Instructional Technologies

Over the next academic year, Ramapo will be transitioning from Moodle to Canvas, a more dynamic, robust, and user-friendly learning management system. For the Fall, 2019 semester, all faculty are encouraged to attend an IDC workshop on Canvas, review the resources provided on the links below, and begin using the “sandbox” version of the platform. For Winter and Spring 2020, Canvas is highly recommended as the LMS for your course. For Summer 2020 and beyond, Canvas will become the LMS, and Moodle will no longer be available.

Canvas Log In         Workshop Schedule

Learn more about getting started with Canvas

Login: http://moodle.ramapo.edu

Moodle is an Open Source Course Management System (CMS), similar to WebCT, that has become very popular among educators around the world as a tool for creating online dynamic websites for their students. Its focus is on giving educators multiple tools to manage and promote learning, but there are many ways to use Moodle:

• It can be used as a platform to organize and conduct fully online courses, while some use it simply to augment face-to-face courses (known as blended learning).
• Users have a choice of many activity modules (such as Forums/Discussion, Wikis, Databases and so on) to build richly collaborative communities of learning around their subject matter (in the social constructionist tradition). Other tools allow the delivery of content to students and assess learning using assignments or quizzes.

To find out more about using Moodle, contact the Instructional Design Center.  Provide your name, Ramapo e-mail, course name, course number and section for all questions about Moodle.

Moodle Tutorials

Turn-it-in is an online program that contains three components targeted toward improving student writing: OriginalityCheck, PeerMark and GradeMark. These Turnitin components have been redesigned into a new interface called “Feedback Studio”.

Turnitin features:

• Check the originality of student papers. Use in the context of partnering with students to avoid “cut and paste” plagiarism. Assignments are checked against the Internet and the Turnitin database of papers.
• A paperless feedback system to ease the grading of papers. Turnitin simplifies feedback of papers for the instructor with drag-and-drop comments for commonly used writing issues, as well as customizable comments and audio comments. Another feature of Turnitin is the ability for the instructor to create, customize and share rubrics to be used in the grading process.
• Turnitin’s PeerMark feature allows anonymous peer review of papers, to engage students in the writing process. The instructor can create criteria for student review. Multiple options are available to match papers for review, to students for feedback.

Turnitin is available to all instructors at Ramapo College and, if you choose, to your students as well. Turnitin is most easily used when integrated through Moodle. From your Moodle course page, select “Add an activity or resource” > select “Turntin Assignment 2”. However, Turnitin can be used as a stand-alone application for those not using Moodle. Without Moodle you need to set up a Turnitin account.

Download the Turnitin app for iPad to provide feedback on student assignments from your iPad.

Turnitin Guides and Tutorials

Respondus is a platform to prevent cheating in exams administered online. Respondus is embedded into Canvas as an option in the Quizzes section. There are two available services through Respondus; these are LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.

LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Canvas. How LockDown Browser works:

• Assessments are displayed full-screen and cannot be minimized
• Browser menu and toolbar options are removed, except for Back, Forward, Refresh and Stop
• Prevents access to other applications including messaging, screen-sharing, virtual machines, and remote desktops
• Printing and screen capture functions are disabled
• Copying and pasting anything to or from an assessment is prevented
• Right-click menu options, function keys, keyboard shortcuts and task switching are disabled
• An assessment cannot be exited until the student submits it for grading
• Assessments that are set up for use with LockDown Browser cannot be accessed with other browsers

Respondus Monitor includes the LockDown Browser but also uses the student’s webcam to prevent cheating during online exams. Before launching the exam, Respondus Monitor requires students to verify their identity through facial recognition software, take a 360 degree scan of the room, and ensure that all mobile devices and notes are put away. Respondus Monitor then records the student while taking the exam and uses artificial intelligence to flag any potential cheating during the exam. The instructor can review the flagged video to determine whether or not the issue was cheating.

Login: http://ramapo.qualtrics.com

Qualtrics is a very powerful online survey tool that allows you to create, edit, distribute and view reports of surveys or polls. Once you login, you have access to help and video tutorials. Qualtrics allows you to create your own survey, but also contains libraries of entire surveys, as well as individual questions, messages, and graphics. Survey data can be downloaded to SPSS, CSV, XML, HTML; and reports can be exported to PDF, Excel (.csv), Word or PowerPoint.

To create a Qualtrics account, faculty/staff should contact the Trish Williams in the Instructional Design Center to get the access code. Once you create your account and login, click on “Help” to visit Qualtrics University to get started with online training for the survey platform.

Be sure to review Ramapo’s Campus Survey Development and Implementation Policy and Procedure for all surveys administered to the College community.

Review Ramapo’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) for research involving human subjects.

