“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. |
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WELCOME/GOODBYE
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
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Welcome to Fall 2021! At the start of each term, I write a welcome letter to instructors in our monthly newsletters, but this particular letter from the director is extra special. I find myself in a unique position where I can welcome a community to a new semester but also pen my goodbye message. These types of goodbyes are typically saved for personal e-mails to close colleagues, but I have the privilege of taking advantage of this platform, and so, I will. I joined APSU in 2018, after ten years in the Air Force and two years as a DoD contractor. APSU took a chance on me as I made the leap from a military weather girl to online education and higher ed. I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s what APSU does. This university takes chances on people and cultivates a culture for opportunity. My experience was not unique, and I know many on campus who have seen doors open for them that they never thought could. APSU does this not only for its staff but also for its students. Because of my time here, my foundation in higher education has been shaped by an institution firmly grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion for its students. The opportunities APSU offers this community cannot be matched by any of the other institutions in the state. I am forever grateful for the lens this campus has given me, and my heart for equity and student success is a direct result of my positive experiences here. If you are a new instructor, you are in for a great ride! Distance Education is here to help you navigate the online segment of that ride.
The department of Distance Education is here to serve APSU in many ways. We are a small team, but this team is hardworking, professional, and most importantly, really fun. We see our role on campus as academic helpers and online teaching technology and pedagogy resource providers. All our projects are tackled with partnership in mind. We know you are the content and teaching experts; our goal is for that partnership to help you and your students succeed in the online environment. Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to this team, even if it’s just for a consult and results in zero action items. We just really like talking about online teaching and learning with you. It helps us understand what you need, especially what you need from us. We don’t know what we don’t know! And as the frontline at this university, you, as instructors, are the best way for us to get a pulse on how we can help with online teaching and learning.
I want to end this welcome and goodbye letter with an introduction to the new DE director, Dr. Anna Carrie Webb. I am so excited that she will be taking over this department, and I am confident that the DE team is in the best of hands. She has been a close colleague and friend the past few years, and her extensive experience in teaching, online teaching, and instructional design will serve the DE team well.
Have a great year Govs!
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AUGUST 14 TURNITIN OUTAGE |
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Turnitin will be unavailable on Sat, Aug 14 from 10am-12pm Central for system maintenance. While you may be able to access Turnitin, it is not guaranteed that any actions you take will save or process. It is best to avoid all usage during the maintenance window. |
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Honorlock was temporarily implemented to help APSU through the 2020-2021 FY; however, faculty repeatedly expressed their satisfaction with the tool and the ease of use for their students. We listened! Distance Education secured a direct contract with Honorlock for proctoring in online courses. Additionally, we now pay per student instead of per exam which expands options for faculty while being fiscally mindful. If you are looking for a proctoring solution for your online courses, please take a moment to learn more about Honorlock. |
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Students now have access to a new Work To Do widget in D2L. This widget lives on their D2L homepage and gives them an at-a-glance view of activities due across all their courses for the upcoming two weeks. The widget will also show overdue items for a limited time. We hope the widget reminds students to engage with their courses and to complete activities on time. The widget works with your help. If you want the Work To Do widget to feature your items, please ensure you enter a due and/or end date for them in D2L. The widget works for the following activities – assignments, checklist, content, discussions, quizzes, and surveys. |
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REQUIRED ZOOM SOFTWARE UPDATE |
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Zoom users will be required to update their Zoom software to ensure it is no more than nine months behind the current version beginning November 1. This an ongoing change; meaning, every time you access Zoom beginning November 1 and on, this check will be performed. If your Zoom software version is older than nine months, you will be prompted to update to a more recent version before you can access Zoom maybe even delaying your ability to join a meeting. Office of Information Technology has verified that APSU computers will receive the latest Zoom versions. The change can still impact those using personal computers including students. If you are using Zoom in a course, you may consider asking your students to ensure they are on the latest version. |
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RESOURCES FOR ONLINE TEACHING |
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There is a new content editor in D2L, Brightspace Editor. This is the editor/HTML editor used whenever you are adding text/content in D2L. The new Brightspace Editor features all the previous tools you were familiar with; however, the order and/or icons may have changed. New tools/features have been added like expanded formatting option, word count, and more. Experience the new editor in D2L today. |
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COURSE REVIEWS
NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS!
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INSTRUCTORS OF NEWLY QM CERTIFIED COURSES! |
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SOUTHERN CONNECTION DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION |
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LAPTOP/MIFI LOAN PROGRAM REMINDER |
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Just a reminder, we offer two Laptop Loan programs and a MiFi Loan program for students to complete their coursework. Certain requirements have to be met, so please encourage your students to read the site thoroughly before submitting a support ticket.
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