IRT Technology Update
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Contents:
01. Malware Disrupts Network Service for Many on Campus
02. The New Exchange Server 2007
03. Updated AntiVirus Program Available: Symantec EndPoint 11
04. DragonFly Wireless Update
05. Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8
Tips & Tricks
News & Notes from the Online Learning Team
07. Download Your Portfolio from the Folio Server
08. Bb Vista Mail
09. Bb Vista Course Section Archiving
10. TLT Group Membership
11. E-Learning 2.0 Conference Presentations Available
12. Faculty: Pilot the Sakai System!
13. Workshops for April
1. Malware Disrupts Network Service for Many on Campus
IRT is continuing to shut off network ports to numerous computers around campus that have been infected with Trojan software. The software installs rogue network control software that attempts to interfere with the University’s official servers by sending bogus configuration information to other computers. If this bogus information is successfully received by other computers, it could be used to spread malware, steal identities and confidential information, and commit computer crimes.
To reduce the threat of infection on your computer, prevent identity theft, and help protect the University community, ensure that your firewall is on (better yet, block all incoming connections and disable any firewall exceptions), regularly scan for viruses, and keep your software up-to-date with the latest patches from Microsoft, Apple, Symantec, and others.
For more information, contact the IRT Help Desk at consult@drexel.edu, call 215-895-2020 or visit the Korman Front Desk. For a full schedule of Korman hours, visit http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/facilities/korman.
2. The New Exchange Server 2007
In March, the Office of Information Resources and Technology has upgraded its Exchange service from version 2003 to version 2007. Benefits of the new version include larger 1 GB mailboxes, easier off-campus access, an enhanced interface for Outlook Web Access (OWA), and new features for users with compatible smartphones.
Exchange users will not need to make any configuration or login changes since email clients should be able to pick up the new servers automatically. Additionally, Exchange 2007 users who activate the Outlook Anywhere feature no longer require a VPN connection to check their email from off-campus.
More information about the new OWA can be found at http://ask.drexel.edu by searching for the keyword “OWA.”
If you have any questions or concerns about the migration or would like to learn how to activate the Outlook Anywhere feature, send an email to consult@drexel.edu, or call the IRT Help Desk at 215-895-2020.
3. Updated AntiVirus Program Available: Symantec EndPoint 11
Version 11 of Symantec EndPoint Protection, the new name for the old Norton and Symantec AntiVirus, is now available for download by students, faculty, and staff at Drexel. To download this new version of EndPoint, visit the Computer Marketplace at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/comp_mark/software.html and click “Login to Download Software.” Log in with your username (in the format abc12@drexel.edu) and password, select ”Student” or “Faculty & Staff”, then “PCsoftware”, “SymantecAV”, and “SEP11.”
Carefully read the text file containing the installation instructions before installing Symantec EndPoint Protection (SEP) 11. With SEP 11, users can choose to install all features (“Typical” installation) or selectively install certain features (“Custom” installation). Please note that the SEP Personal Firewall, if installed, will disable the built-in Windows firewall. No matter if you choose to install the SEP firewall or retain your Windows firewall, only one firewall should be active at any time while connected to Drexel’s Ethernet or Wi-Fi network.
It is strongly recommended that users uninstall older antivirus software before installing a new protection program. To uninstall a previous antivirus program, access “Add / Remove Programs” under Start > Control Panel.
If you have any questions or concerns about this software, please email the IRT Help Desk at consult@drexel.edu or call 215-895-2020.
4. DragonFly Wireless Update
IRT has recently deployed the DragonFly3 wireless network to the Main Building complex (Main Building, Randell Hall, Curtis Hall, and Alumni Engineering Labs), Myers Residence Hall, and Ross Commons.
DragonFly3, where available, is the preferred wireless network. It provides the fastest and most secure wireless networking available.
For connection instructions, visit IRT’s recently updated documentation site, http://drexel.edu/dragonfly. To help with the transition to DragonFly3, the basic "dragonfly" network has been made available in all DragonFly3-enabled buildings.
If you need DragonFly3 configuration assistance, please visit the Korman Help Desk. For a full schedule of Korman hours, visit http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/facilities/korman.
5. Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8
Microsoft Corporation has released the latest version of its Web browser, Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). IE8 contains a number of speed, reliability, and security improvements. As a result of these significant improvements, Microsoft is rolling out the release as a “high priority” update.
In the event of incompatibilities with key Web applications, IE8 can be uninstalled by accessing “Add / Remove Programs” under Start > Control Panel. However, given the prevalence of viruses, malware, and spyware, Microsoft suggests only uninstalling IE8 or reverting to an earlier version only if absolutely necessary.
Since IE8 has not yet been tested with Drexel’s software, including applications that check browser version, IRT cannot guarantee compatibility until further testing has been performed. Therefore, Drexel computers will continue to run Internet Explorer 7.
For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Internet-explorer/.
Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks are helpful articles that address a variety of Windows and Mac applications. Click on the link below:
Selecting the Text Box Placeholder in PowerPoint
News & Notes from the Online Learning Team
7. Download Your Portfolio from the Folio Server
Did you know that you can download your portfolio(s) from the Folio server? This option is especially beneficial for seniors, as Folio accounts expire 30 days after graduation.
