Category: e-Learning
A New LMS Isn’t Just a Tech Change – It’s a Teaching Opportunity

A New LMS Isn’t Just a Tech Change – It’s a Teaching Opportunity

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Loyola’s forthcoming transition to the D2L Brightspace learning management system (LMS) isn’t only about technical change. It may arrive with a mix of curiosity and worries, along with an expanding list inside your head: new screens, steps, and uncertainties piling up. When institutions make changes, tech moves forward, or teaching goals evolve, the move might spark energy even while it drains focus. Yet understanding the new system goes beyond locating tools on a screen. This moment pulls you into rethinking teaching habits and offers a chance to look with fresh eyes at teaching methods instead of menus, placing fresh attention on how education takes shape and feels to those who learn. 

Why the Change Matters  

LMS transitions are typically driven by goals such as improved accessibility, clearer navigation, stronger integrations, or better support for teaching and learning practices. Understanding the purpose behind the change can help reframe the experience, from an imposed requirement to an intentional shift designed to support you and your students.

Teaching Remains Central  

As you explore D2L Brightspace, start with learning, not tools. Good courses always grow from well-defined goals and engaging tasks, because alignment matters. Only then do checks and evaluations make sense. Let teaching shape the tech, so the system bends to your needs instead of steering your choices. You may also find this helpful time to simplify. Rather than copying old courses word-for-word, try smoothing out how students move through them by spelling out what’s needed more plainly or sorting material into sharper chunks. Even tiny tweaks in layout can shift how well learners do. What seems minor often makes all the difference.

Clear and easy access by design  

Most students get more out of classes when the layout feels familiar, almost like muscle memory kicking in. A steady format, consistent spots for readings, and assignments tucked where you expect them keeps mental load light. That small thing stops many headaches before they begin. Kick things off with a short intro section labeled clearly; it works better than long emails explaining what to do first. Built-in accessibility tools in D2L Brightspace also make it easier than ever to design inclusive, student-friendly courses from the start.

You Are Not Alone  

We recognize that transitions take time. Learning Technologies & Innovation and the Center for Faculty Development are here to support you with workshops, consultations, examples, and practical resources tailored to faculty teaching needs. Even when trying something different or adjusting what already works, support is available at every step of the way. And finally, remember that the D2L Brightspace LMS is not about starting over. It’s a chance to teach with greater clarity, intention, and impact, and we’re glad to support you along the way.

Three workers looking at learning management system icons
Time Saving Tips with Sakai Project Sites 

Time Saving Tips with Sakai Project Sites 

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Like many cloud-based systems we use daily, Sakai has a finite amount of storage space. This restriction led Loyola to adopt an administrative schedule outlining when courses are created, go online, and are made unavailable to site members.   

Much of the information in Sakai course sites can be retained if it has future value, and if so, it must be manually preserved. Such examples of Sakai data that must be downloaded and saved might include Gradebook information pertaining to students or discussion board responses. Instructions on how to do that can be found HERE. However, other content work instructors and authors do in a course can be found to easily replicate in the Assignments, Lessons, Resources, and Test & Quizzes tools. Instead of recreating all your work from nothing, anyone with an official LUC Sakai account can create what is called a project site to save their work. 

In Sakai, a project site is very similar to a course site. A course site is automatically created each academic term based on information fed to Sakai twice daily by LOCUS, which occurs around noon and midnight each day. In contrast, a project site is created by Loyola users and maintained entirely by Loyola users. Here is an article on how to create a project site.  

Project sites are time savers in that most of your content from one semester to another can be copied into and saved in a project site. This process provides you with a sandbox where you can store the information between semesters so that it does not get deleted or it gives you a place where you can try out new tools or ideas during the semester that will not change the look and feel of your live course. Changes to a project site do not disrupt the student experience mid-semester. This way, you can be ready to go the next time your course is offered by copying the project site contents into your new course.  

Of course, a project site will not be stored forever—this would be poor practice in content management by encouraging digital clutter. However, if you access a project site at least once every 2 years, your content will not be flagged for deletion. Also, should you forget to access your course, you will be sent a message asking for your approval for it to be deleted in our annual project site clean-up. Should you receive an email asking if it is ok to delete a site, all you need to do is reply to the message indicating that you’d like to keep the site, and it will be excluded from our clean-up process.  

So, with a few simple steps, your start-of-semester scramble to get your course up can be alleviated.  Having all the work done in previous semesters at your fingertips with your course site immediately filled with the saved information from your manicured project site, ready to go. 

