Instructional Technology @ PhilaU provides faculty with news, information,
resources,
and tips for using technology and integrating it into their curricula.
Instructional Technology @ PhilaU is published monthly by the Paul J.
Gutman Library.
Greetings!
Spring is upon us and the weather on the Philadelphia University campus is wonderful. This is my first newsletter as the new Instructional Technology Specialist for Philadelphia University. I have enjoyed my first two weeks on campus and look forward to working with all of you on utilizing technology in your courses.
In this brief first newsletter, I will present an update on Blackboard which includes assistance for the recent updates to Internet Explorer, an update to "By the Numbers", reminder to apply for Summer, 2006 courses and a call for Fall, 2006 courses. Also, in this issue you will find information regarding faculty development workshops in May and resources for your teaching.
In May's Guide, look for more information regarding the faculty development workshops and thoughts for the summer.
Please feel free to contact me at anytime with regards to Blackboard and any other instructional technology needs at:
Paul J. Gutman Library, Room 111
(215)951-6332
gallb@philau.edu
Table of Contents
Blackboard News
Blackboard By the Numbers
Since our last issue in April, 2005 there has been a nice increase in the use of Blackboard at Philadelphia University. The final days of the semester are now upon us and you can see the final breakdown of Blackboard use by schools below. This semester there were 250 course sites covering 304 course sections (32.07% of all offered sections), offered by over 165 faculty. If you are not currently using Blackboard and would like to incorporate it into your course(s) for future semesters, please contact me to set up an orientation session or sign up for a workshop.
School or Program |
Number of Course Sections |
Number of Faculty Using Bb |
School of Architecture |
28 |
23 |
| School of Business Administration | 66 |
29 |
| School of Design & Media | 14 |
10 |
| School of Engineering & Textiles | 39 |
22 |
| School of Liberal Arts | 88 |
43 |
| School of Science & Health | 62 |
30 |
| Continuing & Professional Studies | 8 |
7 |
| Other (Non-Credit Co-op, Co-op 2) |
0 |
3 |
Internet Explorer Updates
On April 11, Microsoft released a critical update in response to patent litigation between Microsoft and Eolas (http://msdn.microsoft.com/ieupdate). The update also includes critical security fixes for Internet Explorer. Most users will receive this update automatically via Windows Update. After the update, users will be required to activate applets, ActiveX controls and other embedded objects and plug-ins before they can interact with them. Activation requires hitting the space bar, pressing the enter key, or using the mouse to click on the item. Users running the Firefox or Safari web browsers will not be affected by this update.
We have reviewed the Blackboard applications in anticipation of this update, and have learned the following:
- General issues affecting all products Embedded content (including video, audio, Flash) cannot be controlled until activated. Each item is framed with a window that prompts the user to "Press SPACEBAR or ENTER to activate and use this control." After users follow the instructions or click using their mouse; users can use the controls to start, stop or replay embedded content.
- In general, testing has uncovered increased instability with the IE browser after this update has been applied. Blackboard is escalating this issue with Microsoft. Each Visual Text Box Editor (commonly known as "WYSIWIG editor") will require activation prior to entering text.
- The Virtual Classroom and Lightweight Chat applets will require activation after a student or instructor joins a chat.
If you have any questions or need further clarification for you and your students contact me at anytime.
Blackboard Courses for Summer and Fall, 2006
We are now accepting requests for Summer and Fall, 2006 Blackboard Course Sites. If you plan to use Blackboard during the Summer or Fall semester, please complete the Blackboard Course Request Form located at http://www.philau.edu/ITS/bbreq.htm. Please note when entering the Course Section Number, please also include the extension:
- 06SM - Summer Long, 06SM1- Summer Session 1, 06SM2 - Summer Session 2, 06SMA - Summer Session Accelerated
- 06FL - Fall Long, 06 FLA - Fall Acclerated Session 1, 06 Fall Accelerated Session 2
Please note these special instructions for those who would like to re-use previous material or create one Blackboard site for multiple sections.
- Reusing Material from a Previous Semester
Faculty who wish to reuse material from a previous semester are asked to indicate the Course Name, Semester, and, if known, the Course ID in the Course Import section. Course material that is more than 1 year old is not stored on the Blackboard server and therefore, the faculty member will be asked to submit an archived copy of their course prior to course creation. - Using One Blackboard Course Page for Multiple Sections
If you are teaching more than one section of a course, but would only like one Blackboard site, please indicate this in the Special Instructions/Requests section.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please review the Blackboard Policies and Procedures (http://www.philau.edu/ITS/bb/bbpolicy.htm) or contact me via phone (215-951-6332), e-mail (gallb@philau.edu) or stop by my office in the Gutman Library (Room 111).
May Workshops
The TLTR will once again be presenting a series of workshops during the week of May 15 (the week between Final Exams and Graduation). Topics for this week include Blackboard, Podcasting, Social Collaboration, and more. Look for more information including registration information very soon.
Web Sites of Interest
FURL - (http://www.furl.net)
FURL is a free service that saves the important items you find on the Web and enables you to quickly find them again. Furl archives a personal copy of every page you save. When you want to recall it, you can find it instantly by searching the full text your archived items. Each member has a personal archive of 5 gigabytes (GB), large enough to store tens of thousands of searchable items. Furl recommends new Web pages that may interest you, guided by the sites you've already "Furled," or saved. Furl also offers the best ways to share the content you find on the Web. Send a daily email newsletter of links to friends and colleagues, use Furl to generate RSS feeds for your links, or integrate them quickly and easily into an existing Web site.
The Cultures and History of the Americas - The Jay Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/kislak/)
To celebrate the donation of the Jay I. Kislak Collection, the Library of Congress presents an exhibition featuring fifty highlights from the more than 4,000 rare books, maps, documents, paintings, prints, and artifacts.
Request for Information
What are you doing in your classes? Do you have a technology strategy/tool that has worked well for you and your students? Are you doing something innovative with Blackboard? Do you have a tip or trick for making Blackboard easier to use? Is there a topic you’d like to see investigated in this newsletter?
Send your ideas, questions, comments, concerns, best practices, etc.
to gallb@philau.edu.