As we move toward switching from our current Blackboard courses to Blackboard Learn Ultra courses, we are rolling out faculty development and training. Courses with student enrollments will not see the new Blackboard Ultra course views until Fall 2021, which provides time for training and designing quality, student-centered courses.  

Starting Oct. 27, all faculty will be enrolled in a Blackboard Learn Ultra instructor orientation course to introduce the new features in a scaffolded approach, and to help you transition to creating engaging courses in this new environment.

We are planning for delivery of four training modules over three weeks this fall with additional training modules to be released in the spring. When appropriate during this time, faculty will have access to sandbox courses (empty course sites with no student enrollments) to explore the new features’ capabilities.

For the fall training, we estimate each weekly training suggestion will take between 1–2 hours to complete. Once the weekly module(s) are released, they will remain available.

Details about each week’s training task will be provided in a weekly OnCampus post beginning Oct. 27.

— Karly Good, ITS

Apply now to lead a J-Term 2022 travel seminar. A travel seminar is a short-term, faculty-led study abroad (or domestic) program. This is an opportunity to teach a course that integrates an academic experience with intercultural and experiential learning while traveling. Qualtrics submissions are due Friday, Nov. 6, 2020.

Submit a proposal or review the proposal process

For questions, contact Maria Rohach, director of education abroad, at  maria.rohach@drake.edu.

— Maria Rohach, Global Engagement

Human Resources would like to “tap into” the strong internal resources we have on campus to help us facilitate future BUILD (Bulldogs United in Learning Drake) sessions. BUILD sessions are 1–2 hour classes for faculty and staff that cover topics ranging from benefits and wellbeing to learning more about Drake’s history and departments, and enhancing professional development skills.

If you have a topic you think would fit well into the BUILD program, or would like to discuss the possibility of participating in this program, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

All sessions are currently being presented in a virtual format.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The list of fall 2020 Bulldogs United in Learning Drake (BUILD) classes is available online. To access the list, go to HR BUILD Classes under All Apps – Other Employee Apps on myDrake.

BUILD is a series of 1–2 hour presentations on topics relevant to faculty and staff. Classes will be held virtually. Most will offer a live virtual presentation, which allows for meaningful interaction with colleagues and the presenter. Presentations will also be recorded for later viewing.

The next class is Compassion Fatigue on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 2–3 p.m.  Witnessing the trauma, grief, or aging of a loved one is the daily challenge of being a caregiver. This session explores the concept of compassion fatigue, what it looks like, how it affects both formal and informal caregivers in both a personal and professional context, as well as the resources available for building coping skills and practicing self-care. Presented by Scarlett Lunning from Employee & Family Resources.

To register for this or any class, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Each month, a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into their classroom. September’s digital faculty member of the month is David Plutschack, assistant professor of occupational therapy, College of Pharmacy and Health Professions. Read an interview with David below:

What course do you use this technology in? Currently, I am teaching the OTD 132 Orthotics and Positioning course, which is generally a very hands-on lecture and lab while on campus.

What type of technology (hardware/software) do you use? Prior to the COVID outbreak, I actually was frequently incorporating various forms of technology within my lectures and lab. I started using a mobile application called PhysioU in 2018 in the OTD 111 (Application of Kinesiology to Occupational Therapy) course and have continued using it this semester. Given the hands-on nature of this course, going virtual provided a new challenge. To combat this, I began using Zoom along with students using smartphone cameras as needed.

In what context do you use this technology (assessment/lecture/group work/etc.)? When on campus, we would typically spend about an hour working in small groups of 5-6 students on patient case studies. Students would work through complex case studies based on upper extremity diagnoses. In a virtual format, lectures are prerecorded using Panopto, but we meet live for one-hour weekly during our regularly scheduled time. Students are broken into small groups using Zoom breakout rooms and complete the case studies virtually. After about 30-45 minutes in the breakout rooms, we go back as a whole class and discuss the case studies as a group.

PhysioU is a mobile platform for occupational and physical therapy education. This website and application have been vital to delivering my labs virtual. Prior to the COVID outbreak, students would watch the videos prior to lab, then complete splinting live during lab. In a virtual platform, students use the videos and complete their splints at home on themselves, family members, or roommates (while maintaining social distancing). During lab times, Zoom is used for check-ins regarding lab assignments and grading purposes.

How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy? Using technology is ingrained in my teaching philosophy and scholarship. Utilizing technology and various multimedia platforms to deliver occupational therapy pedagogy allows for all types of learners (visual, auditory, etc.) to grasp difficult concepts. Mobile technology such as webpages and mobile apps also provides students with the ability to develop hands-on clinical skills, which may be difficult from textbooks alone.

