MDC Online

Message from the Campus Vice President

In this edition of the newsletter, I want to take you on a journey from the Revolutionary War through today and share some notable facts about African American history and culture. As we celebrate African American history every day, we should be reminded that the African American culture is both part of and distinct from American culture. Although slavery restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions; practices, values and beliefs survived, and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are facets of African American culture that were made more prominent as a result of slavery. For example, drumming was used as a means of communication. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture.

African American culture has had a transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, to include, but not limited to, language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, agriculture, fashion, sports, fraternities and sororities, and politics. The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained notoriety. Jazz, and blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. This was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans.

Although African American history and culture has been limited in American History textbooks, the African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. There are many museums devoted to African American history found in African American neighborhoods. There are also institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and the African American Museum in Cleveland created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history. I have had an opportunity to visit both. But, my favorite of all time is the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, which is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. Here in South Florida, we have the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, the African Museum of Arts and Culture in Miami Gardens, and a host of other cultural attractions celebrating art and culture of African Americans.

Within the last 12 years we have socially and politically made great strides in changing the narrative of African American History. Former President Barack Obama served as the 44th President of the United States. His story exemplifies the American story. President Obama was reared in a middle class, hardworking family with an emphasis on education and service to others. On January 20th, Vice President Kamala Harris changed the narrative for women of color and South Asian American women by demonstrating “the sky is the beginning” when she was elected the first woman of color Vice President of the United States. Also, Senator Raphael Warnock made history as he was sworn in as the first Black senator from Georgia. The narratives are a demonstration of hope for so many children of color to keep dreaming, striving, and thriving!

As we shine the spotlight on African American history and culture in the month of February, let us celebrate it every day as a unique and important part of American History! In this newsletter, there is a listing of events and resources planned and organized by the Wolfson Campus Black History Committee co-chaired by Dr. Ellis Keeter and Dr. Ernest Burt. I would like to send a special thanks to the entire Black History Committee for the awesome work they have demonstrated in planning and making the month of February a dynamic celebration of African American history and culture.

Dr. Walter McCollum
Vice President, MDC Online

Student Success

Welcome back, Sharks!

The MDC Online team wishes you and your loved ones a very Happy 2021!

A new year means new possibilities. MDC Online has been cooking up a storm up here in the cloud, all to bring more opportunities that change everything—online. Here is what is new and coming soon to MDC Online:

Book an Appointment with the MDC Online Student Support Center

Meet with a Student Support Center Team Member to get general advisement, help with navigating your online classes, troubleshooting and tech support, and so much more. Meet with us over the phone or in an easy to connect, login-free online offices space on Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. Follow this link to book an appointment!

Blackboard Ultra Navigation is here!

Notice anything different when you logged into Blackboard this term? We have updated our Blackboard environment to the navigation home page. The new layout and design put the things students need most in one easy access and navigate. New features give YOU more control over the information you see and how you see it, with new options for notifications (optimized for the Blackboard App!), grades, and other resources on the front page of Blackboard.

Watch this one-minute video tutorial and overview of the new Ultra Based Navigation.

Productivity, Organization, and Wellness –A Triad for Student Success

At MDC Online and Miami Dade College, when our students succeed, we all succeed – so let’s succeed together! Use the tools and resources to stay on top of your game this spring, available for FREE to ALL MDC Students:

• 24/7 Tutoring and Writing Center – Smarthinking

  Tutoring in English, math, science, computers, Spanish, and more. Submit essays and writing assignments for proofreading, feedback, and suggestions and help with APA and MLA citation formats. Find out more on the MDC Online website.

• Libraries and Learning Resources

  The same awesome tutors from the MDC campuses brought to you live and online through remote tutoring sessions. Swim among the sharks and learn from them too! Find their schedule and more information here.

• Microsoft Office 365 – Student Licenses

  Get Word, PowerPoint, Excel – the whole suite of Microsoft Office 365 products – at no extra cost! Download the programs on up to five devices, including computers and mobile devices – saving you money and making life a bit more convenient. Download your student license here.

