Academic Innovation Blog

Introducing the New Discussion Creation Experience

A new create and edit experience for Discussion topics is coming soon to Falcon Online. Here is an preview of this update so that you can review, prepare, and raise any questions you may have. This update will be opt-in so after the next update on 27 April, you will see this screen when you first create or edit a topic in the discussion tool.

Once you make a selection the panel will minimize to an arrow that you can use to access the panel to move between the classic and new experience.

Consistent layout

The redesigned create and edit screen for Discussion topics has the same layout as in Assignments and Quizzes, making it familiar and easy to learn.

The primary panel on the left contains common, frequently used fields that are always displayed. These fields are most relevant to learners and are core to topic creation.

The right-hand panel organizes additional, more advanced options such as start and end dates, and release conditions. These options follow the same logical groupings as found in Assignments and Quizzes.

While the right-hand groupings are collapsed, the summary text provides details about which settings are active so you can see which settings are applied at a glance.

Notable changes

Beyond the restructuring of the topic creation page for consistency, the new experience also includes updates and wording changes to a few settings that you may be familiar with. These changes are designed to simplify workflows and to align more closely with our Daylight patterns. Let’s review these changes.

Automatically create a new forum with same name and visibility as a new topic

To streamline getting started with the Discussions tool, new topics will create a new forum of the same name and same visibility. This eliminates the requirement of creating a forum prior to creating a topic when first building out the discussions area in Brightspace. For example, a new topic titled, “Introduction” which is marked as visible to learners, will automatically associate and generate a new, visible forum titled, “Introduction”. Once saved, topics and forums behave as they do today and become independently managed. For greater flexibility with this behavior, users can leverage the Change Forum workflow to edit the name of the newly created forum or associate the current topic with an existing forum.

Checkboxes now radio buttons for Allow anonymous posts and Users must start a thread

Previously, the settings of Allow anonymous posts and Users must start a thread were independent checkboxes that could only have one selection at a time. These capabilities persist in the new creation experience but now appear as a set of radio buttons.

1. A new radio option of Default participation has been added and is equivalent to neither Allow anonymous posts nor Users must start a thread being selected in classic.
2. The radio option of Allow learners to hide their name from other learners has updated wording and is equivalent to Allow anonymous posts being selected in classic.
3. The radio option of Learners must start a thread before they can view or reply to other threads has updated wording and is equivalent to Users must start a thread before they can read and reply to other threads being selected in classic.

An illustrated diagram below shows these settings and how they appear today in classic and how they will appear going forward in the new experience.

Topic type selector replaced by Manage Restrictions workflow

The radio buttons for selecting a topic type have been replaced by an updated Manage Restrictions workflow in the new experience. Like today, all new topics in the new experience start as an “open topic”. To change an open topic to either a group or section restricted topic or to a restricted topic with separate threads, open the Availability Dates & Conditions accordion and launch into the Manage Restrictions workflow to add a restriction.

Restricting topic and separate threads

To restrict a topic so that learners can only view threads from their group or section, choose the radio option Restrict topic and separate threads in the new Manage Restrictions workflow.

Restricting topic using groups and section restrictions

To restrict a topic so that only selected groups and sections of users can view a topic and all threads, choose the radio option of Restrict topic in the new Manage Restrictions workflow.

Full functionality

With this first release of the new discussion creation experience, there are no known functional gaps when compared to classic discussion topic creation.

What's next

As previously mention you can move between the classic and new experience. However, with the July 2023 update, the new experience will become the default and only view.

Bill Harrison
Director, IT - Training and Instructional Resources
bill.harrison@daytonastate.edu | 386.506.4306

For those of you who have been following our Teaching and Learning fellowship journey, we are approaching the finish line. Before we break the tape on what is undoubtedly our gold medal worthy tenure as fellows (cue eye rolls), we thought we’d share our debriefing of the experience.

Mike: So my fellow fellow, here we are nearing the end.

