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You’re Invited to ITS Academic Technologies’ First Pizza and Pedagogy Luncheon!

ITS Academic Technologies’ Pizza and Pedagogy teaching and learning workshop series is back!

If you’re interested in an informal, yet intellectually-grounded space for dialogue and debate with like-minded colleagues, we invite you to join us for our first luncheon about using case studies to teach on Thursday, September 27, from 12-1:15 pm in Science Addition 202A.

Case studies are a powerful student-centered teaching tool that can impart students with critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills.

A case study is simply a story used to show the application of a theory or concept to real situations. Depending on the goal they are meant to fulfill, cases can be fact-driven and deductive where there is a correct answer, or they can be context driven where multiple solutions are possible. They are, by their nature, multidisciplinary, and “allow the application of theoretical concepts … bridging the gap between theory and practice” (Davis & Wilcock). Working on cases requires students to research and evaluate multiple sources of data, fostering information literacy, as well as good organizational and time management skills. The case method increases student proficiency with written and oral communication, as well as collaboration and team-work.

Case studies have long been used in business schools, law schools, medical schools and the social sciences, but they can be used in *any* discipline when instructors want students to explore how what they have learned applies to real-world situations.

Sign up at http://go.wlu.edu/pizza !

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Summer 2018 Classroom Technology Upgrades

Since classrooms are used all year round, scheduling upgrades is incredibly challenging. So leave it to the seemingly tireless Classroom Technologies team to spend the summer making enhancements to the following rooms:

  • Early Fielding 109
    • new laser projector!
      Laser projectors use a laser light source technology rather than traditional lamps to generate light. Laser projectors offer better picture quality, enhanced brightness, and a more efficient projection system for overall longevity.
    • now Skype-ready! (ViewShare camera in the screen and mics have been installed in the ceiling.)
    • wireless presentation/projection available via a Mersive Solstice Pod!
      Solstice is platform-agnostic so it works with Apple products, Windows computers and tablets, and Android devices. Additionally, multiple users are able to connect and share at the same time!
  • Early Fielding 114:
    • new laser projector!
    • new screen!
    • wireless presentation/projection via a Mersive Solstice Pod!
  • Huntley Hall 220:
    • new laser projector! 
    • new screen!
    • now Skype-ready! (ViewShare camera in the screen and mics have been installed in the ceiling.)
    • wireless presentation/projection is now available via a Mersive Solstice Pod!
  • Huntley Hall 301:
    • the ability to connect HDMI devices!
    • new laser projector! 
    • new screen!
    • now Skype-ready! (ViewShare camera in the screen and mics have been installed in the ceiling.)
    • wireless presentation/projection is now available via a Mersive Solstice Pod!
  • Parmly Hall 306:
    • new 80″ flat screen panel on the wall (increased brightness, better contrast and clarity)
    • wireless presentation/projection is now available via a Mersive Solstice Pod!
  • Stackhouse Theater:
    • 1st part of 2 part renovation
  • Wilson Concert Hall:
    • COMPLETE technology installation

Many, many thanks to Tom Capito, Alicia Shires, and Todd Goetz for all you guys do! You guys rock!

If you have any questions about classroom updates, please contact the Information Desk at 540.458.4357 (HELP) or email help@wlu.edu.

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See some example ePortfolios created in New Digication!

Student ePortfolio:
Michelle Maguire (University of Alaska-Anchorage)
https://alaska.digication.com/michelle-maguire-a363/homepage

Why we love Michelle’s ePortfolio:
Michelle’s use of a variety of visuals displayed via embedded videos and image galleries adds a richness to her ePortfolio. Presenting her ePortfolio as a museum exhibit entitled, “The Extraordinary Commonplace,” Michelle provides an informative and reflective “Curatorial Statement” that explains the connectivity among the visual attributes she includes in her space. In addition to the aesthetic visual appeal of Michelle’s ePortfolio, we love her creative use of navigation buttons to move viewers through the exhibit.

Michelle Maguire ePortfolio screenshot

Student ePortfolio:
Vanessa Guaman (Manhattanville College)
https://mville.digication.com/vanessa-guaman-professional-eportfolio/about-me

Why we love Vanessa’s ePortfolio:
Vanessa has created a polished and professional ePortfolio to share with potential employers. She has chosen to organize her ePortfolio in such a way that emphasizes the professional skills and competencies she has developed during her time at Manhattanville College. We especially love that Vanessa makes full use of the Digication platform by providing multimedia artifacts and examples that demonstrate her proficiencies and make her learning visible to anyone who views her ePortfolio.

