Desire2Learn for Higher Education Cookbook: Gain expert knowledge of the tools within the Desire2Learn Learning Environment, maximize your productivity, and create online learning experiences with these easy-to-follow recipes

Gain expert knowledge of the tools within the Desire2Learn Learning Environment, maximize your productivity, and create online learning experiences with these easy-to-follow recipes. **Overview** * Customize the look and feel of your online course, integrate graphics and video, and become more productive using the learning environment's built-in assessment and collaboration tools * Recipes address real world challenges in clear and concise step-by-step instructions, which help you work your way through technical tasks with ease * Detailed instructions with screenshots to guide you through each task **In Detail** Creating an engaging online or web-enhanced class in the Desire2Learn Learning Environment doesn't have to be difficult. The easy-to-follow recipes in this cookbook guide you through everything from getting your course ready for students to calculating final grades. "Desire2Learn for Higher Education Cookbook" offers recipes that will help you set up, customize, and conduct your online courses -- whether you're new to the system or a seasoned D2L user. The recipes are written for version 10 of the learning suite, although many of the examples are also applicable for version 9.4. The cookbook is organized around tasks that instructors address during a typical semester, starting with a basic course setup and working towards calculating final grades. Early recipes focus on creating a personalized learning environment by helping you customize the look and feel of your course and its content. Other recipes in the cookbook teach you how to integrate your favorite multimedia and social networking sites. Later chapters offer recipes for productivity in several of the learning environment's tools. "Desire2Learn for Higher Education Cookbook" is filled with screenshots and detailed steps to increase your productivity when working in the learning environment to create and facilitate your online courses. **What you will learn from this book** * Copy course materials from another class or previous semester * Customize your course navigation bar * Create a visually appealing course theme * Quickly reorganize an existing course * Embed videos from YouTube and other websites * Create and display your own screencasts * Make your content more mobile-friendly * Streamline the quiz creation process * Archive a copy of your final grades * Monitor student participation **Approach** Part of Packt's Cookbook series; if you don't have the time to work your way through a long tutorial, then this is the book for you. The step-by-step recipes are independent from each other so you can dip in and out of the book or follow it from start to end to build a higher education course. **Who this book is written for** If you're familiar with D2L's basic tools but want to do more with your course, then this book is for you. Cover......Page 1 Copyright......Page 3 Credits......Page 4 About the Author......Page 5 About the Reviewer......Page 6 www.PacktPub.com......Page 7 Table of Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 Copying course materials from a previous semester......Page 17 Importing a publisher's course cartridge......Page 21 Changing many due dates from one screen......Page 25 Double-checking everything from the student view......Page 28 Configuring your web browser......Page 29 Introduction......Page 34 Using your profile to add personality......Page 35 Customizing navbar links......Page 37 Creating navigation groups......Page 40 Customizing your homepage with background images......Page 43 Using system variables to create customized content......Page 48 Introduction......Page 50 Outlining a new course using Course Builder......Page 51 Reorganizing an existing course with Course Builder......Page 56 Getting the existing Microsoft Word documents into your course......Page 60 Working with PowerPoint presentations......Page 64 Updating course files without deleting the original topics......Page 67 Uploading folders to batch create course content......Page 70 Adding content from the Learning Object Repository......Page 73 Using Google Docs to allow multiple download formats......Page 75 Introduction......Page 80 Finding Creative Commons licensed images......Page 81 Embedding web videos......Page 84 Working with YouTube playlists......Page 88 Recording how-to videos with Jing......Page 90 Recording and editing videos with YouTube......Page 95 Creating audio files with Audacity......Page 98 Introduction......Page 104 Displaying external web content with frames......Page 105 Using CSS to style content......Page 108 Using Desire2Learn's accessible templates......Page 115 Creating mobile-friendly content......Page 120 Introduction......Page 124 Streamlining the quiz creation process using quiz templates......Page 125 Copying quiz questions to the question library......Page 127 Giving students extra time on assessments......Page 130 Deleting a student's quiz attempt......Page 134 Using question feedback to help students learn......Page 136 Using submission views and release conditions to create a learning experience......Page 139 Submitting a quiz on behalf of a student......Page 142 Minimizing cheating by randomizing questions and options......Page 143 Correcting quiz questions......Page 146 Introduction......Page 150 Creating project/study groups......Page 151 Posting content for specific groups......Page 156 Creating a technical question forum......Page 158 Setting up a review session with Google Hangouts......Page 161 Facilitating collaborative note taking with Google Docs......Page 164 Monitoring specific discussion topics using notifications......Page 167 Monitoring participation......Page 170 Setting up Intelligent Agents......Page 172 Using the BCC field to keep the e-mail private......Page 175 Introduction......Page 178 Dropping the lowest item in a gradebook category......Page 179 Displaying an on-going total or mid-term report......Page 181 Hiding grade items from students......Page 182 Setting up your grades view to minimize scrolling......Page 184 Creating a new letter grade scheme......Page 186 Calculating and releasing final grades......Page 189 Previewing grades from a student's perspective......Page 192 Viewing grades for students who have withdrawn from a course......Page 194 Exporting a backup copy of your grades......Page 195 Index......Page 198 Cover 1 Copyright 3 Credits 4 About the Author 5 About the Reviewer 6 www.PacktPub.com 7 Table of Contents 8 Preface 12 Chapter 1: Getting Your Course Ready for a New Semester 16 Introduction 16 Copying course materials from a previous semester 17 Importing a publisher's course cartridge 21 Changing many due dates from one screen 25 Double-checking everything from the student view 28 Configuring your web browser 29 Chapter 2: Personalizing Your Course 34 Introduction 34 Using your profile to add personality 35 Customizing navbar links 37 Creating navigation groups 40 Customizing your homepage with background images 43 Using system variables to create customized content 48 Chapter 3: Getting Materials into Your Course 50 Introduction 50 Outlining a new course using Course Builder 51 Reorganizing an existing course with Course Builder 56 Getting the existing Microsoft Word documents into your course 60 Working with PowerPoint presentations 64 Updating course files without deleting the original topics 67 Uploading folders to batch create course content 70 Adding content from the Learning Object Repository 73 Using Google Docs to allow multiple download formats 75 Chapter 4: Working with Multimedia 80 Introduction 80 Finding Creative Commons licensed images 81 Embedding web videos 84 Working with YouTube playlists 88 Recording how-to videos with Jing 90 Recording and editing videos with YouTube 95 Creating audio files with Audacity 98 Chapter 5: Diving into HTML Code 104 Introduction 104 Displaying external web content with frames 105 Using CSS to style content 108 Using Desire2Learn's accessible templates 115 Creating mobile-friendly content 120 Chapter 6: Managing Assessments 124 Introduction 124 Streamlining the quiz creation process using quiz templates 125 Copying quiz questions to the question library 127 Giving students extra time on assessments 130 Deleting a student's quiz attempt 134 Using question feedback to help students learn 136 Using submission views and release conditions to create a learning experience 139 Submitting a quiz on behalf of a student 142 Minimizing cheating by randomizing questions and options 143 Correcting quiz questions 146 Chapter 7: Collaboration and Participation 150 Introduction 150 Creating project/study groups 151 Posting content for specific groups 156 Creating a technical question forum 158 Setting up a review session with Google Hangouts 161 Facilitating collaborative note taking with Google Docs 164 Monitoring specific discussion topics using notifications 167 Monitoring participation 170 Setting up Intelligent Agents 172 Using the BCC field to keep the e-mail private 175 Chapter 8: Working with the Grades Tool 178 Introduction 178 Dropping the lowest item in a gradebook category 179 Displaying an on-going total or mid-term report 181 Hiding grade items from students 182 Setting up your grades view to minimize scrolling 184 Creating a new letter grade scheme 186 Calculating and releasing final grades 189 Previewing grades from a student's perspective 192 Viewing grades for students who have withdrawn from a course 194 Exporting a backup copy of your grades 195 Index 198 Gain expert knowledge of the tools within the Desire2Learn Learning Environment, maximize your productivity, and create online learning experiences with these easy-to-follow recipes. Overview Customize the look and feel of your online course, integrate graphics and video, and become more productive using the learning environment's built-in assessment and collaboration tools Recipes address real world challenges in clear and concise step-by-step instructions, which help you work your way through technical tasks with ease Detailed instructions with screenshots to guide you through each task In Detail Creating an engaging online or web-enhanced class in the Desire2Learn Learning Environment doesn't have to be difficult. The easy-to-follow recipes in this cookbook guide you through everything from getting your course ready for students to calculating final grades. "Desire2Learn for Higher Education Cookbook" offers recipes that will help you set up, customize, and conduct your online courses -- whether you're new to the system or a seasoned D2L user. The recipes are written for version 10 of the learning suite, although many of the examples are also applicable for version 9.4. The cookbook is organized around tasks that instructors address during a typical semester, starting with a basic course setup and working towards calculating final grades. Early recipes focus on creating a personalized learning environment by helping you customize the look and feel of your course and its content. Other recipes in the cookbook teach you how to integrate your favorite multimedia and social networking sites. Later chapters offer recipes for productivity in several of the learning environment's tools. "Desire2Learn for Higher Education Cookbook" is filled with screenshots and detailed steps to increase your productivity when working in the learning environment to create and facilitate your online courses. What you will learn from this book Copy course materials from another class or previous semester Customize your course navigation bar Create a visually appealing course theme Quickly reorganize an existing course Embed videos from YouTube and other websites Create and display your own screencasts Make your content more mobile-friendly Streamline the quiz creation process Archive a copy of your final grades Monitor student participation Approach Part of Packt's Cookbook series; if you don't have the time to work your way through a long tutorial, then this is the book for you. The step-by-step recipes are independent from each other so you can dip in and out of the book or follow it from start to end to build a higher education course. Who this book is written for If you're familiar with D2L's basic tools but want to do more with your course, then this book is for you.