 Of course, if you run into any issues or have any questions on how to use project sites for a student-run organization or a different use case you had in mind,  contact the Learning Technologies and Innovation (LTI) group for guidance or assistance with any issues. You can also schedule a consultation with one of the LTI team members by going to the following link. 

 With that, I wish you a quick and snappy start to your next semester!
Is This Thing On? A Student-Turned-Professional’s Musings on the Role of Instructor Presence in Online Student Engagement

Is This Thing On? A Student-Turned-Professional’s Musings on the Role of Instructor Presence in Online Student Engagement

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I distinctly remember the first online course I took: “Empowering Adult Online Learning – Theory and Best Practices” with Dr. Kim Round at Harvard Extension School, my first course in Harvard’s graduate certificate in Learning Design and Technology. The year was 2017 and the frontier of online education was uncomplicated by the pivot to emergency online instruction prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Pre-pandemic, online higher education programs were designed and marketed for a smaller range of student personas, primarily busy, full-time workers earning their first credential as well as seasoned professionals returning to school in anticipation of a career change. Since, in 2025, nearly all currently-enrolled students have presumably experienced some form of remote learning, the demand for online courses has shifted to include many more ‘traditional’ college students who benefit from access to a larger selection of courses, more diverse and multicultural student compositions, and the added flexibility and accessibility made possible by virtue of the online modality. 

While “Empowering Adult Online Learning” was a synchronous class conducted over Zoom, my first interactions with Dr. Round, the learning management system, and the course content, were asynchronous. My initial emotions were those of excitement at the novelty of beginning a new academic program combined with immense anxiety and a series of urgent questions: How does the video conferencing software work? When and where do I log on? Why do I need an audio headset and why can’t I get it to connect?! While I don’t think the intensity of my own apprehensions—so panicky that I nearly dropped the course before it began—are typical of the average online student, it highlights the benefits of proactive instructor communication for student retention and engagement. In fact, one study (Cole, 2016) found that the single greatest predictor of student satisfaction with online courses was the perceived quality of student-instructor communication. Considering that the attrition rate in online courses is significantly higher than that of face-to-face courses (Hobson & Puruhito, 2018), the role of instructor presence as a mediating force for student persistence and success cannot be underestimated. 

If we consider the experiences I described as a first-time online student—one that I’ve seen mirrored by the anxious early-semester tickets that come through Loyola’s ITS Service Desk—Berge’s four roles of the online instructor (1995, 2008) are helpful for beginning to tease out the ways online faculty can alleviate student trepidation and create a welcoming environment that’s conducive to learning and community-building. Before the course begins, instructors are primarily playing the social and technical roles, and the paramount tasks are acclimating students to the learning environment and videoconferencing software logistics (where applicable); once they get students in the door, whether that’s logged into Sakai or a Zoom meeting, it becomes much easier to provide personalized supports where necessary and to turn attention to the task of learning. It is likewise beneficial for instructors to have an accurate self-awareness of their own technical skills and know what resources exist for both them and their students (e.g., instructional designers and technologists, IT support technicians). 

Some recommendations for online instructors to cultivate presence include: 

  • Post weekly announcements (video or written) summarizing key points in the course content, reminding students of upcoming deadlines, and offering encouragement. To personalize your announcements even more, consider adding shout-outs to highlight specific high-quality student contributions to the course. 
  • Start each unit or module with a short audio or video introduction to get students excited. 
  • Contribute regularly to student discussions, asking follow-up questions and acknowledging thoughtful responses. [Note: You do not need to respond to every student contribution. See this resource from Johns Hopkins for some best practices in facilitating asynchronous discussions.]  
  • Use the Sakai Lessons tool to create a dedicated “About Your Instructor” page with a welcome video or photos and information about your interests and experiences. 

As the landscape of online higher education continues to evolve, faculty play an instrumental role in shaping positive student experiences from the outset. By thoughtfully embracing their roles as facilitators, guides, and community-builders—particularly in the early stages of a course—faculty can foster confidence, reduce anxiety, and build the momentum students need to thrive. Proactive communication, clear expectations, and a supportive presence do more than just solve logistical hurdles; they lay the groundwork for meaningful engagement and academic success. In a time when online learning is no longer a niche offering but a core component of higher education, small and intentional efforts to infuse a course with instructor presence from beginning to end can make a palpable difference in student persistence, success, and satisfaction. 

