assessments that align with your course learning outcomes to foster creativity, critical thinking, and personalized learning experiences. Register
Engaging in conflict is challenging whether you are an experienced instructor or new to your role. A common strategy is to ignore the behavior due to our own discomfort, concern over retaliation or fear that our intervention may cause more harm or disruption. We will identify what our fears are about classroom disruption and use case study examples to practice strategies to stretch participants' comfort zones. This workshop will also explore Gerald Amada's research from Coping with Misconduct in the College Classroom and provide participants with tangible strategies to prevent and respectfully address disruptive behavior.
This is a required session for a certificate of completion in Fostering Proactive Learning Environments. Register
The session includes a networking lunch with USC faculty and support staff, as well as an open lab for working on individual courses and asking questions from Anthology and USC's UCV implementation team. You are welcome to join for the entire day or a part of the session. Computers are available in the lab, but feel free to bring your own laptop.
Discover the collaborative and personalized learning features integrated into Blackboard Learn Ultra (UCV). Representatives from Anthology, the parent company of Blackboard Learn, will guide attendees through creating and organizing discussions, forming collaborative groups, and assessing group assignments. Additionally, they will explore visibility settings and the progress tracking tool.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, attendees should be able to:
- Create and organize discussions.
- Create groups for student collaboration.
- Organize and manage group assignments.
- Use visibility settings and release conditions to define when students can view and access course content.
- Utilize the progress tracking tool.
Topics
- Discussions
- Groups
- Release Conditions
- Progress Tracking
Agenda
10:00 am - 12:00 pm |
Interactive Session: Collaborative and Personalized Learning in Blackboard Learn Ultra
Course View (UCV)
|
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Open Lab/Q&A |
Reflecting upon your mentoring relationships is a vital part of becoming a more effective mentor. This is especially important immediately following a mentor-mentee training sequence like Entering Mentoring as it allows you to consider how to implement changes in your mentoring practice based on the training you have received. The ability and practice of reflecting on your mentoring at regular intervals is strongly encouraged.
This is a required session for the Entering Mentoring certificate of Completion. Register
Blackboard Learn Ultra provides a modern course experience that engages students and eases the burden on instructors. However, the transition to the Ultra Course requires careful preparation and support. This Anthology seminar is the path to Learn Ultra mastery.
Comprised of two enlightening 60-minute sessions, we will explore in depth the Learn Ultra major features and how to make the most out of the Ultra Course View in two primary areas:
1. Setting Up and Designing a Learn Ultra Course:
- Learn the ins and outs of creating an engaging and interactive Learn Ultra course.
- Discover best practices for designing your course to maximize student engagement.
2. Using the Course for Flexible Assessment, Grading Workflows, Interaction, and Collaboration:
- Streamline your assessment and grading processes.
- Foster interaction and collaboration among your students for enhanced learning experiences.
- Gain insights into providing more meaningful and insightful feedback to your students.
Participants have direct access to product experts with extensive backgrounds in education and peers who are also preparing to use the Ultra Course View. Register
The Virtual Environments Community of Practice is planning ways to integrate virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality into teaching and learning environments at UofSC. Meetings are open to faculty, staff and students.
If you are interested in participating in the Virtual Environments CoP, or would like to be on the email list for further information, please email Charles Andy Schumpert at schumpca@mailbox.sc.edu. RSVP
May 2024
Blackboard Learn Ultra provides a modern course experience that engages students and eases the burden on instructors. However, the transition to the Ultra Course requires careful preparation and support. This Anthology seminar is the path to Learn Ultra mastery.
Comprised of two enlightening 60-minute sessions, we will explore in depth the Learn Ultra major features and how to make the most out of the Ultra Course View in two primary areas:
1. Setting Up and Designing a Learn Ultra Course:
- Learn the ins and outs of creating an engaging and interactive Learn Ultra course.
- Discover best practices for designing your course to maximize student engagement.
2. Using the Course for Flexible Assessment, Grading Workflows, Interaction, and Collaboration:
- Streamline your assessment and grading processes.
- Foster interaction and collaboration among your students for enhanced learning experiences.
- Gain insights into providing more meaningful and insightful feedback to your students.
Participants have direct access to product experts with extensive backgrounds in education and peers who are also preparing to use the Ultra Course View. Register
The session includes a networking lunch with USC faculty and support staff, as well as an open lab for working on individual courses and asking questions from Anthology and USC's UCV implementation team. You are welcome to join for the entire day or a part of the session. Computers are available in the lab, but feel free to bring your own laptop.
