Desire2Learn: Faculty
Are you moving your traditional face-to-face course to an online format? If so, review
the following document that incorporates best practices and D2L. Guidelines for online courses are in the
Faculty Handbook for Online Education.
To create a consistent format for your courses, click on Detailed Template to download the file. To upload the template, do the following:
Importing a Template Cartridge:
- Log in to D2L and select the course for which you would like to import the template cartridge.
- Select Content.
- Select Table of Contents then Import Course then Import Course Package.
- Select Upload and locate the appropriate template zip file on your computer.
- Select Import All Components.
- The items will then be loaded into the course. When all the components have loaded, select Finish then Done.
- Check your course to make sure all the content has been successfully imported.
Webinars
D2L webinars - Click on this link to register/view webinars.
Respondus lockdown browser and monitor - Click on this link to register for upcoming webinars.
D2
To schedule a virtual meeting with students, consider using the virtual classroom
tool in Desire2Learn, D2L, or Google Hangouts Meet. Here are some helpful resources for Google Meet.
To schedule a meeting, contact Toni Koslow, Manager Online Learning, D2L Administrator
at akoslow@prairiestate.edu. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
Instructional Design
Information on course design and how to make your content accessible for all learners is available on the Instructional Design website.
Desire2Learn (D2L)
Desire2Learn (D2L) is a web-based integrated learning platform designed to create a rich online environment for teaching and learning. D2L features an assignment tool, automated grade book, discussion boards, quizzes, and more. To access Desire2Learn click here: https://prairiestate.desire2learn.com. Click on the following links to access good information on how to use the virtual classroom tools in D2L. The virtual classroom tool works best with Chrome browser. If you are using a Mac, use Chrome and not Safari browser for best results. Faculty instructions Student instructions
D2L Videos:
Click on the link to access the video:
- Create/edit/delete an Announcement
- Copy course content to a new course shell
- Getting started with adding Content
- Getting started with the Gradebook
- Use the Accessibility Checker to make content accessible
- Activate your course to make it available to students
Faculty presentations:
Instructional Technologies
Evernote is a note taking app that can be accessed via a mobile device, PC or MAC. Download the app and record your voice to transfer the information to your course shell or documentation. Faculty can add the recorded notes to the feedback area of an assignment or grade items in the gradebook. Faculty can also add the recorded notes to an image to provide a long description of a complex image in a course module in D2L.
Microsoft PowerPoint. To add a narrated lecture to your course, review the following information. Narrate
your
power point by adding audio to the individual slides. Narrate, save and download the
file. Add the file to YouTube to have it captioned. To learn how to use PowerPoint, click here. To learn how to record audio narration to your presentation, click here. After you create and save your presentation, turn your presentation into a video. Click here to learn how to save your file as a video. To ensure your presentation is accessible
to all learners, add the file to YouTube and have it captioned.
Click here to learn how to add captioning to your lecture.
Google Meet. If you wish, use Google Meet to schedule a virtual meeting with students, click on the link to learn more about the tool, Google Hangouts Meet. You may use the Virtual Classroom tool in D2L or Google Hangouts Meet to hold meetings with students in real time.
Are you interested in creating multimedia content? VoiceThread “VT” is a software program that enables you to create community in an online learning environment. Click here to learn more about the cloud-based software program. VT offers a free (limited) account and free workshops. One of the nice features of VT is that it is not reliant on Flash software. To learn more, click here. Add your file to YouTube and then have it captioned. Click here to learn how to add captioning to your power point lecture.
Are you interested in creating video for your instruction? Screencast-o-matic is a software program that enables you to create and share screen recordings. You can create a free account. How-to videos are available on the website. Click here to access the videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recorded a meeting using Google Meet. How do I share the file with my students?
Add the link of the recording to the Content area in your course.
View the following YouTube video on how to add the link.
Students cannot access my Discussions.
Discussion topics require at least one discussion forum. However, you can create many
topics.
Create a discussion topic and align the forum with the topic.
A student missed a quiz or an exam. How do I give the student access to the quiz or
exam?
