IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

1. Get Flashy with DragonDrop
DragonDrop is a rich media publishing system for faculty and staff that enables users to transcode video, audio, and even textual content into Web-friendly formats, then publish them on the Web via podcast-ready RSS feeds and simple Web pages.

The system can convert content to various output formats, including Flash Video, or “FLV” format. There are three benefits of publishing your video content in Flash Video format:

1. Flash files are compressed and reside on Drexel’s streaming server, resulting in quicker downloads for end-users.

2. No external software is needed, as Flash files can be played using DragonDrop’s Flash player.

3. Flash files can be played on all major platforms that support Flash Media, including Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X, and Linux operating systems.

To convert your content to Flash Video format, log in to DragonDrop. You will see an “Upload” button where you can add your content to the system and choose how it will be converted.

When you click on the Browse button to upload a video file, an “Add Outputs” area will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Select “Flash FLV (video)” from the Format drop-down menu, and then select the desired quality level for the output file (Best, High, Medium, or Low). The following video format types can be converted to Flash Video: AVI, DV, MOV/QT, and MPG. Note that higher quality files will take longer to download, and require faster Internet connections to stream properly. In general, we recommend that users select High quality.

All current Drexel faculty and staff have access to DragonDrop.

For more information about DragonDrop, visit http://www.drexel.edu/irt/rmcweb/. For more information about output encoding, visit http://rmcpapp.dcollege.net/encodingChart.aspx. If you have questions, email rmcp@dcollege.net.

2. Microsoft DreamSpark Offered Free to Higher Education Students
Microsoft and JourneyEd have partnered to provide higher education students in the U.S. with access to Microsoft DreamSpark at no cost.

DreamSpark provides a legitimate resource for students to download a legal and registered version of Microsoft's software development tools, whether or not they need the tools for classes, furthering their knowledge, or simply for fun. These tools, including Visual Studio Professional 2008, Expression Studio (which includes Web, Blend, Design, and Media), XNA Game Studio, SQL Server Developer Edition, and Windows Server, are freely available to students worldwide as part of DreamSpark.

It is the hope of the DreamSpark program that free Microsoft developer tools will help students succeed and excel in developing new and innovative solutions in their area(s) of expertise.

To obtain a free copy of DreamSpark, log in at http://one.drexel.edu, select the Drexel Tab, and click “JourneyEd for Students.” Once on JourneyEd’s Web site, either search for “DreamSpark” or product I.D. 11111726 in All Products.

Orders are held for verification automatically unless individuals use their Drexel.edu email address as their primary email. When placing the order, register or sign in with your Drexel email address and proceed with the checkout. Once you have checked out, JourneyEd will send you an email that contains a unique link to your download of DreamSpark.

After clicking the link, you may need to sign in with your Windows Live account. Confirm your student status by verifying your activation code, and click “View All Products to Download.” From the next page, you will be able to choose your DreamSpark programs to download and install.

NOTE: Before installing DreamSpark’s offering of Visual Studio, you must first uninstall any previous versions of Visual Studio.

3. Alert: Spam, Phishing, and Spoofing Email
While spam, phishing, and spoofing emails are all junk mail and should be deleted immediately, how do they differ? Spam emails include unsolicited advertisements aimed at enticing users to buy products such as enlargement pills or watches. Phishing emails try to trick users into giving the sender important login information, such as bank or email usernames and passwords. Spoofed emails fake a user’s email address to hide the original sender’s identity, and can also contain spam or phishing messages.

Recently, Drexel users were subject to a rash of this last type of spam: spoofing. Unfortunately, spam filters cannot block these emails 100% of the time.

Although spoofing does not require your password in order to fake your email address, you should still treat your password as you would your ATM card pin number. Never give it out to anyone, no matter how persuasive an argument they make. Reputable institutions will NEVER request personal information such as passwords, user IDs, or account numbers through email. DO NOT send such personal information via email to anyone, and never give your password to anyone via any medium.