Where did you get the inspiration to make a change (colleague/seminar/administration/etc.)? I started researching mobile applications for teaching occupational therapy clinical skills in 2018 for the OTD 111 course and fell in love with PhysioU’s approach to technology and education. I was able to establish a great working relationship with the founders of PhysioU and have actually developed content as an author of the SplintPro portion of the website. This only further sparked my interest in technology in occupational therapy education

How long did it take for you to implement this technology? Implementing PhysioU into OTD 111 and OTD 132 was quite rapid. Students love it because it has videos of hands-on techniques, rather than text and a picture from textbooks. At the start of the COVID outbreak, utilizing Zoom had to occur quickly, but I was well versed on the platform and felt the transition went well.

Since transitioning to remote teaching, how has your use of this technology changed, if at all? To me, no big changes in using the PhysioU application. The only change is students are completing their splinting at home rather than in lab. Students were given home safety recommendations and home splint fabrication recommendations, since the videos on PhysioU were made with equipment regularly available in clinics and Drake OT labs. The equipment available at home varies between each student.

Overall, what lessons (if any) do you think you have learned while transitioning to remote teaching? I have been incredibly grateful for the Drake University occupational therapy students being flexible, resilient, and creative during this transition to remote teaching. They have made this transition much easier than I imagined. One lesson I have learned while teaching remotely is the extreme amount of preparation that goes in to deliver high quality remote teaching. Another is the importance of face-to-face time with my students. I find the Zoom live group work and lab check-ins weekly to be very valuable to student success. Keeping open communication is key.

Both before and during this transition, did Drake ITS assist you in implementing any of these technologies?  If so, how? No, I am pretty tech savvy, so I was able to set everything up personally.

Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.

Want to learn more about using Panopto or Zoom in your course? Explore the knowledge base categories:

Panopto: https://drake.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2025/Portal/KB/?CategoryID=17251

Zoom: https://drake.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2025/Portal/KB/?CategoryID=18578&SIDs=7847

—Jon Hurdelbrink, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS

Recent studies show that Americans believe our culture is uncivil. The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University is committed to helping individuals, organizations, and communities learn skills and strategies to help maintain civility, even during the most difficult conversations.

In this session, participants will learn the importance of establishing connection, how to rephrase attack statements, and how to seek understanding and common ground. Civility will only expand when individuals commit to improving their own actions and words, and this session will teach participants applicable civility strategies.

Register here. Fee: $79.00.

— Amy Smit, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center

The five-question survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and will remain open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30. 

Please remember to complete the Faculty and Staff September Pulse Survey.  The survey was developed to gather input from faculty and staff about how things are going now that the semester is underway. Responses will be used to help assess ways to better support and communicate with faculty and staff in the weeks and months ahead.  An aggregate report will be prepared from the survey findings by the Office of Institutional Research and shared with campus leaders, including President’s Council and academic deans. No personally identifiable information will be shared. In collaboration with the executive committees of Faculty Senate and All Staff Council, we will report back to campus the results of the survey, as well as what steps are being taken as a result of the information collected. 

— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Faculty who are teaching in classrooms this fall are required to wear a face mask unless an exemption has been granted by Environmental Health and Safety and approved by the provost. This clarification in policy is reflected within the faculty/staff section of Drake’s COVID-19 site.

Every Drake faculty and staff member was provided with a washable, reusable mask at the start of the semester, and faculty choosing to teach face-to-face were provided with face shields. Shields are meant to supplement masks, not replace them.

To request an exemption from wearing a mask while teaching in classrooms this fall, please email Chris Nickell, director of environmental health and safety, at chris.nickell@drake.edu.

The 2021 Global Citizen Forum will be held virtually in March and focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in higher education. In preparation of the conference, the planning committee needs your input.

Please complete a five-minute survey designed to gauge the interest of faculty and staff to participate in the conference as presenters or attendees. Responses will be collected through Sept. 18.

Thank you for your participation.

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Partnerships Coordinator

Drake Online Design Dialogues will resume Sept. 24 at 11:30 a.m. The sessions are open to all. Following the first dialogue on Sept. 24, sessions will be held the third Thursday of the month at 11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Sessions will be facilitated by Christina Trombley and the Instructional Design and Technology staff of Drake Online and Continuing Education.

September’s discussion will allow for open dialogue regarding your experiences with teaching online the first few weeks of fall semester.  You can also send specific questions to christina.trombley@drake.edu and we will provide a demonstration.

Please register to attend. You will receive a confirmation with the Zoom link to attend.

— Christina Trombley