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The LeCroy Center Distance Learning Update January 2011 |
Happy 2011, It's a New Year...
Welcome back to the start of a new year with new opportunities, ventures and fresh beginnings. There is a lot in store for you from the LeCroy Center this new year. To kick start the semester, the new online Government course is ready and available for use. Expect updates to our Blackboard portal later this year. We heard you loud and clear and postponed the Winter-term updates. A first for the LeCroy Center-- online Biology. The dissections started last year and continue throughout the year with a full online biology course for non-science majors, complete with online lab by Spring 2012.
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Government for the People
You may have a penchant for politics, but what about your students? We heard them loud and clear!
Twenty-two new online government lessons that introduce students to the institutions and processes of American government and politics are ready for use now.
These short issue-oriented documentary videos relate real-world situations through political themes and the foundations for government. The "Virtual Roundtables" challenge students to examine competing ideas and values presented by academic experts and national politicians.
The FAST Team (Faculty Access to Supportive Technology Team) has created a faculty template in eCampus for the Government course. To access the course, contact the FAST Team.
Read more about the new Online Government Course...
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New Version of Blackboard Delayed 
Timing is always an issue when it concerns technology hardware and software changes, and no one is immune to the dilemmas encountered-- not even the LeCroy Center. A much needed upgrade to the Blackboard eCampus learning management system was evident by most, even Blackboard. The DCCCD was slated to make those changes during the Winter-term, the time of least resistance, at least that was what we thought. However, after much contemplating and very careful deliberation, a decision was made to postpone the much needed upgrade until later this year
It was determined that the timing was too risky and could cause an unstable system for both faculty and students, especially during a short Winter semester. Our scheduled delay will allow the Blackboard gurus time to correct all the problems and test and retest their systems.
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Biology in an Online World
 Many thought it couldn't be done, an online Biology course for non-science majors, complete with hands-on labs, faculty-to-student interaction and vivid step-by-step videos. Effective lab science courses in the online world are rare. However, the LeCroy Center is producing its first science course as a 4-credit hour online course with 15 lessons and 15 labs.
By combining the resources of the LeCroy Center, the Virtual College of Texas, McGraw-Hill Publishing, and the Texas Community College Teachers Association, this project will meet the needs of community college students and biology faculty, in Texas and across the country. Under the direction of content specialist, Dr. Jennifer Baggett of Richland College, the course allows faculty to customize the course to their needs by adding or deleting elements. Each of the 15-lessons will have interactive exercises, animation illustrations, self-assessments, progress checks, a glossary, and a textbook reading assignment. A test bank will be provided with formatting for ease within the eCampus portal.
Read more about the new Online Biology Course... |
LeCroy Center to Host New Online Portal
Portal would offer an easier way to find online programs
By Tabitha Weissmore,
January 10, 2011, Community College Times
Searching "online degree" on Google can yield millions of results, but prospective students have to scroll pretty far down the list to see offerings at community colleges.
That could keep low-income students and other underserved populations from finding affordable, accredited online programs, according to an online education consortium comprising American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) member colleges and leaders in online higher education.
The consortium is developing a new, single-access portal-OnlineCommunityColleges.org-in an attempt to change that.
Read more about OnlineCommunityColleges.org... |
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Professional Development Designed for You
 Start the new year off right by attending one of our FREE professional development webinars presented by STARLINK, the nation's oldest, video-based higher education professional development network.
JANUARY 2011
Making Lectures More Meaningful: Integrating Active Learning Techniques
FEBRUARY 2011
Online Teaching Tips from Award Winning Professors
MARCH 2011
Family Involvement in Classroom Education: Promoting Retention and Persistence
APRIL 2011
Classroom Teaching Tips from Award Winning Professors |
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Faculty Spotlight on David McCoy of Cedar Valley College
David McCoy had to go to Russia to find his calling as a Political Science and Government teacher at Cedar Valley College, a member of the Dallas County Community College District. David brings a wealth of experience to his four years of online teaching.
Most recently, he is one of the architects for the new online Government course produced by DCCCD Dallas TeleLearning and available Spring 2011.
Read more about David McCoy... |
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Videos on Demand
Need to update your accounting course?
350 videos and interactive exercises were recently added to the video repository.
Accounting Principles Accounting Principles II Financial Accounting Spanish video clips coming soon.
Digital Resource Repository |
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FAST Team Instructional Design Profiles
"Help! I'm teaching my first online course," is the dire call many of us make. Instructional Designers are the quite, behind-the-scene allies that keep us online instructors together. This month, we hear from two award winning instructional designers recognized for their outstanding technical support at the annual ITC Awards for Excellence in eLearning. |
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