Vanessa Guaman ePortfolio screenshot

Faculty ePortfolio:
Nicole Kendrick (University of Puget Sound)
https://pugetsound.digication.com/nicole-claire-kendrick/home-1

Why we love Nicole’s ePortfolio:

Nicole Kendrick is the program manager and instructor for the Reflective Immersive Sophomore Experience (RISE) at the University of Puget Sound. Nicole welcomes her students with an ePortfolio that provides information about her own interests and relevant experiences, modeling the perfect blend of personal and professional discourse. In addition to serving as a guide for her students, who will be creating their own RISE ePortfolios, Nicole’s ePortfolio contains information and materials that the students will find useful as they engage in the program. We love the approach Nicole has taken with her ePortfolio and the images and narratives she shares.

Nicole Kendrick ePortfolio screenshot

Student ePortfolio:
Elena Fulton (University of Puget Sound)
https://pugetsound.digication.com/elena-fulton-student-portfolio/about_me

Why we love Elena’s ePortfolio:
Elena’s use of layered images adds a beautiful dimension to her ePortfolio, but it doesn’t stop with visual appeal! We love Elena’s candor and thoughtful reflection as she walks viewers through various learning experiences, relating those moments when she gained knowledge–not only of the disciplinary material but also of herself as a thinker and a learner. You might be surprised by what she learned in Organic Chemistry!

Elena Fulton ePortfolio screenshot

Student ePortfolio:
Christine Perry (Appalachian State University)
https://appstate.digication.com/christine-perry-aportfolio/home-1

Why we love Christine’s ePortfolio:
Christine’s exquisite use of photographs draws viewers into her ePortfolio, and her compelling reflections on those photographs relates the stories of her experiences and her goals. Her ePortfolio brings together multiple aspects of Christine’s undergraduate and life experiences and unifies them into the narrative of her personal, academic, and professional development.

Christine Perry ePortfolio screenshot

Faculty ePortfolio:
Rachel Salsedo (Writing Instructor, DePaul University)
https://depaul.digication.com/salsedos-winter-wrd-103/home

Why we love Rachel’s ePortfolio:
Rachel’s ePortfolio serves not only as a course site for her students to visit and access pertinent information and documents, but it also serves as an example for her students, who will be creating an ePortfolio themselves this quarter. Having her own experience with creating an ePortfolio will be of great value when coaching her students on the development of their own spaces. Another notable best practice?  On the home page of her course ePortfolio, Rachel provides a linked attribution for her header image, modeling essential citation skills.

Rachel Salsedo ePortfolio screenshot

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New Digication is Coming!

Features you can expect in the new Digication include:

Flexible Layout
Content can be arranged across multiple columns of adjustable widths using fluid placement with simple drag and drop editing.

Enhanced Text Editing, Auto-Save, & One-Click Publishing
An entirely new set of tools offers more options for customizing text as well as a significantly smoother experience creating and laying out content to your specifications. Entries will automatically save while you create them, and the process of publishing has been simplified to one easy click.

Uploading Files: New Digication Supports Large Files, More File Types, & Mobile Uploads 
Add files to your entries with a simple drag and drop, or upload them from your mobile device. Digication now accepts uploaded files with a size of up to 1 gigabyte each, and you can display PowerPoints, Word documents, videos and other files in new ePortfolios without the need for viewers to download them

Native Image, Audio, and Video Capture
Capture and upload your own images, audio, and video right from your device directly into your new ePortfolios in one easy step.

Connect With Services Like Google Drive, Instagram, Etc 
Access your files from your favorite apps by connecting them with new Digication.

Simplified Infrastructure Design and Organization
Adding new areas for content no longer requires multiple clicks, and new pages can be created, named, and organized en masse instead of one at a time.

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Academic Technologies’ Active Learning Fellows Initiative (ALFI)

ALF (a.k.a. Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF, an acronym for "Alien Life Form")
ALF (a.k.a. Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF, an acronym for “Alien Life Form”)

Ha ha, ALFI, not ALF! ALFI stands for the Active Learning Fellows Initiative.

Academic Technologies is thrilled to support faculty interested in building their repertoire of active learning techniques by providing an opportunity to explore and reflect on active learning pedagogy with like-minded colleagues who also wish to examine the use of classroom space and share their teaching practices.

Professors selected to participate will receive a $1,000 stipend and must be able to meet the following requirements:

  1. As part of the cohort, the professor agrees to read and discuss the recommended articles on Active Learning prior to meetings.
  2. The professor will incorporate active learning elements into a Fall 2019 course. (The professor should have taught the course at least two times previously so that the content is very familiar.)
  3. The professor will identify at least one module in the course that can be reworked using Active Learning techniques.
  4. Cohort members will attend up to four meetings over the summer with Academic Technologies staff and/or other cohort members to work through the process of planning and building the active learning module, and one meeting in the fall to discuss progress. (If you’re planning on being away/abroad for most of the summer, this program may not be for you.)
  5. Professors will provide feedback to Academic Technologies on what worked, what needs improvement, and give suggestions on how to improve the program in the future.
  6. Participate in a Fall or Winter Academy panel session on Active Learning, sharing results of the program.
  7. Participate in future active learning fellows cohort meetings/luncheons, when new participants are ready to discuss how to rework modules, and other sessions, when available.

