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.

Welcome to the last issue of Instructional Technology @ PhilaU for the Fall Semester. As the semester and the calendar year winds down, it is a common practice to look back on what has past. The first three issues of this publication have covered topics ranging from NASA, Handheld Computers, Blackboard and kept you abreast of upcoming workshops and other events. I have a lot of great ideas cooking for next semester, but as always, if there is a topic you’d like to see reported on, please let me know.

This issue includes a recap of the TLTR Best Practices workshop that was offered in November as well as information on the week-long TLTR Technology Workshop series coming in January. There is also some important Blackboard news.

I hope you have found this publication useful and I look forward to sharing new thoughts and ideas with you next semester. Have a Happy Holidays!

                                                                                                           Kristopher Wiemer
                                                                                                            Instructional Technology Specialist

Table of Contents

• Blackboard Update
  • Spring 2004 Course Availability
  • Spring 2004 Course Transition
  • By the Numbers
• TLTR Workshops
• Best Practices in Teaching with Technology Review
  • Technology and the Seven Principles in Good Undergraduate Education
  • Increased Active Learning Through Online Case Studies and Labs
  • Using RoboDemo
  • Blogs and RSS for Educators
• PowerPoint Tip
• Requests for Information
• Coming Next Semester
• Contact Information

Blackboard Update

1. If the course existed prior to Fall 2003, include in your e-mail the Course Name and Course ID Number of the original course.
2. If the course existed for Fall 2003, archive the Fall course and indicate in your e-mail that you have archive that you would like to have imported for the Spring Semester. Information on where to send the archive will be sent to you at that time.

Once your course has been imported (by either of the two methods), you can use the Course Recycler to clear old material and prepare your Course Site for the Spring Semester.

Step-by-Step directions and Flash Movie Demonstrations for archiving a course and using the Course Recycler can be found on the Tutorials page of the ITS Web Site (http://www.philau.edu/ITS click on Tutorials and then either End of Semester Maintenance or Course Recycler).

Beginning January 6, we will begin taking requests to move courses from the Blackboard Development Server to the Production Server. At that time, you should send an e-mail to the OIT Help Desk (helpdesk@philau.edu or x4648) indicating the Course Name and ID that you would like transferred over to the Production Server (i.e., made live).

Starting on January 9, OIT will begin populating the courses on the Production Server with students who are enrolled in that course. This process will be repeated daily through January 16 and then two to three times weekly until the end of the January. As in this past Fall Semester, if you are using one (1) Blackboard Course Site for more than one (1) section of your course, you will need to populate the course yourself. Similarly, if a student drops your course, you will have to remove them from the course yourself.

Step-by-step directions for enrolling and removing students can be found on the Tutorials page of the ITS Web Site (http://www.philau.edu/ITS click on Tutorials and then Manually Enrolling/Unenrolling Students.

By the Numbers
Here are the final numbers for the Fall 2003 Semester:

158 course sections serving 1799 students and 90 instructors.

TLTR Intersession Technology Workshops

As in years past, the TLTR will be offering a series of technology workshops during Intersession. Following is a list of workshops and times. For further information and registration information go to:
http://www.philau.edu/ITS/tltrjan.htm

Best Practices in Teaching with Technology Review

On November 20, 2003, a group of faculty joined to hear how some of their colleagues were using technology to enhance teaching and student learning. The event was sponsored by the Teaching, Learning and Technology Roundtable. The event, which last just under two hours, including presentations by three faculty and myself. Following is a brief summary of the four presentations and some links for further information. If you have further questions on any of these topics, please contact the presenter or myself.

Technology and the Seven Principles in Good Undergraduate Education
Presenter: Tom Schrand
Tom shared with the group the Seven Principles in Good Undergraduate Education and how technology can help support them. The Seven Principles represent a summary of the types of educational activities that will result in improved learning outcomes. Following is a list of the Seven Principles and a few of the technology suggestions that Tom presented.