Join us for a focused training session on the Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) Gradebook, led by Anthology, the parent company of Blackboard Learn. Gain skills in creating and organizing the Gradebook.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, attendees should be able to:
- Organize the Gradebook.
- Create Gradebook columns.
- Set up the overall grade calculation.
- Customize calculated columns for specific criteria.
- Manage grade categories for weighting.
- Develop a grading schema.
- Explore the automatic zeros feature.
Topics
- Overall Gradebook
- Gradebook columns
- Overall grade column
- Calculated columns
- Gradebook categories
- Grading Schema
- Automatic zeros
Agenda
10:00 am - 12:00pm | Interactive Session: Gradebook Management in Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Open Lab/Q&A |
June 2024
Blackboard Learn Ultra provides a modern course experience that engages students and eases the burden on instructors. However, the transition to the Ultra Course requires careful preparation and support. This Anthology seminar is the path to Learn Ultra mastery.
Comprised of two enlightening 60-minute sessions, we will explore in depth the Learn Ultra major features and how to make the most out of the Ultra Course View in two primary areas:
1. Setting Up and Designing a Learn Ultra Course:
- Learn the ins and outs of creating an engaging and interactive Learn Ultra course.
- Discover best practices for designing your course to maximize student engagement.
2. Using the Course for Flexible Assessment, Grading Workflows, Interaction, and Collaboration:
- Streamline your assessment and grading processes.
- Foster interaction and collaboration among your students for enhanced learning experiences.
- Gain insights into providing more meaningful and insightful feedback to your students.
Participants have direct access to product experts with extensive backgrounds in education and peers who are also preparing to use the Ultra Course View. Register
The session includes a networking lunch with USC faculty and support staff, as well as an open lab for working on individual courses and asking questions from Anthology and USC's UCV implementation team. You are welcome to join for the entire day or a part of the session. Computers are available in the lab, but feel free to bring your own laptop.
Explore the Blackboard Learn Artificial Intelligence (AI) Design Assistant feature with Anthology, the parent company of Blackboard Learn. This feature leverages AI to streamline the course building process.
Learning Objective
Upon completion of this session, attendees should be able to:
- Use the Blackboard Learn Artificial Intelligence (AI) Design Assistant feature to create course content.
Topics
Generate the following using the AI Design Assistant:
- Modules
- Discussions
- Journals
- Rubrics
- Assignment prompts
- Test questions
- Question Banks
Agenda
10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Interactive Session: Artificial Intelligence in Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Open Lab/Q&A |
July 2024
The session includes a networking lunch with USC faculty and support staff, as well as an open lab for working on individual courses and asking questions from Anthology and USC's UCV implementation team. You are welcome to join for the entire day or a part of the session. Computers are available in the lab, but feel free to bring your own laptop.
Boost your proficiency in Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) with Anthology, the parent company of Blackboard Learn. This session will equip attendees with essential skills to confidently start teaching in UCV. Specifically, it will focus on converting courses and copying and building content in UCV.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, attendees should be able to:
- Copy course content from Blackboard Learn Original View to Blackboard Learn UCV.
- Copy course content from a UCV sandbox course to a UCV course.
- Recognize features of UCV.
- Create course content in Blackboard Learn UCV.
Topics
- Copy content from original to UCV
- Copy content from UCV to UCV
- Overview of UCV
- Learning Modules
- Folders
- Documents
- Links
Agenda
10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Interactive Session: Getting Started with Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Open Lab/Q&A |
August 2024
The session includes a networking lunch with USC faculty and support staff, as well as an open lab for working on individual courses and asking questions from Anthology and USC's UCV implementation team. You're welcome to join for the entire day or a part of the session. Computers are available in the lab, but feel free to bring your own laptop.
Boost your proficiency in Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) with Anthology, the parent company of Blackboard Learn. This session will equip attendees with essential skills to confidently start teaching in UCV. Specifically, it will focus on converting courses and copying and building content in UCV.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, attendees should be able to:
- Copy course content from Blackboard Learn Original View to Blackboard Learn UCV.
- Copy course content from a UCV sandbox course to a UCV course.
- Recognize features of UCV.
- Create course content in Blackboard Learn UCV.
Topics
- Copy content from original to UCV
- Copy content from UCV to UCV
- Overview of UCV
- Learning Modules
- Folders
- Documents
- Links
Agenda
10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Interactive Session: Getting Started with Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV) |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Open Lab/Q&A |