Or rather let your students talk about your program! Word of mouth is often the best way to spread the news. I have been tasked recently to record student’s reflections. How about including one on your website? Contact OET to find out more.
Coming soon to a classroom near you!
Windows 10 will be installed in classrooms by Fall Semester. It is currently in two classrooms in Allied Health HSB 1340 and HSB 2425. You will not see a big difference in the desktop but a couple of things to note. To log off the computer you will click the Log Off icon as there will not be a Windows Start Button.
Most programs you use will be accessible via the desktop but if you can’t find one just click Find to locate the program.
Want a demo? Contact OET!
Last week was SABA and here are a few more ways to connect Real Time!
Last week’s post was from a colleague about using SABA Webconferencing and a colleague posted a comment about using Webex to meet and work with students. Here are some other resources available at ECU for meeting remotely with students, staff or faculty. They are
Lync – Available to students, faculty and staff, Lync integrates seamlessly with email, calendar and the ECU address book* to allow instant text messages, video conferences, online presentations and even group conferencing. Lync allows true collaborative desktop sharing among attendees for quick project edits and live brainstorming.
One of the most-requested Lync features is the ability to invite non-ECU participants to a meeting or presentation.
WebEx – PLEASE NOTE: WebEx has recently been approved for use with HIPAA information and is in the approval process for use with FERPA.
Collaborate with colleagues anywhere, anytime from the Web through a browser or mobile app. Share files, a presentation or just work through a project from where you are. Sharing your expertise is easy using Cisco WebEx.
To get started using WebEx, open the comprehensive how-to document on this page or access the how-to videos from Cisco
Skype for Business – Available to student through their Office 365 ProPlus account, Skype for Business integrates seamlessly with email, Microsoft Office, calendar and the ECU address book to allow instant text messages, video conferences, online presentations and even group conferencing. Skype for Business allows true collaborative desktop sharing among attendees for quick project edits and live brainstormin
Jabber – Conference from anywhere, at anytime from your own Mac or Windows desktop or laptop using Cisco Jabber. Features include video, desktop sharing and conferencing. Camera, microphone and speakers required. Request a Cisco Jabber account through http://ithelp.ecu.edu. See these Jabber instructions to get started.
Videoconference System is available here in HSB 1355.
SABA Webconferencing – Have you tried it
Instead of my talking about a tool here is a faculty’s thoughts on using SABA Web Conferencing
“As far as Saba it has worked fairly smoothly, and some students use it for office hours, as much as students use it for office hours, but I have used it for study guide sessions and this week I have been using it for group presentations. As long as the student has a good internet connection there isn’t usually a problem. The issues I have run into are the following:
1. Sometimes the links Saba provides for the students to log in doesn’t work correctly or it won’t let the students in and they have to keep trying.
2. Right now it isn’t supported on the most recent Mac platform which is problematic for students with those computers. [it is supported now]
3. It is somewhat cumbersome to set up as an instructor but running the session it has been fairly smooth.
Hope that helps some. Of course I have the occasional student that complains just because they aren’t as good with technology but for online classes this has really helped me give a more connected class and availability, especially with being in a different state.”
Want to give it a try? Contact OET!
Have you read?
Today is Reading Day and have you been reading this blog? Well if you haven’t take a few minutes and glance at the various topics, perhaps there is something that catches your eye? Spring semester is just about over, hopefully it was a successful one! For some of you summer semester is right around the corner.
Take some time to reflect on what went well these past semesters and if not perhaps it is time to try something new. Contact OET for help in developing, learning, creating something different. There is a whole world of technology out there!
The OET calendar is wide open with the end of the semester and no more classes being recorded. Consultations, course development, training, pick your flavor and pick your time! Just send out a request! Maybe you want to try desktop recording?
I am stealing from Rutgers Office of Instructional & Research Technology
But it says it all! From https://oirt.rutgers.edu/end-of-semester-tips-for-instructors-using-lmss-learning-management-systems/
There is a lot for instructors to keep track of at the end of the semester. Here are some tips on how to avoid some of the common problems we see instructors run into at the end of the semester:
- Get your Gradebook in order.
If you have any questions about setting up your gradebook, setting up extra credit, or excluding some items for specific students, it is much easier to get help now than it will be during the rush period at the end of the semester. - Make sure your Final Exams are setup with the settings that are the least likely to cause issues.
The Internet is a wonderful thing that still fails on a regular basis. With the right settings, you can make sure that a small connection issue doesn’t cause you or your students major headaches. - Make sure all assignments are setup correctly and clearly so students can submit their work.
Which tool(s) are you using for assignments? Did you want to have SafeAssign review the paper? Make sure you have the settings correct! - Are you planning on allowing some or all students to make up missed work?
Many tools can all be set up to allow a student to take them after the due date, or even retake them in some cases, but each tool requires specific settings to allow this to happen. - Preparing for a summer course? Want to reuse some of the material from your spring or earlier course?
There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel every semester. Reuse your best material by duplicating an existing site.
Something a bit different
Here’s an easy way to turn a single image into an interactive image. This tip comes in handy if you use collage images for interactive stories or have a great illustration but no way to break it into separate pieces.
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Reply to this email to start a conversation.
So since systems were down, what do you do?
I had another post for this week’s blog but since WordPress was one of the system unavailable yesterday it gave me time to think about what to do when you can’t get your “stuff’!
The usual advice is to save everything to your PirateDrive for easy access but that may not have helped yesterday as neither Blackboard nor PirateDrives were available. It is always good practice to have your course content files in two locations. Printed content could be used with the Document Camera in the classroom.
One system that was working was Mediasite! You may say but students could not access the recordings because Blackboard was down but you can send presentation links by accessing your recording via My Mediasite. Alternatively if you were recording every semester you may have been able to rerelease content from a previous semester.
Want to explore other alternatives? Contact OET.
So why Tweet?
Or why not? I will admit I have not embraced this technology but I am exploring it’s use in higher ed and have found some articles which tempt me to continue in this endeavor. If you use “tweets” as part of your class or were thinking of incorporating them into class let me know and we can explore together.
Some articles which may help you get started:
10 Twitter Tips for Higher Education | University Business Magazine
Inviting a Guest to Speak
I often get the request to assist with enabling a guest speaker to present to a class from outside the college. We do have SABA web conferencing software which easily allows guests to share content but often the technology gets a bit frustrating for some guests. Did you know that in recent versions of Skype a guest can present their desktop i.e. PowerPoint, word files etc. Easy to use, and easy to test. Questions? Contact OET.