Resources

Currently, a Cobra shell is automatically generated for every Parkland College course offering, including on campus courses, hybrid courses, and online courses. Each course is populated with the currently enrolled students. The course shell is active and stays active and is available to all students at any time for 30 days after the last day of class.  You maintain access to it until it is archived by PDIT.  All faculty have full access to utilize Cobra for all courses and Professional Development and Instructional Technology is happy to assist faculty with all aspects of online instruction.

In case of emergencies, Parkland College can continue to offer assistance to faculty who may need to adjust the learning environment for a shorter or longer period of time. What follows is a brief overview of support and resources for Parkland faculty and staff.

Getting Notified

All students are automatically signed up for text notifications when they register. All faculty should be sure to register their cell phone numbers with public safety (if they haven’t already). https://www.parkland.edu/Main/About-Parkland/Department-Office-Directory/Public-Safety/Services/Emergency-Alert-System

Communicate with Students

Always emphasize the importance of students checking their email frequently. It’s good teaching and learning practice to stress the importance of using their student email accounts and the entire Microsoft Office 365 suite for courses and communication. (link to KB on setting up Outlook; and link to setting up Outlook on mobile devices: https://kb.parkland.edu/search.php?q=outlook+app+on+mobile&cat=0
It is important for you to maintain communication with your students as well, via email, Cobra announcements, intelligent agents, etc. Even if it’s just a quick email to let them know you’ve graded assignments or what the upcoming week will hold; students like to hear from their instructors.

Using Cobra for the Classroom

Many instructors already utilize the many features in Cobra for on-site and online learning. PDIT can assist those faculty who may need to utilize even more features of Cobra to enhance instruction in the case of some sort of unplanned disruption to the course. For faculty who have never utilized Cobra, we offer an easy-to-follow basic Cobra for the Classroom, which walks faculty through the four primary features of our learning management system: uploading a syllabus, uploading content, setting up a gradebook & keeping up with grades, and making assignments. Cobra for the Classroom Course.

Virtual Office Hours and Classroom

Cobra does have features which allow faculty to meet with students through virtual classroom. The set-up in Cobra for virtual classroom is a bit complex, but full instructions for setting up these up can be found here: https://kb.parkland.edu/78093.
PDIT staff are available to help faculty set this up in advance and it is recommended that all faculty become familiar with virtual classroom and/or Skype (which we offer as part of Office 365 suite).

Video Technology

Cobra offers an integrated tool in TechSmith Relay which can make getting lectures uploaded into Cobra quick and easy. If you need to record lectures, this is the easiest way to record and upload into your course. Videos that instructors already use (on MP4 files or from YouTube) can also be uploaded into TechSmith Relay, which also features a quizzing tool as well as an analytics feature which tracks student interaction with video content. TechSmith Relay module in Discover

Tests & Proctoring

There are several options for remote proctoring and you should work with your department chair and/or area dean to ensure safety and security of off-site testing. Honorlock is a tool we offer that records a student as they take their exam from anywhere. A live proctor reviews the exam but the tool is integrated with Cobra, making it simple to setup and use. For more information about Honorlock, check our out new Tool Tuesday set of videos all on Honorlock.

Migrating Quizzes Into Cobra

The easiest way to ensure your course can be quickly converted into an effective online experience is to create or upload content into Cobra, and/or use Cobra as your portal to the publisher materials you utilize in class. But if you have documents and quizzes you need to move quickly and more easily into Cobra, we have Respondus 4.0. Contact (Lori Wendt) for access to/information on Respondus 4.0.123456 https://kb.parkland.edu/78319

Spaces

If any additional instructional spaces are needed, PDIT provides two innovative learning spaces which can be utilized if more time or classroom spaces are required.

X148

X148 (capacity: 48) is an innovative learning lab classroom that is configurable with moveable tables and chairs allowing for a customized learning environment. This room is ideal for group work as it has six “pod” areas that have wall-mounted monitors and whiteboards. Each pod also has a WePresent for screen-sharing via wifi or by using available HDMI cables. A moveable instructor station allows for additional configuration of the classroom and the ability to project to the group pods as well.The lab is already scheduled for Spring 2020 at the following times:

• M – 11:00 to 11:50 am ; 1:00 to 2:40 pm
• T – 12:00 to 2:00 pm
• W – 11:00 to 11:50 am; 1:00 to 2:40 pm
• R – 12:00 to 12:50 pm
• F – 11:00 to 11:50 am; 12:00 to 1:00 pm; 1:00 to 1:50 pm

X231

X231 (capacity: 17/24) is an innovative learning lab classroom that is configurable with low stools, lap desks, and short tables allowing for a customized learning environment. This room would be good for small group work with two areas that have wall-mounted monitors and whiteboards. Each monitor has a WePresent for screen-sharing via wifi or by using available HDMI cables. A moveable instructor station allows for additional configuration of the classroom and the ability to project to the group pods as well.The lab is already scheduled for Spring 2020 at the following times:

• M – 9:00 to 9:50 am ; 11:00 to 11:50 am
• T – 6:30 to 8:30 pm
• W – 9:00 to 9:50 am ; 11:00 to 11:50 am
• R – none
• F – 9:00 to 9:50 am ; 11:00 to 11:50 am