MDC Student Email – more than an inbox….

MDC Student Email is hosted through Gmail, which comes with a full suite of Google products? Sync Blackboard’s calendar with your Google Calendar (also works with iOS iCalendar), save and store your schoolwork on Google Drive to keep your assignments safe, secure, and available on-the-go, from anywhere, and collaborate with classmates with tools like Jam board, hangouts, and more.

Log into your student email and click on the square waffle at the top right of the screen to explore all the G-Suite products available to you!

We are looking out for you—24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Reach Blackboard 24/7 Technical Support by calling 305.237.3800 at any time.

Chat with a live representative when you connect with a 24/7 Live Chat Support Agent.

Reach the MDC Online Student Support Center by calling 305.237.3800 during our operating hours or 24/7 via email at online@mdc.edu. A team member will respond to your inquiry within 36 hours or one working day in most cases.

Important Dates Coming Your Way:

• Feb. 21 – Feb. 25 – Proctored Final Exams for 1st 8-week classes
• Feb. 28 – March 7 – Proctored Midterm Exams for 16-week classes (all classes assigned to session 1 or session 2 – check your syllabus for details.)
• March 5 – 2nd 8-week (8W2) classes begin
• March 23, 2021 – Last day to apply for graduation and appear in commencement ceremony program
• March 28 – April 1 - Proctored Midterm Exams for 2nd 8-week classes
• April 17 – 28 - Proctored Final Exams for 16-week classes (all classes assigned to session 1 or session 2 – check your syllabus for details.)
• April 25 – April 29 - Proctored Final Exams for 2nd 8-week classes

Student Spotlight

For this edition’s student spotlight, we could not pick just one student, not after a year filled with so many difficulties…. Instead, we want to spotlight you… ALL OF YOU.

More than 15,000 MDC students earned a college degree during the 2019-2020 academic year. An easy feat by no means, let alone, during a global pandemic and social distancing. Still, over 15,000 of our sharks demonstrated an unwavering commitment to a brighter future, limitless possibilities, and a fire fueled by cafecitos and zoom calls with friends and family members.

And so, for this spotlight, we recognize and honor the thousands of MDC sharks who graduated this past year – the first of its kind in all MDC history. We look forward to graduating another class in 2021!

Do you want to be featured in our next Student Spotlight? Are you working on something awesome because of the flexibility online classes brings to your schedule? Fill out this entry form and let us know why you want to be featured in our next student spotlight!

Instructional Design and Course Delivery

The MDC Online Course Delivery Team is pleased to announce that a Request for New Development and Replacement Developers was posted by the College Provost on October 28, 2020. The Request for New Development includes courses that will allow MDC Online to offer two additional baccalaureate degrees, three additional associate of science degrees, and ten additional college credit certificates. The baccalaureate degrees include a B.S. in Cybersecurity and a B.A.S. in Emergency Management. The A.S. degrees include Computer Programming Analysis – Business Application, Financial Services – Wealth Management, and Digital Marketing Strategy and Specialist. The CCCs include Accounting Clerk, Banking Specialist, Business Entrepreneurship Specialist, Social Venture, Start-Up Venture, Business Operations – Marketing, Early Childhood Administration, Help Desk Support Technician, Network Security, and Tax Specialist. We also included four associate of arts degree courses including Descriptive Astronomy, Psychology of Work, Student Support Seminar, and Theater Appreciation. The Request for Development Review Committee met on January 29, 2021 to review applications and followed up with faculty developer recommendations to the MDC Online Campus Vice President.

Technology Services

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra

There have been a couple of updates to Blackboard Collaborate Ultra in December and in January. One is a new Chat Support feature that was released January 14, 2021. This feature allows attendees to reach out to Collaborate Support to help troubleshoot any issues while they are still in the live session. The new Chat Support feature can be found at the end of the My Settings panel.

Another January update is better visibility to the recording privacy status. Moderators and session owners can now know at-a-glance if their recording is locked or if it is public. A locked recording means only course members can view the video. Anyone NOT enrolled in a course will not be able to view the video even with a link. A public recording is a recording that anyone can view if they have the link. Moderators and owners can change the privacy settings in the Recording Settings.