To download your portfolio, log in to Folio via http://efolio.drexel.edu or DrexelOne (http://one.drexel.edu) and click on the “Share” tab. Click on the “View” link to the right of the portfolio name. On the next screen, click on the “Export” button in the upper right-hand corner to download a zip file containing an HTML version of your portfolio. Please note that you must first extract the zip file before viewing your portfolio.
If you have any questions, please email eportfolio@drexel.edu.
8. Bb Vista Mail
Would you like your students to receive a copy of Bb Vista-generated email in their regular mailbox?
If so, have them do the following:
1. After logging in to Bb Vista, select "My Settings" in the upper right-hand corner of the Bb Vista Home page.
2. Click the "Edit Profile" button.
3. In the Email field, enter the email address that is checked most frequently. To make this email address visible to other users of Bb Vista, ensure that the “Public” box is checked.
4. Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the screen.
5. Click the “My Tool Options” tab.
6. Scroll down to the Mail settings. Look for the subheading "Mail forwarding," and place a checkmark in the box next to "Forward all mail messages to the e-mail address in my profile."
7. Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the screen.
The next message created in Bb Vista will automatically be forwarded to their mail account.
Students should note that messages forwarded to their mail account are only copies of the original messages and cannot be replied to. In other words, forwarded messages serve as a notification that they have new mail in a Bb Vista section(s). To reply to a Bb Vista message, students can log in to Bb Vista, open the original message, and click “Reply.”
9. Bb Vista Course Section Archiving
As we enter the 200835 Spring quarter, we want to remind instructors that course sections from the 200725 Winter quarter (January-March 2008) will soon become unavailable in the system. Faculty members who are concerned about data becoming inaccessible can take the following steps:
1. Download your pertinent data
Almost all information in the course can be downloaded and stored locally. If you are concerned about grade audits, download the grade book, assignments, assessment reports, mail, etc. While these items can be restored from archived backups, much of this information is more easily retrieved from spreadsheets and text files that are downloadable by the instructor. Contact olt@drexel.edu for more information.
2. Request a copy of your archived course
Even though backups of course sections are proprietary to Bb Vista, the Learning Management System (LMS) currently supported by IRT, you can request that a copy of your archived course section be made available to you. This way, you will know that you have your own copy that can be restored to any equivalent LMS.
10. TLT Group Membership
Drexel University has recently subscribed to the TLT Group (Teaching, Learning, and Technology), which allows faculty to obtain individual memberships at no cost. The TLT Group helps educators take advantage of changing technology in order to improve teaching and learning. The benefits of acquiring an individual membership include invitations to members-only events and access to online resources, including case studies, online tutorials, and repositories of instructional resources.
For additional information and instructions on how to sign up, visit http://www.tltgroup.org/subscription/individtltgsub.htm. Be sure to visit this site to take advantage of this valuable resource!
11. E-Learning 2.0 Conference Presentations Available
The OLT extends a hearty thank-you to all who attended the 7th Annual e-Learning 2.0 Conference, hosted here at Drexel. With more than 177 attendees and 29 presenters from over 40 institutions all around the region, this year's conference was a tremendous success!
If you would like to access any of the conference presentations, an archive has been posted on our Web site at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/eLearningConf2009/index.html.
Thank you again for your participation in the e-Learning 2.0 Conference! We hope to see you again next year on Drexel's campus.
12. Faculty: Pilot the Sakai System!
The Sakai Collaboration and Learning Environment (CLE) is an open-source platform for teaching and learning that is used by 160 educational institutions around the world. MySakai, a free, hosted instance of the Sakai CLE, allows faculty to pilot Sakai tools and collaborate with Sakai users.
Faculty can use MySakai free of charge. To learn more and to register for an account, visit http://mysakai.rsmart.com/xsl-portal.
If you need help getting started, please contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu or 215-895-1224.
13. Workshops for April
The following events are being offered this month. All events will be held in Korman 116 unless otherwise noted.
- Brown Bag Lunch: Helping Students Succeed with Research Projects - Courtesy of Hagerty Library
Wednesday, 4/8/09, 12 – 1 PM
Faculty – get your very own customized “pre-term checklist” to take advantage of new and existing library support services. Administrative support staff – hear examples of research-intensive programs that have taken steps to minimize resource gaps. A beverage and a dessert item will be provided.
- Bb Vista: Using the Teach Tab and More
Thursday, 4/9/09, 1 – 4 PM
An open forum session intended for current or experienced Bb Vista users.
- Snap Advanced
Tuesday, 4/14/09, 2 – 3:30 PM
Advanced users of Snap will learn how to send automated survey invitation and reminder messages, set up login credentials for respondents, and create reporting tables and charts.
- Impatica
Wednesday, 4/22/09, 10 – 11 AM
Impatica for PowerPoint packages a PowerPoint presentation into a file that can be viewed over the Internet without additional user software.
- Camtasia Basic
Wednesday, 4/22/09, 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Record onscreen activity and voiceover, turn it into a polished video, and share it.
- Camtasia Intermediate
Tuesday, 4/28/09, 10 AM – 12 PM
Learn how to edit your video, enhance your audio, and more!
Email olt@drexel.edu to reserve a spot.