Office of Open Learning (OOL)
The Office of Open Learning (OOL) is your go-to partner for questions about digital teaching and learning needs. Whether you’re interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI), have questions about what technology to choose for your teaching, need to create or revise an online or hybrid course (in or outside Brightspace), need to create or edit video to support your teaching, are looking for digital teaching resources, need an openly licensed resource, or want to learn about micro credentials, we can help. We can also assist in finding funding and other specialist resources to do all these things, and to explore the research on digital teaching in your field.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What does the Office of Open Learning do?
Our small but mighty team supports instructors in designing and developing engaging learning resources, and high quality online, hybrid, flipped, and open courses. We can also help you evaluate technology needs and open educational resources, such as open textbooks, to enhance the teaching and learning experience.
2. I'm not quite ready to develop a fully online course, can I still work with OOL?
Absolutely! We can help whether you want a small tweak, or a full course design. We support a wide variety of technologies for instructors looking to provide more flexibility for students or enhance their learning environments. Open Learning supports tools such as the Blackboard Collaborate virtual classroom, WordPress electronic portfolios (ePortfolios), PressBooks open textbooks, and tools for creating and editing video, H5P interactive learning content, collaborative learning, YuJa, EquatIO and Read&Write, and more. We also support online exam management, including the new BetterExaminations tool that will be integrated to Blackboard. Our online learning specialists can help you determine the best options for you and your students!
3. Is there funding available for developing online courses and programs?
Yes! OOL offers targeted grant funding and support for pedagogical innovation, developing online courses and programs, exploring new technologies, and creating or adapting open educational resources. We can also help you find external funding to support this important work.
4. I want to create videos for my courses. Can you help?
Yes! Our team can work with you to develop custom video content, interactive tutorials, recorded lectures, and more. We can also help with captioning for accessibility. The University now has a Video Platform called YuJa that is available for faculty, staff and students and integrated to Blackboard. YuJa allows you to record, caption, edit, store and share your videos and other documents, along with the ability to produce Blackboard-ready quizzes, or use your mobile device to record/stream videos.
5. How can I learn more about online, hybrid, and open education?
We provide regular workshops and events throughout the year, customized workshops for departments on request, intensive online course design institutes, a Community of Practice for online instructors, and one-on-one consultations. Explore and register for our free workshops and courses at:
http://cleo.uwindsor.ca/openlearning/workshops/
(you can even bring a friend!) You will also find a wide range of resources to get you started at your own pace on our website: www.uwindsor.ca/openlearning
6. I want to use Open Educational Resources in my course. Can you help me?
Finding appropriate open access course material can be a challenge - one that Open Learning can help with. Whether you’re looking for an open textbook, open-saccess images, video, and sound to use on your Blackboard course site, or interactive simulations, or other open content. we can provide helpful guidance and tips on accessing and using the millions of high-quality open access resources available.
7. There are so many new technologies, how do I know what will work for my courses?
We can help! Open Learning tests and evaluates emerging technologies that have potential to enhance learning and teaching. We invite you to bring us your questions about the latest technologies, whether it’s new software tools to create custom learning resources, open publishing tools, new hardware like document camera technology or live annotation tablets, even the best microphone to use for your hy-flex class. Our OOL Learning Specialists can advise you on impactful pedagogical uses of institutional tools like Yuja Enterprise Video and Better Examinations. Our office has an open-door policy - bring us all your ideas, and your biggest challenges, and we’ll help you work through them to find a pedagogically-sound solution.
Key things to know about the Office of Open Learning
- We support instructors, students, and staff and specifically focus on their needs in online, hybrid, and open courses
- Our office is a friendly, open, flexible, creative, problem-solving team where no pedagogical challenge is too large or too small! Our goal is to help you and your students succeed in your teaching and learning dreams and goals. If you have an idea for something you’d like to try in your online or hybrid class, our team can help you make that a reality
- We can help with a wide range of online instructional design and course development needs, including creating and integrating engaging video into your course; building custom learning resources; planning, customizing, and developing your Blackboard sites; online community-building, communication, and assessment strategies; creating and adopting Open Educational Resources (OERs), including open textbooks; ePortfolios; and online Peer Assisted Learning Sessions (PALS) - contact us to see if your course is eligible
- We can help you design, implement, and interpret research and evaluation strategies for your online, open, and hybrid teaching innovations
- Our online learning specialists are all experienced online instructors who teach and conduct research on a wide range of issues in online learning and teaching
- Our services and support are free to you and your department
- Consider applying for the Alan Wright Award for Exemplary Online and Technology-Enhanced Teaching, sponsored by the Office of Open Learning
Get in Touch with us: The Office of Open Learning (OOL) is located on the first and second floors of the Centre for Engineering Innovation (CEI) at the 700 California Ave. Entrance. Enter on the eastern side of California Avenue, directly across from the parking garage. Follow signs to OOL, CTL and Quality Assurance.
Your direct contact is Nick Baker, Director, Office of Open Learning.
General Inquiries: openlearning@uwindsor.ca.
Admin: Alicia.Higgison@uwindsor.ca
More information can also be found on the OOL website.