A new feature that rolled out in December for Collaborate Ultra is the Chat mentions and formatting. A chat mentions is when an attendee uses the at (@) symbol and another attendee’s name to tag that person (@Finn). Now the tagged attendee will receive a notification making it easier to find the mention. Moderators are identified with a MOD label making it easy for attendees to find. Attendees can turn off these chat mention notifications in their personal notification settings.

Students who are engaged and interacting with their peers and instructors can experience greater student success.

The Rich Text Editor (RTE) has been updated in the Chat panel. Now attendees can format their messages to better convey their message and to get their point across.

Read the complete release notes for Blackboard Collaborate.

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Blackboard Ally

Blackboard Ally is a tool in Blackboard Learn that allows instructors improve the usability and accessibility of their course content. Students can choose formats that work best for their needs and learning styles, for example, HTML for improved reading on mobile phones, Electronic Braille for the visually impaired, and Audio for learning on the go.

Ally creates these alternative formats for your course content. You don’t need to do anything. Ally measures accessibility for each file that is added to your course and you will see an at-a-glance score from Low to Perfect on each item. The higher the score the fewer the issues.

• Low: File is not accessible and needs immediate attention.
• Medium: File is somewhat accessible and could use improvement.
• High: File is accessible but could be improved.
• Perfect: File is accessible. No improvement needed.

For files with low scores, Ally will let you know where the issues are and give your step-by-step guidance on how to improve accessibility for the item. Open the instructor feedback and follow the steps on how to make improvements.

In addition to guiding instructors on how to make changes, instructors also have access to course accessibility report. This report will provide an accessibility summary and overview at the course level. Instructors will see the accessibility score, the distribution of course content by content type, and a list of any and all issues identified in the course. This will help instructors determine the priorities and options for making fixes to the content starting with issues that are labeled severe and/or content that is the easiest to fix.

Ally Quick Start for Instructors

Workshops are provided by CIOL for What’s New in Blackboard and on Blackboard Ally. For information and how to search for CIOL workshops in MDConnect, you can go to the CIOL workshop website: https://www.mdc.edu/ciol/workshops/.

Faculty Excellence & Professional Learning

Are you doing something great in your online classes? Consider sharing your strategy by submitting to the Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR). The University of Central Florida's (UCF) Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) offers (TOPR) “as a public resource for faculty and instructional designers interested in online and blended teaching strategies. Each entry describes a strategy drawn from the pedagogical practice of online/blended teaching faculty, depicts this strategy with artifacts from actual courses, and is aligned with findings from research or professional practice literature.” All entries are peer reviewed and then organized into three categories: Course Content, Interaction, and Assessment. There is currently an open Call for Submissions period (February 1, 2021-March 15, 2021). For more information about how to submit your strategy, check out the TOPR peer review page.

UCF also hosts a Teaching Online Podcast (TOPCast). Hosted by Dr. Thomas Cavanagh and Dr. Kelvin Thompson, TOPCast is a monthly podcast for online and blended learning professionals conducted over a shared cup of coffee. Check out episodes on Humanizing Online Education, Pro Tips on Vocal Care for Faculty, A Holistic Approach to Accessibility, and more. Learn more about online and blended learning (and coffee!).

Faculty Spotlight: Ralph De Arazoza

MDC Online is proud to focus the Faculty Spotlight on Professor Ralph De Arazoza! Recently, MDC Online became aware of some challenges students were having with the CGS1060C proctored assessment and ProctorU. We reached out to Professor De Arazoza as the faculty developer to see if we could find a way to improve the student experience. A collegial discussion about different options for the assessment resulted in a solution that both ensured alignment with the course activities and allowed for improved delivery and support. However, there was a small window of time to implement the new assessment and make the associated course modifications for it to be in place for the next term. Professor De Arazoza worked diligently during the winter recess to update the MDC Online Master Course so that not only his students, but all students taking CGS1060C from MDC Online, will benefit from the solution. He not only wants his students to have a good learning experience, but he also honors his role as faculty developer in ways that support his colleagues and teaching excellence.

