IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: Thursday, January 11, 2007

DrexelOne, the portal to many Drexel electronic services, has had a face lift, a functional redesign, and some new functions as well. The new DrexelOne is faster, more stable, more feature-rich, easier to use, and better looking. Westphal College graphic design students Chris Ineson and Kyle Cook were enlisted to redesign the look.

As part of IRT's commitment to the principles of StudentsFIRST - and the improvement and enhancement of services - DrexelOne has been redesigned to address user needs, including reducing the number of clicks it takes to get to where you need to go and making more services available.

When you log in, notice that the tabs have changed. There are two new tabs. The "Drexel" tab leads you to resources for the whole university (like library and technology resources); the "Community" tab directs you to resources for the wider community (high-definition student-created television and more). In between are tabs relevant to your own status at the university: "Students", "Faculty", "Employees"; if you have multiple affiliations to Drexel, you may have more than one of these tabs. The "Welcome" link will, as always, take you back to the main DrexelOne page.

More of Drexel's online services can be accessed directly from DrexelOne. Students can see their DragonCard balances, residents can access the MyHousing system, and anyone can sign up for MusicSelect. Additional features will appear in the coming weeks.

A major purpose of the redesign is to make it easier and quicker for you to find what you need. Please explore. There is a "Feedback" link for you to let us know how the new features work for you, and what you'd like to see added.

2. Timeouts on Portal and Bb Vista Learning Management System

During the past quarter there was a period of inconsistent behavior in DrexelOne regarding timeouts. As a result, there may be some confusion about how timeouts actually work.

To clarify: The DrexelOne timeout is set for 20 minutes of inactivity, but this timeout does not affect a session within Bb Vista. As long as the user is actively clicking, keying, browsing within Bb Vista online course delivery application, that session remains open. The Bb Vista timeout for inactivity is 60 minutes.

If and when users see the DrexelOne timeout message, the DrexelOne portal window closes but the Bb Vista window does not.

The DrexelOne timeout period is a necessary function set to maintain security and the integrity of user information within Banner self-serve application, email and the online course delivery system. The window closes only when there is no active use of the portal itself.

3. Windows Vista and Office 2007: Wait a Bit!

There has been much publicity over the past weeks regarding the upcoming consumer release of Windows Vista operating system and Office 2007 (both on January 30, 2007).

IRT's position is for the University to remain on the Windows XP Professional operating system and Office 2003 for the foreseeable future. As of this writing, our earliest (estimated) planned time for upgrading is July 1, 2007. This allows time for testing and sign-off of critical administrative and academic systems, academic applications, web systems and applications.

Members of the Drexel community with responsibility for hardware purchasing should ensure that for all new Windows computer purchases the installed OS is Windows XP Professional-SP2. Drexel's procurement office will review requests-to-purchase to be certain these guidelines are followed.

IRT makes this recommendation also for personal purchases by staff and students for new computers during the first half of 2007; that is, purchase equipment with Windows XP installed for now.

For additional information and up-to-date news as testing proceeds, see http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/winvista/purchaseguidelines.html.

4. Office 2007 Changes to Note

The release of Office 2007 is also scheduled for the end of this month. As with Windows Vista, IRT strongly recommends waiting to upgrade until July 1.

Users who have seen Office 2007 will note quite a few differences in the interface between the former menu and toolbar system and the new tab and button system, named "the Ribbon". More importantly, the file structure within Office 2007 is completely different from previous Office versions.

Users will note that file extensions contain an 'x' at the end - filename.docx, presentation.pptx or worksheet.xlsx - to indicate that the file formats are Office Open XML. Although Office 2007 modules will open files stored in previous versions of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, previous versions of those applications cannot natively open documents stored in the Office 2007 file format.

Microsoft has published an informative article and provides a utility to assist users with previous versions of Office. Users can download the Compatibility Pack, which will enable them to open Word, Excel or PowerPoint 2007 documents in, say, Office 2003, by double-clicking as you would with existing Office applications. It also allows you to save Word, Excel or PowerPoint 2007 files by clicking the Save button in the earlier version of Office.

Those who wish to learn about Office 2007 sooner rather than later may take a trial run at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101741481033.aspx. Choose either a limited-time-only trial version downloaded to your computer or a real-time online interactive test drive via your web browser.

Microsoft also offers online basic training at http://office.microsoft.com/getstarted.

But again, until IRT gives the word to upgrade to Office 2007, users will be personally responsible to make sure that their shared materials are in a format their correspondents can access. We will let you know when IRT is ready to offer support for Office 2007 ... probably next summer.

5. MusicSelect - Have You Enrolled

If you haven't enrolled or re-enrolled in Drexel MusicSelect, you can still do so at pro-rated subscription rates for the rest of the academic year, through August 2007. Students who live in one of the main residence halls enroll for free.

MusicSelect provides fully legal download or streaming services for all kinds of music.

Both Napster and iTunes services are available. (Napster runs only on Windows; Macintosh users can only subscribe to iTunes.)
Faculty and staff members are eligible for 30 percent discounts on Napster service but are not eligible for iTunes discounts with Drexel MusicSelect.
iTunes provides a pay-per-song store with coupons from the MusicSelect program.
Napster is both a store and a streaming or tethering service; members can listen to songs they select as long as their membership is active or buy them to listen to forever.

For more information and to sign up for Drexel MusicSelect, visit http://www.drexel.edu/musicselect.

