IRT Technology Update
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 - New Student Edition
Contents:
1. Welcome to Tech Update
2. Setting Up Your Internet Connection
3. Setting Up Wireless Internet Access
4. Getting Software
5. If You Need Help
6. WebCT Vista for Online Learning
1. Welcome to Tech Update
Welcome to Drexel and welcome to the IRT Technology Update.
This periodic email publication is our way of informing the Drexel community about services we offer and how to make use of them. In Tech Update, you'll find information about new services, tips to help you take advantage of existing services, and news from the computing world.
There willl be articles about WebCT Vista (our online course system), warnings about computer security, new products or services, and general tips and tricks to make your computing life easier.
This issue is a special for new students, so we cover the topics that new students need to know. In a few days you will also receive the Tech Update for the general Drexel community. We normally publish about once a month, but more often if there are urgent matters to communicate.
Past issues of the IRT Technology Update are archived at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/news/technews/.
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2. Setting Up Your Internet Connection
Students moving in to Drexel residence halls have a lot on their minds: getting moved in, meeting roommates, finding out how to get to class, learning where to buy the best cheesesteak ....
One of the first things new students need to do is to get their computers up and running and connected to the Internet.
For your security and ours, we want to make sure your computer is safe. When you first plug your computer into the network jack and try to browse the Internet, you'll be directed to the "Resnet Isolated Network Registration" page. The steps on that page will help you check your computer for infection, verify your settings, and register for the Drexel network.
Please read and follow these instructions completely and accurately. If you have problems, call the IRT Help Desk at 215-895-2020 from your room. To leave a message, include your full name, a phone number where we can reach you, and a description of the problem (something more enlightening than "Help, it doesn't work!").
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3. Setting Up Wireless Internet Access
If you have a computer or other device with a wireless network adapter, you need to connect it to DragonFly - Drexel's wireless network. You must "register" your wireless card at the DragonFly Registration page.
Go to https://inside.drexel.edu/networking/wireless/register.asp. Log in to that page with the same username and password that you use for DrexelOne and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you have problems, bring your laptop to the Help Desk on the first floor of the Korman Center (33rd Street between Chestnut and Market, facing the Quad) for assistance.
The Drexel campus is plastered with wireless access points, so if you have wireless capability, do register and use it.
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4. Getting Software
Did your computer come with a full version of Microsoft Office Pro? If not, you'll need to install it at some point to do your classwork. You may also need other programs like Visual Studio, SPSS or SSH.
If you're living in a Drexel residence hall, you will have installed Symantec AntiVirus in the process of connecting your computer to the network, but if you're an off-campus user you are still entitled to a copy of our licensed anti-virus software.
These and other programs are site-licensed for the Drexel community. To download the software (if you're connected to the Drexel network) and/or to purchase media for some programs for a very nominal fee, see our Computer Marketplace web page at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/comp_mark/index.html. Use your Drexel username and password to log in.
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5. If You Need Help
The IRT Help Desk, as the name implies, is here to help!
If you run into problems with your Drexel accounts, network access, etc., call us at 215-895-2698, email us at consult@drexel.edu, or just stop by the Korman Center (see http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/facilities/korman for hours of operation and other information).
If you send email or leave a message on voicemail, be sure to include complete contact information (name, phone number, email address) as well as a good description of your problems. Providing us with the right information up front helps us to help you more quickly.
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6. WebCT Vista for Online Learning
WebCT Vista is used at Drexel for online learning. Instructors use it to augment face-to-face classes, to deliver classes completely on line, and everything in between. All Drexel courses listed in Banner, the student registration system, exist also as a section in WebCT Vista.
Instructors choose how to utilize WebCT Vista. They may use it to:
- post the course syllabus;
- link students to Internet resources;
- distribute rich media such as audio and/or video content;
- conduct asynchronous discussions;
- provide a digital dropbox for submitting assignments;
- administer quizzes and surveys;
- post grades.
Hundreds of Drexel's courses make at least some use of WebCT Vista, so you'll want to get acquainted soon. Check it out at http://one.drexel.edu, under the Student Resources tab.
Of course, if you took Drexel placement exams on line, you have already seen WebCT CE. You just need to get familiar with the new application, WebCT Vista.
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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.
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