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June 30, 2010

Contents:
01. Telephone Caller Identification Enhanced
02. “Exploring the iPad” Workshop a Huge Success!
03. ListServ Tip of the Month: Requesting Class List Creation
Tips & Tricks
News & Notes from the Online Learning Team
08. ITC Hours
09. Save Time in the Bb Vista Grade Book!
10. Summer Clean-Up: Manage Your Course List in Bb Vista
11. Administer a Timed Exam in the Assignments Tool in Bb Vista
12. Extend a Bb Vista Section from Spring Term (200935)
13. Turnitin2 Coming in August
14. iWebfolio v4.4 Released in June
15. Easily Acquire User Information in Wimba Classroom
16. Schedule for Upcoming IRT Workshops

1. Telephone Caller Identification Enhanced
The University City campus telephone system is now able to display the calling party's name in addition to the telephone number for incoming calls originating from off-campus. This feature is available only for Nortel telephone instruments equipped with a display if the telephone company provides the identification information and the calling party hasn’t elected to block it. Additionally, Nortel phones equipped with a "Call Log" feature are now able to return off-campus calls directly from the “Callers List” when the “Dial” soft key is pressed.
Visit http://drexel.edu/irt/phones/instructions for more information on how to use the Callers List and other Telephone features.
If you have any questions, please email telephone-request@drexel.edu.

2. “Exploring the iPad” Workshop a Huge Success!
More than 30 faculty and staff members attended our May 26th workshop about the iPad, Apple’s new tablet computer. The session featured a presentation by Apple Senior Systems Engineer Michael Wolk, followed by a lively Q&A.
Do you have ideas for additional Mac workshops? Send us your suggestions by doing one of the following:

  • Text NEWAPPLE followed by your suggestion to 99503
  • Tweet @poll NEWAPPLE followed by your suggestion
  • Go to http://poll4.com and send NEWAPPLE followed by your suggestion

Or, you can send an old-fashioned email to olt@drexel.edu.

3. ListServ Tip of the Month: Requesting Class List Creation
When you need to email students in your class, Bb Vista’s Mail tool offers a quick and easy means of communication. However, if your class is too large to email all at once, or if you would like to set up an email discussion list for your students, a ListServ list might be a better option for you. To request a ListServ list:

  • Log in to Photo Class List at http://www.drexel.edu/classlist with your Drexel credentials.
  • Select the section for which you want to create the list, and click “Email List” on the left navigation bar.
  • In the blue box on the bottom right-hand side, click “create a course email list.”
  • Select the type of list and reply policy. Edit your email address (if necessary) and click “Submit List Request.”

A list creation request will be generated and sent to the Mailing List Team at mailreq@drexel.edu. Please allow at least two business days for your list to be created. For more information about how to use your ListServ email list, refer to the List Manager’s Survival Guide. If you have any questions, please contact the Mailing List Team at mailreq@drexel.edu.
NOTE: Please consider your projected use of the list before you request it, as list creation can be a time-consuming process depending on the volume of requests. Also, note that class email lists are not one-use only! They can be used as many times as needed until they are removed from IRT’s database of lists.

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:
Turn Off Email Notifications in Outlook 2007
Rearrange Paragraphs in Word
Paste Values Instead of Formulas in Excel 2007
Use the Arrow Keys to Finely Adjust Drawing Objects in PowerPoint

News & Notes from the Online Learning Team
8. ITC Hours
Although the ITC is staffed by the Online Learning Team from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, the lab area remains open and available to faculty members during the operating hours of the Korman Center. For a schedule of Korman hours, visit http://www.drexel.edu/irt/facilities/hours.

9. Save Time in the Bb Vista Grade Book!
Tired of entering grades one-at-a-time in the Bb Vista Grade Book? With the “Edit Member” and “Edit Values” functions, you don’t have to! To enter grades for a particular student or a particular grade column all in one screen, follow these steps:

  • Access the Bb Vista Grade Book under “Instructor Tools” in the “Teach” tab.
  • Enter values for a particular student or grade column:
    • To enter values into several grade columns for a particular student, click on the “ActionLinks” menu next to the last name of the student and select “Edit Member.”
    • To enter values into a particular grade column for all students, click on the “ActionLinks” menu next to the name of the grade column and select “Edit Values.”
  • Enter each grade in the appropriate “Change to” box.
  • Once you have entered all of the grades, remember to click “Save” at the bottom of the screen.

REMEMBER: Notes that are entered in the Comment field in the Grade Book are NOT visible to students, and will only be saved if a new grade is entered or if an existing grade is changed.
If you have any questions, please contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu or 215-895-1224.

