News

On May 9, MSU IT Services will upgrade Desire2Learn (D2L) from version 10.0 of to version 10.1, making new features available to instructors.

In addition to the new version, D2L will incorporate integrations with ePortfolio and a Learning Object Repository (LOR).

The D2L system at https://d2l.msu.edu will be down during the upgrade on May 9 beginning at 8:00 am. Read Full Article →

Converting your course from ANGEL to D2L?  This checklist is an excellent resource that will help you check the quality of your course materials after you have attended a D2L Conversion Lab.

• Review News items (Announcements)
• Adjust release dates for the new semester – *Tip: The D2L Manage Dates feature lets you update all the release dates for course items in one action.

Congratulations to Claire Layman, the grand prize winner in the Go Mad for an iPad Mini bracket drawing held by the MSU Computer Store April 8 to celebrate March Madness.

She says, “I am so excited to win! I’ve been planning to save for one. I’ll be contributing to two Institute websites, and will use the iPad to take photos and edit video to put on those sites.” Read Full Article →

This document offers a brief overview of the updates and changes that you can expect to see in Version 10.1 of the Desire2Learn learning management system at Michigan State University. Click the link below to download a printable version.

Click to download PDF

According to the company, that learning environment has been updated with these features:

• Video Note allows the user to use a webcam and then drop a video into the course content;
• Universal Drag and Drop File Upload simplifies the addition of files into course content from external sources (such as the user's desktop);
• The ability to create new material, such as assignments, quizzes, and discussions inside content without having to do it from within a popup or navigating to another function;
• Inline document conversion and rendering for Microsoft Office and PDF files;
• A beefed up HTML editor that allows for insertion of audio and video in place;
• Quicker access to restrictions and date management;
• A new class progress dashboard to provide student progress at a glance for instructors; and
• A revamped User Progress function that improves on visualizations and streamlined navigation among users, courses, and tools.

IT Services will offer two days of no-cost workshops on research and instructional technology on May 7 and 8, 2013. These seminars are also open to graduate assistants.

The workshops are designed to support faculty, academic staff, and graduate assistants in their teaching and research roles by providing seminars led by experts in online learning, and instruction in the use of a variety of software tools. Read Full Article →

Hosted at Wills House

Join us April 3 and 4 for the ELI Online Spring Focus Session 2013, "Learning and the Massive Open Online Course," where we will engage the teaching and learning community in exploring this new online course model. Tour institutional examples of MOOCs, various instructional designs and delivery models, processes, methodologies for setting up and evaluating the model, and implications for teaching and learning.   Read Full Article →

This page will prepare you for the D2L Conversion Lab.

• Basic course conversion: 1 minute
• Waiting time for conversion to complete: up to 24 hours

Each ANGEL course or group can only be converted to the Desire2Learn (D2L) system once using the D2L conversion tool. Read Full Article →

Starting on May 10, 2013, courses that are two years old, development courses that have been inactive for two years, and groups that have been inactive for six months in MSU’s ANGEL system will be deleted.

Associated content and records for these courses will also be deleted.

The ANGEL User Support Team is sending specific messages out to affected course and group administrators listing the courses and groups scheduled for deletion. Read Full Article →

D2L Faculty Help Documentation – A D2L produced self-help center that allows you to learn D2L features/functionality.  This resource is updated at the same time our system is upgraded so you always have the latest training materials.

D2L Faculty Quick Start Guide – This is an MSU produced quick start guide designed to help you get up to speed quickly.   Read Full Article →

Brought to you by IT Services –Teaching and Learning Division – Learn Design and Technology (formally known as vuDAT)

“Social Spring” – Embracing Social Learning Environments 

The Breakfast Series is a free event for faculty and academic staff that is offered six times per year on the second Wednesday of the month:

Social learning environments equips learners with the tools necessary to collaborate and participate with instructors and peers both inside the classroom (in person and online) and beyond the walls of regular class time. Read Full Article →