When thanked for his willingness to work with MDC Online to produce this solution, he humbly said that he was just doing his job. However, as Hector Noriega, Student Services Director of MDC Online, points out, “This kind of cooperation and partnership is what cultivates the most favorable and fruitful outcomes for all, but most importantly, for the College and our students.”

Ralph De Arazoza is an Associate Professor in the Technology Department at the Kendall Campus. He is currently the developer for two MDC Online courses: CGS1060C (Introduction to Computer Technology and Applications) and CGS2091 (Professional Ethics and Social Issues in Computer Science). In addition, he teaches a variety of face-to-face courses covering topics such as web development, C++ programming, and database design.

During his 17 years as a faculty member at MDC, Professor De Arazoza has dedicated himself to improving various courses at MDC to increase student engagement and success. He is a proponent of a course design that is clear and logical for students to navigate, with an emphasis on step-by-step guides that help students feel comfortable with the course early on. As for his teaching philosophy, he combines energetic lectures, current events, hands-on learning, and humor to instill a passion for technology in his students.

Away from the classroom, he has served as the advisor for the Computer Club for close to 15 years. Each year the club holds a variety of technology workshops, competes in various local and state tournaments, and recycles e-waste at the Kendall Campus. His other passion is writing, having authored four editions of a technology concepts textbook for McGraw-Hill.

Thank you, Professor De Arazoza for fostering communication and collaboration to support student success!

Staff Spotlight

Meet Jerry Braun, Senior Systems Analyst for MDC Online —

He has been keeping MDC Online, formerly the Virtual College, connected since its inception in 1997. Back when Web CT was the way of the web in terms of delivering online and distance learning, Jerry was part of the team that brought MDC Online, well, online. He was a core member of the team charged with building the basic code, databases, gateway pages, and websites that paved the way to the future of MDC Online.

Debra Sheridan-Brinkman, says “Jerry’s had a goal to develop an information system for MDC Online that would enable us to better manage all of the processes needed to keep MDC Online operational. We were able to build that goal into our Strategic plan three years ago. This year is the last piece of the puzzle and will help streamline the academic data. Our move to remote last year was made possible by having much of the groundwork completed for the system. I know he is looking forward to completing this final part of the system.”

MDC Online started as a handful of classes with and a small team working in a conference room at the Medical Campus. It has since grown into a robust, online program that spans eight campuses and one outreach center. Students throughout Florida and across the U.S. have become MDC Sharks through the MDC Online course offerings. Jerry has helped carry the program through its evolution, working on more than three updates to our learning management systems, multiple iterations of proctored exam security implementations, and helping to maintain open access to online classes by supporting back-of-the-house operations with various forms, databases, and verification portals. As a technical professional, Jerry has evolved alongside the program, witnessing its inception and infancy, evolving from its adolescence as the Virtual College, and as of 2020, maturing into its young adulthood as MDC Online.

Jerry’s family is his most prized possession, calling south Florida home for decades. Jerry and his wife, also an educator, travel when they can. Their children and grandchildren often accompany them on their adventures around the world. When traveling, Jerry explores his passion for photography. The family had planned a trip to Europe where Jerry and his grandson would fly his drone over the beautiful vista. Hopefully, they will be able to travel again soon.

Jerry’s latest project is to streamline the internal MDC Online processes revamping academic services, instructional design pipelines, and faculty support to promote student success and positive online experiences. MDC Online has grown into an award-winning online program that offers over 280 classes, all of which will lead to an associate or bachelor’s degree and many college-credit certificates—more than 30 credentials offered fully online! We are a leader in online learning in Florida in large part because of Jerry and the talented men and women who have been, are, and remain dedicated to expanding access to quality education, in the past, in the present, and as we look forward and beyond the future.

