IRT Technology Update
February 10, 2009
Contents:
01. Updated DragonFly3 Instructions Available
02. Video Conferencing – Korman Computing Center
03. Recycling Old Computers
04. STAR (Dashboard) Report – Fall 2008-09
05. Bucks County Community College: Drexel’s Newest Partner School
06. Top Computer Security Threats: Devices
07. DragonDrop Conversion Feature
Tips & Tricks
News & Notes from the Online Learning Team
12. Firefox 2 Issues in DragonDrop
13. Call for Proposals: 7th Annual E-Learning 2.0 Conference
14. E-Learning 2.0 Conference: Spread the Word!
15. Camtasia Relay
16. PowerLinks Will Not Copy to New Bb Vista Section(s)
17. Prepare Your Students for Online Assessments!
18. Online Learning Team Speakers in the Classroom
19. Training Sessions for February and March
IRT’s instructions for configuring Dragonfly3 on Windows XP and Windows Vista have been updated to include the latest settings, which will provide additional security and should also correct the connection errors that some users have experienced. We suggest that users revisit their configuration with these updated instructions in mind to ensure the best possible wireless service.
To access the updated instructions, visit AskDrexel at http://ask.drexel.edu and click “Current Students Faculty and Staff.” Search for “dragonfly3” and choose “How do I connect to DragonFly3?” from the results. Choose your operating system and follow the instructions. A PDF version can also be downloaded from http://www.drexel.edu/irt/support/wireless/dragonfly3.
The Korman Computing Center contains several classrooms and meeting rooms in which academic and administrative departments can hold high-quality (and in some cases, high-definition) video conference calls. This resource aligns with Drexel’s green initiatives and with cost-containment strategies. As long as room availability permits, IRT can provide the necessary set-up, training, and assistance. To reserve a room, please fill out the online room reservation form located at: http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/facilities/korman/classrooms/index.html.
Room sizes vary, so be certain to include information about attendance on the Korman end of the video conference call. IRT can then schedule the most appropriate room for your session.
If you have old computers that need to be recycled, Drexel offers donation and recycling programs. The Office of Government and Community Relations donates old computers to groups throughout Philadelphia, while Facilities Management sends those too old to be of use to an outside recycling vendor.
For Donated Computers: ALL Drexel software MUST be removed from the computers prior to donation. The only remaining software on donated computers should be the original operating system (do not include any operating system upgrades, such as from Windows 2000 to XP or Vista).
To contact the Office of Government and Community Relations, visit http://www.drexel.edu/admin/ogcr/contact.html.
For Recycled Computers: The department business manager should submit a work order through YARDI. University Facilities will then arrange for the pick-up and recycling of the equipment.
Many Drexel professors are utilizing Blackboard Vista in their course sections across myriad academic disciplines. IRT developed a “Dashboard Report” based on a set of metrics that indicate how content-laden and feature-packed these sections are. We call it the STAR Report (named after the Morningstar Report rationale for evaluating mutual funds in a clear, understandable manner). The following professors topped the report in their respective colleges or schools for the Fall Quarter (AY 2008-09):
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Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design:
7 courses by 6 professors (Anne Cecil, Lee Dash, Brittany Fedor, Troy Finamore, Cecilia Fitzgibbon, and Peter Stratton)
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Bennett S. LeBow College of Business:
25 courses by 21 professors (Robin Abramson, Hande Benson, Burton Brodo, Janet Davidson, Neil Desnoyers, Robert Keidel, Stacy Kline, Merrill Leichty, Arunkumar Madapusi, Kerry Anne McGeary, Thomas McWilliams, Vadake Narayanan, Edward Nelling, Faribiorz Partovi, Patricia Robak, Michael Scheuermann, Elliot Schreiner, Samuel Szewczyk, George Tsakumis, Joan Weiner, and Jennifer Wright)
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College of Arts and Sciences:
22 courses by 15 professors (Valarie Arms, Ingrid Daemmrich, Christie Davis, Cecilie Goodrich, Dona Huggins, Jacqueline Kloss, Annette Molyneux, Gail Rosen, Mary Spiers, Jennifer Stanford, Eva Thury, Scott Warnock, Robert Watts, and Rachel Wenrick)
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College of Engineering:
22 courses by 16 professors (Krystle Adkins, David Augenblick, James Breen, Kara Brunson, Marcos deArruda, James Deiner, Adam Fontecchio, Rick Grandrino, Robert Homa, Carole Mablekos, Stephen Mastro, Maureen McVeigh, David Miller, Patrick O’Brien, Ernest Weiler, and John Zolan)
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Earl Mack School of Law:
One course by one professor (Mark Toth)
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Richard C. Goodwin College of Professional Studies:
Two courses by two professors (Amy Giddings and Nikolaos Linardopoulos)
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School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems (BIOMED):
One course by one professor (Elisabeth Papazoglou)
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School of Education:
One course by one professor (Amitabha Basu)
To view the full report, visit http://www.drexel.edu/irt/star.
Bucks County Community College has recently signed on to use Drexel’s Blackboard Vista system. For Bucks’ spring term, which began on January 21st, there are 335 instructors and 6,531 students enrolled in 460 Bb Vista sections. With the addition of Bucks to our network, we are pleased to report that there are now 40,000 students being supported on Blackboard Vista!
While software updates and virus protection applications can greatly increase protection from threats such as hackers, viruses, malware, thieves, email scams, and more, users are ultimately responsible for ensuring the security of their computing environment. The following article, the second in a series of three, summarizes threats to computer security from electronic devices and networks.
More information about these threats can be found in the Chronicle of Higher Education at http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i17/17a00901.htm in an article entitled “Top 10 Threats to Computer Systems Include Professors and Students” by Jeffrey R. Young.
