IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: June 20 2005

IRT's next Faculty Showcase will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2005. This is an opportunity for faculty members to exchange ideas and demonstrate some of the unique applications of technology and online learning here at Drexel.

IRT continues to enhance our suite of technology applications. Featured tools will include WebCT, video conferencing, pod-casting and electronic portfolio development. Perhaps you too have experiences with these or other programs that can enrich the learning process for your students and the teaching process for your colleagues.

Email webct@drexel.edu to reserve a spot on the program ... or in the audience. Both presenters and listeners get lunch.

2. Software: What to Get and How to Get It

What software do I need for the Fall term? If you have Drexel's standard package for 2004-2005, you're all set. There will be no change in the basic productivity software (Office 2003 for Windows, Office 2004 for Macintosh) required for the Drexel community.

If you don't have this software, or if you're getting a new computer and need to install new software, you should check out IRT's newly implemented Computer Marketplace, which gives you one-stop access for purchasing computers and accessing licensed software.

In the software section, you can both download site-licensed applications for free and purchase media at extremely favorable academic pricing. It offers additional software titles, not necessarily licensed by Drexel, also at academic pricing.

Click the Computer Marketplace link in the left column of the IRT home page, or go directly to http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/comp_mark; choose Get Software, and use your Drexel computer user-ID and password to log in either to the Download It section or to the Buy It section.

The Computer Marketplace page also provides a convenient portal to Drexel's preferred vendors for computer hardware purchases.

3. When Buying New Computer Equipment: Some Tips

Summer is the time when many departments and individuals purchase and install new computer equipment. Here are three tips to make that experience less frustrating:

* Make sure you have the necessary cables. Especially with printers and other peripherals, you often have to order and buy those separately; they're not part of the package. The cost is trivial, but a printer without a USB cable doesn't do you much good. So ask for it!

* Ask for the CD with drivers and utilities for your new computer system. This is available for free at time of purchase, but you do have to request it.

* When installing a printer on the Drexel network, contact IRT (consult@drexel.edu or 215-895-2698) for advice about configurations. An improperly configured printer may be open to compromise, so it's best to do it right the first time.

4. IRT Hosts Summer Youth Programs

IRT is once again hosting summer computer camps for Philadelphia's youth. Three groups of camp students will be meeting in the Korman Center.

Two labs full of high school sophomores (20 per lab) will learn computer techniques every morning from July 5 through August 12 at a Philadelphia Futures camp offered in collaboration with Summer Youth Works.

In a third lab, ninth graders will learn presentation tools (PowerPoint, Dreamweaver, Excel) from July 5 through July 29 in a Teens Using Technology (TUT) program sponsored by the Philadelphia School District - watch for the subtle Egyptological touches.

The lead teachers in these camps are supplied by the School District; Drexel students serve as teaching assistants. IRT's Connie Williams coordinates the Philadelphia Futures program, while Angelita Wells and Adele Varenas organize TUT.

5. CAMS Has a New Look

Are you mentoring new students? Or training new staff?

If part of your task is to help them set up their Drexel computer identities, you may want to check it out first before going on autopilot. The Computer Accounts Management Service (http://accounts.drexel.edu) has a new look.

The new Welcome page is simpler than what you'll remember. Gone are the multiple choices between Pick up more accounts or Manage your accounts. There's a Click here to pick up your first accounts option for newcomers, and a standard login box calling for email user-id and password for the rest of us.

Once authenticated, you'll be on familiar territory. The functionality and presentation of the inside pages of the Computer Accounts Management Service has not changed.

And, as always, if you have accounts questions, contact the IRT Accounts staff at 215-895-2698 or email accounts@drexel.edu.

6. Departmental Phone Directory Updated

Last month departmental representatives sent us corrected listings with phone numbers for their major divisions and service centers.

This information has now been updated and can be accessed online at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/telecom/phonebook. This university departmental phonebook is also accessible from the Drexel home page under directories. There are listings for the different Drexel campuses.

If your department did not update its contact information and the information is incorrect, please email telecommunications at telephone-request@drexel.edu.

WebCT News

7. Brown Bag Lunch Sessions: Join Us

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

Thursday, June 23 - Electronic Grading: Using Word and Acrobat to Grade Student Work
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.

8. 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 past courses.

Email webct@drexel.edu for details.

9. 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, July 15
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, 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.

10. WebCT Tips for This Month

* Be Cool This Summer - Learn about WebCT Vista! Vista will be in place at Drexel in Fall term, so this summer is the time to learn about it. Sign up now for one of our Vista training sessions (see item 9 above for schedule) in always cool Korman 116.

* Assignments. When students submit assignments in electronic form, it's straightforward to "correct" them in electronic form as well, and return them to the students using the WebCT Assignments tool or via email. Learn how to do this with MS-Word or Adobe Acrobat at our June 23 Brown Bagger (see item 7 above).

* Read Student Discussion Postings Offline. Want to read your students' postings while you commute, or over a cup of coffee, or sitting outside enjoying the summer breezes? Use the WebCT Compile feature to "bundle" the Discussions postings you want, download as a plain text file, print, and away you go with an easy-to-read, hard-copy packet for offline reading. Email our WebCT support team at webct@drexel.edu and we'll step you through this the first time.

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

Home

Contents

Index

Feedback / Corrections