1. Encourages Contact Between Faculty and Students
   • e-mail, Blackboard discussion boards, Blackboard surveys
2. Encourages Contact Among Students
• e-mail, Blackboard discussion boards
3. Encourages Active Learning
• online practice quizzes, simulations, share work with projector
4. Gives Prompt Feedback
   • interactive quizzes, file exchange, electronic gradebooks
5. Emphasizes Time on Task
   • increased efficiency, time can be shifted into or out of class
6. Communicates High Expectations
   • post model assignments, post rubrics
7. Respects Diverse Talents and Learning Styles
   • use different media to teach, student have more choice over pace

For more information on the Seven Principles and Technology, go to http://www.tltgroup.org/Seven/Home.htm

Increased Active Learning Through Online Case Studies and Labs
Presenter: Diane Cundell
Diane shared with us three different projects that she has been working on to increase active student learning in her immunology and microbiology classes.

The first was a series of case history studies that she created, and are currently hosted by the American Society of Microbiology’s website. These case history studies include a Teacher’s Guide and answer key. The students gain higher analytical reasoning skills and a better understanding of the material through textual and graphical interfaces. Although the creation process was very time consuming, the results have been excellent and the students rave about the assignment as one of their favorites.

Her second project involved working with the ID&T Program to create a pair of virtual labs for her immunology classes. The virtual lab includes audio, video and textual content presentation as well as interactive learning opportunities. The students are assessed at various points throughout the lab, including a final write-up, and are given explanations for incorrect answers. The students have enjoyed the interactive learning opportunity that can be done in a lab environment or individual on their own time. If you’d like to see these virtual labs, go to http://faculty.philau.edu/CundellD/immunology/immunology.htm.

If you ‘d like to see other examples of virtual labs and other online multimedia lessons, go to Merlot, an online archive of multimedia lessons geared to secondary and post-secondary education. (http://www.merlot.org)

Her last project involved the ReadyGo software package. ReadyGo is used to create online tutorials with set objectives and guiding questions. It includes an online assessment piece similar to that which she created in her virtual labs. For more information on ReadyGo, go to http://www.readygo.com.

Using RoboDemo
Presenter: Russ Pritchard
Russ shared with us his concern for having to teach basic software skills in more advanced courses. He explained that in a basic computing course, going through step-by-step instructions for using software was a constructive use of class time. However, as a student progresses to more advanced courses, time needs to be spent on other things. So the question, how best to server our students in advanced courses who need to learn basic skills? His suggestion: RoboDemo. RoboDemo is a screen capture software that allows you to create video demonstrations using Macromedia Flash. Russ showed us how to create demonstration using RoboDemo and then demonstrated a completed demo on how to login to Blackboard that he created for a course he will be teaching in the Spring. He concluded by discussing the advantages to just in time learning and how RoboDemo can help reach those goals.

For more information on RoboDemo, go to http://www.ehelp.com/products/robodemo. If you’d like to see some examples, go to http://www.philau.edu/ITS, click on Tutorials.

Blogs and RSS for Educators
Presenter: Kristopher Wiemer
Kris shared how Blogs and RSS can be used by educators to enhance their teaching, student learning and educators’ professional development. Blogs, short for web logs, are a form of online journaling that has become very popular with our students. Faculty in many schools have begun using blogs as part of writing courses, journals for student teaching, and in some cases, as course management solutions. RSS, Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication, allows bloggers (users of blogs) to share their blogs with large numbers of people through program called aggregators. Aggregators are programs that collect blog and website feeds into one easy to access and read location – much like creating your own newspaper. Many faculty, including myself, use this to keep up on the latest news in their field and for faculty who are using blogs with their students, as a place to check student work in one place/site.

For more information on Blogs, RSS and how it’s being used in education, go to http://www.philau.edu/ITS, click on Resources, then Online. Select Blogs & RSS.

Many THANKS to all our presenters!!

PowerPoint Tip

This PowerPoint Tip was shared by Tom Schrand at the Best Practices Workshop. If you are using PowerPoint and would like to blank out the screen, either while preparing your presentation, to stop in the middle for a discussion, for dramatic effect, click on the letter ‘W’ or ‘B’ while the presentation is running. Pressing ‘W’ will white out the screen; ‘B’ will black out the screen. Click the same letter to restore your screen and continue with your presentation.

THANKS for the tip Tom!!!!!

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 wiemerk@philau.edu.

Coming Next Semester

Look for a new format and interesting selections about using Blogs, Blackboard, and more.

Contact Information

Kristopher Wiemer, Instructional Technology Specialist
Paul J. Gutman Library, Room 111
(215)951-6332
wiemerk@philau.edu
http://www.philau.edu/ITS (click on IT@PhilaU for archives)
http://staff.philau.edu/wiemerk