USciences Mobile App Launches!

The NEW USciences Mobile App makes accessing the latest news and information about University of the Sciences easier than ever from your iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), Android or Blackberry mobile device.

• Read the current campus news 
• Check out the most up-to-date sports events on campus 
• Know where you need to go with campus maps 
• See available courses 
• Watch videos and view photos from USciences 
• Find and dial emergency numbers

Download your FREE copy here.

New Blackboard Learn Interface Announced

Blackboard just announced their Service Pack 8, which significantly changes the look and feel and adds some new functionality. The latest release will improve the experience for students, instructors, and administrators. View the following video playlist to learn about:

1. Task Based Navigation
2. A Modern Experience
3. Easy Edit with Blackboard Drive
4. Automated Regrading
5. Introducing Blackboard Learn SP8
6. New Authentication Framework
7. SIS Integration Made Simple

This is a Youtube Video Playlist - click Arrow to start and Next to move to the next video.

The NMC Horizon Report > 2012 Higher Education Edition

The NMC Horizon Report 2012 Higher Education Edition is a collaborative effort between the NMC and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), an EDUCUASE Program. This ninth edition describes annual findings from the NMC Horizon Project, a decade-long research project designed to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have an impact on learning, teaching, and creative inquiry in higher education. Six emerging technologies are identified across three adoption horizons over the next one to five years, as well as key trends and challenges expected to continue over the same period, giving campus leaders and practitioners a valuable guide for strategic technology planning.

Find out more and download The Horizon Report: Higher Education Edition.

Technology Training Center Schedule

The Technology Training Center, located in the McNeil Science and Technology Center (STC-151), was established to meet the needs of faculty through hands-on learning and demonstrations. The room is equipped with 12 new iMac computers that can run the Mac OS or boot into a Windows environment as well as provide access to the tools and equipment found in the classrooms. 

Faculty and staff may now sign up for our January Technology Training sessions (view Educational Objectives). Office of Academic Technology staff will be presenting sessions on:

• Blackboard LMS: Getting Started / Assignments, Exams, and Gradebook / Communication Tools / Content Collection
• Bb Collaborate (web conferencing, aka Elluminate)
• MS Office 2010
• Panopto (lecture capture)
• TurningPoint AnyWhere & ResponseWare (audience response)

Register for Technology Training

60-Second Lecture Winners Announced, Technology Training Center Opens

Contact:  Brian Kirschner
Contact Email:  b.kirschner@usciences.edu
Contact Phone: 215.895.1186

Catherine Bentzley - 1st Prize Winner

Winners of the first 60-second lecture contest were announced at the grand opening of USciences’ new Technology Training Center. Faculty were invited to utilize the Panopto lecture capture software to submit 60-second lectures for fun or for serious consumption.

The entries were judged by a panel of USciences deans with the top prize going to Associate Professor Catherine Bentzley. Fittingly, USciences Executive Director of Academic Technology Dr. Rod Murray, announced the winners via Panopto.

The Technology Training Center, located in the McNeil Science and Technology Center, was established to meet the needs of faculty through hands-on learning and demonstrations. The room is equipped with 12 new iMac computers that can run the Mac OS or boot into a Windows environment as well as provide access to the tools and equipment found in the classrooms.

• Catherine Bentzley (Chemistry & Biochemistry ) - Top 5 Reasons to Use Panopto - 1st place, iPad2
• Kevin Wolbach (Biological Sciences ) - Course Selection Using WebAdvisor - 2nd place, webcam
• David Leonard (Physician Assistant Studies ) - The Six Wives of Henry VIII - 3rd place, webcam
• Wendy Fox (Occupational Therapy ) -  Review of "Pan Am" (oops Panopto) - $25 iTunes gift card
• Claudia Parvanta (Behavioral and Social Sciences ) -  Risk Communication Seesaw - $25 iTunes gift card

Academic Tech Team: USciences Executive Director of Academic Technology Dr. Rod Murray, Director of Classroom Technology Rich Cosgriff, Jr., Media Technician Bill Horton, AV Technician, Clifford Greer, andInstructional Designers Joseph Evanick and Andrew Esposito.






[Source: USciences News]

USciences 60-Second Lecture Contest Promotes New Technology Training Center and Panopto Platform

Contact:  Brian Kirschner
Contact Email:  b.kirschner@usciences.edu
Contact Phone:  215.895.1186

Lights! Camera! Record! University of the Sciences is inviting its faculty to take part in a 60-second lecture contest and the chance to win an iPad2. The contest is showcasing the ease of the Panopto lecture capture software and promoting the opening of USciences’ new Technology Training Center.

