Tech Update
Current Issue - Tuesday December 8, 2009
The Tech Update is an electronic bulletin is published by the Office of Information Resources and Technology (IRT) to inform users of the quickly changing panorama of technology policy, services and support at all Drexel University campuses.
Older Tech Updates can be found on the Tech Update Archive page.
Contents:
01. Reminder: Security, Passwords, and Sensitive Information
02. PASW (Formerly SPSS) 18 Now Available
03. Campus Network Capacity Increased in Select Buildings
04. Departmental Discounts for Computers
Tips & Tricks
News & Notes from the Online Learning Team
10. Beginning this January: SharePoint Basic Training
11. Camtasia Studio for Faculty, Staff, and Students
12. Camtasia for Mac Training Sessions
13. Letter Grade Columns in Bb Vista Grade Book
14. How to Fill Out PDF Forms Online: The Typewriter Tool
15. Schedule for Upcoming IRT Workshops
1. Reminder: Security, Passwords, and Sensitive Information
Sensitive account information can be hacked when it is sent over insecure channels (such as email or IM), given out indiscriminately (to friends or family, for instance), or left vulnerable to keyloggers and malware. In today's world, as more identities, passwords, and credit card information are stolen, and as malware and viruses continue to evolve into even more complex forms, security should be at the front of every computer user’s mind. Passwords are especially vulnerable to security threats, and can sometimes cause irreparable damage if they fall into the wrong hands.
For this reason, NEVER send account passwords via email or IM, whether or not such information is requested. Reputable organizations, including Drexel University, will NEVER ask for your passwords through email or any other means. Any email that asks for such information could be a phishing scam and should be deleted immediately. Never give out passwords to friends or relatives, and never write them down and display them where others can see them.
If you have any questions or suspect that an email you received is part of a “phishing” scam, contact the IRT Help Desk at consult@drexel.edu or 215-895-2020.
2. PASW (Formerly SPSS) 18 Now Available
PASW 18 (formerly known as SPSS) is now available on Drexel’s software download server at http://software.drexel.edu. In order to access the server, remember to type your Drexel email address in the format abc123@drexel.edu at the login prompt. If you have a previous version of PASW installed (such as 17), make sure that you uninstall it prior to installing version 18.
PASW 18 WILL NOT perform an automatic upgrade. During installation, you must use the new authorization code posted in the “important_license_info.txt” file located within the PASW 18 folder on the server.
Before you upgrade to PASW 18, you should verify that the new version is appropriate for your needs. For more information about PASW 18 and its features, visit the manufacturer’s Web site at http://www.spss.com/statistics.
3. Campus Network Capacity Increased in Select Buildings
On November 24, IRT installed a new network link that doubled the capacity of the campus network connecting New College and Bellet buildings in Center City to the University City Main Campus data center. The new network link will greatly improve network performance during peak hours.
4. Departmental Discounts for Computers
For a limited time, deeply-discounted computers are available for purchase by University departments. See http://www.drexel.edu/irt/computers/faculty for options. This University departments-only offer expires on Wednesday, December 23, 2009.
Individuals interested in making a departmental purchase can email procure@drexel.edu or call the Procurement Office at 215-895-2876.
Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks are helpful articles that address a variety of Windows and Mac applications. Click on one of the links below to view the full article:
Tip of the Month: Mass Email Etiquette #1
Draw Borders Automatically in Word
Generate Filler Text in Word
Wrap Text Within a Cell in Excel
Resize Columns in Excel
News & Notes from the Online Learning Team
10. Beginning this January: SharePoint Basic Training
SharePoint is a collaborative online platform that allows teams, workgroups, and committee members to share documents, calendars, and more. Through its electronic workflow features, SharePoint also allows users to reduce paper and increase efficiency.
SharePoint Basic Training will provide an introduction to the fundamental features of SharePoint, including site navigation, lists, uploading to document libraries, and using SharePoint calendaring. Faculty and staff with little or no experience in SharePoint are invited to attend the training, to be held on Thursday, January 7 and Thursday, February 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Korman 116. To reserve a spot, email olt@drexel.edu.
11. Camtasia Studio for Faculty, Staff, and Students
Camtasia, produced by TechSmith, is a popular screen capture program that is available to all full-time faculty and staff through IRT. In order to obtain a copy of the Camtasia software, faculty and staff are required to attend a Camtasia workshop offered by the Online Learning Team. The upcoming training schedule is listed in the article below entitled “IRT Upcoming Workshops,” or you can visit the Workshops page at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/help/workshops. Please note that "Desktop and Presentation Recording: Camtasia Relay" is a prerequisite for both "Recording and Editing with Camtasia Studio for Windows" and "Recording and Editing with Camtasia for Mac."
Although students are welcome to attend training sessions, they must purchase Camtasia through DrexelOne. The Windows version (which includes Snagit) is available for $99, but the Mac version is not yet available at a discounted rate for students. However, TechSmith is offering Camtasia for Mac at a reduced introductory rate ($99) until December 31, 2009.