Margie: Wait! Why are you killing us off already?

Mike: No, nothing like that. I just mean our time as fellows is coming to an end.

Margie: Well, that is like death to me…

Mike: Touché. It has been a great experience. What do you think you’ll most miss about it?

Margie: Besides staring at your hair every meeting?

Mike (stares blankly for an uncomfortably prolonged period): I thought we talked about not bringing the hair into conversations.

Margie: Oops. Sorry. I guess I’ll miss the dedicated time to talk about our craft. I’m not exaggerating when I say how incredible it’s been to kick around ideas, trying different teaching techniques and getting feedback about them, and just generally having my experiences and ideas validated by a group that I respect.

Mike: I’m not so sure some of my ideas should have been validated, but I too appreciated the validation.

Margie: I’m with you. That’s what’s been great too. Being about to have some not-so-great ideas, but with some processing with everyone, I was able to really turn them into great ideas.

Mike: You know what I’ll cherish from this experience. Getting to know you and the rest of our honey badger crew better (That means you, Cheryl Kohen and John Brady).

Margie: (with huge tears building in her eyes until they erupt causing streams of salty sorrow to pour down her face) (Note to our audience, Mike made me type that). It’s been an incredibly fun experience, which is kind of a weird way to talk about a teaching and learning fellowship even though it’s true.

Mike: (stoically but with implicit empathy) (Note to audience: Mike made himself type that). It was a pleasant surprise to have such a fun, enjoyable time in the fellowship.

Margie: I also want to mention the Snack and Shares. One, because I know Cheryl is getting cranky that we haven’t plugged the last one yet but also because I think they’ve mirrored our broader experience in the fellowship.

Mike: Yes, they were fun but also edifying.

Margie: Seriously, for those reading this, if you didn’t make it to the last one, you really missed an enjoyable conversation about some awesome stuff people at the college are doing. How would you describe our plans for the next Snack and Share?

Mike: Is this one of those projective tests where the word I use to describe it tells everyone something about my personality? I guess I would say...celebratory. Let’s see you do something with that.

Margie: Woah! Tone down the defensiveness. I was just asking you to talk about the topics we plan on discussing.

Mike: (shifts in his chair uncomfortably): Yes, ha ha. I was just trying to inject humor into this. Yes, that’s what the audience expects from us. Some levity along with some nuggets of teaching wisdom.

Margie: Anyway...

Mike: Active learning. Our last module has focused on active learning and how to engage our students better to achieve deeper, longer lasting learning.

Margie: Here’s where we pause for a demonstration...we are waiting Mike.

Mike: No pressure or anything. Let’s save the demonstrations for the Snack and Share. (sighs in relief that he was able to get out of that one) Or at least wait until then to learn from the great minds at DSC and ACUE and how we can up our game in the active learning arena. Something simple, like a think-pair-share activity, can elevate a normal discussion into something more.

Margie: I think, no matter what level you’re at in using active learning techniques, there’s always room to enhance what you’re doing. I’m excited to invite some all-stars at DSC to the Snack and Share to help us all learn how to be active learning pros. I think you’re right that doing something a little more active in the classroom can make a big difference.

Mike: Yes, I think I’ve learned from this module that this is the biggest area of improvement I need to make in my teaching. I’d like to think that I engage students, but in the never-ending quest to achieve adequate coverage of material in my class, I’ve discarded techniques that would help my students better retain the material in the long-term.

Margie: I think that’s an important point they made in the module. Basically, what’s the point in covering a whole bunch of material if your students don’t remember it?

Mike: Yep, I worry that I sometimes sacrifice retention of material in the pursuit of comprehensive coverage.

Margie: Like the demonstrations, let’s save some of this conversation for the Snack and Share. I don’t want to give away all of our secrets in this blog.

