Instructional Technology http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/ en Copyright 2008 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:14:24 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Moodle Users Present Best Practices NEW MOODLE Activities will be showcased during the Reading Period. A general review of the application's core features will also be presented. Join a group of Moodle Users investigating new and effective ways of employing the LMS software. Two highlighted features will be the: 1. FEEDBACK activity - A NEW anonymous survey tool that can used to conveniently collect student input. Judith Humphries, visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, will be previewing a recent example of the new FEEDBACK activity. 2. GRADEBOOK function - MOODLE can be of great value organizing and calculating grades AND automatically allowing students up-to-date feedback. Adam Clausen, visiting Assistant Professor in Physics, will be sharing his experience using the Gradebook function during the 2008 winter term. Thursday, May 8, 10:00 AM, Main Hall, 108 If you are interested in attending this Moodle workshop, please contact Arno Damerow (damerowa@lawrence.edu). The computer lab will be remain open following the discussion for personal Moodle course development. ]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2008/04/moodle_users_present_best_prac_1.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2008/04/moodle_users_present_best_prac_1.html Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:14:24 -0600 "Smart Classroom" projects for 2008-09

The results of the Technology Advisory Committee January classroom survey are in. TAC asked the faculty to help prioritize a short list of five classrooms to be considered for video projection equipment this summer. 47 faculty members responded to the survey. A response of "very important" for a classroom received a weight of 5, and a response of "not important" received a weight of 1. A significant portion of respondents answered "don't know" which, of course, do not figure into the final results. The results of the survey are:

RoomScore
Main Hall 01290
Harper Hall88
Main Hall 00888
Buchanan Kiewit seminar room74
Briggs 42353

ITS has been encouraged to put together an estimate for the top 3 classrooms on the list. If the budget works out as expected, the top 3 rooms on the list will be scheduled to be upgraded this summer.

If you have any questions or comments, please let David Berk know.



]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2008/02/smart_classroom_projects_for_2_1.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2008/02/smart_classroom_projects_for_2_1.html Classrooms Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:24:59 -0600 Conservatory classroom enhancements - part 2 Music Drama 146, 254, 259, Shattuck 04 and 156 all have the new document camera switching functions reported on Nov. 26, 2007. Click here to read the earlier post containing the details.

]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/12/conservatory_classroom_enhance.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/12/conservatory_classroom_enhance.html Classrooms Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:34:58 -0600 Conservatory classroom enhancements This past summer, five of the Conservatory classrooms were outfitted with new wall-mounted button panels to operate the installed audio and video equipment. This made the equipment easier to use, but we lost some ability to independently switch audio and video sources. This was most problematic when using the document camera since instructors were unable to play an audio CD while displaying the document camera's video.

This problem has been solved in Shattuck 04 and Music Drama 254! The remaining rooms (Music Drama 146 & 259, and Shattuck 156) will receive the same functionality over winter break. Dec. 12, 2007 update -- all five rooms now have these features!

You will now find a column of buttons on the panels (see image below) that allow "smart" audio and video switching. The following document camera configurations are now possible:

  1. video from document camera / audio from attached cable (for laptops or iPods)
  2. video from document camera / audio from desktop computer
  3. video from document camera / audio from audio CD player
  4. video from document camera / audio from cassette player

Document camera buttons

As always, if you have questions or problems when using classroom equipment, give the Helpdesk a call at 6570, or in the event of an emergency (during class), call the Classroom Hotline at 7020.

]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/11/conservatory_classroom_enhance_1.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/11/conservatory_classroom_enhance_1.html Classrooms Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:46:07 -0600 MyElectionDecision

MyElectionDecision.org continues to draw a lot of interest from around the country. I encourage everyone to take it for a spin and let us know what you think by sending an email to feedback@myelectiondecision.org.

The project was created within Moodle with additional (and amazing!) PHP code contributed by Greg Blike, a computer science student at Lawrence. Greg built the entire module that displays the survey results indicating which candidate you most agree with (which is by far the coolest part of the site!).

The next phase of the project will give registered users a chance to engage in small group discussion with other MyElectionDecision users. Stay tuned for more details.



