ARC 22 Academic Resources Conference, Office of Instructional Resources, January 10-13, 2022.

Today, Jan. 12 is the third day of the Academic Resources Conference (ARC) at Wichita State. The ARC happens three times a year and is free and open to the campus community. All sessions are online via Zoom. You can view the full schedule, including links to recorded training and LinkedIn Learning challenges, at the WSU January 2022 ARC Events website. Here is a list of the events for today, Jan. 12:

All of Wednesday’s events will take place in Central Standard Time. Captioned recordings will be available on the ARC Events website approximately one week after the session completes. Here is a list of the events for today, Jan. 12:

  • 9-9:50 a.m., Building a Course in the Ultra Course Format: Are you interested in trying out a course in the Ultra Course Format for spring or fall 2022? If you are, join this session and learn how the Ultra Course Format works and getting started.
  • 10-10:50 a.m., Ultra questions: This session is designed for people who have questions about the Ultra Course format and other Ultra questions.
  • 11-11:50 a.m., Ultra questions, advanced: Do you have advanced or in-depth question about Ultra? Join this session and make your life easier with Ultra.
ARC 22 Academic Resources Conference, Office of Instructional Resources, January 10-13, 2022.

Today, Jan. 11 is the second day of the Academic Resources Conference (ARC) at Wichita State. The ARC happens three times a year and is free and open to the campus community. All sessions are online via Zoom. You can view the full schedule, including links to recorded training and LinkedIn Learning challenges, at the WSU January 2022 ARC Events website.

All of Tuesday’s events will take place in Central Standard Time. Captioned recordings will be available on the ARC Events website approximately one week after the session completes. Here is a list of the events for today, Jan. 11:

  • 9-9:50 a.m., What’s New with LinkedIn Learning: Have you used LinkedIn Learning for professional development or in your classes? Would you like to? This session will cover the basics of the platform and show you what’s new with LinkedIn Learning’s Blackboard integration.
  • 10-10:50 a.m., Accessibility Update (satisfies mandatory accessibility training for instructors for the 2021-22 academic year (AY)). Instructors who have not yet done their mandatory accessibility training for the AY 2021-22 should plan to attend.
  • 11-11:50 a.m., Keys to Successful Classes: Aligning Course Outcomes, Activities, and Assignments: this session will cover the basics of writing measurable outcomes and aligning them to course assignments and activities.
ARC 22 Academic Resources Conference, Office of Instructional Resources, January 10-13, 2022.

Today, Jan. 10 is the first day of the Academic Resources Conference (ARC) at Wichita State. The ARC happens three times a year and is free and open to the campus community. All sessions are online via Zoom. You can view the full schedule, including links to recorded training and LinkedIn Learning challenges, at the WSU January 2022 ARC Events website

All of Monday’s events will take place in Central Standard Time. Captioned recordings will be available on the ARC Events website approximately one week after the session completes. Here is a list of the events for today, Jan. 10:

  • 9-9:50 a.m., Proctoring with Examity: Learn about Examity, the online proctoring solution that replaces ProctorU beginning spring 2022.
  • 10-10:50 a.m., Building Assignments that Work, a Discussion: This discussion will include a few instructors who will share  successful assignments they have used in their classes. Participants can come prepared with their ideas. This discussion is meant promote to conversation and an exchange of ideas.
  • 11-11:50 a.m., Keys to Successful Courses: How to Run a Successful Discussion in Your Class: Are you challenged by running discussions, in-person or online? This popular session is back with new ideas and guidance on improving in-class discussions.
  • 6-7 p.m., Special session with TAP instructors: During this event, Teacher Apprentice Program (TAP) instructors will cover Ultra Courses. All participants are welcome to this event, but it will focus primarily on TAP needs.

ARC 22 Academic Resources Conference, Office of Instructional Resources, January 10-13, 2022.

As part of the January Academic Resources Conference (ARC) Jan. 10-13, the Office of Instructional Resources is offering LinkedIn Learning challenges. No challenge is more than an hour, and are free to WSU student, faculty and staff and include the following:

If you have not yet set up your LinkedIn Learning account, please follow the instructions at the Wichita State LinkedIn Learning website.

The January Academic Resources Conference (ARC) will take place Jan. 10-13. Two of the highlighted events at the conference will include the following:

  •  Building Assignments that Work, a Discussion, 10-10:50 a.m. Monday, Jan. 10 via Zoom: This discussion will include a few speakers who will share their ideas while allowing participants to speak about what works, what doesn’t work and what they plan to try for the spring 2022 semester.
  • What Great Courses Have in Common, 11-11:50 a.m. Thursday, Jan.13 via Zoom: This discussion is a prelude to a larger campus conversation that will attempt to lead to a home-grown course quality program that can replace Quality Matters at Wichita State.

The ARC will also host the annual mandatory accessibility update for instructors, 10-10:50 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11 via Zoom. The conference will provide other opportunities for the WSU community to come together to discuss teaching and share ideas. The full schedule is available at the January 2022 ARC Events website.

Blackboard logo in white font on black background.

Wichita State’s plan has long been to move fully to the Ultra Course Format no later than Dec. 31, 2022, but recent experiences with the pilot program and Blackboard’s ongoing commitment to improving the Ultra Course Format have led the university to make a change to the deadline.

In consultation with the Accessibility and Technology subcommittee of the Faculty Senate, the Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) has decided to suspend the deadline to move to Ultra Course Format for the time being. OIR is committed to supporting instructors in both formats through the end of the 2022-23 annual year. That means that WSU will not be moving to Ultra Course Format fully before the end of May 2023, and it could be after this date.

OIR will continue to support students, faculty and staff in both formats, and will continue to encourage instructors to move to the Ultra Course Format over time. Ultimately, the Classic Blackboard Course Format will sunset on our campus, but OIR wants to make sure that the Ultra Course Format does all the university needs it to do before it takes that step.

If you would like to begin your move to the Ultra Course Format, now is a good time. OIR has a new webpage designed to help instructors of all ranks know their options and choose a personalized path to Ultra Course Format.

For more information, please contact OIR@wichita.edu, or make a plan to drop into online lab times.

Graphic image featuring Teaching Today and red cardinal on branch.

The December issue of Teaching Today is now available. This issue details the changes to the Ultra Course Format rollout as well as changes to the university’s paid proctoring services. It also features advanced information about the January Academic Resources Conference events and reminders about the codes to use when submitting grades.

To subscribe to Teaching Today, send a request to the Office of Instructional Resources at oir@wichita.edu. Have a wonderful winter break.

Blackboard will have intermittent downtimes Thursday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Day). The system is being upgraded to improve its performance. Users should avoid using Blackboard during this time. For more information, contact OIR@wichita.edu.

teaching today be in the know each month.

The November issue of Teaching Today features a guest column from interim provost, Shirley Lefever. The issue also provides updates about the transition to Ultra Course Format.

To subscribe to Teaching Today, send a request to the Office of Instructional Resources at oir@wichita.edu.

Image of Blackboard logo.

Now is the time for instructors to consider converting one Blackboard course to the Ultra Course format for spring 2022. Converting a course now gives instructors time to learn the format before all courses convert to this format in spring 2023. The Ultra Course format has both design, layout and grading interface differences from the past versions Blackboard.

The Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) knows this conversion is a big ask for instructors. OIR is here to help and support instructors throughout the process, and they have compiled many of their support materials on a single webpage to help instructors get started.