We offer technical support on a variety of technologies that can aid in enriching the teaching and learning experience. Click an icon to view more information about each tool, or select from the following topics:
- Learning Management System
- LMS Add-Ons Tools
- Academic Integrity Tools
- Lecture Capture / Recording Tools
- Live Meeting and Teleconference Tools
- File Sharing and Collaboration Tools
- Social Networks and Media Platforms
- Classroom Tools for Engagement
- Other Media Resources
Learning Management System
Blackboard Learn
Blackboard Learn is a secure, Web-based environment that supports content delivery, online collaboration, and assessment.
DLIT offers both online and classroom training (open labs) for faculty on Blackboard Learn.
To login to Blackboard Learn, go to http://learn.untdallas.edu. For information about using Learn go to http://bbsupport.unt.edu.
LMS Add-Ons
Respondus enables you to create and manage exams to be printed to paper or published directly to Blackboard Learn for online delivery. Respondus is a powerful application for creating and managing exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to Blackboard Learn. Exams can be created offline using a familiar Windows environment, or moved from one eLearning system to another. Whether you are a veteran of online testing or relatively new to it, Respondus will save you hours on each project.
Academic Integrity Tools
Turnitin
Turnitin helps students learn to cite their work properly and aids faculty in ensuring academic integrity on written assignments. The University has purchased and integrated Turnitin software into Blackboard Learn. Faculty may create Turnitin assignments in Blackboard to take advantage of the Originality Checker, GradeMark and PeerMark services offered by Turnitin. Download the easy to use manual at the link below for instructions on how to set up and use a Turnitin assignment in your Blackboard course.
- Turnitin Blackboard Integration Student Manual
- Turnitin Blackboard Integration Instructor Manual
- Instructor Training by Turnitin
Lecture Capture/Recording
Panopto-Lecture Capture Software
Panopto lecture capture software simultaneously records and synchronizes video, audio, slides, document cameras, screen capture, electronic white boards, and more. The Office of Distance Learning and Instructional Technology provides this lecture capture software to faculty teaching hybrid and online courses to record lectures, podcasts, screencasts, and other presentations. Record formal lectures, classroom activities and informal presentations from your home or office. Students can pause, search, review, and add notes to lectures based on their individual learning needs.
The following tip sheets will help you get started:
- Enabling your Blackboard Course to use Panopto
- Using Panopto Lecture Capture in the Classroom (video tutorial)
Wireless mics are available in the following classrooms:
Building 1-102, Building 2-101, Building 2-138
For training videos on how to get started with Panopto, click the links below:
- Basic Editing [2m14s]
- Advanced Editing - Splicing [1m59s]
- Advanced Editing - Features [10m55s]
- Panopto 4.7 Features (video) [22m53s]
Get more information on Panopto on the UNT Panopto Support Page.
Screencast-O-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic is a free browser-based app that lets you create screencasts from a Mac or Windows computer without having to install any software. With just one click from the Screencast-O-Matic Web site, you can bring up a screen recorder window, which you can drag and resize to anywhere on your screen. You can also record from a webcam. When you're ready to start recording, you click the record button, and all action inside the frame is recorded for up to 15 minutes. You can also pause or restart your recording, and you can upload it to YouTube or save it as a video file.
Upgrading to a Pro account, which costs $15 per year, gives you additional features, such as editing tools to cut, zoom and add text overlays to your recordings. A Pro account also lets you publish to Google Drive, password-protect your uploads and run the recorder outside your browser when you're offline.
Live Meetings and Teleconferencing
UNTD can facilitate the delivery of videoconferences. UNTVN is dedicated to serving distance learning students and faculty in creating quality educational experiences through the use of videoconferencing technology.
The University of North Texas Videoconference Network (UNTVN) is a two-way compressed video network consisting of the following sites (see tables below for specific location information):
- Nine sites on the UNT Campus
- Seven sites in Dallas
- Three sites in Fort Worth
UNTVN also provides access to the public switched network for dial-out to off network sites worldwide.
Zoom - Web and Viceonferencing
Zoom is a cloud-based conferencing solution that provides both video conferencing and screen share capabilities. Its high-quality and easy to use format have made it a great choice for the Supplemental Instruction Program at UNT Dallas. Check the following documents for more information:
Skype - Conduct Your E-Office Hours From Anywhere
Effective e-instructors schedule e-office hours for their students. Skype provides a free voice and video over Internet protocol solution for your hybrid or online students to connect to you and ask questions. There is even an option for group video calls with Skype. Take collaboration to another level by instant messaging, sharing screens or sending media files. Faculty engagement in UNT Dallas distance education courses is critical to successful student engagement it is also important to try and create a sense of community with your students, so engage them and challenge them with new ideas and new interactive technologies. Skype is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Windows phone and iOS devices. Connect to your students using SKYPE for E-Office Hours - http://www.skype.com.
File Sharing and Collaboration Tools
OneDrive
Share documents and collaborate using UNTD's OneDrive, a cloud-based storage and document editing tool.
Dropbox
Share documents using Dropbox, a cloud-based storage tool.
Google Drive
Share documents and collaborate using Google Drive, Google's cloud-based storage tool.
PBworks (formerly PB Wiki) lets you create a simple, secure Web-based workspace that supports highly collaborative class activities. PBworks is a wiki that allows instructors and students to collaboratively create and edit web pages and track the history of each author's contribution as well as the the changes that are made along the way.
Social Networks and Media Platforms
YouTube Education
YouTube is a media platform in which video content can be uploaded and/or viewed. Media platforms are examples of how people revolve around the content, picking and choosing video content of interest. Browse http://www.youtube.com/edu to find videos of 8 minutes or less on topics from the following academic disciplines: business, education, engineering, fine arts and design, health and medicine, history, humanities, journalism and media, law, literature, mathematics, science, and social science.
Instagram is a photo and video sharing media platform. Photos are formatted into a square shape reminiscent of Polaroids from decades ago. Instagram has many growing uses in higher education, mainly used to promote and share activities taking place on campus but it can also be used in for class assignments like virtual tours and art appreciation.
Facebook is an example of a social network whose content of media and text revolves around a person. To learn how Facebook may be used in education view this WEBINAR: Facebook for Teaching and Learning: Practical Strategies for Educators (recorded)
Presented by Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz, M.A. (content starts at 1m12s).
Classroom Tools for Engagement
SMART Light Raise touch projectors allow instructors to experience the benefits of touch interactivity in the classroom. It’s the only interactive projector that combines touch with the creative power of SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software, delivering a rich and engaging learning experience. Get more information on the SMART support page.
Available in Building 1 344 and 348
Socrative is a smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage and assess their students with educational activities on tablets, laptops and smartphones. Through the use of real time questioning, instant result aggregation and visualization, teachers can gauge the whole class’ current level of understanding. Socrative saves teachers time so the class can further collaborate, discuss, extend and grow as a community of learners.
Other Media Resources
Prezi creates unique presentations that will captivate your audience.
Google Docs allows for numerous people to collaborate on a document and leave comments, suggestions, or questions throughout the document.
Edudemic provides a list and brief description of several Web 2.0 tools to use in your course.
Bubbl creates concept maps that allows students and faculty to visually make connections between subjects, ideas, or concepts.
