Summer 2026 Programming
Summer 2026 Programming
We hope your summer is allowing you time to decompress and relax. We know that folks use summer to catch up on projects and participate in continued improvement. We hope to help. Please see below CTL’s upcoming offerings for this summer. With topics like artificial intelligence and accessibility on the rise, we felt it would be helpful to offer programming related to those. Registrants will be sent a link before the workshop takes place.
We hope you can make it! You can register for each of the workshops by visiting our Registration Link.
Brightspace Essentials Training Course for Instructors
Wednesday, June 10, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Virtual
In this certificated training, you can unlock the full potential of your online teaching with the Brightspace Essentials Training Course for Instructors. This comprehensive course equips you with the essential skills needed to effectively navigate and utilize the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS). Learn to customize your course homepage, create engaging content modules, manage announcements and streamline communication with students. Gain hands-on experience in setting up assignments, quizzes and discussion forums, all while mastering the grade book and personalized learning tools. Ideal for those new to Brightspace or those seeking to enhance their online course delivery, this training provides the foundational knowledge and practical skills to create a dynamic and interactive online learning environment. Join us and transform your digital teaching capabilities today.
Facilitators: Jaclyn Queen and Alison Shepherd
AI as Learning Partner: Using Generative AI to Deepen Student Understanding
Wednesday, June 17, 2 p.m. | Virtual
This session will explore an innovative pedagogical approach that reimagines Generative AI as a learning scaffold rather than a content generator. Participants will examine a two-stage assignment model where students first engage in extensive, guided conversations with AI chatbots to explore course concepts then demonstrate their synthesized understanding through original, unscripted video presentations. This framework addresses common concerns about academic integrity while harnessing AI's potential as an interactive tutor, assesses both the learning process (through AI interaction quality) and learning outcomes (through authentic demonstration) and promotes critical thinking and personal knowledge construction. By guiding students through a structured, low-stakes AI dialogue before requiring them to present their ideas independently, this approach builds student confidence, deepens conceptual understanding and develops transferable communication skills that serve them across their academic and professional lives. Faculty will leave with practical strategies for designing AI-integrated assignments that enhance rather than replace human learning, complete with implementation guidelines and assessment rubrics adaptable across disciplines.
Facilitator: Brad Fowler
Tuesday, June 23, 2 p.m. | Virtual
Take control of your course grading with this hands-on D2L Grade Book Workshop! Learn how to set up and organize your grade book, create categories and weighted grades, connect assignments and quizzes and use tools that save time while keeping students informed. Whether you’re building a grade book from scratch or refining an existing one, this session will help you streamline grading, improve accuracy and make the most of D2L’s features. Perfect for new and experienced instructors alike.
Facilitators: Jaclyn Queen and Alison Shepherd
Brightspace Advanced Training Course for Instructors
Wednesday, June 24, 12 – 3 p.m. | Virtual
In this certificated training, you will elevate your online teaching proficiency with the Brightspace Advanced Training Course for Instructors. Designed for those who have mastered the basics, this advanced course delves deeper into the powerful features of the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS). Learn to create and manage student groups, set special access parameters, and utilize intelligent agents for automated course management. Develop and integrate rubrics into various assessment tools, and create engaging video quizzes. Ideal for instructors looking to refine their digital teaching strategies and enhance the interactivity and personalization of their courses, this training builds on the foundational skills acquired in the Brightspace Essentials Training Course for Instructors, which is a prerequisite. Join us to advance your skills and create an enriching online learning experience for your students. Completion of the Brightspace Training Course for Instructors is a prerequisite.
Facilitators: Jaclyn Queen and Alison Shepherd
Accessibility and Blackboard Ally
Monday, June 29, 2 p.m. | Virtual
The Department of Justice has established April 2027 as the compliance deadline for public entities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. This includes all digital course content in learning management systems. Starting this spring, we're providing new tools and training to help make our courses accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. This workshop will provide an overview of accessibility, who benefits and common barriers. We will demonstrate tools available to all faculty members and show one can easily identify accessibility issues with Microsoft and Adobe products. We explore the recent addition of Blackboard Ally to our learning management system and demonstrate its use, including the Ally Dashboard, Priority Issues, Quick Wins, and Alternative Formats.
Attendees will understand the importance of accessibility work, how Georgia College & State University is working to address these issues and learn how to apply readily available tools to documents for their courses. The approaches are quick and practical and will help faculty support their students’ success.
I hope you can join us!
Facilitator: Jim Berger
All Articles, Zero Gatekeeping: Using LibKey to Unlock Library Resources
Wednesday, July 15, 2 p.m. | Virtual
LibKey is a suite of research tools that connects our collection to the larger web through DOIs & PMIDs. Our program will provide an overview of what LibKey is and its impact on faculty research and students success. LibKey meets students where they are with their research skills by integrating with their search engine to avoid article paywalls and connect them to our library collection. Faculty may find a similar use of LibKey in their own research. We will give a brief demonstration of the product and discuss some ways to apply to your class assignments. Participants will gain knowledge on LibKey, and on both resource discovery and enhance faculty research and student success.
Facilitator: Sara Jordan and Paula Knight
Enhance Your Teaching with Kaltura
Thursday, July 16, 2 p.m. | Virtual
Join us for "Enhancing Your Teaching with Kaltura: Creating, Storing and Sharing Videos," a concise, 30-minute workshop designed to empower educators with the skills to effectively use Kaltura for video content. This session will begin with an introduction to Kaltura, followed by step-by-step guidance on installing the software. You'll learn how to record high-quality videos and upload existing content to the media repository. We'll cover best practices for organizing and storing video content, ensuring easy access and management. Finally, discover how to seamlessly publish videos in your course to enhance student engagement and learning. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your teaching with Kaltura!
Facilitators: Jaclyn Queen and Alison Shepherd