Instructional Technology Support http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/ Support material from the Instructional Technology Group. en Copyright 2008 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:34:14 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Syllabus Add a Syllabus and Other Files to WebCT (PDF)]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/syllabus.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/syllabus.html Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:34:14 -0500 Pages and Courses All members of the Emerson community have storage space on the college's "Pages" server. This publicly-accessible Web space can be used to publish Web content and store files. Instructors can also request Web space for specific courses, which can be used to distribute class materials and act as a basic storage space for assignment submissions. http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/pages-and-courses.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/pages-and-courses.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:38:48 -0500 Podcasts A podcast is an audio or video file that can be used to deliver a lecture or reading, enhance a course topic, or expand learning beyond the classroom. Podcasting involves the creation and dissemination of digital audio or video files through the Internet. The unique attribute of podcasting is that material can be delivered via subscription feeds through programs like iTunes. Students who subscribe to classroom podcasts automatically receive files through their computers. http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/podcasts.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/podcasts.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:42:25 -0500 Information Synthesis Information synthesis text ... http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/information-synthesis.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/information-synthesis.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:40:52 -0500 Video
Videos produced to view on a computer and over the Internet allow a large number of students access at any time. Further, students have control over the pace of viewing, replaying, and pausing at critical points. They can also revisit the material at their convenience. Digital video and audio can be displayed through WebCT, PowerPoint and projected in the classroom. Popular digital players include Apple QuickTime and Windows Media Player.

Getting Started

To get started with digitizing and/or editing video, take an account of where you are and what you want to accomplish.
  • What are the critical aspects of the video? What is it that you want students to understand or gain from it?

  • What resources do you currently have?

  • Has the video you plan to use been produced? What format is it in? VHS? Hi8? DVD?

  • How much video are you considering digitizing?

  • Will you shoot your own video? Do you have a camera?

  • How significant is the audio portion of your video?
With these options in mind, have a look at the equipment available on campus for producing video.

Equipment

Cameras and Hardware: Video cameras, digital converters and editing software are available through Media Services and the computer labs. If you have an analog video tape that you'd like to digitize, a member of the Instructional Technology Group can help you digitize it. If you would like to edit existing digital video, you can use Movie Maker (for Windows), iMovie (for Macs) or Final Cut Pro.

Software: Movie Maker and iMovie are available on all Windows and Macintosh computers in the labs. These programs are accessible and user-friendly, allowing options for inserting text and scene transitions. For more about the effects of video transitions, see this brief multimedia article from the Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.

Final Cut Pro is useful for advanced editing. Final Cut Pro can be found on three computers in the Advanced Projects Lab at 120 Boylston Street and in Media Services. You can reserve these computers in advance.

Once you produce and edit your video, you can format it for distribution.

Distribution

There are multiple ways of distributing video to your students.

Classroom Presentation: For class presentations, there are several mediated classrooms available on campus. If your class isn't already scheduled in one, you can reserve either a mediated classroom or schedule a computer and projector to be delivered to your class by Media Services.

Mediated classrooms in the Walker Building (120 Boylston St.) include 202, 210, 229, 230, 233, 508 and 515. Mediated classrooms in the Ansin Building (180 Tremont St.) include 312, 503, 604 and 605.

Streaming: Streaming video is compressed video that can be played as it travels over the Internet. Instead of waiting for the entire file to transfer, streaming video begins playing after the first few frames have loaded on the user's computer. Streaming video is usually viewed through Web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) with plugins (Windows Media or QuickTime) that allow the compressed stream to be decompressed and displayed. An animated description of streaming video can be found in this brief multimedia article, Encyclopedia of Educational Technology: Streaming Video.

To view streaming video, in addition to having Internet access, you and your students must have your computer set to display the video through a viewer plug-in, or player. It is important that the version of the player is up-to-date in order to accommodate the version of the video. The latest Windows Media or QuickTime player is available at the following sites: The Instructional Technology Group can help you prepare and load streaming video clips on the college's streaming server.

CD-ROM or DVD: A third option for distributing video to students is through CDs or DVDs. You can copy video files to CDs or DVDs. The main advantage of CDs and DVDs is that students will have files for their own use, and the quality will be optimal for viewing.