If you have any questions about Camtasia, or to sign up for a training session, please contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu.
12. Camtasia for Mac Training Sessions
Because Camtasia for Mac is an entirely different product from Camtasia Studio, Mac users are strongly encouraged to attend our newly-designed "Recording and Editing: Camtasia for Mac" training, even if they have previously attended a Camtasia for Windows session. The next "Recording and Editing: Camtasia for Mac" workshop will be held on Thursday, January 14 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Korman 116. Attendees should bring their Intel-powered Mac laptop (MacBook, Pro, or Air) to the training session since Macs will not be provided. To sign up, email olt@drexel.edu.
13. Letter Grade Columns in Bb Vista Grade Book
Letter Grade columns, a feature of the Bb Vista Grade Book that is often overlooked, can allow students to preview their mid-term or final grades and can aid instructors in preparing their grades for entry into Banner.
To create a Letter Grade column, access the Grade Book from the Teach tab, and select “Create Column” > “Letter grade.” Enter a name for the column, select an existing numeric/calculated column on which to base the new Letter Grade column, and click “Save.”
The new Letter Grade column will appear in the Grade Book and will automatically convert a numerical grade, such as 87.9, to the letter grade of B, based on the Bb Vista default grading scheme:
| Grade | Range |
|---|
| A+ |
100 and above |
| A |
90 or greater and less than 100 |
| B |
80 or greater and less than 90 |
| C |
70 or greater and less than 80 |
| D |
60 or greater and less than 70 |
| E |
50 or greater and less than 60 |
| F |
less than 50 |
To change the grading scheme, click the ActionLinks icon next to the name of the new Letter Grade column and select “Edit Column Letter Grade Scheme.” (The ActionLinks icon looks like a downward-facing arrow, with three dashes underneath.)
Let’s say you would like to convert the default grading scheme to the following scheme:
| Grade | Range |
|---|
| A |
92 and above |
| B+ |
88 or greater and less than 92 |
| B |
82 or greater and less than 88 |
| C+ |
78 or greater and less than 82 |
| C |
72 or greater and less than 78 |
| D+ |
68 or greater and less than 72 |
| D |
60 or greater and less than 68 |
| F |
less than 60 |
Since the desired grading scheme has one more grade than the default scheme, select one of the rows and click the “Add Grade” button. Next, change each of the letter grades in the Grade column and the numbers that can be changed in the Range column. The “and less than” numbers will change automatically after the grading scheme is saved. Click “Save” or “Save and Set as Default.” (Note that “Save and Set as Default” only affects the Grade Book of the current section.) Upon clicking the “Save” or “Add Grade” buttons, Bb Vista will check the grading scheme and generate an error message if there are duplicate, missing, or overlapping grades or ranges.
If you wish to revert to the default grading scheme and have not already saved the new scheme as the default, click the “Use Default Scheme” button.
IMPORTANT: The letter grade is determined by the non-rounded value of the "based on" column, even if the column display is rounded. For example, a term average of 87.55 would translate to a B according to the grading scheme above. However, if the column is not configured to show decimal places, the grade will display as 88, as in the example below, and the Letter Grade will appear incorrectly. To avoid confusion, then, the “based-on” column should either be released to students with decimal places, or else it should not be released at all.
| Showing 2 decimals | | Showing 0 decimals | |
|---|
|
Term Average |
Final Grade |
Term Average |
Final Grade |
| Student 1 |
75.85 |
C |
76 |
C |
| Student 2 |
87.5 |
B |
88 |
B |
| Student 3 |
88.12 |
B+ |
88 |
B+ |
To adjust the number of decimal places that are released to students, click on the “Grade Book Options” button in the upper right-hand corner of the Grade Book, and select “Column Settings.” Find the column you would like to adjust, click on the number in the “Decimals” row, select a value other than 0 from the drop-down menu, and click “Save.”
If you wish, instead, to hide the “based-on” column from students, click on the “Yes” value in the “Released to Student” row to toggle it to “No.”
If you have any questions about creating or adjusting Letter Grade columns in the Grade Book of your Bb Vista section(s), contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu.
14. How to Fill Out PDF Forms Online: The Typewriter Tool
This article is the first in a series about PDF forms. Stay tuned for next month’s article, “How to Easily Create Interactive Forms.”
Typically, you can receive or download two types of PDF forms—interactive and flat. Interactive forms have highlighted fields in which you can input text. Depending on how the author configured the form, you can fill out the form, and then save, print, or email it. Flat forms are electronic versions of paper forms that you must print and fill out by hand or by using a typewriter—that is, unless you use the Typewriter Tool that is available in some versions of Adobe Acrobat.