After Class: Connecting Faculty & Student Experiences

Professor Rene Revuelta has been working at MDC for 32 years, offering students numerous and diverse online courses since 2000 and campus-based courses since 1989. In this opportunity it is gratifying for MDC to share some of the testimonies from his students:

“Thank you so much for everything, professor! Even though we were never, physically, in class, it did not feel like it because you were always present and very quick to answer email. I really appreciate your guidance and dedication. Take good care of yourself, professor! - Marisol”

“Good Evening Professor Revuelta, thank you so much, I Really enjoyed learning the material for this course. I hope I can have you as a professor in the future. Stay safe, stay well. Thank you. - Scarlett”

“Professor Revuelta, thank you so much for the information. I appreciate it. You were awesome from your rapid email response to your organization. Have a good day. Happy Holidays. - Hanniel”

Professor Revuelta shared with us how to he started to teach Online classes:

“I teach campus-based classes. But I have been teaching online classes for two decades with MDC Online, since its beginning, known as MDC Virtual College. My home campus at the time - Homestead - had previously experienced the impact on the community of a Category 5 hurricane, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the local students to attend and be present in the classroom. This opened my eyes to the potential of remote learning when MDC launched the Virtual College. The effect on students, of the natural disaster in the South Dade community, motivated me to collaborate with the Virtual College as soon as it began. Since then, I have been teaching BSC1005, PSC1515, and OCE1001 online all these years. I continue teaching now, collaborating with MDC Online, contributing to help students in life circumstances that do not permit them to take in-person, campus-based classes, achieve and be successful.”

Currently, Professor Revuelta is teaching BSC1005 General Education Biology and PSC1515 Energy in the Natural Environment (Padron Campus) and OCE1001 Introduction to Oceanography (MDC Online).

Meet the Team | Meet our new Colleagues

Campus Vice President Support and Coordination

Program Development Team

Course Delivery Team

Student Support Team

Upcoming Events

Black History Month

The theme for Black History Month this year is the “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity”. The Black family has been described as a microcosm of the entire race, and it is the “foundation” of African American life and history. This month’s events are designed to highlight the rich tapestry of images of the Black family and seek to educate and explore the contributions and issues facing African American families past and present.

Week 2

Wednesday February 10, 2021- Nutrition Webinar with Professor Fayoe Olubisi (Virtual)

Week 3

Wednesday February 17, 2021- Financial Literacy Workshop

Week 4

Wednesday February 24, 2021- Representation Matters: The Importance of Owning and Telling One’s Own Story

Wednesday February 24, 2021- Innovators in Fashion: Audrey Brianne Celebrity Stylist

Wednesday February 24, 2021- NWSA Student Dance Performances (Pre-recorded Virtual)

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Spring Virtual Open House

Join us at an Open House and find out what it is like to be part of the MDC community.

Who should attend?

• High school students and their parents
• High school personnel
• Non-traditional students (such as adult learners and individuals who hold full time jobs and go to school part-time)
• Anyone interested in starting a new career or advancing in their current career

You will have the opportunity to:

• Explore MDC’s many bachelor’s and Medical Campus programs
• Learn how you can train for hot jobs in many fields, such as aviation, animation, computers and Web development, culinary arts, engineering, health care, hospitality and tourism, paralegal studies, technology and more
• Meet MDC students, faculty, and staff
• Learn about student organizations and activities
• Attend sessions on financial aid, scholarships, and admissions

Check out our full calendar of events and registration information.

Resources

• Book an Appointment with MDC Online Student Support
• 2021-2022 Scholarship Drive
• Blackboard 24/7 Live Chat Support
• Bb Student App
• Remote Testing Page
• Respondus Monitor & Lockdown Browser
• MDC Online Spring 2021 (2213) Master Course Blackboard Org (Faculty Only)
• Student Support for Remote Learning
• Faculty – Teaching Across Modalities
• ProctorU Student Checklist
• ProctorU Getting Started Portal
• Test Your Equipment - Requires Logging Into ProctorU Account
• ProctorU Exam Readiness Guide
• ProctorU Privacy
• ProctorU Compliance
• ProctorU Student Bill of Rights
• ID Requirements
• MDC Testing Dishonesty & Behavioral Guidelines
• MDC Prohibited Items in Testing (applies to ProctorU)
• MDC Student Code of Conduct