Technology Update - July 05, 2011

Table of Contents

News and Notes from the Online Learning Team

Important: SPSS 19 for Students Now Available

IBM SPSS 19 has been licensed for student use on both the PC and Mac platforms from now until the summer of 2012. Students who need IBM SPSS for coursework can download it from IRT's software site at http://software.drexel.edu. If you've already installed IBM SPSS 19 prior to this announcement, you will need to update your license key with the one provided on IRT's software site. If you have the previous version, IBM SPSS 18, you must uninstall it before installing the new version because the license for version 18 expired as of June 30, 2011.

If you have any questions about the availability or licensing of IBM SPSS, contact the IRT Help Desk at consult@drexel.edu or 215-895-2020.

Attention: Microsoft Office License Expiration for Students

Over the next several months, Drexel will be phasing out the student site license for Microsoft Office, which was previously offered to Drexel students at no cost. Current licenses for student copies of MS Office will expire on October 31.

However, there are a few options* for students who wish to obtain MS Office once Drexel's license expires:

1. Through Drexel's LinkEdu service, you can activate a Microsoft Exchange Labs account (eLink) through https://accounts.drexel.edu. The eLink account provides student access to components of Microsoft Office WebApps via Windows Live, a 25 GB SkyDrive for storage, and 10 GB of additional email quota. See Microsoft's eLink for more information.
   
   
2. If you prefer to purchase your own copy of MS Office, log into DrexelOne, click the "Drexel" tab, and look under "Hardware and Software" for a link to JourneyEd. JourneyEd provides productivity software, including MS Office for Windows and Mac, at an educational discount.
   
   
3. You can also purchase MS Office directly from a computer vendor when you buy a new computer.

*More options can be found at AskDrexel.

Drexel continues to provide many academic applications to its students at no cost on IRT's secure software server. To view a full list of software and its availability on campus, visit IRT's Web site.

For more information or clarification, please contact the IRT Help Desk at consult@drexel.edu or 215-895-2020.

Adobe Connect Upgrade

Adobe Connect has been upgraded to version 8. Along with the version upgrade, please note that the URL for Adobe Connect has been changed. All previous URLs will continue to function, but we recommend that you use the new one: http://drexelmeeting.adobeconnect.com.

To learn more about the new version of Adobe Connect, you can visit the Adobe Connect 8 site or the Migration Center.

For questions or more information, please contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu or 215-895-1224. Overview information also appeared in the August 25, 2010 issue of the Tech Update.

Recordings in Adobe Connect

You can record sessions in your Adobe Connect room by clicking on the "Meeting" link at the top left and selecting "Record Meeting." From here, you will be able to enter a name for the recording as well as a description.

Once the recording is complete, a separate URL will be generated in the system. This URL can be made public so that anyone can view the recording. To obtain the URL, email the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu.

You can also make recordings available offline, which will run through the entire session on your computer and save it as an FLV file. Before proceeding, make sure that you disable your screen saver and check your monitor's and computer's sleep options to ensure that they will not interfere with this process.

Handy Shortcuts in Windows

There are many handy keyboard shortcuts in Windows that you can use to streamline your activities. The following are a few of the shortcuts that Windows offers:

Taskbar Shortcuts

Ctrl + Shift + Click on a taskbar button (Open a program as an administrator)
Shift + Click on a taskbar button (Open a program or quickly open another instance of a program)
Ctrl + Click on a grouped taskbar button (Cycle through the windows of the group)

For more Windows keyboard shortcuts, check out Microsoft's Keyboard Shortcuts page.

News and Notes from the Online Learning Team

Bb Vista Tip: Using the Announcement Tool

Have you ever deployed an announcement only to later realize that it needed some editing? Unfortunately, you can't edit an announcement in Bb Vista once you have sent it. The next time you create an announcement, consider setting the start time for the announcement to 15 minutes in the future so that you have ample time to preview and edit it, if necessary. Remember to check the box next to "Also deliver as: A pop-up message" so that students will see the announcement when they next log into the course.

Adding a Content Link to a Bb Vista Calendar Entry

Did you know that a link to content can be added to a Bb Vista calendar entry? Here's how:

1. In the calendar for your course, click on the "Add Entry" button.
   
   
2. At the bottom of the screen, click on the “More Options” link to expand it.
   
   
3. You can either click "Add File" to link to a document, or "Add Content Link" to link to an item within a Bb Vista tool (i.e., a Discussion or a Web Link). Note that only one file or content link can be added per calendar entry.

Deleting a Column from the Bb Vista Grade Book

To delete a column from the Grade Book (under "Instructor Tools" in the "Teach" tab):

1. Go to "Grade Book Options" > "Column Settings" in the upper right-hand corner of the Grade Book.
   
   
2. Place a checkmark in the box(es) above the column(s) you would like to delete, and then click the "Delete" button in the bottom left-hand corner.

Note: If you try to delete a column that is associated with an item in a tool area (i.e., an assessment, assignment, or discussion), you will receive the message "One or more of the columns you selected cannot be deleted from the Grade Book." In order to delete the column, you must first delete the item that is associated with the column from its native tool area (i.e., Assessments, Assignments, or Discussions), at which point you will be able to delete the column from the Grade Book.

If you have any questions about deleting a column(s) from the Grade Book, please contact the Online Learning Team at olt@drexel.edu or 215-895-1224.

Sign Up for OLT Workshops

The Online Learning Team conducts training sessions on Blackboard (Bb) Vista, Camtasia, DragonDrop, Dreamweaver, Mac OS X, Respondus, SharePoint, and Wimba Classroom. In addition, several brown bag lunches and workshops on technology products of interest (Microsoft Windows 7, Office 2010, PowerPoint, Turnitin, GIMP, Audacity, etc.) are held each month. These training sessions are open to members of Drexel’s community as well as the general public.

To reserve a spot at any of these workshops, email us at olt@drexel.edu with your name, institution (if other than Drexel), contact information, and the name of the workshop(s) you would like to attend.

Below is a sampling of workshops taking place in July and August:

Bb Vista Full Day Workshop
Friday, July 22, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Recording and Editing with Camtasia Studio for Windows
Tuesday, August 9, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Surveys: Qualtrics Basics
Friday, July 8, 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

DragonDrop Basic Training
Tuesday, July 19, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Layout and Presentation with Dreamweaver
Thursday, August 11, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Visit our Web site for our complete training schedule and workshop descriptions. Unless otherwise noted, all training sessions will be held in room 116 of the Korman Center (off the Quad on Drexel's Main Campus, 33rd Street between Market and Chestnut Streets).