In a recent newsletter, GVSU’s Information Technology (IT) Division highlighted a variety of successes in 2020. While this past year has been challenging because of the impact of the pandemic on our community and across the world, IT has worked with many areas with great success!
Here are a few of the highlights from the newsletter that were supported by the eLearning team:
#1 – TEAM EXPANDED
The eLearning / Teaching & Learning Technologies team was expanded by 50% to meet the online/hybrid needs of the university for the growing adult learning portfolio.
- We welcomed 5 new staff, and an existing member was promoted to an instructional designer. Here is a blog post featuring our new staff!
#2 – RECORD NUMBERS OF FACULTY FACULTY SUPPORTED DURING PANDEMIC
The pivot to remote teaching created an increase in demand for faculty professional development the eLearning / Teaching & Learning Technologies team supported the training of over 800 faculty in 2 days in March 2020. Further, the team facilitated professional development opportunities for over 2,346 faculty, provided drop-in consultations, and phone/email support for 1,800+ faculty throughout the year.
#3 – BLACKBOARD ALLY ACCESSIBILITY SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST
The eLearning / Teaching & Learning Technologies team facilitated a contest to promote the awareness of accessibility in a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Scholarship Competition, leveraging GVSU’s enterprise accessibility tool called Blackboard Ally. The winning department (Classics) was awarded a $1,000 student scholarship in their name!
#4 – BLACKBOARD ALLY ROAD TOUR STOPS AT GVSU
Additionally, GVSU was one of a select group of institutions that hosted a Blackboard Ally Tour, whereby, Blackboard accessibility experts came to campus to lead Universal Design for Learning workshops as well as connected with our Disability Support Resources office to share the impact Blackboard Ally was having at GVSU.
#5 – PANOPTO (and all digital tools) EXPAND IN USE DURING PANDEMIC
The eLearning / Teaching & Learning Technologies team supported a 905% increase in the total hours spent watching Panopto content. In fact, 44% of all Panopto content was created in the Fall 2020 semester, and there was a 5X increase in Blackboard courses using Panopto.
- Check out this blog post featuring information about how Panopto powers video for remote teaching at GVSU.
- Related: Winter 2020 Respondus Monitor Usage Report, Winter 2020 Blackboard Usage Report, and Winter 2020 Blackboard Ally Usage Report
#6 – LEADS DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PROVIDED
The eLearning / Teaching & Learning Technologies team established a course development and design model, a project management process to track progress with Asana, and created 25 courses for GVSU’s new Degree Completion Program (LEADS).
eLearning Technologies @GVSU 