I received a letter from the Office of Disabilities and need to give a student more
time to take a quiz or exam.
Faculty can give one or more students special access to a quiz or an exam. Click on
Adding Special Access to view the instructions.
The quiz did not automatically populate the grade in the gradebook.
Check the Assessment tab on the quiz. Select "Allow attempt to be set as graded immediately."
Create a Grade Item and select "Auto Export to Grades."
Students cannot see the quiz or test grade in their gradebook.
Check the setting on the quiz or test in the gradebook. Click on the drop-down arrow
next to
the quiz or test, grade item, and remove the setting for End Date. When you create
a grade item,
do not add a Start/End Date. This is different from the Start/End Date for the actual
quiz.
Students cannot see my course.
On the course tile on the Home Page in D2L, click on the three dots and then click
on Course Offering Information.
Scroll down the page and select "Course is Active." Save your changes.
I don't see the Assignment in the gradebook.
Check your settings on the Assignment. On the Properties tab, select New Grade Item
and give it a name.
A column will be created in the gradebook.
Troubleshooting Tips
Internet Explorer. Starting January 2020, Internet Explorer will come to end of life, and will no longer
work with Desire2Learn (D2L). Other browsers will continue to work, including Chrome,
Firefox and Safari.
Google Chrome browser. When you use a browser, like Chrome, it saves some information from websites in its
cache and cookies. Clearing them fixes certain problems, like loading or formatting
issues on sites. Click here to learn about how to clear your cache.
Pop-up blockers. By default, Chrome will notify you when a pop-up is blocking content such as a multimedia file. Chrome will give you an option to see it. Click here to learn how to allow pop-ups in Chrome. Click here to learn how to disable the pop-up blocker in Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari (Mac computer).
Virtual Classroom. If you are using a MAC computer, you must use Chrome browser to access the meeting.
Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor. The Lockdown Browser and Monitor do not work on Chromebooks or mobile devices. If students use an iPad, faculty must select the setting when setting up the tool.
Tutorials
These documents are in PDF format and Adobe Reader is required to view them. Download the latest version for free. There is also a course called D2L Faculty Resource Center inside of D2L. If you cannot find this course in D2L, contact Antonia (Toni) Koslow at (708) 709-2950 or akoslow@prairiestate.edu for access.
| Topic | Documentation Type |
| Accessibility HTML Content | |
| Adding Video Content | |
| Announcements | |
| Assignments | |
| Attendance | |
| Blog | |
| Change the Start and End Date | |
| Chat Tool | |
| Checklists | |
|
Adding Content |
PDF |
| Copying Content | |
| Course Backup | |
| Discussions | |
| Discussions - Getting Started | |
| Classlist/Email | |
| Export User List | |
| Getting Started | |
| Grades | |
| Groups | |
| HTML Basics | |
| HTML:Content and Accessibility | |
| Intelligent Agents | |
| Journals | |
|
Quizzes |
PDF |
| Rubrics | |
| Screen Cast O Matic - Recording your lecture YouTube - Adding Captioning to recording |
|
| Seating Charts | |
| Semester Start Checklist | |
| Turnitin - Getting Started | |
|
Video Classroom by YouSeeU |
|
| Virtual Assignments by YouSeeU | |
What is My Account Information?
Prairie State College uses a single sign-on account for all users. This means that one username and password is used for the main applications that you'll use on campus. You will be notified of your username and password, but required to change your password when you login for the first time. You will also be required to change your password at least every 6 months.
Username: Your username is the first initial of your first name and your full last name, and possibly sequencing numbers. (Example: jdoe2356)
Password: Your default password is your initials plus your PSC ID number.
Problems/Questions
If you are having problems logging in the D2L, contact the ITR Help Desk at (708) 709-7999 or helpdesk@prairiestate.edu. If you would like help learning how to use D2L, contact Antonia (Toni) Koslow, Manager of Online Learning, at (708) 709-2950 or akoslow@prairiestate.edu. For technical support of LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor, visit: http://www.respondus.com/support/.