In the Spotlight: Open Pedagogy on the OpenLab

This week, as we prepare for our first Open Pedagogy Event of the semester, we’d like to draw your attention once again to our in-house site, Open Pedagogy on the OpenLab. This site operates as a forum where OpenLab community members can ask questions and stimulate discussion related to teaching and learning on the OpenLab and in open digital environments more generally. The site is replete with curated resources you can draw on in your teaching, from examples of digital pedagogy assignments to provocative readings on the value of multimedia pedagogy and public writing to information on best practices and tips for open digital pedagogy. The site’s blogroll is a great place for online discussion on building a curriculum that integrates the OpenLab; each month, our Pedagogy Profiles blog series highlights a different City Tech faculty member who is using the OpenLab in creative ways.

In conjunction with this site, our OpenLab team hosts Open Pedagogy Events, organized around particular themes and concerns related to teaching in open digital environments and more specifically with teaching on the OpenLab. This Thursday (2/27) we’re hosting our first Open Pedagogy event of the semester, Access in Service. The event will be held in the Faculty Commons (N227) from 4:30-6:00pm. Refreshments will be served (thanks to the Faculty Commons for its generous support of this event!). Visit the event posting for more information and to RSVP! We hope to see you there! We will also consider the theme of “access” throughout this semester, focusing on how faculty and staff can leverage technology to increase our students’ access to learning and other academic opportunities at CUNY. Part-time faculty are eligible to receive a stipend for participation in the event.

As always, we encourage you to join the site, follow along and participate in the conversation!

This Month on the OpenLab: February 2020 Release

Groundhog with light behind it — “Groundhog Day” by Alice Popkorn is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

On February 18, we released version 1.7.40 of the OpenLab. It included one small interface change, a few plugin updates, and some bug fixes.

We removed the phone number field from student and alumni profiles. Since members didn’t always realize it was public information, we decided that it was best to just remove the option altogether.

There were a few plugin updates that won’t cause any noticeable differences for OpenLab members, but included either minor updates or security-related updates.

We also fixed a number of bugs in this release:

After a change related to the January release, the toolbar at top of the block editor was no longer sticking to the top of the page while scrolling.
When Group admins had email notifications set to ‘No Email’, admins (but not members) were still getting email notifications about file uploads.
There was a bug affecting a small number of groups where group members were not able to change their email notification settings.
Another bug affecting a small number of groups was preventing admins from choosing OpenLab members to invite to the group because when typing in a person’s name, the dropdown was failing to appear.
When viewing another user’s profile, and then navigating to any group directory (My Courses, My Projects, My Clubs) on their profile, the group description excerpts were missing.

As always, please contact us with any questions!

In the Spotlight: OpenLab Mobile Shortcuts

This week, we spotlight a feature built into most smartphones that can facilitate mobile work on the OpenLab!

At our workshops, people sometimes ask if we can develop an OpenLab app, similar to the Blackboard app. They say they are pleased with the OpenLab’s mobile functionality, but it’s a pain to have to pull up your phone browser, then navigate to the OpenLab, then navigate to where you want to go. An app on the home screen would provide a handy shortcut. Luckily, you can do that already!

While app development is not currently in the works, there’s a very easy way to create your own shortcut to the OpenLab on your phone’s home screen. In this post, we will outline how to do it on both iOS and Android.

Creating an OpenLab Mobile Shortcut on iPhones

Navigate in your phone browser (usually Safari, unless you use another browser) to the OpenLab page you want to create the shortcut to. This might be the OpenLab home page, or your own profile, or the profile or site of a particular course.
Scroll up so that the bottom menu appears, revealing the forward/back buttons, the bookmark button, the share button, and the “view all tabs” button. (See Screenshot 1)
Screenshot 1: OpenLab on mobile with Safari navigation menu visible
Click on the “Share” button. It looks like a square with an arrow pointing upwards out of it. (See Screenshot 2)

Screenshot 2: Share Button circled in yellow.
Scroll down until you see the option “Add to Home Screen.” Click on it! (See Screenshot 3)

Screenshot 3: “Add to Home Screen” option in Sharing menu
Adjust the name of the shortcut if you wish.
Click “Add.” Now the shortcut to the page will appear as an icon along with your apps! You can delete it or move it around like you can with any of your apps. (See Screenshot 4)
Screenshot 4: Your new shortcut to the OpenLab

Creating an OpenLab Mobile Shortcut on Android
1. Navigate in your phone browser to the OpenLab page you want to create the shortcut to. This might be the OpenLab home page, or your own profile, or the profile or site of a particular course.
2. Tap the “menu” button on your phone. (The Square button of the three white shapes pictured in Screenshot 1)
  Screenshot 1: Android navigation buttons
3. Then click “Add to homescreen.”
  Screenshot 2: Menu for webpage with “Add to Home screen” option
4. Change the name of the shortcut if you wish, and then click “Add.”
  
