IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: June 26 2003

Doctors, multi-media experts, and people who are both doctors and multi-media experts, are on the Drexel University City campus this week for the "Slice of Life" conference on medical multimedia development and education.

The five days of workshops, auditorium sessions, breakouts, demonstrations, and posters are being held from June 24-28. Most of the sessions will be in the Creese Student Center (Mandell Theater), the Korman Computing Center, or the Rush Building, so please be ready to offer help to any lost-looking guests. One of the hands-on demonstrations will be held at the Queen Lane medical campus.

The keynote address on "What Makes Content Great" will be given by Jared Spool of Tufts University.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Drexel University and the Drexel College of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Utah. Approximately 250 participants from around the world are here to learn the latest techniques in using technology for medical education and practice.

For details, see http://slice.gsm.com

2. WEBMAIL: THE END

If you normally use Webmail, you should now either be using web-based email through DrexelOne, or you should be setting up an email client such as Outlook or Outlook Express. See http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/ConfigureEmail.html for instructions. The web-based email access is good if you want to read your mail from multiple locations; the email client is tied to one computer but gives you a much richer set of features.

Please choose an alternative to Webmail by June 30 so that you won't be without email.

3. SPAM REPORTING

IRT has instituted a new address to use for reporting SPAM. The new address, spamreports@drexel.edu, replaces abuse@drexel.edu only for the sending of samples of Spam mail. Abuse@drexel.edu will remain available for reporting compromised systems on the network, DOS attacks, etc. See the following new help page in the IRT website for complete information on how to report, what information is required by our spam investigators in order to follow up on your report, and how to find that information: http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/spamreport.html.

4. WALK-IN HOURS FOR HELP IN CENTER CITY

The Walk-In Help Desk in room 4138 New College Building in Center City is now available for the following hours:

Monday, Thursday, Friday 9:30 am until 12:30 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday 12:30 pm until 3:30 pm

5. TO RESERVE A CLASSROOM AT KORMAN OR BELLET

Professors, instructors, and other qualified personnel may reserve classrooms in the Korman Computing Center in University City or the Bellet Building in Center City, either for a single occasion or an entire term.

Please use the form at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/facilities/korman/classrooms/index.html . The form reminds you of the information you need to supply. It is especially important to alert us to any special software you may require, and to supply copies of the software a month before the beginning of the term. For details on room reservations, see http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/policies/classrooms.html.

6. USING THE UNIVERSITY PHONE SYSTEM

Do you want to leave a special message when you're going to be away for a prolonged period of time? Do you want to get word to a professor who is teaching a class in his office, but without interrupting the class? Do you yourself want some uninterrupted time to work without a phone ringing, but still want to receive important messages?

All these things - and much more - are possible using the University's Meridian phone system. See http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/support/tutorials.html, Phone System - Telephone and Voice Mail for an overview.

For how to use the Meridian telephone system, refer to http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/telecom/training/Voice/pages/Slide01.htm

For how to use the voicemail system, refer to http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/telecom/training/Voicemail/pages/Slide01.htm

To report a telephone repair problem, send email to telephone-request@drexel.edu

7. STUDENT PHONE SERVICE CHANGING

In keeping with Drexel's goal to provide students with choices in technology and services, we are modifying our residence hall phone service plan starting this summer.

To use phone service in a residence hall room, students will bring a standard phone of their choice to campus and plug it in to the phone jack installed in the room. Students will have unlimited on-campus calling and local and nearby regional calling service at no charge. (Regional calling includes the nearby suburbs in the 215-267 and 610-484 area codes; if you try to dial too far, you'll receive a fast busy signal.) Access to 800-numbers and 911 is also free.

For long distance and international calling, we recommend that students use either a long distance calling card, for which rates are quite competitive, or use a personal cell phone under an existing plan.

Students will be able to receive calls from anywhere and each student will have a personal voicemail box on the phone in the room, which is also where University messages about special events and campus issues will be received.

If you have questions regarding telephone service in the residence halls, please contact IRT/Telecom at 215-895-5862.

8. PHILADELPHIA FUTURES SUMMER COMPUTER CAMP

Drexel is hosting a summer Computer Camp for the 12th consecutive year for students from Philadelphia schools, sponsored by Philadelphia Futures. Some 35 tenth-grade students will be in and around the Korman Computing Center from July 7 to August 15, learning some of the finer points of computing and how it is used in managing a modern business.

This year's highly topical theme, with an eye to the new sports complexes going up in South Philly, will be "Developing a Community Recreation Center".

9. ARRANGING A VIDEOCONFERENCE

Do you need to meet with several people at remote locations? Do you want a specialist in Seattle to lecture to your class? Are you invited to give the keynote address at a prestigious conference but just don't have time to go? Videoconferencing may be your answer.

Videoconferencing is now readily available for online courses and other purposes. To inquire, send email to vcserve@drexel.edu or irtweb@drexel.edu . Facilities are available at all Drexel campuses.

-------WebCT News-----------

10. WebCT Campus Edition v4.0 Update

Thank goodness for testing!

We found some glitches in the way the new WebCT CE v4.0 links up with the Banner system at Drexel. We are working closely with WebCT and SCT on the issue, so stay tuned for more info. We now expect to upgrade sometime in late July.

11. BOOT CAMPS

WebCT Boot Camps fill up quickly these days. Make your reservations early! Every monthly Boot Camp this year has been full.

Here is the schedule for the balance of 2003:

Friday, July 25 - full
Friday, August 22 - 2 slots left
Friday, Sept 26
Friday, Oct 24 - just added
Friday, Nov 21 - just added
Friday, Dec 19 - just added

Boot Camps are held in the Korman Computing Center Room 116, starting at 9 am and continuing until about 3:30 pm. We supply the laptops for this primarily hands-on activity. Lunch is provided.

To reserve your spot, email us at webct@drexel.edu

12. PLAN AHEAD FOR WEBCT SHOWCASE

The WebCT Showcase is planned for July 30 and we will be asking for proposals very soon.

Last year we saw many innovative and informative presentations by faculty and colleagues on how they were using WebCT. Again this year we will select the "best of the best" to provide a variety of cutting edge and practical presentations on incorporating WebCT functions and features in face-to-face as well as online courses.

Please think about the aspects of your course that you would like to present at the Showcase. Include the exciting and meaningful ways you have used WebCT functions and features for your learners.

Watch your email for the request for proposals.

13. TIPS FOR THIS MONTH

* WebCT is especially "user friendly" when you use html pages.

-- They can be edited, saved, and even created from scratch right in WebCT.
-- They load for viewing faster than any other type of document.
-- They can include links to outside and internal sources.

* Using the Syllabus "tool" in WebCT, you can activate or deactivate sections of your Syllabus. When a section is not active, your students cannot see it but it remains available to you for later activation. You do not have this flexibility when linking students to html, pdf, or doc files.

* Keep your course menu "short and sweet" by using Organizer Pages and Content Modules. You can provide a multitude of links to make content available while needing only one link for each OP or CM. It's easier for students to find your content.

* Direct your students to the Mail feature in your WebCT course and insist that they use this rather than your office or home email address. This keeps all the email for your course in one place, organized and available for review.

* Visit DES-101 often. It appears on your MyWebCT page, under the Default Term header. Faculty members are enrolled in this WebCT "course" as students when they attend a WebCT Boot Camp. The course showcases and demonstrates emerging technologies and makes information available that will enhance the online learning experience of your students. For example, check out Wimba, a new application that enables you and your students to voice-annotate Discussions, Mail, and Chat.

Modified: October 3, 2008

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