Students and Faculty: Tune Up Tech for Spring Courses

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas students and faculty can drop by central campus locations this week for on-the-spot technology tune-ups with experts from IT Services and the Global Campus.

Students can stop by from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily through Friday, Jan. 27, at the Tech Check-Up Desk in front of the Student Technology Center on the third floor of the Arkansas Union. Get help to access classes in Blackboard Learn, set up classroom clickers and resolve email issues. Learn how to access software, new tools and technology resources. Students should bring their devices.

Faculty are invited to open labs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays throughout the semester in Gibson Annex. Get help with Blackboard Learn and other learning technology or try out new educational tools. No reservations are necessary, and faculty can bring their own laptops or use Gibson Annex computers.

Faculty can also contact Carolyn Smith at ccsmith@uark.edu to set up an appointment and have staff from the Learning Technology Support Team come to their offices on campus. Get help with adding content and assignments to Blackboard, using classroom clickers, creating videos and ensuring online content is accessible to all students. Smith can also set up departmental trainings or workshops.

Students, faculty and staff can visit the IT Services website to get free Microsoft Office 365 and access to Lynda.com, an online tutorial service that helps people learn business, technology and creative skills.

Office 365 is available to the U of A community thanks to the Achieve IT: Collaborate Everywhere project. IT Services and the Global Campus partnered to provide access to Lynda.com.

Faculty can find more help with learning technology on the Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support website at tips.uark.edu. The site contains best practice information and step-by-step instructions for topics including Blackboard Learn, creating and streaming video, web-conferencing, online proctoring, creating accessible content, and course design. The site also provides a calendar of workshops, technology training dates, and faculty development events.

IT Services and Global Campus collaborate to offer technology expertise and support to faculty and students who function in innovative learning environments. The Global Campus also provides instructional design services that link pedagogical strategy, learning technology, and nationally recognized best practices in course development.