  Screenshot 3: Name change dialog box
  
  5. Now you will see a shortcut to your OpenLab page!

We hope this helps you use the OpenLab even more easily on mobile platforms. Many CUNY students, as well as faculty and staff, use their phones for academic work, and creating a shortcut (or more than one!) to the OpenLab can make that work even more streamlined.

In the Spotlight: Attribution Plugin

An image of a typed creative commons license.

This week, we spotlight a new plugin that allows anyone to add attributions for Creative Commons licensed content they’re using on an OpenLab site. The OpenLab Attributions plugin was built specifically for the OpenLab!

How does it work?

Once you activate the plugin, you can go to your page or post editor and add an attribution to any open licensed material you have on your site. Each attribution will add a superscript number that links to a reference list at the bottom of a page or post (see, for example, how we’ve used the plugin to create an attribution for this post’s image. The attribution appears at the bottom of this post, in a reference list). We recommend using this plugin to attribute any Creative Commons images you’re using on your site and, if you are an instructor, teaching your students to use this plugin to cite open-licensed images and other media content they may be posting on the OpenLab.

In the Spotlight: Inviting Students to your Course!

Happy second week of school to all City Tech faculty, students, and staff! At the start of every semester, faculty ask us how they can get their students set up on the OpenLab for the very first time. The process can feel intimidating! But below, I spotlight three easy ways that you, as an instructor, can invite your students to join your course.

Have your students join your course in class!

If your course and profile are public, then students should be able to search for your course on the OpenLab. Once they’ve found it, they can join simply by clicking “Join Now.”

You can walk your students through these steps in class, using a classroom computer to demonstrate. I recommend having students join on the spot in the classroom from their phones, tablets or laptops. Note that you can have them search for the course from the top toolbar or go into the Courses tab and use the right-hand search function with filters.

It helps here to give your course an intuitive name that includes the course number and semester!

Invite your students to your course via e-mail!

This method, too, works only if you keep your course site and profile public. (Note that you can always change your privacy settings later, if you’d like). An easy way to have students join your course is to e-mail them the URL to your course profile. The link will take them to your profile page where, once again, they can simply click “Join Now.”

Invite your students to your course via the OpenLab!

You can invite your students to your course from your course profile page. Click Membership in the right-hand menu, and then click Invite New Members on the following screen. If your course is on the smaller side, you can search individually for each of your students and invite them to your site in this way. Note that you can search for new members to invite either by typing in their e-mails or Display Names.

Your students will receive an automated confirmation e-mail. Once the e-mail address is confirmed by the user, they will be added to your site.

I hope this helps explain how you can invite students to your course. Please visit our Help documentation on managing users on the OpenLab for a fuller overview.

Welcome Back & Spring 2020 Programming

Welcome back to all City Tech faculty, students, and staff! As you all sink into your semesterly routines, we want to take a moment to highlight the different ways we’re here to support your work on the OpenLab this semester.

Spring 2020 Drop-in Office Hours

Meet with a member of the OpenLab Community Team for face-to- face support. No RSVP necessary.

Tuesdays 12:00-2:00pm: 2/25, 3/17, 4/21, 5/5

Wednesdays 1:15-3:15pm: 2/5, 3/4, 3/25, 4/1

Thursdays 10:00am-12:00pm: 2/20, 3/12, 4/30, 5/14

Office hours are held in the conference room of the Faculty Commons, N227.

Spring 2020 Student Workshops

More information regarding our Spring 2020 programming is now posted on the Open Road- you can learn more about Spring events and view their full schedule on our calendar.

Below is a list of workshops we are offering this spring for students. Note that our first workshop begin this week!

GETTING STARTED ON THE OPENLAB

Thursday January 30, 2020, 1:00pm-2:30pm, L540

STUDENT WORKSHOP

Thursday April 2, 2020, 1:00pm-2:00pm, L540

Spring 2020 Faculty Workshops

Below is a list of faculty workshops we are offering this spring. RSVP for any and all of these workshops here or by clicking the links below!

GETTING STARTED

Thursday January 30, 2020, 1:00pm-2:30pm, L540

ACCESS OPEN HOUR ON THE OPENLAB

Wednesday, 2/19, 1:30-3:30 PM, Room G604

DESIGNING AND ASSESSING STUDENT WORK ON THE OPENLAB

Wednesday, 3/11, 1:30-3:00 PM, Room G604

PLUGINS AND WIDGETS ON THE OPENLAB

Thursday, 4/2, 2:30-4:00 PM, Room G604

OPEN HOUR ON THE OPENLAB

Thursday, 5/5, 2:00-4:00 PM, Room L540

Support Documentation

We have help(ful) documentation on the OpenLab that offers step-by-step guides for everything from getting started, to thinking about specific plugins that build out the functionality of your sites and portfolios.

Email

We are available to support you via email: openlab@citytech.cuny.edu.

Join Our In-House Sites

We encourage you to become members of our in-house sites (you can do so by visiting the profiles of each site). These sites will keep you up-to-date with all things ‘OpenLab’ and offer opportunities for deeper investment with City Tech’s community.