10. Summer Clean-Up: Manage Your Course List in Bb Vista
Do you have a long list of courses in your Bb Vista Course List? Using the “Edit Course List” feature, you can customize the list so that only relevant courses appear.
Once you have logged into Bb Vista, click on the pencil icon in the upper right-hand corner of the “Course List” channel. The “Edit Course List” screen will appear.
You can hide links to classes one at a time by clicking on the “Hide Link” button next to the class you want to hide, or you can hide multiple classes at once by clicking on the checkboxes next to the course names and then clicking on the “Hide” button at the bottom of the screen. Once you hide a course, the word "(Hidden)" will appear next to the name of the course in the “Edit Course List” screen. Note that when you hide a course, you aren’t removing yourself from the course; you are simply hiding it on your Bb Vista Course List.
You can also move one or more courses to a different position in the list by checking the box(es) next to the course(s) and then clicking on the "Move Selected Above" or "Move Selected Below" button (on the far left, in the “Move” column) corresponding to the location where you would like the course(s) to appear in the list.

11. Administer a Timed Exam in the Assignments Tool in Bb Vista
Do you want to use the Assignments tool to administer a timed exam to students? The Assignments tool does not impose a time limit on submissions, but the Assessments tool does. In the Assessments tool, you can create a one-question assessment that asks “Are you ready to begin the exam?” and configure it (through “Selective Release”) to release an assignment containing the exam questions. Students can then upload their exam answers through the Assignments tool.
The submission of the one-question assessment serves as a date and time stamp for the start of the exam; instructors can then compare this date and time stamp with the stamp for the assignment submission in order to determine if the student exceeded the time limit for the exam (if so, points can be deducted from the student’s score).
If you have any questions about using the Assignments tool to deliver a timed exam, please contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu or 215-895-1224.

12. Extend a Bb Vista Section from Spring Term (200935)
By default, courses in Blackboard Vista open on the first day of the term at midnight and close on the last day of the term at midnight. Student access to courses for the 2009 Spring quarter (200935) was disabled after Saturday, June 12 at 11:59 p.m. Instructors who would like to extend student access to their Spring term course(s) can find instructions at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/coursetools/toolList/bbvista/help/faculty/howToChangeDates.
If you have any questions, please contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu or 215-895-1224.

13. Turnitin2 Coming in August
On August 21, Turnitin will release a new version of its online application. The main feature of the update will be a new report format that will enable the instructor and the student to view the originality report, GradeMark, and Peer Review markup as separate layers in a window that preserves the original format of the document. For more information, visit http://turnitin.com/static/what_is_new.html.

14. iWebfolio v4.4 Released in June
iWebfolio, Drexel’s electronic portfolio system, is a recent upgrade from ePortfolio. The new version of iWebfolio (4.4) includes some useful new features—and some enhancements focused on administrative tasks. Here are the highlights:

  • Reviewers and owners can now create and publish custom presentations.
  • A new “Presentations” tab has been added.
  • Presentations and template categories can now be copied.
  • Improvements have been made to the portfolio export process, including a new “export and log out” feature and email notifications with 15-day availability.
  • An “Allow Download” link has been added in the “Current Exports” page within the “Export” tab.
  • You can now apply custom presentations to templates and resize or move pop-up windows.
  • A problem has been rectified with the “Spell Check” feature when using Internet Explorer 8.
  • For administrators, the license management process has been improved, from reports to control and monitoring functions.

Watch for upcoming iWebfolio training sessions, where you can learn more about the above changes and other improvements in version 4.4.

15. Easily Acquire User Information in Wimba Classroom
Wimba Classroom’s “Enable guest access” setting (located under "Access Settings" in the "Create Live Classroom" screen) allows guests from outside of Drexel to attend Wimba Classroom sessions. Although guests are only prompted for a screen name when accessing the room, you can gather additional data about your attendees, such as full names and email addresses, by using the Polling tool:

  • To access the Polling tool, click the “Add & Manage Content” link on the Wimba Classroom entry page in the “Teach” tab. Next, select “Add & Manage Room Content,” and then click on the name of the folder where you would like to create the poll.
  • If there is previously-existing content in the folder, click the "New Content" button on the right hand-side of the screen. If not, proceed to the next step.
  • Next to "Or Create New Poll," select the “Open Ended” option and click the "Create" button.
  • Enter a title and the question (e.g., “Please enter your full name and your e-mail address”), then click the "Save Changes" button.
  • During the session, select the name of the folder that contains the poll from the drop-down list in the right-hand pane, then click the "Go" button.
  • Click on the title of the poll to display it to participants. Responses will automatically be collected behind-the-scenes.
  • Once the session has concluded, select the "View Records" link from the Wimba Classroom entry page in the “Teach” tab.
  • Select “Poll Results,” select the criteria you want to view, and then click the "View Report" button.
  • You will see the participants’ screen names and their responses listed in the form of a table. You can download the table in .tsv format (which can be opened in Excel) by clicking on the “Download Data” button.