For more information about computer security threats, search for “security,” “malware,” “spyware,” or “viruses” at http://ask.drexel.edu. You can also call the IRT Help Desk at 215-895-2020 or email consult@drexel.edu.
Computers and Other Devices
Computers can present a number of security risks. Without an active firewall and antivirus software, a computer is vulnerable to remote access (hackers) and the transmission of viruses, worms, and malware. Firewalls should be active 100% of the time and virus scans should be run once a day. Software updates also ensure that the latest protection is installed on your computer.
In the past several years, numerous other devices that can connect to the Internet and browse the Web are flooding the market. Such devices include iPhones and other cell phones. These devices present new security risks and are being used for tasks (email, IM, Web browsing) originally performed on laptops. Without a firewall or antivirus software, these devices are vulnerable to newly-developed viruses. Even if antivirus software has been installed, the antivirus software or any sort of scanning application can quickly run down a phone battery, making security more difficult to maintain. Internet-capable cell phones can also be easily broken or lost, so it is best to avoid storing sensitive information on them. With firewalls, antivirus software, and current updates to the operating system, a computer is, in comparison, a more secure place for such information.
Did you know that DragonDrop can turn your MS Word documents into podcasts? Text-to-speech – it’s true! For example, DragonDrop can convert a Word document into an MP3 file that you can then listen to on your computer or portable device.
If you would like to learn how to convert such documents, watch for upcoming Camtasia Relay and DragonDrop training and information sessions. You can also contact the Online Learning Team to learn more by sending an email to olt@drexel.edu.
Tips & Tricks are helpful articles that address a variety of Windows and Mac applications. Click on one of the links below:
Email Tip: Saving Your Work
Embedding Office Files and Email Messages in OneNote 2007
Mini Toolbar in Office 2007
Windows Vista: Restore a Previous Version of a Recent File
News & Notes on Online Learning
Some users of DragonDrop have encountered issues while using Firefox 2. The DragonDrop team is aware of the problem, and is working on a solution. In the meantime, please upgrade to Firefox 3 or use Internet Explorer.
Presentation proposals are currently being accepted for the 7th annual e-Learning 2.0 Conference, hosted by Drexel’s Office of Information Resources & Technology. The conference will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2009 in Behrakis Grand Hall at the Creese Center. Past conferences have included presentations focusing on the use of existing and emerging technologies to augment face-to-face classes, teach hybrid Web-enhanced classes, and facilitate completely online, Web-delivered classes. For more information about the conference, to register, or submit a proposal, please visit the conference Web site at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/elearningconf2009/index.html.
Last year’s conference brought together more than 160 participants from over 40 regional institutions to share experiences and insight on the topic of learner engagement via the Internet. This year, our keynote speaker will be John Fritz from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who will be discussing his recent work on assessing how students use learning management systems most effectively. A small, nominal registration fee for Drexel participants will cover a variety of offerings.
The deadline for proposal submission is February 27, 2009. Any questions or concerns can be directed to el2n@drexel.edu. We look forward to your participation in this year's event!
Have colleagues at other schools? Would they like to present at the e-Learning 2.0 Conference on March 26? Please tell them about it and point them toward the conference Web site at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/eLearningConf2009/index.html.
Help us spread the word and make it a great event once again!
Camtasia Relay, a new stand-alone application that integrates with DragonDrop, allows users to capture and publish content from anywhere on the Web, from a classroom, or on the road. Content that is captured through Camtasia Relay will automatically appear in the Capture playlist (CAPTURE-[your username]) in DragonDrop.
Unlike DragonDrop, in order to use Relay, users must first request an account from IRT by sending an email to rmcp@drexel.edu. Once an account has been created, users can log in at https://relay.irt.drexel.edu/Relay/default.aspx with their Drexel username and password. A complete walkthrough of Relay will be available from IRT shortly.
If you copied content from a previous section to your Winter term section in Bb Vista, any PowerLinks -- including Turnitin assignments, Wimba tools (Classroom, Voice tools, Pronto, and Podcaster), and Blackboard Scholar instances -- will not transfer successfully to your new section. After deleting the old links, recreate them by going to the Build tab, clicking “Add Content Link,” and selecting the item(s) you would like to add.
A self-test designed to prepare students for online assessments has been added to the newly-revamped Drexel Default Template in Bb Vista. If you applied the new Drexel Default Template to your Bb Vista section, you will find the quiz, entitled “Sample Quiz About Test-Taking,” in the Assessments tool. If you did not apply the new Drexel Default Template, a member of the Online Learning Team can import the self-test into your section. To request an import, contact us at olt@drexel.edu.
Online Learning Team members are available to come to class sessions—at whatever time needed, including online, nights, and weekends—to inform students about the services offered by IRT and to demonstrate any Bb Vista tool or process.
To contact the Online Learning Team, email olt@drexel.edu or call 215-895-1224.
All sessions to be held in Korman 116, unless otherwise noted:
- Bb Vista Full Day Workshop (New to Bb Vista) - February 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Snap Advanced Demo - February 17, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Impatica Demo/Training - February 18, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- Camtasia Basic - February 18, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- Advanced Dreamweaver - February 19, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Brown Bag Lunch - Writing for the Web: How to Write Copy for Websites and Web-Based Courses - February 20, from noon to 1 p.m.
- Bb Vista Workshop (Experienced Users) - February 24, Korman 115, from 9 a.m. to noon
- Camtasia Intermediate - February 26, from 10 a.m. to noon
- Basic Dreamweaver - March 18, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Snap Basic Demo - March 19, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Bb Vista Full Day Workshop (New to Bb Vista) - March 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.