What is LectureTools and is it right for me and my class?

Have you heard the name "LectureTools" or seen it in the CTools list of tools and wondered what it is? The Faculty Exploratory and LSA Instructional Support Services are hosting two types of events to help you answer that question. First, we have a demonstration and discussion about what the tool is, the impact it can have on your class, and how it is currently being used here at the University. Second, if you decide you would like to try this tool, we'll have some hands-on workshops that will help you get ready for winter semester. To register for either, please visit http://ttc.iss.lsa.umich.edu/ttc/sessions/tag/lecturetools/

Descriptions of the sessions are below. As always, if you have questions about these or other tools, or would like to be removed from this email group, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Making Your Lecture Presentations Interactive with LectureTools
Tuesday, 10/22, 3:00 pm-5:00 pm
If you have a large lecture section, it is sometimes difficult to know which concepts are confusing to students and if they are actively engaged with the material during class. Using LectureTools can be an effective way to directly involve students and solicit their feedback while you are teaching. Activated via your CTools site, this tool allows you to ask multiple choice or free response questions, and lets students flag slides they find confusing, submit questions, and take notes that are synchronized with the lecture slides.

In this demonstration, you will hear from University faculty members who are currently using LectureTools, and how it has impacted their teaching. This demonstration is a broad overview of the tool, focusing on why and how you could use it in your classes; later on in the semester there will be “hands-on” workshops that will get you ready to use LectureTools during the Winter Term.

Getting Started with LectureTools
Wednesday, 10/30, 3:00 pm-5:00 pm OR Thursday, 11/14, 3:00 pm-5:00 pm
Now that you’ve attended the "Making Your Lecture Presentations Interactive with LectureTools" demonstration and understand how LectureTools can enhance your students’ classroom experience, it’s time to get your lectures ready for Winter term. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll start as “students” in a class, so you can experience what LectureTools could be like for your students. After that, we’ll move to the instructor’s side, starting with a tour of the interface. You’ll then learn how to import PowerPoint presentations and insert interactive slides. We’ll discuss the instructor dashboard, how to read and answer student questions, and strategies for successful presentations. Finally, we’ll work in the assessment feature of LectureTools and discuss how to produce reports generated from student responses.

We strongly encourage you to attend the “Making Your Lecture Presentations Interactive with LectureTools” demonstration session to see if LectureTools is right for you and your course.