IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: July 27 2004

The reorganization of the Banner administrative databases - an adjunct of the step-by-step integration of Drexel's traditional schools and colleges with the health sciences programs - has created the necessity and opportunity for reorganizing the structure of Drexel's central email lists.

The result is a set of mass mailing lists that enable us to target more accurately the audiences to receive specific messages. At the same time, IRT has redrafted the web pages describing the policies and procedures governing this service. The rules (as opposed to the lists available) have not changed that much, but the presentation is clearer and more concise.

Check it out at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/listserv/CentralLists.html (for procedures) and http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/policies/preconfiglist.html (for policies).

2. SAP Competency Center Sponsors Regional Seminar

Drexel's SAP University Competency Center will sponsor a one-day regional seminar and sharing session on Thursday, August 12, 2004, in MacAlister Hall.

Faculty from Drexel and nearby institutions will discuss the integration of SAP software into training for fields such as accounting, purchasing, sales, customer relations, and general business curricula. Speakers will also address migration issues within the academic setting, and the experiences of "new faculty" users.

Drexel hosts the SAP University Competency Center, which enables university professors to introduce their students to some of the pre-eminent solutions for enterprise software and e-business. Drexel's IRT is the contact point for faculty support.

For information about the seminar and about the SAP University Alliance, see http://www.drexel.edu/irt/sap. Other SAP University Competency Centers are located in California, Louisiana, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

3. New Location for Center City Help

Walk-in computer help at the Center City campus has new times and a new location. The Help Desk is now located in Training Room 1, off the lobby in the Bellet Building. Normal hours for help are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

4. Summer - Time for Computer Housekeeping

The hazy, lazy days of summer (don't we wish?) are a good time for computer housekeeping.

So, how's your email account quota doing? We all are allocated 100 MB of space on the server to store our email. That seems like a lot, but it's not infinite, especially if you receive many graphical attachments.

You can check your quota usage at http://accounts.drexel.edu, click on Manage your accounts. In the accounts list, on the line with your email account, you will see a pie chart called Disk quota. Click to see your usage.

If you need to purge your account, you have two choices. (1) You can delete or download messages one or a screenful at a time, or (2) you can download the whole contents of your inbox by changing your email client setting temporarily from iMap to POP (see http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/ConfigureEmail.html for instructions).

5. The Ubiquity of Computer Security Concerns

Security always seems to be news these days, and that's true in computing as in everything else.

Looking back over the contents of the IRT Technology Update for the past year, we see that by far the most prolific thread has been security issues. You can reference these many items - virus alerts, spyware, identity theft, and much more - at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/news/technews.

Meanwhile, we recommend that you keep in touch with security issues by periodically checking our online tutorials on security at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/security. This is basic how-to information, but we keep it up to date for the latest threats.

We also have a virus information page at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/virusinfo, where we post details and references on new and ongoing infestations.

6. Drexel Students Are Getting Younger!

With a 14-year-old Ph.D. student admitted last year, it is not too surprising if you think that the Drexel student body is getting younger all the time. This summer, however, there is another explanation for the youthful faces.

Three groups of summer camp students are being hosted by IRT at the Korman Center. Two labs full of high school sophomores (20 each) are learning computer techniques every morning from July 6 through August 13 in a Philadelphia Futures computer camp offered in collaboration with Summer Youth Works. A third lab of 20 is devoted to Teens Using Technology (TUT), a group of ninth graders who are learning presentation tools (PowerPoint, Dreamweaver, Excel) from June 21 through July 30.

The lead teachers in these camps are supplied by the School District, with Drexel students serving as teaching assistants. IRT's Connie Williams is coordinator for the Philadelphia Futures program, while Angelita Wells and Adele Varenas are organizing TUT. The TUT program is sponsored by Avaya, Drexel, and the School District of Philadelphia.

7. Video Conferencing at Drexel

Drexel has a number of Video Conferencing-equipped rooms throughout the University City campus and in Center City. We are working on a web-based reservation system to go live in mid-August, so stay tuned.

Remember that Video Conferencing may be used as a stand-alone for special occasions, or in conjunction with WebCT for distance-learning or hybrid course presentation.

WebCT News

8. WebCT Vista Arrives This Fall

WebCT Vista is about to arrive. Fall term will be a transition period; by winter term, we expect to go live with Vista.

WebCT Vista adds many features that faculty, students, and other users have been asking for. Here are some examples.

Enhancements to the Discussions tool: gradable topics, discussion topic categories, editable postings, students can view all their postings or all new posts at one time.
A true "student view" for instructors.
New assessment options.
Student self-enrollment in topics.
Combined (or separate) chat and whiteboard.
Link annotations for explanatory information.
Roll-up reporting to aggregate student data from several course sections.
Printable versions of the Syllabus tool.

And lots, lots more!

9. WebCT Boot Camps

WebCT Boot Camps, held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 116 of the Korman Computing Center, have been scheduled for the following dates:

Friday, July 30 - (FULL)
Friday, August 27
Friday, September 24
Friday, October 29
Friday, November 19
Friday, December 17

Laptops are provided for hands-on experience and, when the session is full (which is normal), we also supply lunch. Reserve your slot early at webct@drexel.edu.

10. WebCT Vista Workshops

If you have used WebCT in the past, you may want to enroll for a four-hour workshop to learn about the enhancements in Vista. These workshops will be held in Room 116 Korman Center on the following dates:

Friday, August 20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, September 17, noon-4 p.m.
Friday, October 15, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, November 12, noon-4 p.m.
Friday, December 10, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

These are hands-on workshops with limited enrollment; IRT provides the laptops. To reserve a place, email webct@drexel.edu.

IRT can assist departments currently using WebCT Campus Edition 4.1 with specially contoured workshops on Vista. We will match your schedule and address your specific needs. Again, contact us at webct@drexel.edu.

11. Plan Ahead

Fall term will be here before we know it. That's when you should be preparing your WebCT courses for winter and spring, for delivery in WebCT Vista. We recommend that you do course development work ahead of the term when you will deliver the course.

IRT has the resources and talent mix you need to help you make your WebCT course the best it can be. Email webct@drexel.edu with questions and to schedule appointments.

12. Tips for This Month

* Different learning styles can be accommodated by using the features and functions of WebCT Vista.

- Active or reflective learners: Chat or discussions
- Sensing or intuitive learners: Multimedia or course materials
- Visual or verbal learners: Video clips or text-based lectures
- Sequential or global learners: Learning modules or organizer pages

* The Seven Principles of Good Teaching Practice (Chickering and Gamson) are particularly valuable guides for use with WebCT Vista:

- Student-faculty interaction
- Reciprocity and cooperation among students
- Active learning techniques
- Prompt feedback
- Time on task
- Communicate high expectations
- Respect diverse talents and ways of learning

Back to Top

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: October 3, 2008

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