Qualtrics Training (On-Demand Webinars include Quick Start with Qualtrics, Advanced Survey Building, and Reporting Your Insights)

Login: https://ramapo.techsmithrelay.com/ (Ramapo username and password)

TechSmith Relay is a video platform that allows you to easily record and share videos that capture your computer screen, and/or your webcam along with audio narration, depending on your needs. Relay can be used for recording class lectures, presentations, creating instructional videos, or introducing assignments for online courses. The simplicity of this tool makes it easy to use.  Login to Relay with your Ramapo user name and password, and launch the recorder. Click Record and begin your presentation or lecture. When you are finished recording, select stop, and then submit/upload your recording with the click of a button. When your video is ready on the server, you will receive an automated e-mail with the link to your recording (for classic recorder only), making it easy to share your videos from your course page or Website. All videos can be accessed, shared, and organized from your Relay library. Advanced features include basic editing (cutting), viewer analytics, closed captioning for accessibility, adding quiz questions to your videos, and create groups for sharing videos with other Ramapo users.

The current version of TechSmith Relay is available to all faculty, staff and students — login with your Ramapo username and password to get started. Relay is currently available in most classroom teacher’s stations. For quality audio recordings it is recommended that you use either an audio headset (for non-classroom setting,) or a USB speakerphone for classroom setting (requested through Academic Media Services).

Mobile app — Fuse is a mobile app that can be used for making recordings with your SmartPhone’s camera, and uploads to your Relay account. Download Fuse from your device’s app store.

Visit the TechSmith Relay Web Site

Getting Started with Relay User Guide

TechSmith Relay Tutorials

TechSmith Academy (free online learning platform with courses to help you learn more about visual communication and video creation)

Login: https://ramapo.webex.com

Webex Meetings is a web conferencing solution that can be used for online learning, webinars and web meetings. Connect with others in a virtual room that provides video (webcam required) and audio conferencing, as well as other tools for live, interactive sessions. Webex can personalize and enhance online and hybrid courses, allowing people to meet online from remote locations. Participants can share presentations and other files, annotate on a whiteboard, or share their computer screen with participants. Engage participants using text chat for dialogue, or polling to receive immediate feedback. Sessions can be recorded and shared with participants.

All faculty, staff, and students have access to a Webex Meetings and Webex Teams account. You should have received an email invite to setup your account and password (faculty and staff received email on March 12, Adjuncts received email on March 20, students received it on March 22. For account problems contact helpdesk@ramapo.edu)  Login to the Website, or download the desktop app. Download the mobile app for smartphones and tablets from your devices app store. Students do not need an account to join your class sessions.

Training and practice is recommended prior to live sessions for new users, in order to familiarize yourself with the interface. Look for Webex Meetings.

Webex Meetings User Guides

Webex Online Video Training

Overview of WebEx integration for Google Calendar

Webex Essentials for Working Remotely

Overview of WebEx Meetings – a 30 minute on-demand session.

Webex Help

Login: http://rcnj.adobeconnect.com

Adobe Connect is a web conferencing solution that can be used for online learning, webinars and web meetings. Connect with others in a virtual room that provides video and audio conferencing (webcam and headset required,) as well as other tools for live, interactive sessions. Adobe Connect can personalize and enhance online and hybrid courses, allowing people to meet online from remote locations. Hosts and presenters can share presentations and other files, annotate on a whiteboard, or share their computer screen with participants. Engage participants using text chat for dialogue, or polling to receive immediate feedback. Meeting hosts can allow participants to  become presenters, if desired. Hosts can customize and control meeting room layouts. Connect supports breakout rooms for small group discussion. Sessions can be recorded and shared with participants.

Meeting hosts require an account to create and control meeting rooms, and invite participants. Training and practice is highly recommended prior to live sessions for new users. Participants/students do NOT need an account, they only need a invitation with the link to the meeting room. Meeting hosts (faculty/staff) should request an account by contacting Ray Fallon or Trish Williams. 

More information on Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect Tutorials and Training

E-portfolios are a valuable tool for student assessment — promoting active learning by allowing students to develop their individual portfolios, while reflecting on and assessing their work. E-portfolio supports multimedia and can include text, links, images, video, audio, and other files. Additionally, e-portfolios can be shared beyond the classroom, to help with the job search process or other goals. More than one e-porftolio site can be developed on a user’s account, to support different needs.

Wix.com and Weebly.com are both web site builders that can be used for e-portfolios. Both are free, web-based applications that allow students to easily build an e-portfolio(s) without needing any Web design skills. All you need is the free version, although both offer upgrades to premium paid plans, (simply ignore any prompt to upgrade.) Both use drag and drop to add elements to the template pages to build a Website. The free templates provided give sites a professional design, so the focus is on site content. Students can maintain their site after they graduate.