16. Schedule for Upcoming IRT Workshops
Unless otherwise noted, all sessions will be held in Korman 116. To sign up for any of these workshops, please email olt@drexel.edu.
Bb Vista

  • Bb Vista Full Day Workshop
    Thursday, July 15, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, August 3, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
    Friday, September 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    Primarily for 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
    Thursday, August 19, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    This workshop is being offered to individuals who are familiar with Bb Vista and want to learn more about using the system from a teaching perspective (managing assignments, creating assessments, using the Grade Book, etc.). Come with questions!

Brown Bags and Workshops

  • Creating Audio Podcasts with Audacity and DragonDrop
    Tuesday, July 20, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
    Learn how Audacity, a freely-available software package, can be used to record and edit audio for use in your course. This hands-on session will cover basic functionality and techniques, and provide an introduction to podcasting using DragonDrop.
  • Editing Images for Your Course
    Thursday, August 12, 10:00 a.m. – noon
    Learn how GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), a freely-available software package, can be used to fix and edit images for use in your course or personal collections. Basic functionality and techniques will be covered in this hands-on session.
  • Last Name Shall be First and Other Tricks with Microsoft Office
    Wednesday, July 7, noon – 1:00 p.m.
    MS Word’s “Find and Replace” feature is extremely powerful, especially when combined with “Convert Text to Table.” Learn this and other tricks from an Office wizard. Hands-on.
  • Web Enhancements for Traditional Classroom Courses
    Wednesday, September 8, noon – 1:00 p.m.
    Using technology to enhance your traditional campus-based courses benefits you and your students. Studies show that incorporating technology into a lecture-based course saves resources, allows learning flexibility, increases student engagement and satisfaction, and enhances the overall learning experience. Come to this presentation to learn how you can use Blackboard Vista or the Blackboard Classic learning management system to Web-enhance your courses.

Camtasia

  • Desktop and Presentation Recording: Camtasia Relay
    Thursday, July 8, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    Wednesday, September 8, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
    Learn about the basics of screencasting, how to prepare yourself for the recording process, and how to use Camtasia Relay to record your desktop for publication on the Web.
  • Recording and Editing with Camtasia for Mac
    Wednesday, July 14, 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, September 21, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
    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, July 22, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
    Tuesday, August 17, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
    Friday, September 24, 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
    Tuesday, July 20, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
    Friday, August 27, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
    Friday, September 17, 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
    Thursday, July 8, 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, July 29, 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.

Mac Workshops

  • Boost Productivity with Mac OS X Snow Leopard
    Wednesday, July 7, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
    Are you new to the Mac, or do you need a refresher on how to get the most out of your Mac? Join Apple Senior Systems Engineer Michael Wolk as he presents “Boosting Productivity with Mac OS X Snow Leopard: Your guide to using a Mac effectively and efficiently.”

Respondus

  • Respondus
    Wednesday, August 18, 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
    Wednesday, June 30, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
    Tuesday, July 6, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
    Wednesday, July 21, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
    Monday, August 2, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
    Thursday, August 26, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    SharePoint is a powerful tool for document collaboration. This session provides step-by-step directions and an overview of SharePoint's key functions. Topics covered include site navigation, creating and editing items, and uploading documents.

Snap

  • Snap Basic
    Wednesday, July 21, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, September 7, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    This Basic course is geared towards new users of Snap, Drexel's survey software. A demonstration of the entire survey setup process will be presented.
  • Snap Advanced
    Tuesday, August 17, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    In the Advanced course, 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
    Thursday, July 22, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, September 21, 10:00 a.m. – noon
    Wimba Classroom is a synchronous, virtual classroom application that provides a robust online classroom experience. Its features include multi-way audio and video, easy upload of PowerPoint presentations, application sharing, polling, and more. Although it was designed for synchronous use, Wimba Classroom can also be used effectively as an asynchronous tool by allowing instructors to record a lecture at home or at work using the “Archive” feature.