Going Beyond the Threshold Standards
This guide leads on from the Threshold Standards. It suggests practices you may adopt to take you beyond them, and they illustrate how you might take advantage of unique benefits of technology to further support and facilitate learning. You may already be doing some of these things, but seeing them in context with the standards of good practice may inspire you to modify, or complement your other practices.
Unlike the Threshold Standards which you need to meet, these are suggestions, not requirements. The examples here are not exhaustive, and not all of these are appropriate in every situation.
1. Every taught module has a Blackboard module site
It is important that Blackboard remains the consistent supporting environment for modules, so that students benefit from a consistent core approach. However, it can also serve as a gateway to other environments utilised for particular purposes. You might:
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Encourage collaborative working in Google Drive
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Create student managed communities of practice with Facebook or Twitter
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Support students’ development of portfolios via Google Sites or PebblePad
>refer to the Threshold Standards
2. Sites are easy to navigate and provide access to core information
An online environment can be used to draw together materials from a wide range of sources and in a variety of formats. This makes it possible to provide materials for students that suit their individual level of knowledge and learning preference. Possibilities include:
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Incorporating interactive elements into the module site, such as Discussions and Wikis
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Adding optional resources and links for students to investigate deeper into the material
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Integrating relevant live external news and social media feeds into the module with an RSS feed
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Using the reporting tools to understand student use of materials on your modules and adapting future resources accordingly
>refer to the Threshold Standards
3. Communication is clear, and sets expectations for engagement
Blackboard can be used by staff and students regardless of their physical location and supports communication even when everyone is not online at the same time. Therefore, it is a useful tool for creating a sense of community and shared goals. Options for developing this include:
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Adding a short video introducing yourself and the module
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Holding ‘virtual office hours’ in Blackboard Collaborate
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Enabling students to coordinate group work by creating private, group working areas
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Creating general communication spaces for the cohort, such as a Discussion
>refer to the Threshold Standards
4. Assessments and feedback are clearly presented
Technology can help in the provision of richer and more engaging assessment and feedback that allows the student to action plan to improve their personal and professional development. Ways of achieving this include:
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Taking advantage of opportunities to move assessments online, such as through online coursework submission or the creation of online tests
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Using electronic marking tools and Rubrics in Blackboard to provide electronic feedback to students
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Creating rich audio and video feedback and returning it through Blackboard Grade Centre
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Incorporating opportunities for formative assessment and feedback, e.g. self-marking online tests, self-and-peer assessment
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Enabling students to improve their academic writing and referencing skills by using text-matching software, such as Turnitin, as a formative activity