As you get ready for a new semester, let’s have a quick look at how you prepare your D2L course.

Part III: D2L Post Production

1. Need a D2L refresher before the semester? Please contact me for ideas how to use D2L to meet your instructional needs. If needed, I will refer you to my technology counterpart for step-by-step training on using D2L tools.
2. What’s the best way to organize files in D2L? By week? By topic? Reach out to me for a 1:1 consultation and personalized advice based on the unique nature of your course.
3. Anywhere in the course where your email address is mentioned, consider creating a live link over your email address, pre-populating the subject line of that email. This saves time both for you (email subject clearly stated) and for the students (a click brings up an email with the address and subject already populated).
4. Teaching a face-to-face course? Talk to me about using the D2L Attendance feature, which lets you take (and grade) attendance withing D2L with a click per student.
5. Consider using D2L Checklists to direct students through what they have to do each week. A checklist may cover tasks that need to be completed before class (such as readings) or after class (such as a reflection, a paper, a quiz, etc.).
6. Test students with the D2L Quiz feature or poll them with the D2L Survey feature. We can assist you in writing and uploading your questions. And did you know that you can insert media in your questions, such as images or videos?
7. Instead of having students email you assignments, consider making use of the D2L Dropbox feature. With this feature, you can access, grade, and provide feedback to assignments all in one place, thus freeing up time spent sorting through student emails and also ensuring that all records are in the same place.
8. If you use grading rubrics with any discussion, paper, or project submissions, try the D2L rubrics. This native D2L tool not only helps inform the students of your grading criteria, but also helps you grade more quickly.
9. Consider using the D2L grade book; I can help you set one up in just minutes. It helps inform students of graded course activities (i.e., grade book columns containing grades, rubrics, and feedback) and also facilitates your grading process. From a records-keeping point of view, it is also beneficial to have all course components reside withing the course itself.
10. Need ideas for online student interaction? Talk to me about D2L discussions and group work, or non-D2L blogs, wikis, social media, etc.
11. Students paying too much for their textbook(s) or only using fragments of textbooks? If so, talk to me about adopting a course pack, that is a compilation of course materials put into one easy-to-access place for students. Course packs can supplement or replace a course textbook. Or, better yet, think of open educational resources that might replace the need for a textbook.

How ’bout you?

What do you do from semester to semester to get your course post-produced in D2L? Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Note: This post is part of a series of three posts meant to help faculty get ready for the new semester. The other two posts are:

• Part 1: Getting Your Syllabus Ready for the Upcoming Semester
• Part 2: Getting Your Content and Resources Ready for the Upcoming Semester.