]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/10/myelectiondecision.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/10/myelectiondecision.html Web Project Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:17:34 -0600 Classroom Technology Training Sessions

Next Monday and Tuesday, ITS and Media Services staff will offer four group training sessions on operating classroom audio/video projection technology. If you are teaching in a classroom that is new to you this fall, we highly encourage you to attend one or more of these sessions!

Meet at the designated spot at a time listed below and your "guide" will take you to different classrooms in that building. If you teach in a building not listed below or you are unable to attend these sessions, please contact the Helpdesk at 6570 to make an appointment for an individual orientation session.

 
Briggs
Music-Drama / Shattuck
Main Hall
Youngchild and Science
Mon, Sept. 24 at 1:30pm
meet on 4th floor by elevator
meet in Music-Drama 146
meet on 1st floor by elevator
meet in the atrium
Mon, Sept. 24 at 2:15pm
meet on 4th floor by elevator
meet in Music-Drama 146
meet on 1st floor by elevator
meet in the atrium
Tue, Sept. 25 at 1:30pm
meet on 4th floor by elevator
meet in Music-Drama 146
meet on 1st floor by elevator
meet in the atrium
Tue, Sept. 25 at 2:15pm
meet on 4th floor by elevator
meet in Music-Drama 146
meet on 1st floor by elevator
meet in the atrium

Also, don't forget that ITS has a new classroom emergency hotline that you should call if you have problems using technology during a class. The extension is 7020 or (920) 832-7020 from a cell phone (this information is posted in each technology-equipped classroom). Classroom emergencies are treated with the highest priority and ITS will do its best to have someone standing next to you addressing the issue ASAP!



]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/09/classroom_technology_training.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/09/classroom_technology_training.html Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:40:34 -0600 NITLE Workshops Bryan Alexander, Director of Research at NITLE, offered two outstanding workshops for faculty, librarians, and IT staff at Lawrence. Materials from the workshop are available online at:



]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/09/nitle_workshops_1.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/09/nitle_workshops_1.html NITLE Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:39:40 -0600 Moodle and Clickers workshops Please see the announcements below regarding "Moodle" and "Clickers" workshops scheduled over the next couple of weeks.

MOODLE is a learning management system that makes it very easy for courses to have a presence on the web. If you are interested in getting started with Moodle or want to learn more about its interactive features, consider attending one of these workshops. The introductory workshops will focus on fundamentals and will work towards building a dynamic syllabus in Moodle. The advanced workshop will focus on ways to engage your students in collaborative work in Moodle.

If you are interested in attending a Moodle workshop, please contact Arno Damerow (damerowa@lawrence.edu).

Introduction to Moodle (workshops held in Main Hall 108)

  • Thursday, September 6, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
  • Friday, September 7, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Thursday, September 13, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Tuesday, September 18, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Advanced Moodle (workshop held in Main Hall 108)

  • Thursday, September 20, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM


CLICKERS are a new classroom technology that the Committee on Academic Technology evaluated last academic year. Clickers are small keypad devices that allow a student to answer a multiple choice question and have their response sent to a receiver attached to a computer. The computer automatically tallies the responses and displays a summary graph for both instructor and students to see. On Wednesday, September 19, a representative from the Turning Point software company will be on campus demonstrating how a simple Powerpoint presentation can be used to collect and display live classroom surveys.

If you are interested in attending a Clicker workshop, please contact David Berk (berkd@lawrence.edu).

Introduction to Clickers (workshops held in Library 214)

  • Wednesday, September 19, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Wednesday, September 19, 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM

If you have any questions about these or other instructional technologies on the Lawrence campus, don't hesitate to contact David Berk (x6756) for more information.