“Whether the lectures are funny or educational, it’s a great way for the faculty to take advantage of the Panopto platform,” said Dr. Rod Murray, USciences Executive Director of Academic Technology.

The Technology Training Center, located in the McNeil Science and Technology Center, was established to meet the needs of faculty through hands-on learning and demonstrations. The room is equipped with 12 new iMac computers that can run the Mac OS or boot into a Windows environment as well as provide access to the tools and equipment found in the classrooms.

“We now have a dedicated lab for technology training,” said Rich Cosgriff, Jr. (pictured at above), who was recently announced as USciences director of classroom technology and will oversee the Technology Training Center. “Routinely scheduled workshops will be offered to faculty on such things as student response systems, Panopto, or web 2.0 tools to enhance the classroom experience.”

Cosgriff comes to USciences with over 10 years of experience in higher education most recently as instructional technology specialist with SunGard Higher Education where he was based at Immaculata University. He is responsible for classroom technology, learning space design and renovation, and the development and delivery of classroom technology training and workshops as well as supervising the A/V technicians.

The 60-second lecture contest closes on Nov. 11 and will be judged by an independent panel that will rank the submissions and name the winner. A showcase of the 60-second lectures captured on Panopto and the winner will be announced at the grand opening of the Technology Training Center on Thursday, Nov. 17.

[Source: USciences News]

National Distance Learning Week - November 7-11, 2011

Register to attend

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2011
Time: 1 - 2:00 pm (ET)
Topic: Online Learning - Will the growth continue?
Presenter:
Todd A. Hitchcock, USDLA Board Member
Senior Vice President, Online Solutions & Business Development, Pearson

Over the past decade, the growth in students taking online courses in K-12 and Higher Education has outstripped the increase in the number of students enrolling in traditional programs.  We know the numbers and we know the 'whys' but the question is, will this trend continue and if so, what will the enablers be?  Join this webinar to explore a number of potential enablers and to discuss what the next 'big thing' could be to spur the growth in online learning or disrupt it.


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011
Time: 1-2:00 pm (ET)
Topic: Learning Styles: Do they really matter?
Presenter:
Dr. Jolly T. Holden, USDLA Chair Emeritus
Advisory Board Chair, American InterContinental University

The recurring debate concerning the efficacy of learning styles and their impact on learning outcomes has been reflected in the literature for the past 60 years. Research has not overwhelmingly supported the premise that learning styles are a useful variable when designing instruction for adult learners. Since the goal of designing instruction is to attain the desired learning outcomes, the question one must answer is: Do learning styles really matter? In this his lively webinar, learning styles will be defined and differentiated from learning modalities, and based upon the research, why learning styles are not useful variables when predicting learning outcomes.
   
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011
Time: 1-2:00 pm (ET)
Topics: Virtual Worlds / Mobile Learning
Presenter:
Dr. Keysha Gamor
Virtual World Consultant

This webinar will explore the new mobile learning environment and how it is changing the way the world learns and interacts in a global multi-billion dollar education and training market. In addition, it will provide an overview of virtual worlds while examining popular virtual world applications.  This session will also help you to frame an understanding of virtual worlds and their appropriate application.


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Time: 1-2:00 pm (ET)
Topic: Developing, Maintaining, and Growing a State Chapter
Presenters:
Ken Conn
USDLA Board Member and Senior Vice President for State Chapters
Director of Houston Education, Data Projections

Louis Stricoff
Executive Director, PA/DE/NJ Distance Learning Association
Business Development Manager
Emantras/MOBL21

Janet Major
USDLA Board Member and Arizona Distance Learning Association - Past President
Technical Coordinator Arizona Telemedicine Program
Distance Program Coordinator, BioCommunications
The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center

As the title states, this session will focus on developing, maintaining, and growing a state chapter of the United States Distance Learning Association.  You will have the opportunity to learn with various state chapter leaders who will share their experiences.


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Time: 1-2:00 pm (ET)
Topic: Brain-based Learning
Presenter:
Dr. Nish Sonwalkar, (Sc.D.MIT)
USDLA, Director of Research
The International Center for Distance Learning Research and Praxis (ICDLRP)

This webinar will explore how the brain is comprised of billions of neurons (brain cells) connected with trillions of "synaptic" connections between the neurons. Recent research indicates that learning happens in a human brain when a group of neurons are able to form a network passing information between them in the form of electro-chemical signals. Brain-based learning has the potential to enable curriculum content to be adapted to individualized learning pathways ensuring an increase in learning effectiveness and efficiency as well as improvement in student engagement and evaluation measurements.

Register to attend