4. Dashboard Report – Summer 2007-08
Many professors are utilizing Blackboard Vista in their course sections across Drexel’s academic disciplines. IRT has developed a “Dashboard Report” based on a set of metrics that indicate how content-laden and feature-packed their sections are. The following professors topped the report in their respective colleges or schools for the summer quarter (AY 2007-08):

Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design:

• Ian Abrams – Film Comedy – FMVD-262-501
• Anne Cecil – Visual Merchandising – DSMR-311-001

Bennett S. LeBow College of Business:

• Marcos DeArruda – Corporate Financial Management – FIN-601-675, -688, -900, and -901
• Fariborz Partovi – Management of Service Firms – POM-624-900 and -901
• Fariborz Partovi – Operations Management – POM-601-604 and -644
• Robert Keidel – Managing Technological Innovation – MGMT-602-624 and -676
• Murugan Anandarajan – Management Information Systems – MIS-611-656
• Burton Brodo – New Product Planning, Strategy, & Development – MKTG-638-624
• Anna Cianci – Managerial Accounting – ACCT-601-604 and -625
• Dharmesh Desai – Telecommunications Management – MIS-620-951
• Stanley Kligman – Marketing Strategy & Planning – MGMT-601-676
• Stacy Kline – Managerial Accounting – ACCT-601-501
• Eydis Olsen – International Business Management – INTB-620-643 and -900
• Patricia Robak – Financial Institutions & Markets – FIN-622-624 and -951
• Michael Welker – Managerial Accounting – ACCT-601-644

College of Arts and Sciences:

• Geraldine Cox – Environmental Law – ENVR-522-901
• Cecilie Goodrich – Human Physiology II – BIO-203-A
• Dona Huggins – Principles of Toxicology II – ENVR-437-601
• Frank Kelley – Mass Media and Society – COM-150-001
• Nikolaos Linardopolous – Business Communication – COM-270-706
• Andrew McCann – Analytical Writing and Reading – ENGL-103-150
• Annette Molyneux – Abnormal Psychology – PSY-240-001
• Joseph Williams – Computer-Assisted Data Analysis I – PSY-364-701

College of Engineering:

• Carole Mablekos – Communications – EGMT-504-911 and -912
• Thomas Halpin – Computer Analysis Power Systems – ECEP-502-901
• Michael Scheuermann – Problems in Human Relations – EGMT-581-911
• John Zolan – Problems in Human Relations – EGMT-581-912

Richard C. Goodwin College of Professional Studies:

• Amy Giddings – Leadership in Sports & Society – SMT-152-701
• Richard Lazzari – Circuit Analysis II – EET-202-601
• Daniel Walmsley – Linux I – CT-210-120

School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems:

• Wan Shih – Trans Phenomenon Living Systems I – BMES-651-001 and -451-001

5. Coming Soon: New Sacramento Classroom Mirror in Korman
As part of an initiative to mirror classes at the Drexel University Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento, IRT will be revamping a classroom in the Korman Center on Drexel’s Main Campus. The classroom will receive several technology upgrades, including a new, more advanced instructor podium.

IRT will provide training for instructors in the use of the new technology in this classroom. More information about this change will follow.

Tips & Tricks

Tips & Tricks are helpful articles that address a variety of Windows and Mac applications. Click on one of the links below:

Get Organized with Outlook 2007!
Filtering in Excel 2007
5 Tips to Enhance Security and Minimize the Risk of Cheating in Online Exams

News & Notes on Online Learning

9. New Icons in Drexel Default Template
Beginning this winter term, a new icon set designed by the Online Learning Team will be available when the Drexel Default Template is applied to your course section in Blackboard Vista. Not only are these new icons more visually appealing, but they also address concerns about the lack of icons for many of the tools within Bb Vista.

The old icons will still be available; to access them, click on the Manage Course tool, select “Course Content Icons,” click “Select New Content Icon Set,” and then choose the Learning System icon set.

