Plan Ahead for Snow Days with Instructional Technology Tools Winterize courses against Mother Nature’s icy influence

An impending blizzard during the winter season reminds us all of potential disruptions to course delivery due to snow and icy weather. Last year, Dr. Anne Spence successfully used Blackboard Collaborate to replace face-to-face sessions after snow delays canceled several class sessions. Several instructional technology tools are available to support teaching and learning when classes cannot meet. 

Blackboard Learn is UMBC’s learning management system. It is hosted by Blackboard to ensure a stable and reliable environment 24/7. Blackboard offers three core themes to support instruction: content management; communication, collaboration & engagement; and assessment & grade management.

Content Management

  • Upload syllabus, course materials & handouts
  • Post presentations
  • Share links & resources
  • Embed YouTube videos
  • Link to TechSmith Relay screencasts

Communication, Collaboration & Engagement

  • Facilitate & continue course discussions
  • Send email & messages
  • Post announcements
  • Manage small group activities
  • Support blogs, wikis & journals
Assessment & Grade Management
  • Distribute & collect assignments
  • Grade electronically with rubrics & embedded feedback
  • Post grades
  • Maintain digital gradebook
  • Deliver tests & secure with Respondus LockDown Browser 
Bb Collaborate supports live, real-time lectures, presentations, and conversations with a wide range of tools such as 2-way audio; interactive whiteboard and desktop sharing; video feeds; and session recording. Use Collaborate to deliver live lectures or study sessions, host virtual office hours, demonstrate software such as SPSS or Photoshop, host guest speakers, and more. Test-drive the new Chrome-based Collaborate experience.

For more information about Instructional Technology:
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Dr. Brian Grodsky is an associate professor of Political Science, and teaches 200-400 level courses. He’s made nearly 250 recordings since adapting TechSmith Relay for tests and both in-class and online discussions. For online classes, Dr. Grodsky uses lecture recordings along with readings as the basis for tests and online discussion. Dr. Grodsky chunks his lecture recordings into 5-15 minute, digestible pieces, which is an identified best practice for screencasting in order to support learner engagement with the content. "I think the tool is generally great….I definitely recommend using this," says Dr. Grodsky, who believes this tool has opened numerous opportunities to delve more deeply into the course content during class discussions.

Dr. Stephen Mang is a Lecturer with the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. He uses TechSmith Relay videos to introduce students to chemicals, their reactions, and equipment prior to laboratory experiments. He also makes short (5-10 minute) introductory videos that address discrete concepts from readings for students to watch prior to class to facilitate in-class discussion. Dr. Mang says he’s found these videos "really help in terms of the number of students who come to class ready to discuss the material."

Dr. Mang’s impressions of the tool are also very positive, and he too would recommend any faculty use Relay, and particularly those who teach labs. "The videos can be an excellent supplement to that lecture, letting you change what you focus on during the in-person lecture and helping students really understand what they're going to be doing in lab that day."

If you are a faculty member interested in getting started using TechSmith Relay, simply submit an RT ticket, and DoIT will work with you to get up and running.
]]> Over the course of the past year, approximately 40 faculty and staff members have made use of UMBC’s supported screencasting tool, TechSmith Relay, to record over 400 recordings. This application... http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/ https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/50420/guest@my.umbc.edu/8f259448272b5677138d85d061eacaa2/api/pixel relay screencasting techsmith Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/original.JPG?1727453227 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/large.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/medium.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/small.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxsmall.png?1727453227 Division of Information Technology https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/050/420/442e87430922b367e4ad6f85640a7bca/xxlarge.jpg?1426104856 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/050/420/442e87430922b367e4ad6f85640a7bca/xlarge.jpg?1426104856 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/050/420/442e87430922b367e4ad6f85640a7bca/large.jpg?1426104856 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/050/420/442e87430922b367e4ad6f85640a7bca/medium.jpg?1426104856 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/050/420/442e87430922b367e4ad6f85640a7bca/small.jpg?1426104856 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/050/420/442e87430922b367e4ad6f85640a7bca/xsmall.jpg?1426104856 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/050/420/442e87430922b367e4ad6f85640a7bca/xxsmall.jpg?1426104856 8 0 true Thu, 12 Mar 2015 11:09:48 -0400 Thu, 12 Mar 2015 11:14:28 -0400 February Technology of the Month We love TechSmith Relay! Sometimes it’s just easier to show than tell. Using TechSmith Relay, faculty can capture and narrate the content displayed on their computers and then publish an online “screencast” video tutorial or mini-lecture for students to watch and replay on their own time. TechSmith Relay is the enterprise version of TechSmith used by Khan Academy. Techsmith.com produces both of these tools as well as the free, easy-to-use Jing screencasting tool (recordings limited to durations of five minutes or less).

To learn more about using TechSmith Relay:


]]> Sometimes it’s just easier to show than tell. Using TechSmith Relay, faculty can capture and narrate the content displayed on their computers and then publish an online “screencast” video tutorial... https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/49501/guest@my.umbc.edu/5c2daf3e17b9859877382f276e2f288c/api/pixel screencasting techsmith Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/original.JPG?1727453227 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/large.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/medium.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/small.png?1727453227 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxsmall.png?1727453227 Division of Information Technology https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/049/501/798ff0ef4fe5095dac91ec6af1246063/xxlarge.jpg?1422637408 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/049/501/798ff0ef4fe5095dac91ec6af1246063/xlarge.jpg?1422637408 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/049/501/798ff0ef4fe5095dac91ec6af1246063/large.jpg?1422637408 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/049/501/798ff0ef4fe5095dac91ec6af1246063/medium.jpg?1422637408 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/049/501/798ff0ef4fe5095dac91ec6af1246063/small.jpg?1422637408 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/049/501/798ff0ef4fe5095dac91ec6af1246063/xsmall.jpg?1422637408 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/049/501/798ff0ef4fe5095dac91ec6af1246063/xxsmall.jpg?1422637408 2 0 true Mon, 02 Feb 2015 08:42:33 -0500