Two student having a conversation via video.
Creating Value & Memorable Learning Asynchronously: Dialogic Pedagogy for Dialogue Tools 

Creating Value & Memorable Learning Asynchronously: Dialogic Pedagogy for Dialogue Tools 

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A perpetual challenge we (instructors, instructional designers, teaching assistants, learning engineers, educational technologists, and anyone learning online) encounter with online teaching and learning occurs in the absence of live engagement: how do we facilitate and engage meaningful exchanges within the classroom when there are no classes or classroom? (For the sake of brevity, I am excluding the parallel difficulties of engaging organic dialogue in a face-to-face classroom.) 

Though we have learning technologies within our supported Loyola tools that are capable of facilitating asynchronous conversations, how might we make those exchanges memorable learning activities? Daisaku Ikeda’s Soka pedagogy might provide those of us designing engagement activities for our asynchronous learners with a compass aimed at value creation in education. 

Meeting Ikeda and value creation dialogue 

I was first introduced to Ikeda’s value-creating dialogic pedagogy as a College of Education graduate writing group facilitator at the DePaul University Center for Writing-based Learning. In our writing group meetings, doctoral candidate Melissa Bradford (now part of the DePaul College of Education teaching faculty) shared across her drafts the power of Ikeda’s dialogic pedagogy that unfolds in a mentor-mentee relationship.  

Born in Tokyo in 1928, Daisaku Ikeda was among the first generation of schoolchildren educated in the Japanese wartime indoctrination system (Goulah & Ito, 2015, p. 57). Ikeda’s experience of human loss, militant subjugation, and postwar chaos encountered surprise at the worldview of Josei Toda, an educator with a faith-based and peace-oriented opposition towards Japanese wars of conquest. After hearing Toda speak at a Soka (literally value-creating) Gakkai (Society) meeting, Ikeda subsequently became Toda’s student and mentee (Goulah & Ito, 2015, p. 58).   

Melissa’s focus on Soka, or value-creating, pedagogy emphasized the importance of dialogue between invested interlocutors. Through intentional and ongoing dialogue, building a mentor-mentee relationship also becomes possible. The underlying heritage of Soka pedagogy seeks to “engage students in learning to learn and to derive wisdom from knowledge to create meaningful value in and from any positive or negative situation” (Goulah & Ito, 2015, p. 60). To clarify, value-creating pedagogy does not signify an instructor imparting their values onto their students, but rather, value creation refers to the collaborative meaning that rises out of engaging with self and others.  

Connecting value-creating pedagogy to Jesuit values 

As a Blue Rambler (DePaul Blue Demon and Loyola Rambler, anyone?), I am in a serendipitous intersection to connect Vincentian personalism with the Jesuit value of accompaniment. Through facilitating dialogue between peers, we provide opportunities for us to recognize the dignity of our fellow colleagues in a class by cultivating community and strengthening a mentor-mentee relationships. These interrelated missions, though stated by different schools and denominations, underlie our interconnected and human-centered values.  

In Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship, Ikeda posits that “students’ lives are not changed by lectures, but by people” (Ikeda, 1996b, p. 31 qtd. In Goulah & Ito, 2015). Though prerecorded lectures may be a central means of delivering content in an asynchronous online course, how might we consider engaging interactions between people? 

Try a learning design: Value-creating pedagogy with asynchronous dialogue tools 

One teaching and learning approach and mindset shift we can make is rethinking our student-instructor interactions, even asynchronously. Instead of simply assigning closed discussions for the sake of a knowledge check, how might we engage interactions in a class aimed at collaborative value creation? As an organic bonus, how might value creating pedagogy help students achieve learning outcomes through our learning design?  

Here are some learning design goals that might be generalizable across disciplines, paired with a possible option for asynchronous tool-based dialogue: 

  • To facilitate community amongst peers within an academic or professional field.  
  • A corresponding learning design choice could be a dialogue tool such as VoiceThread or Piazza.  
  • To cultivate a mentor-mentee relationship and/or offer higher-level thesis advising. 
  • Recurring informal checkpoints or brainstorming dialogues through native Messages or Discussions tools in Sakai. 

More to Consider 

Like any use of technology-based teaching and learning design, a tool can only take you so far: framing the purpose and context for engaging with the tool is vital to the impact of the learning design. Some student-based ideas for engagement offered by Georgia Tech might help you craft intentional prompts for meaningful dialogue.  

