IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: June 03 2005

The formal deadline for Fall is two weeks before the end of Summer term. But we can serve you best if we have more notice, especially if we need to plan for any special software for your classes. First come, first served!

As soon as you have your schedule, please go and fill out the form at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/facilities/korman/classrooms.

Please check to make sure the software you need is available in the room you are reserving. If you request additional tools or applications, please come in and "test drive" your room before your first class.

If you have questions, you may contact Connie Williams, our classroom reservations coordinator, at 215-895-2635.

2. What Happens to My Account When I Graduate?

This month a new crop of Drexel students will graduate and turn into alumni. Some of them will be continuing at Drexel, either as graduate students or as employees. Many others will be seeking new horizons. This is a major transition.

What happens to their Drexel computer accounts? Drexel's structure of continuing computing services is spelled out at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/policies/email.html#continue.

This reflects the needs of graduates for continuing services, needs which are expected to diminish as the connection to the university becomes more remote.

Meanwhile, congratulations grads. It's been good to have you here. We wish you all the best for a good and useful life.

3. Video Conferencing Capabilities Expand

IRT continues to expand and enhance video conferencing capabilities.

There is currently a dedicated classroom in the Korman Center with built-in cameras, microphones, and speakers, and a Polycom VS4000 video conferencing appliance (the hardware that enables the sending and receiving of video, audio and data). This room is set up in "turn key" fashion, making it easy for faculty to take advantage of its capabilities.

A second Polycom VS4000 video conferencing appliance is available on a self-contained roll-about cart for use in other Korman classrooms and conference rooms.

The technology supporting Korman's video conferencing (there are other options in other on-campus locations) is a Radvision ViaIP MCU (multipoint control unit), with Gateway and Gatekeeper to manage and control video conferences and end-points. These units support both IP (network) and ISDN (telephone) end-points, and enable multipoint capabilities (one conference encompassing multiple locations).

How would you use video conferencing? There are many possibilities, so think creatively about classes and professional activities. Are you chairing a program committee for an academic conference? A video conference might be the answer. Contact the Faculty Development Center (215-895-1224) or stop by room 109 in the Korman Center to discuss your ideas.

IRT staff currently capture 30-40 hours of lectures and teaching for web-based courses. Students like it because they can listen to a lecture as often as they wish; faculty value the opportunity for review and critique to improve their teaching. Some classes are taught synchronously at Drexel and other universities.

4. Faculty Showcase

Please join IRT for another faculty showcase on Wednesday July 13, 2005 from 11-2. This will be an opportunity to meet your colleagues for an informal exchange, a light lunch and a sampling of the unique applications of technology and online learning being done here at Drexel.

Faculty will demonstrate unique uses of and approaches to online learning and will feature tools in WebCT, video conferencing, pod-casting and electronic portfolio development. Faculty interested in presenting or attending should send an email to webct@drexel.edu to reserve a spot either on the program or in the audience.

IRT continues to enhance the suite of technology tools available for faculty and this is a great way to keep informed about what is available and how others are using it. Come and share ideas and experiences to enrich the teaching and learning process for you and your students.

5. Banner Term-Break Upgrade

Beginning Friday, June 17, 2005 at 5 p.m., Drexel will upgrade the Banner System software and migrate to new, faster servers. This upgrade is expected to be completed no later than 6 a.m. Monday, June 20.

All Banner-related services, including Bannerweb, Internet Native Banner, Brio, and web*financials will be unavailable over that weekend. Notifications already have been posted as advance announcements on the login pages to these services. Other systems, including DrexelOne, email and Exchange, and WebCT will not be affected.

Questions regarding the Banner 7 upgrade, Brio reports, Banner forms access and the like should be directed to your System Administrator (http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/SysAdmins.html).

6. Improving Security with Encrypted Passwords

As part of a continuing program to improve information security and safeguard against piracy, Drexel will be updating its central systems to accept only encrypted passwords. This change will help ensure that personal and institutional data remains private and secure; it was prompted in part by faculty suggestions and was recommended at the May meeting of the Computer Advisory Committee.

Older software, designed in the days when the need for network security was less well recognized, may transmit your user-id and passwords over the network unencrypted. Although not common, someone eavesdropping on wired or wireless networks could "overhear" your user-id and password. To prevent such compromises, later in 2005 IRT will turn off compatibility for non-encrypted passwords.

Throughout the summer IRT will send additional information about how this improvement may affect you (i.e., requiring you to switch from regular ftp to secure ftp for file transfers) and what you can do now to improve security and prepare for the coming change (i.e., switch sooner rather than later). IRT will also recommend that college and department server administrators take the same steps to ensure that their passwords are not compromised.