10. Reminder: Use Wired Connections for Blackboard Vista Assessments
Since connectivity, speed, and reliability is so crucial for students while they are taking exams, quizzes, and surveys online (e.g., in Bb Vista or Blackboard), the Online Learning Team recommends that, whenever possible, individuals use a wired connection instead of accessing the Internet via a wireless device.

In the event that your Internet connection is interrupted or reestablished while taking a quiz, you should attempt to log out and back into Blackboard Vista, and then click “Continue Assessment” to resume the quiz. If you cannot reestablish your connection in time or if you are unable to continue the assessment, then contact your instructor with the time of the issue and the question number you were working on.

And, as always, don't forget to save your answers before submitting the assessment!

11. Having Trouble with Turnitin?
Several instructors and students have reported that they were directed to a Turnitin login pageupon attempting to create or submit a Turnitin assignment. Turnitin has determined that this issue involves the acceptance of third-party cookies, and recommends taking the following steps:

For Internet Explorer:

1. Go to Tools > Internet Options
2. Click on the Privacy tab
3. Click on the Advanced button
4. Check "Override automatic cookie handling”
5. Ensure that “Accept” is selected for First-party Cookies and Third-party Cookies
6. Click “OK” on the Advanced Privacy Settings window
7. Click “OK” on the Internet Options window
8. Close all instances of Internet Explorer
9. Open a new browser window and try again

For Firefox:

1. Go to Tools > Options
2. Click on the Privacy tab
3. Ensure that “Accept cookies from sites” is checked
4. Click “OK”
5. Close all instances of Firefox
6. Open a new browser window and try again

For Safari:

1. From the Safari menu, click “Preferences”
2. Click on the Security tab
3. Next to Accept Cookies, select "Only from sites you navigate to"
4. Close out of the Security window
5. Close all instances of Safari
6. Open a new browser window and try again

If you continue to experience problems with Turnitin after accepting third-party cookies, please email us at olt@drexel.edu with the Bb Vista section in which you are encountering the problem, the name of the Turnitin assignment, and the browser you are using.

12. Share Your Calendar in Outlook 2007
If you are using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 with Outlook 2007, you can easily invite someone to share his or her calendar with you.

Simply go to the Calendar view in Outlook (by clicking on Calendar in the left-hand pane) and click on the "Share My Calendar" link at the bottom of the pane. Clicking that link will open up a sharing request, which is essentially an email message with two check boxes—one that allows you to share your calendar with the recipient, and one that asks the recipient to share his or her calendar with you.
When the request appears in the recipient's inbox, he or she can use the buttons that appear in the Reading Pane to allow or deny your request.

13. Camtasia Studio 6 Now Available
TechSmith has recently released version 6 of Camtasia Studio, a screen recorder, multimedia editor, and production tool. The new features include independent video and audio editing, a 3D tilt effect, recording hotkeys, new production presets, and more.

If you already have a copy of Camtasia Studio 5 from Drexel, please install the trial version of Camtasia Studio 6 at http://www.techsmith.com/download/camtasiatrialthx.asp. Next, call the Online Learning Team at 215-895-1224 to complete the installation. If you do not have a copy of Camtasia Studio, you may obtain one from the Online Learning Team in Korman 109 after attending a Camtasia training session. The next Camtasia Basic workshop is scheduled for Thursday, January 15th, from 10:45 - 11:45 am in Korman 116. For the full IRT workshop schedule, please visit: http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/workshops/.

14. Training Sessions for January
All sessions to be held in Korman 116:

• Brown Bag Lunch – Power Up your PowerPoint: Best Practices for Presentations – January 7, from noon to 1 p.m.
• Bb Vista Full Day Workshop – January 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Using the Teach Tab & More – January 14, from 1 to 4 p.m.
• Camtasia Basic – January 15, from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.
• Snap Basic Demo – January 15, from 2 to 3 p.m.
• Camtasia Intermediate – January 21, from 10 a.m. to noon
• Dreamweaver Basic – January 22, from 2 to 4 p.m.

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: 07/31/2009

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