Training Services

The Division of IT Learning Technologies group provides technology training that also includes guidance for best practices in teaching, learning, and course management with the tools it supports. Our goal is to guide participants in the thought processes and skills needed to undertake a technological modification or transformation of the instructional materials and learning environments they create for their students. A variety of training or professional development opportunities are available to University of Maryland instructors, teaching assistants, and instructional support staff under the auspices of the Division of IT Learning Technologies Institute (LTI):

• LTI Workshops [1]
• Learning Technologies Brown Bag Discussions [2]
• Learning Technologies Webinars [3]
• Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference [4]

LTI Workshops

The Learning Technologies Institute (LTI) provides both scheduled and customized training workshops on a full spectrum of tools supported by the Learning Technologies group, including:

• ELMS (Getting Started, Content Management, Grade Center Management, Collaboration and Communication, and Evaluation and Assessment)
• Wikis
• Blogs
• Wimba Live Classroom
• Clickers
• Web page and site development and management
• Camtasia, and others

The LTI Workshop series is usually scheduled for offerings in January, June and August. Workshops are free, but require pre-registration. To register for an LTI workshop go to the Training@Maryland Web site (www.training.umd.edu [5]); look under the Division of IT Learning Technologies Institute link, located under Course Catalog. Also see Workshops and Events [6] for a current schedule of LTI workshops.

Learning Technologies staff are also available to provide customized workshops, upon request, designed for a group of instructors with similar needs who would like us to target a specific set of skills and concepts or application of supported tools to a particular teaching environment. To inquire about customized training, please contact learningtools@umd.edu, as far in advance as possible of the desired date.

Support Documentation

If a training workshop does not fit your schedule or suit your current needs, please visit the specific tools information pages (under Faculty Resources) for which you would like "self help" materials:

• Supported Tools [7]
• Instructional Resources [8]

Learning Technologies Brown Bag Discussions

The Brown Bag discussion series provides an informal forum for University instructors to explore technologies and issues that affect teaching and learning in an online environment. Faculty-led discussions are intended to promote the effective and innovative uses of ELMS and other learning technologies, such as student response systems, Facebook, and live classroom environments. Brown Bags are scheduled monthly during the Fall and Spring terms, with light refreshments served. See Brown Bag page [9] for the current schedule of discussion topics.

Learning Technologies Webinars

The Learning Technologies group provides weekly "how to" webinars on specific features of the tools supported by the group. Webinars are conducted in a Wimba Live Classroom environment during the Fall and Spring terms. The format includes demonstration of a tool, discussion about best practices for its use, and question and answer between the webinar presenter and participants. Learn something new about a tool or technology in which you have an interest from the comfort of your office or home. See LT webinar page [10] for the current schedule of discussion topics.

Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference

The Innovations in Teaching and Learning (ITL) Conference [11] showcases and celebrates the creativity and dedication of University instructors who demonstrate excellence in their teaching endeavors. The ITL Conference recognizes both technological and non-technical solutions that respond to pedagogical problems in innovative ways. The annual conference is jointly sponsored by the Office of Information Technology and the Center for Teaching Excellence and is held on the College Park campus.

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