In Detail

Creating an engaging online or web-enhanced class in the Desire2Learn Learning Environment doesn't have to be difficult. The easy-to-follow recipes in this cookbook guide you through everything from getting your course ready for students to calculating final grades.

"Desire2Learn for Higher Education Cookbook" offers recipes that will help you set up, customize, and conduct your online courses -- whether you're new to the system or a seasoned D2L user. The recipes are written for version 10 of the learning suite, although many of the examples are also applicable for version 9.4.

The cookbook is organized around tasks that instructors address during a typical semester, starting with a basic course setup and working towards calculating final grades.

Early recipes focus on creating a personalized learning environment by helping you customize the look and feel of your course and its content. Other recipes in the cookbook teach you how to integrate your favorite multimedia and social networking sites. Later chapters offer recipes for productivity in several of the learning environment's tools.

"Desire2Learn for Higher Education Cookbook" is filled with screenshots and detailed steps to increase your productivity when working in the learning environment to create and facilitate your online courses.

Approach

Part of Packt's Cookbook series; if you don't have the time to work your way through a long tutorial, then this is the book for you. The step-by-step recipes are independent from each other so you can dip in and out of the book or follow it from start to end to build a higher education course.

Who this book is for

If you're familiar with D2L's basic tools but want to do more with your course, then this book is for you.