Finally, our Loyola Learning Technologies & Innovation team invites you to join us for more dialogue ideas at our upcoming webinar Talk It Out: Enhance Learning with Asynchronous Dialogue Tools in Sakai on Thursday, 3/20 at 11am.  

Works Cited  

“Engaging Students with Online Discussions.” Center for Teaching & Learning. Georgia Tech. https://ctl.gatech.edu/engaging-students-online-discussions 

Goulah, J., & Ito, T. (2012). Daisaku Ikeda’s Curriculum of Soka Education: Creating Value Through Dialogue, Global Citizenship, and “Human Education” in the Mentor–Disciple Relationship. Curriculum Inquiry, 42(1), 56–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-873X.2011.00572.x 

 

 
Enhancing Learning Flexibility and Accessibility with Infobase Learning Cloud 

Enhancing Learning Flexibility and Accessibility with Infobase Learning Cloud 

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There is a greater need than ever for flexible and easily accessible learning environments. Cloud-based learning can be valuable in this instance. The adoption of cloud computing fundamentally alters education by enhancing accessibility, scalability, flexibility, and efficiency of learning. When we speak of “the cloud,” we mean an online network of servers used for data processing, management, and storing. This will transform education by offering the framework necessary to support a range of digital tools and platforms, allowing for scalability, real-time collaboration, and smooth content updates.   

In higher education, the transition to cloud computing is reshaping how faculty deliver courses, how students engage with materials, and how institutions operate. 

Infobase Learning Cloud complements this paradigm by providing over 50,000 video tutorials for various technology platforms, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud. Instructors can integrate Learning Cloud tutorials into Sakai by adding the Learning Cloud tool to their Sakai site. After adding the Learning Cloud tool and selecting a tutorial, faculty can customize the training by choosing which segments students should view.  

Also, it provides customization features, allowing instructors to assign customized lessons that are relevant to their course objectives.  

Speaking with Instructors who have used the site, several have stated that incorporating it into their classes has allowed them to complement their teaching with professional, high-quality lessons that students can access at their own leisure. This is especially useful for students who need to revisit specific concepts several times or want to learn in smaller, more manageable portions. Furthermore, instructors have observed that adding Infobase Learning Cloud has eliminated the need to produce additional resources for technology-related concerns, as students can obtain clear, brief tutorials within the platform itself. This allows instructors to spend more time teaching essential concepts rather than fixing technical concerns.  

As a result, cloud-based solutions such as Infobase Learning Cloud will be critical for staying ahead of the curve and addressing the needs of modern learning environments.  

To get started you can use your Loyola credentials for login: Learning Cloud Login  Loyola Support Documentation   / Learning Cloud 

Elevating Faculty Excellence: Credly Badging System and Professional Development Workshops at the Forefront

Elevating Faculty Excellence: Credly Badging System and Professional Development Workshops at the Forefront

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In the dynamic landscape of higher education, staying abreast of evolving teaching methodologies and technological advancements is crucial for faculty members. Recognizing this imperative, Loyola is increasingly leveraging innovative approaches to enhance professional development opportunities for academic staff.  

The ITRS Pathways professional development series encompasses a diverse range of topics, including Sakai assessment tools, communication tools, and integrated tools. These workshops stand as pillars of enrichment for faculty members, providing flexible opportunities year-round to refine teaching strategies, integrate new technologies, and engage with contemporary pedagogical approaches.  

A noteworthy initiative in conjunction with these professional development workshops is the integration of the Credly badging system. 

Credly is a leading digital credentialing platform that has revolutionized the way accomplishments and skills are acknowledged in the academic sphere. The Credly badging system enables individuals to earn and showcase digital badges, which serve as verifiable and portable representations of specific skills, achievements, and competencies. For faculty members, Credly badges have become a powerful tool for illustrating their professional journey and expertise. 

Credly badges are easily shareable across various online platforms, such as LinkedIn and academic profiles. Faculty members can effortlessly carry their achievements beyond the workshop setting, enhancing their digital presence and professional networks. Faculty can register for a single session or complete all four sessions in a series to earn a digital badge. 

For more details about our upcoming professional development series, kindly visit https://www.luc.edu/its/itrs/itrspathways/. Explore the enriching opportunities that await you on your journey of continuous learning and professional growth with Loyola University Chicago’s ITRS Pathways. 