]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/08/moodle_and_clickers_workshops.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/08/moodle_and_clickers_workshops.html Clickers Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:44:43 -0600 NITLE Workshops at Lawrence NITLE staff will be on the Lawrence University campus to offer workshops to faculty, librarians, and instructional technologists on topics such as blogs, wikis, and wireless & mobile technologies. Details are available on the NITLE web site: If you are interested in attending either of these workshop, please let David Berk know as soon as possible. ]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/nitle_workshops_at_lawrence.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/nitle_workshops_at_lawrence.html NITLE Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:28:00 -0600 Teaching and Learning Web Technologies this PDF for an overview and let David Berk know if you have any questions or ideas. ]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/teaching_and_learning_web_tech.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/teaching_and_learning_web_tech.html Podcasting Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:22:39 -0600 New Web Tools presentation
  • Podcasting (iTunes U)
  • Blogs
  • Wikis
  • Digital image collections
    • We will provide a quick overview of each tool and show examples of how you might wish to use it. I highly encourage everyone to attend this event! Please RSVP to Cassie Cob (x7029 or cassie.cobb@lawrence.edu) if you plan to attend. Hope to see you there. Additional information: Podcasting: http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI7003 Blogs: http://educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI7006 Wikis: http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI7004 Digital images: http://www.lawrence.edu/library/images/index.shtml ]]>     http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/new_web_tools_presentation_1.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/new_web_tools_presentation_1.html Podcasting Mon, 02 Apr 2007 15:01:55 -0600     Copyright issues related to podcasting http://www.lawrence.edu/library/copyright/podcast.shtml If you have questions related to digital copyright, ask a librarian for assistance! ]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/copyright_issues_related_to_po.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/04/copyright_issues_related_to_po.html Podcasting Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:57:25 -0600 Podcasting with iTunes U iTunes U since fall of 2006. Starting this spring term, we are extending the trial to include additional faculty. Watch a brief video explaining how to access iTunes U. The video also includes interviews with three Lawrence faculty that have been using iTunes U to podcast course materials. iTunes U makes it easy to distribute these types of materials to your students:
    • Audio recordings of lectures
    • Narrated PowerPoint presentations
    • Videos of computer screen activity (useful for teaching students how to use a software application)
    The Office of Instructional Technology has new hardware and software available to help produce these types of audio and video files. If you're interested in learning more about producing media suitable for podcasting with iTunes U, contact david.berk@lawrence.edu. Presentations about iTunes U will be scheduled throughout spring term, so stay tuned for additional announcements. Material uploaded to iTunes U must comply with digital copyright guidelines.

    Useful links:

    ]]>     http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/03/podcasting_with_itunes_u_1.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/03/podcasting_with_itunes_u_1.html Podcasting Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:26:56 -0600     Clickers for spring term clickers trial during spring term. If you would like to use clickers in a spring-term course, send an email indicating your interest to cat@lawrence.edu. If you would like more information about clickers, contact one of the members of the committee. CAT is also finalizing a list of classrooms that it will recommend be outfitted with dedicated clickers this summer. Currently the list includes: Briggs 420, Main 201, Science 102, Science 202, and Youngchild 121. We also expect to have a portable bag that can be checked out and used in any computer-equippped classroom. Clicker resources: * 7 Things You Should Know About Clickers (pdf) ]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/02/clickers_for_spring_term.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/02/clickers_for_spring_term.html Clickers Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:51:59 -0600 NITLE Workshops: Summer 2007 David Berk know as soon as possible. As a reminder, there are no registration fees to attend these events and NITLE also pays for travel and lodging. Spatial Statistics, June 4 - 8, Wheaton College (MA). Social and natural sciences; other disciplines also welcome. (Participants must meet established prerequisites.) Additional info Sunoikisis Summer Seminar, June 9 - 16, Bowdoin College. Classical Studies; inter-campus team teaching. Additional info Al-Musharaka Summer Seminar, June 14 - 20, Pomona College. Middle Eastern Studies; collaborative resource development around the theme of Islam. Additional info Introduction to Parallel and Cluster Computing, June 19 - 22, Lafayette College. Parallel programming models and high-performance computing resources for classroom use. Additional info Technology and the Language House Curriculum, June 21 - 24, Austin College. The role of technology in the language house curriculum. Additional info Web Mapping: Focus on Project Development, July 23 - 27, Macalester College. Project development with web-mapping and virtual globe applications. (Faculty or faculty/staff teams.) Additional info ]]> http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/01/nitle_workshops_summer_2007.html http://thor.lawrence.edu/blogs/it/2007/01/nitle_workshops_summer_2007.html NITLE Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:57:22 -0600