Volume 4, Issue 9--Published: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

The Center and You!

Your colleagues at the Center know how much you love your students. It shows in the emails of encouragement, the hours of planning, the dedication to engaging feedback, the bravery to  listen to your gut to help a student who really needs it, and in the countless other ways you support our students. The Center is here to support you as you do this important work. We’d love to connect with you –just let us know how we can help!

MATC Professional Learning Opportunities:

MATC offers a wide-range of professional development courses in a variety of delivery modes and durations as part of our efforts to design meaningful professional development that provides just-in-time training opportunities for you to explore what you need when you need it. All of our offerings are free to MATC faculty and eligible for FQAS hours, so that you can plan and develop your own professional development goals and outcomes.  

Yuja Closed Captioning Drop-In Assistance
Yuja is MATC's video creation and editing tool. This captioning drop-in assistance session will help you check for captions, add them, and edit them in your Yuja recorded videos. While this session will not train you how to make a recording in Yuja, it will help you comply with the requirement to have all of your videos captioned by law. Since it is a drop in session, you can attend virtually between 9am-11am on 2/18/25 by choosing one of the below links (we have multiple links in case of high demand). If you prefer to come in-person, stop by M201 (CTE) at the Milwaukee campus between 11am-4pm for assistance.
Room 1 - Closed-Captioning Guidance link: https://meet.google.com/zaj-nsqo-cxq
Room 2 - Closed-Captioning Guidance link: https://meet.google.com/nkn-zkjw-xsz
Room 3 - Closed-Captioning Guidance link: https://meet.google.com/rvk-bknq-ujn

Tue, 2/18/25, 9am-11am, Virtual-links above, In-person, 11am-1pm, M201 Downtown

Using Blackboard AI Tool for Exams Workshop
Blackboard Ultra AI Design Assistant uses artificial intelligence to streamline the course building process, giving instructors a head start on creating engaging, effective courses. In this workshop you will learn how to use BB Ultra AI Design Assistant to generate exam questions and banks. Informed by Bloom’s taxonomy instructors can choose the desired cognitive level for the task, as well as provide keywords and instructions to tie the suggestions to their course content and desired outcomes. You mat attend in-person in M201 (CTE) or virtually. Either way, please register at the link below. Space is limited to 25 participants, so it is best to register ahead of time.
 
Wednesday, 2/19/25, 12pm-1pm, Virtual or In-Person (M201, Downtown)

Cultivate an Inclusive Learning Environment

Creating an inclusive learning environment is essential for student success. This interactive workshop explores the historical significance of inclusion and belonging in U.S. colleges, highlighting key milestones and challenges. Participants will gain practical, actionable strategies to implement in their courses, ensuring a more equitable and engaging classroom experience. By the end of the session, attendees will develop a personalized action plan to refine their teaching methods, fostering a culture of belonging that supports diverse student needs.

Friday, 2/21/25, 9am-10am, Virtual Only

Yuja Training Part 2
Yuja is MATC's video creation and editing tool. This Yuja training (Part 2) is facilitated by the Yuja company trainers because the Yuja software was updated recently and this training will provide a better understanding of how to work within the new software. Please register at the link below to attend virtually.
 
Note: If you missed the Yuja Training Part 1, please view this recording from that session prior to attending Part 2 because this part is more advanced.

Friday, 2/21/25, 9am-10am, Virtual Only

COS Reboot Workshop
 
This workshop is intended for those who edit the Course Outcome Summary (COS) in WIDS and would like to learn more about writing Learning Objectives, Course Competencies, and Criteria. The CTE is hosting a workshop to address the proper way to write these. Register through the Zoom link provided. Use that same link to attend virtually, or you can attend in-person at the Milwaukee campus in M201 (CTE).
 
Friday, 2/21/25, 10:30am-12:30pm, Virtual or In-Person (M201, Downtown)

Teaching in the Blended and Hybrid Course Types Lunch & Learn
 
In this Lunch & Learn we'll examine teaching in the Blended and Hybrid course modalities. We'll explore scheduling, attendance, 8 & 12 week lengths, contact hours, student engagement, and other topics as we collaboratively discuss teaching in these modalities. Register through the Zoom link provided. Use that same link to attend virtually, or you can attend in-person at the Milwaukee campus in M201 (CTE).
 
Tuesday, 2/25/25, 12pm-1pm, Virtual or In-Person (M201, Downtown)

Ally Workshop

Ally is a tool integrated with Blackboard Ultra that helps improve the accessibility of documents, images, text, and tables for students. In this session, you will learn how Ally benefits students, practice using Ally to address common file accessibility barriers, and explore Alternative File Download formats, such as speech-to-text MP3 audio, and text translation to over 71 languages. Note: this workshop is limited to 15 participants, so please register at the link below early to reserve a seat if you would like to attend

Thursday, 2/27/25, 9am-10:30am, Virtual or Face-to-Face (M201A-Downtown)

Workshop: Using Blackboard AI Tool for Assignments
 Blackboard Ultra AI Design Assistant uses artificial intelligence to streamline the course building process, giving instructors a head start on creating engaging, effective courses. In this workshop you will learn how to use BB Ultra AI Design Assistant to generate Assignments. Informed by Bloom’s taxonomy instructors can choose the desired cognitive level for the task, as well as provide keywords and instructions to tie the suggestions to their course content and desired outcomes. You mat attend in-person in M201 (CTE) or virtually. Either way, please register at the link below. Space is limited to 25 participants, so it is best to register ahead of time.

