Using a Dropbox to Collect Assignments

Creating a dropbox, using the Assignments feature, in D2L allows for students to submit work for a specific assignment to one place. The assignments can then be accessed at any time and graded by the instructor.

A useful feature to pair with an Assignment in D2L is to create a rubric that can be used for feedback and grading. D2L offers a rubric tool that interacts with the course gradebook.

Online Quizzes

This video explains how to create a quiz with D2L. The Distance Learning page on Teaching Continuity provides additional details on giving quizzes through the platform.

For online exams and quizzes, it is helpful to include a test run of an exam (a practice exam that is ungraded) so that students can become familiar with the online exam format before the real exam, especially if the exam has a time limit.

ePortfolios

Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are a curated collection of work that students create to showcase multiple assignments/artifacts in a single electronic collection. They demonstrate evidence of students' progression and achievements. A portfolio can also include an accompanying cover letter or other document in which the student explains the process for creating the individual artifacts and the portfolio as a whole. ePortfolios can have the option of the reflective document being an audio or video recording.

One approach to an ePortfolio is a simple website that students to create to showcase their work. In a Creative Writing course, that could be a collection of a student’s final drafts from varied genres. In a Math course, an ePortfolio could contain all of the materials from a semester-long project, including project proposal, hypothesis, data, interpretation, etc.

Among other benefits, portfolios

• emphasize the connections among assignments

• demonstrate student progression from project to project

• when accompanied by reflective document, allow students to self-reflect and articulate their decisions and problem solving strategies

• utilize an employability skill, as portfolios (especially eportfolios) are common for applying for jobs in many industries

• can instill that projects have a life beyond a single course

One available technology platform for creating an ePortfolio is Google Sites. With Google Sites, by linking or embedding files saved to Google Drive within the Google Site, students and faculty can create a website that showcases several artifacts on a single page or include multiple pages for artifacts.

D2L Rubrics

A useful feature to pair with an assignment in D2L is to create a rubric that can be used for feedback and grading. D2L offers a rubric tool that interacts with the course gradebook.

"Share Screen" Function Within Google Meet and Zoom

For one-on-one discussions with students of their work, the "Share Screen" function offered by virtual meeting platforms like Google Meet and Zoom can be used to discuss a student's work in real time. By bringing up a student's work on either the faculty or student's screen and then using "Share Screen," faculty and students can revise and correct work in an interactive conversation.

Brightspace, the company for D2L, provides additional options and instructions for Alternative End-of-Year Assessment Strategies.