Mike: Yes, my bad. If you want to celebrate a great year of learning with ACUE and engage in a thoughtful discussion about how to improve your active learning game, join us Tuesday, May 2, 1-2 pm in the Faculty Innovation Center or by Microsoft Teams: Snack and Share May 2, 1-2pm

Margie: Let’s leave our audience with a little poem to close out our final blog post:

As we say adieu, to our time with ACUE

We extend a warm welcome to you.

To sit for a hair, and hope that you share

Some of your great teaching flair
 

 

So don’t be dismayed, we’ll see you in May

To put our talents and ideas on display.

With sharing and snacks, there’s nothing you’ll lack

Plus, who wants to miss the jokes that we’ll crack

Margie Hensler, Ed.D.
Associate Professor
School of Education
margie.hensler@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3487
 

Mike Mallott, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Social Science & World Languages
michael.mallott@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3487
 

How to Activate Video Assignment Projects

Video Assignment projects have become an increasingly popular and effective way to engage students in Falcon Online. However, when instructors copy course content from one course to another, they may encounter issues with Video Assignment projects not being properly enabled in the new course. This can cause frustration and confusion for both instructors and students. To ensure a seamless experience, it's important to follow specific procedures to enable Video Assignment projects after copying them from another course. In this blog, we will explore best practices and step-by-step instructions to ensure that your projects are fully functional and accessible in the new course, allowing for smooth implementation and effective student engagement.

If you choose to copy all components, then there are only a few steps needed to complete the setup process. The following video tutorial goes through the specific steps to ensure the projects are ready in the new course.

Copy All Components

Copy Select Components

If you choose to copy select components, then there are several steps needed to complete the setup process. The following video tutorial goes through the specific steps to ensure the projects are ready in the new course.

If you have questions about copying Video Assignment projects, please visit the Video Assignment page within the Falcon Online for Faculty InfoGuide or contact the Faculty Innovation Center at:

fic@daytonastate.edu

386-506-3485

Aaron Sunday
Instructional Designer, Division of Online Studies
aaron.sunday@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3209
Online Studies | Faculty Innovation Center (FIC)

Math Fest 2023: Discovering the Wonderful World of Mathematics

Connecting Mathematics to Real-World Applications

Daytona State College's School of Mathematics is proud to announce Math Fest 2023: Discovering the Wonderful World of Mathematics, an event that offers an opportunity for educators to showcase their passion for mathematics and inspire students to see the beauty and real-world applications of the subject. The event will take place on Friday, October 27, 2023, at the Daytona Beach campus. The deadline for proposals is May 31, and will be coming up fast — so, if you're looking to make a difference and share your knowledge, we encourage you to submit your proposal today!

Get Involved

Math Fest is designed to heighten students' interest in mathematics by promoting creativity, expression, and innovation in the subject. The event provides a unique opportunity to connect with young minds and spark their interest in mathematics. The audience consists of undergraduate students pursuing diverse majors from Daytona State College and local universities. Math Fest aims to inspire these students to explore mathematics and its practical applications, even if it is not their primary field of study.

The presentations at Math Fest should be interactive and engaging, with a particular emphasis on real-world mathematics applications. We welcome proposals from higher education professionals throughout Daytona State College who wish to explore the linkages between their discipline and the wonders of mathematics. These proposals are a great way to showcase how mathematics is relevant to other fields of study, such as engineering, computer science, and physics. We encourage presenters to utilize hands-on activities that actively involve the students, making the experience fun and educational.

Submit Your Proposal

Submitting a proposal for Math Fest 2023 is a straightforward process. Simply access the Proposal Submission Form and follow the instructions. If you have any questions or concerns about the proposal submission process or the event itself, please reach out to Gabi Booth at Gabi.Booth@daytonastate.edu.

Don't miss out on this chance to make a difference and help shape the future of mathematics — submit your proposal today!

Koby Klayson
Administrative Specialist, Division of Online Studies
Koby.Klayson@daytonastate.edu
386-506-3638
Division of Online Studies