Whether it is a Drexel Benefits form, a grant application, or a conference proposal, the Typewriter Tool allows you to easily type text anywhere on a flat PDF form by following the instructions below. (Note: Although some earlier versions of Acrobat include the typewriter feature, these instructions are specific to version 9.0 or later.)
- Open the desired form in Adobe Acrobat 9.0, not Adobe Reader*.
- From the menu, select “Tools” > “Typewriter” > “Show Typewriter Toolbar.”
- Click the “Typewriter” button to enable the tool.
- Click anywhere you want to add text and begin typing.
- Change the font size, style, color, or line spacing attributes by selecting the desired options on the Typewriter Toolbar and clicking in the document where you want to add the text. The new text will display the selected attributes.
* If the author of a flat PDF form enables the Typewriter Tool, users can fill out, save, and print flat forms using Adobe Reader. To enable the Typewriter Tool in Adobe Reader, follow these steps:
- Open the desired form in Adobe Acrobat 9.0.
- From the menu, select “Tools” > “Typewriter” > “Enable Typewriter Tool in Adobe Reader” > “OK.”
- Rename the document when prompted and click “Save.” You will notice a purple band along the top of the saved document containing the words, “This PDF can be completed using the Typewriter Tool.”
Distribute the form via email or upload it to the Web.
15. Schedule for Upcoming IRT Workshops
These and other events are included in our weekly “IRT Upcoming Events” emails, which have recently switched to a new, easy-to-read HTML-based format! If you are not receiving these emails and would like to be added to our mailing list, email olt@drexel.edu.
All sessions will be held in Korman 116 unless otherwise noted.
Bb Vista
- Bb Vista Full Day Workshop
Tuesday, January 5, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday, February 5, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Aimed at instructors and administrators who are new to Bb Vista or who have not worked in Bb Vista for a while. Lunch will be provided. - Bb Vista: Using the Teach Tab and More
Friday, February 19, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
This workshop is being offered to individuals familiar with Bb Vista who want to learn more about using Bb Vista from a teaching perspective (managing assignments, assessments, the Grade Book, etc.). Come with questions!
Brown Bag Lunch
- Brown Bag: Using a Learning Management System for Face-to-Face Courses
Thursday, December 10, noon – 1:00 p.m.
This session discusses ways faculty can use Blackboard or Bb Vista to save class preparation time, conserve resources, and enhance traditional face-to-face courses.
Camtasia
- Desktop & Presentation Recording: Camtasia Relay
Tuesday, January 12, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, February 9, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Learn about the basics of screencasting, how to prepare yourself for the recording process, and use Camtasia Relay to record your desktop for publication on the Web.
- Recording and Editing with Camtasia for Mac
Thursday, January 14, 10:00 a.m. – noon
Learn how to use Camtasia for Mac to record your desktop and presentations, edit your work, and produce media files. Prerequisite: Desktop and Presentation Recording: Camtasia Relay. Recommended: Bring your Intel-powered Mac laptop (MacBook, Pro, or Air). - Recording and Editing with Camtasia Studio for Windows
Thursday, January 21, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 23, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Learn how to use Camtasia Studio for Windows to record your desktop and presentations, edit your work, and produce media files. Prerequisite: Desktop and Presentation Recording: Camtasia Relay.
DragonDrop
- DragonDrop Basic Training
Thursday, December 17, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Friday, January 22, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, February 25, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
This workshop will introduce you to the basics of working with DragonDrop, a web-based application for capturing, encoding, and publishing rich media for web access.
Dreamweaver
- Dreamweaver Basic
Wednesday, January 13, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 11, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
In the basic course we create simple pages using Dreamweaver CS4, including headings, lists, images, and links. - Dreamweaver Intermediate
Thursday, January 28, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 25, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
In the intermediate course, we create and modify stylesheets and apply styles including fonts, float positioning, and colors.
Respondus
- Respondus and StudyMate
Thursday, January 14, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Respondus products help us to easily import quiz questions/answers into Bb Vista, secure the online testing environment, and create interesting (and entertaining) learning objects.
SharePoint
- SharePoint Basic
Thursday, January 7, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, February 11, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
SharePoint is a powerful tool for collaborating on documents. This session is an overview of SharePoint’s key functions, providing step-by-step directions.
Snap
- Snap Basic
Tuesday, January 12, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
For new users of Snap, Drexel's survey software. A demonstration of the entire survey setup process will be presented. - Snap Advanced
Wednesday, December 16, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Advanced users of Snap will learn how to create a survey, set up routing rules, and send automated survey invitation and reminder messages through Snap. Password-protected surveys and iterative surveys will also be discussed.
Wimba Live Classroom
- Wimba Classroom and Other Wimba Tools
Friday, February 26, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wimba Classroom is a synchronous, virtual classroom. Its features include multi-way audio and video, easy upload of PowerPoint presentations, application sharing, polling, and more—all designed to create a robust online classroom experience.
To sign up for any of these events, please email olt@drexel.edu.