If you’re looking to try novel teaching practices and experiment with new technologies to better meet the ever-changing needs of today’s students, apply now to be an Active Learning Fellow next summer.

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Registration for Fall Academy 2018 Opens on August 1st!

Registration for Fall Academy begins on this Wednesday, August 1. Visit http://go.wlu.edu/FallAcademy to see all the technology instruction, pedagogy discussions, guest speakers, hands-on workshops, panels, and other sessions for new and returning faculty and staff!

Fall Academy begins on Monday, August 20 and runs through Friday, August 31. There are 90+ sessions this year being offered this year in coordination with the University Registrar, Dean of the College, Office of the Provost, and other offices.

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Join us for the 4th annual Digital Storytelling Workshop over Feb Break!

Academic Technologies is teaming up with StoryCenter once again to offer our 4th annual 3-day Digital Storytelling workshop on February 20-22, 2018. This is a fantastic opportunity for professors to learn first-hand how to create a digital story using iMovie, as well as how to use digital storytelling in the classroom. Digital storytelling can be tailored to the pedagogical needs of many disciplines: language, science, history, business, English, law and more. Samples of digital stories can be found on the StoryCenter website: http://www.storycenter.org/stories/.

If you’re interested in incorporating Digital Storytelling into your course, this is the perfect workshop for you. It takes place on campus during Feb Break. Breakfast and lunch are catered, so all you need to do is focus on creating a digital story.

Apply now at http://go.wlu.edu/digitalstorytelling.

Questions? Contact Julie Knudson at jmknudson@wlu.edu or x8125!

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Spring Term Festival is Upon Us!

As Spring Term comes to a close, things are heating up at Leyburn Library.  We are gearing up for the Spring Festival, Friday, May 19th from noon to 2 pm.  Faculty and students alike have been actively engaged in learning this term and are excited to share their knowledge with you.  

Spring term is known for its in-depth immersion into a narrow topic that allows students to delve deep, and dedicate four weeks of their spring to becoming subject matter experts.  Some exhibits are student lead–check out their interactive exploration of the refugee crisis from W&L students’ first hand experiences working with refugees in Germany and Greece last summer.  Others are sharing their experiences through student-made movies, posters displaying their foray into science topics, their recreation of theater’s special effects, and virtual reality displays that allows you to experience a few moments of their term.

Join us for this exciting display of student learning on Friday, May 19th, at the the courtyards surrounding Leyburn Library and on Leyburn library’s main floor.  Then stop by the back side of Wilson Hall at 3:30 pm and watch the Dance 390 students put on an amazing aerial dance performance!

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iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Available for Checkout!

Have you wanted to use an iPad Pro or try the Apple pencil?

The ITS Help Desk located at the Information Desk on the main floor in Leyburn Library has them to check out to faculty and staff.

iPad Pro data details http://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/specs/

Selected features:

  • iSight Camera – 12-megapixel iSight camera
  • Video Recording
  • Speakers – 4 speaker audio w/ high-fidelity speaker in each corner
  • Microphones – Dual microphones
  • Battery – Up to 10 hours

Apple pencil details https://www.apple.com/apple-pencil/

Selected features:

  • Highly responsive. Virtually no lag time. Draw lines of any weight.
  • IPad Pro is designed with palm rejection technology, making it possible to rest your hand on the iPad screen while you use Apple Pencil.
  • 12 hours of battery life. Slip off the magnetic cap of Apple Pencil to reveal a Lighting connector that lets you charge Apple Pencil simply by plugging it into iPadPro.
  • Use Notes to jot down ideas or sketch a diagram during a lecture.
  • Use your Pencil to mark up a PDF or document in your own handwriting.
  • Use Pixelmator on your iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil and 16K image support, Pixelmator is the ideal photo editing tool for imaging professionals. It offers advanced features like layer-based painting, cloning, and blending modes while working with the powerful multitasking abilities of iOS.


How do I reserve it?

  • Send an email to help@wlu.edu requesting to pick one up, and include the start/end dates.
    • Stop by the Information Desk in Leyburn Library to check one out.
    • Call us at 540-458-4357

 

 

 

 

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Digital Storytelling Workshop during Fall Academy 2017

Academic Technologies will be teaming up with facilitators from StoryCenter (http://storycenter.org) to offer a 3-day workshop on Digital Storytelling, Wednesday, August 23 – Friday, August 25. If you’d like to attend, please apply at http://go.wlu.edu/DigitalStorytelling.

If you’re interested in incorporating Digital Storytelling into a course, but you’re wondering exactly what it is or how to go about it, this is the perfect workshop for you. It will take place on campus during Fall Academy. Breakfasts and lunches are catered–all you need to do is focus on creating a digital story.

Questions? Please contact Julie Knudson (jmknudson@wlu.edu) or Brandon Bucy (bucyb@wlu.edu) in Academic Technologies to find out more.