IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: March 01 2006

Drexel is pilot testing three new services to provide mobile synchronization for BlackBerry, Treo, PocketPC and Windows Mobile SmartPhones. These services provide users with up-to-date email, calendars, and contacts from anywhere.

The services, BlackBerry Enterprise Service, GoodLink for Treo handhelds, and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for PocketPC and SmartPhone will be widely available later in March. To take advantage of these new services, you'll need a smart phone, the right service option from your mobile carrier (Cingular, Sprint/Nextel, etc.), and a synchronization license purchased through IRT.

IRT is developing documentation to help users pick the right kind of smart phone and synchronization service. Check the next Technology Update for more details and information.

2. Protect Your Identity, Protect Your Password

One of the master keys to your Drexel identity is your Drexel account password. Keep it secret, keep it safe, and don't under any circumstances share it.

That's the message of Article II(2) of Drexel's Acceptable Use Policy, and several other sections of the AUP as well. The "why" is simple. Given your password, anyone can get to your private information and, if so inclined, mis-use it. Further, your password constitutes your legal signature; you are responsible for anything done with it.

The University does its best, and is obliged by law, to safeguard your private information. But a single act of carelessness on your part can make you vulnerable to identity theft, forgery and fraud, costing you years of grief to straighten things out.

So:

Do not give your password to anyone - not your best friend, not your twin sister, not your boss.
Do not write down your password in any accessible place: not on a post-it note on your monitor, nor under your keyboard, nor .... If you need to write it down to remember it, keep it under lock and key at a place remote from your computer.
Give yourself a strong password (What's a strong password? See http://www.drexel.edu/irt/policies/email.html#password for tips, and change it periodically at http://accounts.drexel.edu).

3. Security Flaws: Mac Users Warned of Vulnerabilities

After many long moons of hearing warnings about security flaws in the Windows operating system, Macintosh users now have worries of their own. This past week Apple announced two security flaws, one in its Safari web browser and the other a vulnerability that enters via Bluetooth connections.

For details and instructions on how to protect your Mac OS X system, see http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/mac_support/saf_sec_upd_02212006.html. There is currently a direct link - Fix for Mac OS Vulnerability - on the IRT web page (http://www.drexel.edu/irt) under News & Events.

4. Publishing a Personal Webpage

The variety of web services at Drexel can be overwhelming when all you want to do is create and publish a personal web page. All students and employees are granted up to 100 MB of space on our Academic Unix server, DUNX1. It's the oldest host in continuous operation in IRT!

To get an account on DUNX1, which is the first requirement for publishing your web page, visit the Computer Accounts Management Service site at http://accounts.drexel.edu. See http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/pickup_dunx1.html for help.

Once you have your Academic Unix account, you can follow our online tutorial beginning at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/webits/publish/ssh_index.html, to learn how to publish your site.

For more information on creating your webpage, see http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/webits/build/frontpage1.html.

Both the SSH Transfer client and Microsoft FrontPage (one of the HTML-authoring tools), are available for download to all students, faculty and staff from the IRT software site, http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/comp_mark/software.html.

Questions? Email consult@drexel.edu or call 215-895-2698.

5. Updating Microsoft Office

Did you know that when you run Windows Update, it does not automatically update your Microsoft Office software? That's a separate function. You can reach it from the Windows Update page, or go directly to http://www.officeupdate.com.

And, of course, for safety even more than convenience, you should either set your Windows Update to automatic at http://www.windowsupdate.com, or check manually every day to install any new security patches.

If you need help or tips for updating your Microsoft Office, see the instruction on our web page at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/office_update.html.

6. Reminder: Update Personal Information in Banner

Have you checked your personal information in Banner recently? The accuracy of personal information is the responsibility of each individual. You should check whenever you've had a change - or once each term just on general principles.

Log in to DrexelOne (http://one.drexel.edu), click on the Employee Services or Student Services tab, and explore the information in the Banner Services box in the upper left-hand quadrant of the screen.

If you find things that need to be corrected, Banner will tell you what to do. Some items of personal information can be corrected online, others require contacting a university office directly or even an outside agency.

7. Faculty Showcase: Mega-Courses and WebCT Vista

Recordings of the presentations at IRT's Faculty Showcase can be accessed in the archives at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/webct/facultyshowcase.html.