Learn more about the OpenLab, including workshops, events, community, and support opportunities on The Open Road. (Profile)
Share and discuss resources about open digital pedagogy with other City Tech and CUNY-wide staff and faculty on Open Pedagogy on the OpenLab. (Profile)

Spring 2020 Open Pedagogy Events – Faculty and Staff

As in semesters past, we will have two Open Pedagogy events in Spring 2020. The dates are set for Thursday February 27 and Thursday April 23 – from 4:30pm to 6:00pm in the Faculty Commons (N227). Learn more here.

We hope to see you around soon! Wishing you all a happy semester!

OpenLab Statistics: 2019

As of December 31, 2019:

Pageviews:
1,270,695

Average time on page:
1:20

Number of users broken down by students, alumni, faculty, staff:
Students: 29,910
Alumni: 74
Faculty: 1137
Staff: 229

Number of courses, projects, clubs, portfolios:
Courses: 2674
Projects: 2,645
Clubs: 129
Portfolios: 6791

As of September 30, 2019:

Pageviews:
1,060,645

Average time on page:
1:10

Number of users broken down by students, alumni, faculty, staff:
Students: 29,624
Alumni: 75
Faculty: 1117
Staff: 223

Number of courses, projects, clubs, portfolios:
Courses: 2654
Projects: 2596
Clubs: 122
Portfolios: 6614

As of June 30, 2019:

Pageviews:
823,828

Average session duration:
3:30

Number of users broken down by students, alumni, faculty, staff:
Students: 27,360
Alumni: 63
Faculty: 1073
Staff: 216

Number of courses, projects, clubs, portfolios:
Courses: 2436
Projects: 2569
Clubs: 121
Portfolios: 6498

As of March 31, 2019:

Pageviews:
1,136,302

Average session duration:
3:46

Number of users broken down by students, alumni, faculty, staff:
Students: 27, 184
Alumni: 63
Faculty: 1062
Staff: 211

Number of courses, projects, clubs, portfolios:
Courses: 2385
Projects: 2506
Clubs: 120
Portfolios: 6348

This Month on the OpenLab: January 2020 Release

polar bear balancing on a barrel in the snow — “DSC_0489” by Valerie is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

On January 23, we released version 1.7.39 of the OpenLab. It included enhancements to existing functionality and design, a new theme, updates to all themes and plugins, and updates to WordPress and BuddyPress, the software that powers the OpenLab.

New Features and Changes

We made some adjustments to improve and standardize across all themes the grey menu that appears at the very top of group sites.

The new theme added in this release is Twenty Twenty. This “default theme for 2020 is designed to take full advantage of the flexibility of the block editor.”

We also added a new custom template for COMD student ePortfolio sites. These sites now have a theme and navigation menu designed for visual artists to display their work, and a custom site menu geared towards what COMD students will need to include in their portfolios. Students don’t need to do anything different. The template will automatically be used on new portfolio sites created by students who have chosen COMD as their major on their profile.

We also retired a few plugins that are no longer working or maintained by their developer:

WP DPLA
TinyMCE Comment Field

If they are currently activated on a site, they will continue to appear in the list of plugins, unless they are deactivated. They will not be available for activation on new sites.

We wish everyone a smooth beginning to the semester, and as always, please contact us with any questions!

This Month on the OpenLab: December 2019 Release

Snowman on the Brooklyn Bridge — “Brooklyn Bridge Snowman” by Bradley Weber is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

On December 16, we released version 1.7.38 of the OpenLab.

It was a small release, which included a small accessibility fix for the new Lingonberry theme and an improvement to the Creative Commons widget, which was added in the September 2019 release. This improvement adds two new fields to the widget, allowing site admins to specify a site author and author URL for their license.

As always, please contact us with any questions!

In the Spotlight: Winter Greetings from the Openab

Brooklyn Bridge lit up at night. Dark, cloudy winter skies over hed., — Photo Credit: Lerone Pieters

Holiday greetings from the OpenLab and congratulations to all on the closing of another semester!

While our weekly “Spotlight” blog series will go on hiatus for the season, we wanted to remind you of the sites we featured this past semester and encourage you to check them out if you haven’t already done so.

Fall 2019 Spotlight Posts

We also continued a retrospective series, looking back at the OpenLab’s evolution over the past (quasi) decade. This time we focused on the OpenLab’s work to improve accessibility, spotlighting:

The OpenLab at CUNY IT: Access, A Bridge Too Far?

…and improved our practices and incorporated some new functionalities and features:

In addition to reviewing these posts from this past fall, you can find a full curated list of all sites that have been spotlighted in our Spotlight Archive. This archive offers visitors 3 curated lists to help them sort through the posts:

For everyone (By type of site – course, project, club, portfolio)
For faculty/staff
For students

As always, we also encourage you to check out our in-house sites:

The OpenLab Community Team will continue to offer email support over winter break– please contact us with questions or concerns.

We will also soon announce our winter programming. We will be in touch as we get more events and workshops on our calendar!

Wishing you all a very happy holiday season!

The OpenLab Community Team

The Open Road