To get started with digitizing and editing video, please contact a member of the Instructional Technology Group.]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/video.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/video.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:39:49 -0500 Visuals
User-friendly and sophisticated tools such as Adobe Photoshop allow you to create just about any type of visual you wish. Visuals can be scanned from photos, drawn, or derived through modification of existing images.

If you would like to develop visual components for your course, please contact the Instructional Technology Group. We will work with you to design and create images and visuals to post to your course Web site or for class presentation with consideration of the following:

Color

Color is a compelling tool that helps engage and motivate your audience, create a mood, emphasize relations between concepts or objects, symbolize, and code distinct items within an image. Contrast, tone, and particular colors quickly convey information that would take paragraphs of text or multiple verbal explanations to duplicate in other forms.

Photos

Scanning printed photos or using digital photos provides a great starting point for a creative image. Putting your own photo or your class photo on your course Web site also contributes to community and can enhance the class dynamic. A good place to begin creating course images is pics.tech4learning.com, a site that offers public domain images.

Spatial Layout

When using more than one image or complementing images with text on a Web page or class presentation, the spatial layout can make the delivery easier and more clear. Proximity on page, contrast, and selective repetition of stylistic elements affect the interpretation and understanding of the material being presented. For example, notice the placement of the image, the quote and the links in the following course visual:

Spatial Layout
(click for larger view)


Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs, useful for presenting detailed information visually, can be easily made from a choice of templates offered in PowerPoint. Options include bar graphs, organizational charts, pie charts and histograms. The use of tables can make categories, lists and specific details more easily decipherable at a glance.

Banners

Banners for course Web sites can be used to engage students and represent the course content, helping to make the media more transparent, immersing the student in the course subject more immediately. Text, images, and photos can be integrated to create a course banner such as the one below, developed for CS646, Online Research:

Online Research Banner

(click for larger view)


Contact the Instructional Technology Group for help and additional information.]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/visuals.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/visuals.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:37:40 -0500 Personal Response Systems (Clickers) Clickers allow students to respond to questions posed by the instructor through a handheld device comparable to a TV remote control. Students responses are automatically tabulated and presented on a projected chart through software that works with PowerPoint. This increases classroom engagement and allows instructors to monitor student understanding and overall course progress. Clicker systems usually include a series of handheld clickers, a classroom computer, a projector, and a small receiving device. http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/personal-response-systems-clic.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/personal-response-systems-clic.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:36:14 -0500 Opinion Poll

Guides

Classroom Opinion Poll (PDF)
A quick guide to using a poll to assess awareness of attitudes and values, written by the Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching at Central Michigan University.

Using On-going Student Feedback to Increase Teaching Effectiveness and Student Learning
This essay by Karron G. Lewis, Ph.D. of the University of Texas at Austin Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment, outlines the benefit of using polls to gauge student feedback throughout the semester and adjust teaching accordingly.

Web Poll Tool
This site, provided by Edith Cowan University, offers ideas and samples for using Web polls in teaching.]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/opinion-poll.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/opinion-poll.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:34:51 -0500 PowerPoint and other Presentation Software

Guides

(Guides are in PDF format)

Nine Tips for Clearer Presentations

Slide Design & Layout Hints

PowerPoint Strategies: Letting Students Fill in the Blanks

Add Files to WebCT

]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/presentation-software.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/presentation-software.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:33:14 -0500 Surveys WebCT and Zoomerang. SurveyMonkey also allows free usage, though limited.

Guides

(Guides are in PDF format)

How to Use the WebCT Quiz/Survey Tool (PDF) ]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/surveys.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/surveys.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:31:51 -0500 ePortfolios ePortfolios text ... http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/eportfolios.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/eportfolios.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:30:36 -0500 Gradebook

Guides

Activate and Use the WebCT Gradebook (PDF)]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/gradebook.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/gradebook.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:28:55 -0500 Online Quiz

Guides

(Guides are in PDF format)

How to Use the WebCT Quiz/Survey Tool]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/online-quiz.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/online-quiz.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:27:25 -0500 Assignment Submission / Drop-Box

Guides

Faculty: How to Use the WebCT Assignments Tool (PDF)

Students: Submit Assignments (PDF)]]> http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/assignment-submission.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/assignment-submission.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:25:30 -0500 Groups Groups text ... http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/groups.html http://blog.emerson.edu/instructional_technology_support/groups.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:24:41 -0500