7. Battery Recall for Apple's iBook

Apple has issued a recall on batteries used in computers sold between October 2004 and May 2005. Anyone who purchased or received an Apple iBook or PowerBook during that time (including those distributed through Drexel's Faculty Upgrade Program) should check their battery. A short in the original battery may pose a fire hazard.

To check your battery:

1. Shut down the computer.
2. If it's open, close it and turn it over (so the Apple logo is facing down).
3. Locate the battery lock (a small, round metal disk with a slot across it).
4. Using a coin (quarters work well) turn it to the "unlocked" position and the battery should pop right out.
5. Look on the back side of the battery and locate the "Model No:" and serial number (under the long bar code - you just need the first 5 characters).
6. If your battery's model number and serial number match those shown below, please contact Apple at 1-800-275-2273 to obtain a replacement battery.

The computer models, battery models, and serial numbers in question are as follows:

12-inch iBook G4, battery A1061, battery serial number range HQ441-HQ507.
12-inch PowerBook G4, battery A1079, battery serial number range 3X446-3X510.
15-inch PowerBook G4, battery A1078, battery serial number range 3X446-3X509.

For more information, visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's website at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml05/05179.html.

WebCT News

8. Brown Bag Lunch Sessions: Join Us

Brown Bag Lunches are scheduled for noon-1 p.m. in Korman room 116 as follows:

Tuesday, June 28 - WebCT Vista: More Features Faculty Asked For!
Wednesday, July 27 - WebCT Vista: Getting Ready for Fall Term

To reserve a spot, complete with a soda and a dessert, send email to webct@drexel.edu.

9. WebCT Vista - Fall Arrival

We plan to upgrade to WebCT Vista effective Fall 2005, and will have this version available for faculty development during Summer term.

The WebCT group can help you migrate the best version of each of your courses to Vista. We need the CRN and term of any term-based course, or the name of a parent course. Note: This is for delivery of future courses in Vista, not for archiving of past courses.

Email webct@drexel.edu for details.

10. Cross-Listing Sections in WebCT

Are you teaching multiple sections of a course during summer quarter and want all of your students together in one WebCT course? We can do that for you.

Before the term starts (that is, before June 14, 2005) send us the CRNs of your courses and your Drexel domain ID. Example of what we need: "Domain ID: abc123, CRNs: 45678 and 45679. Please cross-list these two courses in WebCT." Send the request to webct@drexel.edu.

11. Training for WebCT

IRT offers two kinds of training - Boot Camps for new users and Workshops for current users.

* For New Users: WebCT Vista Boot Camps
WebCT Vista Boot Camps, held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in room 116 of the Korman Computing Center, provide an introduction to the most essential WebCT tools. Boot Camps have been scheduled for the following dates:

Friday, June 17
Friday, July 29
Friday, August 26
Friday, September 23

Laptops are provided as well as lunch. Reserve your slot at webct@drexel.edu.

* For Current Users: WebCT Vista Workshops
These are four-hour workshops to enhance your knowledge in selected areas, and especially get ready to convert your courses from WebCT Campus Edition to WebCT Vista. These workshops will be held in Room 116 Korman Center on the following dates and times:

Friday, June 10, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, July 15, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, August 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, September 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

To sign up, email webct@drexel.edu.

* Departmental Training
If you would prefer to have a WebCT workshop or boot camp just for your department, let us know. We'll provide the same information at a time convenient for your group. We can, if you wish, break it into shorter segments spread over several days. We can do it in Korman or in your own lab. Contact us at webct@drexel.edu.

12. WebCT Tip for This Month

Don't wait until Fall term to learn about Web CT Vista. It's a new product with many new features. Some of these are:

A true student view for instructors. You can even take a quiz and get a grade.
Grade-able discussion topics.
Content and Templates that can be shared with lower levels in the hierarchy.
Increased granularity, directing student to a specific discussion topic or chat room.
Frozen left panes (student names and IDs) in the Grade Book.
Resource libraries. Create a URL once and select it multiple times.
Student sign-up for group. You create the groups, the students sign up.
File space on the server for students and instructors. Students can attach their documents to your assignment.

To read previous issues of the IRT Technology Update, go to http://www.drexel.edu/irt/news/technews/

To manage your subscription options to the IRT Technology Update and other Drexel Announcements, go to http://www.drexel.edu/irt/subscriptions. If you prefer to receive a plain text version, please email your request to mailreq@drexel.edu.

Modified: August 20, 2008

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