You can also sign up for MusicSelect within the new DrexelOne - see the "Technologies" channel in the "Drexel" tab.

6. Folio's Old Version Terminates on January 31

This is the last chance for users of the old version of Folio, Drexel's ePortfolio product, to get their content out of the old version 1.6 system and save it to the new version 1.8.1 - or to their local computer.

After January 31, 2007, the old application and all of its contents will be gone, with no chance of recovery. Please help pass the word to all your ePortfolio colleagues.

If you need help moving content from v1.6 to v1.8.1, please contact Rich Varenas in IRT (215-895-4934).

7. Drexel Scores High on Student Use of Technology

Drexel University was one of 96 institutions participating in the Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR) Survey on Student Use of Technology in 2006. Of the 28,000 freshmen and seniors who responded nationwide, 463 were from Drexel. Of these, half lived on campus, more than half were majoring in business or engineering, and nearly half had a cumulative grade average of 3.5 or higher.

Among Drexel students, 23 percent indicate they use their computers more than 40 hours/week, compared to 11.5 percent of those from other schools. Some 51 percent of Drexel students use computers daily for coursework, 88 percent read email daily, and 68 percent use IM daily.

More than half of Drexel students prefer courses with technology use. Nearly all (95.9 percent) say their courses use email; almost three-quarters used WebCT (now Bb Vista), with nearly half using online discussions and online quizzes, and more than half using the online grade book. The majority of Drexel respondents count use of online learning as a convenient and positive experience that improved their learning.

Drexel students also indicated (61.5 percent) that they are conversant with or accomplished in using online library resources.

The ECAR survey is conducted anonymously.

8. Fourth WebCT Users Conference Held at Drexel During Spring Break

eLearning is rapidly advancing to the next level. New technologies, learning management system (LMS) evolution, escalating student expectations, institutional vision, and new services are all stimulating this change. While exciting, this advance to eLearning 2.0 poses many new challenges.

The eLearning Conference, to be sponsored by Drexel University on March 29, 2007, will provide a venue to learn from what others are doing and discuss ways to access the next level of technology integration in the eLearning landscape. Learn about new strategies, pedagogical constructs, best practices, evaluating student performance, and enhancing student learning.

Drexel faculty and staff - and faculty and staff from other eLearning venues in the Mid Atlantic region - are welcome.

WebCT Vista News

9. Online Learning Support During Winter Term

Faculty members, teaching assistants and trainers using Bb Vista or associated technologies may contact the Online Learning Team in person in the Faculty Development Center (FDC) in room 109 of the Korman Computing Center, by calling 215-895-1224, or via email at OnlineLearningTeam@drexel.edu.

Normal weekday hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Online Learning Team can be called on to assist users in learning newer and emerging technologies.

10. More Student Support Available

The IRT web site (http://www.drexel.edu/IRT) contains a number of online learning resources especially for students. These include:

* Short tutorials on Bb Vista features and functions: http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/webct/readiness/navigate/index.html.

* Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/webct/faq/.

* A short video clip on navigating between sections: http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/webct/video/navigatingsections/navigating_between_sections.html.

In addition, students have the following options for help:

* The Online Learning Team has scheduled 13 walk-in sessions during the first three weeks of winter term. This is an open door with no set agenda; come with questions at any time during the one-hour sessions in the Korman Computing Center. See http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/webct/walkinschedule.html for the schedule.

* Students can go to Bb Vista's corporate site for support. Go to http://behind.blackboard.com/s/student/cevista.

* The HELP function inside Bb Vista is powerful and is context-sensitive. Click the HELP link at the top right of the Vista window.

* Students can email the Online Learning Team (onlinelearningteam@drexel.edu) with questions. Or even better, use the Report a Problem link that provides data to the Team so they can spot trends in problems, timeframes, tools, etc. Go to https://surveys.drexel.edu/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=7KIlo35K9o7KG.

11. Trainings for Faculty and Staff

Boot Camps and workshops, both general and on special topics, are scheduled at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/workshops.

Note: Because of the number of people who have attended Camtasia demo-training in 2006, we have added intermediate level training sessions. The currently scheduled trainings for Camtasia and Impatica are:

Tuesday, January 23, 9:30-11:30 a.m. - Intermediate Camtasia

Tuesday, January 30, 1:30-2:30 p.m. - Impatica
Tuesday, January 30, 2:34-3:45 p.m. - Beginning Camtasia

At the January 30 sessions, you will learn how to download the Impatica software and how we can get Camtasia installed on your laptop(s) and/or on-campus desktop(s).

12. Qwik Tips for This Month

* Easy reference for term designators is available on your My Course List page in Bb Vista. Sections from past terms have term designators appended, current term sections do not. Thus, a fall term class might look like this: HUM-101-001-FA06. A current (winter 2007) class would look like this: HUM-101-001.

* You can Hide unwanted sections from view. On your My Course List page, click on the Edit icon (the small pencil in the top-right corner of the Course List channel), select the Sections you want to hide with their check boxes, and click on the Hide button. Return to your My Course List page by clicking on that hyperlink. To "show" sections, select the Show button instead of the Hide button.

* In Bb Vista you can enable student viewing capability before the beginning of the term and beyond the end of the term. Faculty interested in activating this option for one or more of their sections should contact the Online Learning Term at onlinelearningteam@drexel.edu. Provide the specific section information and the new start and/or new end date for each section. You will receive a confirmation email when the change(s) are made.

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: August 20, 2008

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