Google Sites can also be used for e-portfolio if the wish is to share the site with your instructor or others with a Ramapo Gmail account. Google Sites cannot be made public. No separate account setup would be needed for Sites. See more on Google Sites below under G Suite.

Note: Some academic programs may use a different portfolio tool, such as Teacher Education.

Wix vs. Weebly Review

Ramapo provides access to G Suite for Education, allowing you to login with your Ramapo user name and password. G Suite Apps are built around collaboration and can be used in several ways. Sharing and collaboration is limited to those with Ramapo Gmail accounts (faculty, staff, students). There is no software to install on your computer. The following apps are currently available:

Gmail

Login: http://gmail.ramapo.edu

Access your Ramapo email account though the gmail, available to students, faculty and staff. Gmail includes spam protection and powerful search, among other features. Access your contacts (including the Ramapo directory), calendar tasks, and chat. Download the free app for your smartphone or tablet.

Gmail Help

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Drawings

Login: http://docs.ramapo.edu

Google provides is a suite of web-based tools, similar to Microsoft Office, which includes:

• text documents (Google docs)
• spreadsheets (Google sheets)
• presentations (Google slides)
• forms (Google forms)
• drawing tool (Google drawings)

You can upload and convert existing documents for editing, or create new documents. You can easily view, edit and share documents with others. These are ideal for collaborating with colleagues (e.g. units, schools, committees), or for collaborative projects within your courses, as well as other uses. Multiple people can work at the same time on the same document, eliminating multiple versions of files. Try forms for a simple assessment, quiz or web form. Google Docs now supports voice dictation. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and Drawings are stored on your Google Drive. Go to “Drive” > “New” > to get started, or access from the app switcher tile icon next to the Ramapo logo.
Note on sharing: You can share these Google documents with anyone with an @ramapo.edu email address, e.g. Ramapo faculty, staff, students and retirees. You cannot share these documents outside of the Ramapo domain.

Download the free apps for your smartphone or tablet.

Google Docs Help

Google Drive

Login: http://docs.ramapo.edu

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Drawings, Sites and My Maps are automatically saved on your Google Drive.  Google Drive also allows you to store other files to your drive, so you can access them from any device. Upload and store over 30 different file types including PDF, Word, Excel, Photoshop and more. You can easily share individual files, or entire folders.
Note on sharing: You can share your Drive (documents or folders) with anyone with an @ramapo.edu email address, e.g. Ramapo faculty, staff, students and retirees. You cannot share your Drive or any documents or folders stored on your drive outside of the Ramapo domain.

Download the free app for your smartphone or tablet.

Google Drive Help

Google Sites

Login: http://docs.ramapo.edu

Google sites is a type of website called a wiki. Google sites allows you to create your own Website without requiring any knowledge of HTML or FTP. A simple edit and save button makes adding content easy. Google sites can be used individually or collaboratively to develop and edit sites with ease. You can insert text, pictures, and videos and customize your site. Sites can be used for class projects. Google Sites can be made viewable only to the Ramapo community, or only to people you specify (cannot be made public).

Google Sites Help

Google My Maps

Login: http://docs.ramapo.edu

My Maps allows you to create and share your own maps, by adding points with descriptive text, and images. Multiple layers of points can be added to maps. Maps can be created by instructors, or consider assigning student map projects. Go to “Drive” > “New” > “More” > “My Maps” to get create or view your maps.

Google Maps Help

Google Calendar

Login: http://cal.ramapo.edu

Google calendar is a web-based calendar to manage your events and tasks. Calendars and notifications can by synced with mobile devices or e-mail clients. Calendars can be private, public, shared with the Ramapo community, or shared only select individuals for collaboration. Download the free app for your smartphone or tablet.

Google Calendar Help

There are many other web-based tools available for use in the academic setting that we can help you to integrate into your courses. Web 2.0 tools are great tools for your students to use to collaborate, making them perfect learning tools for online or hybrid courses. Many web 2.0 applications are free, and anyone can easily request an account and be up and running in a few minutes. Most are easy to learn and use, and we are available to assist you, or confer with you on options. You can add a link to these resources from your Moodle course, making it easy for students to access the Website (a login will still be required). There are too many Web 2.0 applications to list, but they are available by searching on the Internet or you can visit our Faculty Resources “Technology Guides for Teaching and Learning,”.

Login: https://ssb.ramapo.edu  (enter secure area to view the following services)

Faculty Services: View class lists, teaching schedules, room assignments, advisee’s academic information, submit course registration overrides, submit grades

Employee Services: View benefits, deductions, pay information, tax forms, leave balances, job title summary, update employee and student time sheets, view and/or update your personal information