Friday, 2/28/25, 12pm-1pm, Virtual or In-Person (M201, Downtown)

Online Instructional Quality

If you’ve completed Introduction to Blackboard Ultra (ZERD-190) or are currently enrolled in it, we welcome you to join us in Online Instructional Quality (ZERD-219) in Spring 2025.

In this research-based 1-credit course developed by Online Learning's faculty liaison team, you will learn the 'why' and 'how' of delivering high-quality online instruction to excel in demonstrating 21st Century Classroom Level 2. 

Key topics include: Learning theory and cultural relevance, online course design and alignment strategies, fostering regular and substantive interaction, and effective strategies to motivate and engage students.

Online Instructional QualitySP2025-ZERD-219-201 (Virtual) - New Section!
Fridays March 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th
8 AM to 10 AM
 Prerequisite: Successful completion or current enrollment to Introduction to Blackboard Ultra (ZERD-190). Attendance: A minimum of 80% online synchronous session attendance is mandatory. Additional 2 hours weekly online outside of the live sessions will vary by skill level. Register through Self-Service and watch this video to ensure your registration is complete.

Collaboration Connection:

Blackboard Ultra Drop-in Workshops

Have questions about Blackboard, Regular & Substantive Interaction, or online teaching? Join Online Learning's faculty liaisons at our drop-in workshops for expert guidance and hands-on training. Explore the Spring 2025 Drop-in Workshop Schedule for topics, dates, and times!
 

Friendly Reminders:

Faculty Forum:

Topics of discussion may include classroom experiences, student engagement, the role of AI in education, changes in federal policy, and academic freedom. This forum is an opportunity for open dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing among colleagues. Your insights are invaluable, and we encourage you to bring any questions or ideas you’d like to discuss.

Date: Friday, February 14, 2025
Time: 2:30 – 3:50 p.m.
Location: Cooley Auditorium, Downtown MATC Campus

2025 WTCS Assessment Conference

Registration is now open for the 2025 WTCS Assessment Conference at Mid-State Technical College! Join us as we explore innovative approaches to assessment in higher education. We’re thrilled to welcome C. Edward Watson, Ph.D., Vice President for Digital Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and founding director of AAC&U’s Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum. Dr. Watson is the author of Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024). His expertise in AI’s impact on teaching and learning makes this a keynote you won’t want to miss! He will follow up his keynote with a one-hour hands-on workshop, so plan to bring your laptop. 

Date: Friday, February 28, 2025

Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (Registration & Breakfast at 8:00 AM)

Location: Mid-State Technical College, Stevens Point Downtown Location

Theme: The Assessment Highway – Exploring New Avenues in Higher Education

 Cost: $100 per participant 

Virtual Option Available (But we’d love to see you in person!)

Keeping You Posted:

Our goal with Center Connections is to keep you informed, not only about Center’s work, but to help you navigate other college-wide initiatives that directly impact faculty.

The OER team is happy to welcome Carrie Grulke as the new full time Microcredentialing and OER Coordinator. She brings over 30 years of MATC administrative expertise to MATC's vital work of helping students save money and improve the quality of our courses. We have additional Spring 2025 $500 state-sponsored OER Maintenance Grants for existing OER course updates. Check out replays of these February workshops about OER work: the Wisconsin Open Education Symposium's "Merge the cutting-edge capabilities of AI with OER to create dynamic and personalized learning experiences,"  and the Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER)'s "Resilience and Open Education: Supporting Ukrainian Librarians During Wartime." 

Additional Professional Learning Opportunities:

M-Cubed Details:

What to Bring: Your electronic device and course outline        
Takeaway: A lesson plan incorporating AI, ready to use in your class        
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 8:00–11:00 AM        
Location: Alexander Hamilton High School. 6215 W Warnimont Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53220
A sense of belonging has long been linked to retention and other key student success metrics. Yet developing a sense of community can prove especially challenging for online students, whose ranks are growing across higher education.

How can instructors and institutions promote belonging, engagement and involvement among online students in ways that advance their success?

Join us for a crucial discussion that will draw on research, case studies and expert insights.
Thursday, February 20th, 1pm

Inspiration, Research, and Best Practices

Part of The Center’s mission is to keep you informed about current best practices and pedagogical approaches. Each issue of Center Connections includes links that are meant to be engaging, thought-provoking, and applicable to various classroom environments. For information on MATC's free access to Magna Commons publications, please see The Center's website.   Enjoy the rabbit hole!

Creating a trust-based classroom begins with an essential mindset: students are doing their best.
To truly support student success, we must move beyond the metrics and prioritize the human connections that make higher education meaningful.
The purpose of this article is to provide considerations for educators when creating experiential learning opportunities for students.

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