The most recent Faculty Showcase, on March 1, 2006, focused on the capabilities and limitations of using WebCT Vista to manage large, mainly face-to-face courses.

Presenters and their topics included:

Running a Large Hybrid Course with Multiple Instructors - Dr. Valarie Arms and Andrew McCann.
Using WebCT Vista with Large Sections of TDEC Students - Dr. Jonathan Cheng and Kevin Ayers.
Testing the Limits: Large Classes and Closed-Book Exams in WebCT - Dr. Jane Huggins and Michael Shelmet.
Imposter Syndrome: Herding the Mega-Course Through WebCT Vista - Dr. Doug Chute.

The techniques highlighted by these presentations are useful also for courses that are smaller than "mega".

WebCT Vista News

8. WebCT Vista Conference: Mark Your Calendar

The Fourth Annual Northeast Regional WebCT Users Conference will be held at Drexel University main campus on Thursday, March 30, 2006. This major event is co-hosted by Drexel, Villanova University and Bucks County Community College.

All faculty members - both experienced WebCT users and novices - are welcome. For information, contact webct@drexel.edu or call the Faculty Development Center at 215-895-1224.

9. Using the Groups Tool in WebCT Vista

Faculty members have been inquiring about the Groups tool in WebCT Vista. We have a video that demonstrates this tool in the DES-101 section. The link to the video is the first one on the DES-101 Home Page. All faculty members are subscribed to DES-101, which they access by logging in to WebCT through DrexelOne.

10. Adding TAs to Your Section in WebCT Vista Is Easy

You want your teaching assistants to be members of your course section in WebCT Vista? It's easy:

- Go into your Section, activate the Teach tab
- Select Grade Book
- Click on Add Members
- Enter the UserName
- Select a role
- Click Add and then Save

Back to Top

11. Firefox and Java - A Problem

Some users have advised the WebCT group that the Firefox v1.5 browser is problematic when navigating in WebCT Vista, particularly when running Java applets. This browser version has not yet been "validated" by WebCT.

12. Training for WebCT Vista

IRT offers faculty members two kinds of training - Boot Camps for new users and Workshops for current users. As sessions fill up, more may be added, so watch for schedule updates on the IRT Web site at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/workshops/index.html.

* 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 for novice users. Boot Camps are scheduled for the following dates:

Friday, March 24 from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday, April 28 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday, May 19 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday, June 16 from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

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, for experienced users of WebCT Vista. The next WebCT Vista Workshops will be held in Korman room 116 on:

Thursday, March 16 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday, April 19 from noon-4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 10 from noon-4 p.m.
Wednesday, June 7 from noon-4 p.m.

To sign up, email webct@drexel.edu.

* Departmental Training
If you would prefer to have a WebCT Vista 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.

13. Brown Bag Lunch Sessions

Bring your lunch, share your experiences, and learn more about WebCT Vista and other academic technologies in informal sessions with fellow faculty members.

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

Tuesday, March 21 - Library Resources and Services for Online Students
Tuesday, April 25 - WebCT Vista 4: Highlights and Enhancements
Thursday, May 25 - Topic TBA
Wednesday, June 28 - Topic TBA

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

Topics are invited. Use the same email address to suggest topics for future brown baggers.

14. Tips for This Month

* Horizon Wimba, a WebCT Vista PowerLink, has features that enable you to add voice to your Section. Find them in the More Tools area on the left side of the screen when the Build tab is active. To see a demo, go to http://broadcast.drexel.edu:8080/swf/classes/VISTA_DEMO_SP6/VISTA_DEMO_SP6How_to_Use_Horizon_Wimba.swf.

* The HTML Creator is now enhanced. You have more fonts and formats, and the spell check feature is easier to use.

* When you activate the Power View tab, it is easy to reorganize your course elements.

* The Content Inventory tab provides a quick way to add or remove tools on the Course Toolbar, and to control the availability and options of your course elements.

* Edit Paging exists throughout Vista. The default view is 10 elements but Edit Paging enables you to customize your views.

* When you View Audit History in the Grade Book area, you get a log of every change and comment you have entered in the Grade Book. You can export the log.

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: February 25, 2008

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