Join us for workshops designed to elevate your teaching strategies and enhance your online learning environment. Hosted by the dedicated staff of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), these sessions will delve into effective pedagogical approaches and provide hands-on guidance on utilizing online learning software.
Cohorts
Faculty: Course Design Essentials Cohort
In an effort to help prepare for the transition to Blackboard Ultra and also promote course design best practices, CTL offers the Course Design Essentials workshop. Taking place completely in the Blackboard Ultra interface and using the QM Rubric as a guide, this multi-week workshop will run as a cohort model. Faculty can register for one of the scheduled sessions each semester. Cohorts will be 3-weeks long and run asynchronously. Participation will result in a Certificate of Completion for 10 clock hours of professional development and a Credly badge.
Available sessions:
- Monday March 30th through Friday April 17th
(Registration Deadline Friday March 27th)
Register for the Course Design Essentials cohort
Recurring sessions
Faculty: CTL @ Nite
Drop in to ask the CTL staff any questions (big or small!) you have regarding course instruction, course development, and Blackboard.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 6:00PM CST - Every Wednesday beginning late January
Access the CTL @ Nite session
Additonal Sessions:
03/11/2026 | 03/18/2026 | 03/25/2026
Single Sessions
Faculty: Getting Started with Blackboard Ultra: An Introduction for Beginners
GovState will be transitioning to the Ultra version of Blackboard in the near future, and it is essential that we all become familiar with this new platform. This workshop will provide valuable insights into the new interface and tools available in Blackboard Ultra, as well as best practices for a smooth transition. We encourage you to join us in this learning opportunity to ensure that you are well-equipped to navigate the new system effectively.
Location: The Cube D2430J (In-person session)
Time: 10:00AM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Additional Sessions:
03/12/2026 | 03/19/2026
Faculty: Exploring the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook
This workshop introduces faculty to the features of the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook, including navigating the interface, organizing grades, applying weights, and providing feedback. Participants will learn practical tips and best practices to streamline grading and support student success.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 11:00AM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Access the Exploring the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook session
Faculty: Open Session
Drop in to ask the CTL staff any questions (big or small!) you have regarding online instruction, course development, Blackboard, Class Collaborate, Respondus, Panopto and more.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 1:00PM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Access the Open session
Additional Sessions:
03/10/2026 | 03/18/2026
Faculty: Addressing Accessibility with Blackboard Ally
This workshop introduces faculty to the features of the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook, including navigating the interface, organizing grades, applying weights, and providing feedback. Participants will learn practical tips and best practices to streamline grading and support student success.
Location: The Cube D2430J (In-person session)
Time: 1:00PM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Faculty: Working with Groups in Blackboard Ultra (Micro Session)
This brief workshop introduces instructors to the core features for creating and managing student groups in Blackboard Ultra. Participants will learn how to set up group sets, assign students, and use group spaces for collaborative activities and assignments. Ideal for instructors seeking to integrate interactive group work into their courses.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 10:00AM CST
Duration: 30 minutes
Access the Working with Groups session
Faculty: Via (Student Learning & Licensure) Open Session
Drop in to ask the CTL staff any questions (big or small!) you have regarding Via, now called Student Learning & Licensure (SL&L).
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 1:00PM CST
Access the Via (Student Learning & Licensure) Open session
Additional Sessions:
03/31/2026
Faculty: Open Session
Drop in to ask the CTL staff any questions (big or small!) you have regarding online instruction, course development, Blackboard, Class Collaborate, Respondus, Panopto and more.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 11:00AM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Access the Open session
Additional Sessions:
03/18/2026
Faculty: Using the AI Assistant in Blackboard Ultra
Discover how to harness the power of Blackboard Ultra’s AI tools to streamline your teaching workflow, enhance course design, and improve student engagement. This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the AI-driven features within Blackboard Ultra and explores practical ways to integrate them into your teaching practices.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 10:00AM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Access the Using the AI Assistant in Blackboard Ultra session
Faculty: Getting Started with Blackboard Ultra: An Introduction for Beginners
GovState will be transitioning to the Ultra version of Blackboard in the near future, and it is essential that we all become familiar with this new platform. This workshop will provide valuable insights into the new interface and tools available in Blackboard Ultra, as well as best practices for a smooth transition. We encourage you to join us in this learning opportunity to ensure that you are well-equipped to navigate the new system effectively.
Location: The Cube D2430J (In-person session)
Time: 1:00PM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Additional Sessions:
03/19/2026
Faculty: Intro to Panopto
Panopto is an easy way to record, livestream, manage and share videos for educational purposes. Panopto’s features include recording presentations, utilizing multiple media feeds, video assignments, quizzes, basic editing features and closed captioning. Similar to YouTube, Panopto allows users to manage a video library that can be integrated in the Blackboard LMS.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 2:00PM CST
Access the Intro to Panopto session
Additional Sessions:
03/26/2026
Faculty: Open Session
Drop in to ask the CTL staff any questions (big or small!) you have regarding online instruction, course development, Blackboard, Class Collaborate, Respondus, Panopto and more.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 10:00AM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Access the Open session
Faculty: Getting Started with Blackboard Ultra: An Introduction for Beginners
GovState will be transitioning to the Ultra version of Blackboard in the near future, and it is essential that we all become familiar with this new platform. This workshop will provide valuable insights into the new interface and tools available in Blackboard Ultra, as well as best practices for a smooth transition. We encourage you to join us in this learning opportunity to ensure that you are well-equipped to navigate the new system effectively.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 1:00PM CST
Duration: 60 minutes
Access the Getting Started with Blackboard Ultra session
Faculty: Using Microsoft Education in Blackboard
This interactive workshop introduces instructors to effective ways to integrate Microsoft Education tools within Blackboard to enhance teaching, learning, and collaboration. Participants will explore how Microsoft applications—such as OneDrive, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams—work within Blackboard to streamline course workflows, support student engagement, and improve feedback and assessment practices.
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 10:00AM CST
Access the Using Microsoft Education in Blackboard session
Additional Sessions:
03/30/2026
Faculty: Intro to Panopto
Panopto is an easy way to record, livestream, manage and share videos for educational purposes. Panopto’s features include recording presentations, utilizing multiple media feeds, video assignments, quizzes, basic editing features and closed captioning. Similar to YouTube, Panopto allows users to manage a video library that can be integrated in the Blackboard LMS.
Location: The Cube D2430J (In-person session)
Time: 1:00PM CST
Faculty: Using Microsoft Education in Blackboard
This interactive workshop introduces instructors to effective ways to integrate Microsoft Education tools within Blackboard to enhance teaching, learning, and collaboration. Participants will explore how Microsoft applications—such as OneDrive, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams—work within Blackboard to streamline course workflows, support student engagement, and improve feedback and assessment practices.
Location: The Cube D2430J (In-person session)
Time: 10:00AM CST
Faculty: Via (Student Learning & Licensure) Open Session
Drop in to ask the CTL staff any questions (big or small!) you have regarding Via, now called Student Learning & Licensure (SL&L).
Location: CTL Virtual Session
Time: 1:00PM CST
Access the Via (Student Learning & Licensure) Open session