Institute on Innovation in Training and Teaching

Mark your calendar: September 10th and 11th from 9 am – 4 pm.

Drexel’s 2nd Annual Institute on Innovation in Training and Teaching will offer 16 workshops on topics ranging from web-based surveying and e-books to lecture capture and online collaboration. This year, there will be shortened sessions and double the offerings to give attendees an expanded look at new technologies! View a complete list of sessions and to register online.

You don't have to be a Drexel faculty member to attend. I attended this last year and know that they run a great program -- well worth it for new faculty, especially those who are new to teaching online.

2009 Faculty Technology Satisfaction Survey

The Executive Summary of the 2009 Faculty Technology Satisfaction Survey and the full survey results are available on the Campus Portal.

The lack of training opportunities appears to be the main reason for dissatisfaction with campus academic technology and is noted across all applications. Improving faculty training and support opportunities is a top priority for Academic Technology. The new Angel Help Desk featuring 24/7/365 live phone and chat support was just announced. We are also working with the Mayes College and the Teaching & Learning Center to provide a regular series of classroom and online training for faculty. (Note that the Faculty Enrichment Workshops with a focus on technology is happening this Wednesday.)

Faculty appear to be most appreciative of the available classroom technology, with the caveat that certain rooms are still in need of an overhaul. Fortunately, end or year funds have already been spent to implement significant upgrades to Rosenberger (2 new projectors), the STC (6 new screens, lecture capture), Griffith (2 lecture capture systems), and Mayes (video conferencing and lecture capture). Also, extensive renovation of 4 classrooms in 4500 Woodland is almost complete.

Thanks go to the faculty who completed the survey. We welcome your suggestions for improving support throughout the year.

New Angel Help Desk

The University is committed to providing a student-centered learning environment and outstanding student service. One of the keys is providing anywhere, anytime access to learning, so it's critical that we also offer round the clock support to our students and faculty. To that end, we have partnered with Embanet ULC to provide a dedicated 24/7/365 toll-free telephone number, live online chat, email and a self-help frequently asked questions support portal for our Angel Learning Management Suite.

Embanet, an integrated, full service provider of online learning services to schools, colleges and universities across the United States and Canada, brings to USP the technical support and student service expertise of a team that has years of experience working with Angel Learning. University technology staff are working closely with Embanet to offer the best possible support experience.

Our new Angel Help Desk portal is available now to our students, faculty and staff.

Faculty Enrichment Workshops

Please register for workshops with Mary Rafferty (Ext. 1168, m.raffer@usp.edu).

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

9:30 – 10:00
Finding a balance in your job including time for yourself and scholarship.
Phyllis Blumberg - RH 101

10 – 11:00
Basic course design: Objectives and syllabi.
Phyllis Blumberg - RH 101

11 – 12: 00
How do we teach these millennials? Who are our students? How do they learn and what support do we offer them?
Gerald Hoefling, Roxanne Evans - RH 101

1:00 – 3:00
Introduction to teaching and assessing so students will learn more.
Phyllis Blumberg - RH 101

3:00 – 4:30
A new way to organize and integrate a course using organizing schemes (Bring an existing course syllabus, if you have one).
Phyllis Blumberg - RH 101


Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - Focus on Technology

Note: Some sessions are held concurrently

8:30 – 10:30
Introduction to Angel.
Jeff Swain - STC 148

9:00 – 10:00
How to meet when you or your students are not on campus. Using webinar and videoconferencing technology.
Danny Benau - STC 147

11:00 – 1:00
Grade book function on Angel.
Jeff Swain - STC 148

1:30 - 3:30
Advanced functions on Angel.
Jeff Swain - STC 148

2:00 - 3:00
AV classroom support, using computer as whiteboard, etc.
Bill Horton & Cliff Greer - RH 101

3:30 - 4:30
What is new and what is currently available in academic technology at USP.
Rod Murray - STC 148

Thursday, August 20, 2009

10: 00 – 11:30
General education: What it means here and how to get a course approved for it. (Bring syllabi for courses you want to get General Education approval if you have them) .
Roger Ideishi, Fred Schaefer, Phyllis Blumberg - STC 148

Monday, August 24, 2009

10:00 – 12:00
Creating good multiple choice questions and how to understand the results (Bring some questions you developed, if you have them) .
Jean Scholtz, Linda Robinson - RH 101

2:00 - 4:00
Teaching students to have more responsibility for their learning.
Phyllis Blumberg RH 101

Thanks to Phyllis Blumberg for organizing these Faculty Enrichment Workshops!

Google @ School: Step by Step Guide to Google Docs for Higher Ed

If you have been wondering about Google Docs and what it can do for you, please join us for "Google @ School: Step by Step Guide to Google Docs for Higher Ed". Academic Technology is sponsoring this webinar presented by educator and instructional technology specialist, Cindy Lane (hosted by Higher Ed Hero, http://www.higheredhero.com).

Date: Thursday, August 6
Time: 1 to 2pm
Place: STC Room 137

Google Docs is one offering within the Google Apps for Education suite of applications. Mayes College has been using Google Apps for a year now to supplement their online educational technology and we are about to announce Google Apps for the University this fall. This webinar is a great way to get a preview of one of the most useful of the Google Apps.