Indiana Jones and the Jesuit Identity
The Jesuit Subtext of Indiana Jones in Higher Education

The Jesuit Subtext of Indiana Jones in Higher Education

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Summer movie season is here, and many are looking forward to the new film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. For those not familiar with the character of Indiana Jones, he is a well-known adventurer who travels the world in search of artifacts and knowledge. He is an iconic figure who has captured the imagination of generations of fans, and his exploits have been the subject of numerous movies, books, and games. Also, one could argue that the character of Indiana Jones has ties to the Jesuit identity in higher education.

The Jesuits are a religious order within the Catholic Church that was founded in the 15th century. They are known for their commitment to education and their emphasis on intellectual rigor and critical thinking. Jesuit universities and colleges are renowned for their academic excellence and their focus on social justice and service to others.

Indiana Jones was created by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, two filmmakers who were influenced by their experiences at Jesuit-founded institutions. Lucas attended the University of Southern California, which was co-founded by the Jesuits, and Spielberg attended California State University, an institution with roots in Jesuit founders. Both men, who fall into the category of being film auteurs, were exposed to Jesuit ideals and values during their time at these institutions, and they incorporated these ideas into the development of the character and stories of Indiana Jones.

One of the most prominent examples of the Jesuit influence on Indiana Jones is his commitment to education and scholarship. Throughout the Indiana Jones movies, we see him engaging in academic pursuits, such as teaching, researching ancient artifacts, deciphering ancient languages, and consulting with experts in various fields. His dedication to scholarship reflects the Jesuit belief in the importance of education as a means of personal growth and social transformation.

Another example of the Jesuit influence on Indiana Jones is his commitment to social justice and service to others. In many of the movies, we see him fighting against oppressive regimes, defending the rights of marginalized communities, and working to preserve cultural heritage. These actions are consistent with the Jesuit emphasis on social justice and their belief in the importance of using knowledge and skills for the greater good.

Finally, the character of Indiana Jones embodies the Jesuit ideal of the “whole person,” which emphasizes the importance of developing not just the mind, but also the body and spirit. Throughout the movies, we see him engaging in physical activities, such as climbing, fighting, and running, and we also see him grappling with questions of faith and spirituality. These elements of the character reflect the Jesuit belief in the importance of developing all aspects of the self to achieve a well-rounded and fulfilling life.

Indiana Jones is a fascinating character who has captured the hearts and minds of people worldwide. But his ties to the Jesuit identity in higher education make him even more interesting and complex. By incorporating Jesuit ideals and values into the character of Indiana Jones, Lucas, and Spielberg created a hero who is not just an adventurer, but also a scholar, a social justice advocate, and a person who strives to achieve balance and wholeness in his life. These powerful messages can inspire us all to live more meaningful and purposeful lives as well as become better educators.

Easily Capture a Screenshot

Easily Capture a Screenshot

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A screenshot is an image taken of the computer screen or a portion of the screen. These images can be useful for creating a demonstration of a program or even for recording a problem on your computer. You can easily take a screenshot on a Mac or PC without installing additional software.


For PC

  1. On the upper right-hand side of your keyboard, press PrtScn.
  2. The screenshot will be copied onto your clipboard. Open any image-editing program like Paint and click on Paste or use the keyboard command: Control-V.
  3. Save the image.

For Mac

  1. On your keyboard, press Command (Apple Key) – Shift – 3, in this order, to capture the entire screen.  Or press, Command – Shift – 4 to highlight and select an area of the screen to capture.
  2. The image will be saved to your desktop.

Screen Capture Software

If you are interested in more advanced features for taking screen captures, there are quite a few useful programs out there.   SnagIt, for PC, allows you to edit your image by highlighting areas, adding call-outs, arrows, text and more. Snagit is very useful for creating tutorials; it runs about $50.  SnapzPro, for Mac, enables you to record anything on your screen and save as a Quicktime movie; it runs about $70.

Technology Videos: In Plain English

Technology Videos: In Plain English

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As online tools such as blogs, Twitter and RSS feeds are becoming more widely used to share information, it’s helpful to know about resources that explain how these tools work, while still remaining interesting.  Common Craft’s In Plain English series provides fun and simple tutorials on several areas, including technology, money, society and the environment.  Each video features paper cut-outs and narration; some technology topics include podcasting, RSS and Wikis.  Even though these videos are lighthearted, they are very well-made and informative and definitely worth sharing with colleagues or in the classroom.    

 Video Source:  http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs