News and views on instructional design and technology from the Technology and Learning Program at CSU, Chico

National Educational Technology Plan (NETP)

October 28th, 2009

When: Thursday, November 5, 2009 6pm Second Life Time
Where: Second Life at ISTE Island Events
Event support is coming from ISTE, Metanomics and the University of Michigan.

The federal government of the United States of America has assembled an 18 person team to update and revise the National Education Technology Plan. Their report deadline is November 11, 2009. There will be a community meeting in Second Life for educational technology stakeholders to provide input into the planning process. Currently, we expect that a representative of the national team will be present as an observer at the SL event.

The event coordinator is Perplexity Peccable (RL: Patricia F. Anderson, patriciafanderson@gmail.com). Perplexity is the University of Michigan Emerging Technologies Librarian for the Health Sciences, and the community manager for Wolverine Island in SL. Contact Perplexity for more information or to volunteer support or services for this event.

Information on prior versions of the plan is available here:
National Educational Technology Plan: http ://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/index.html

Information on the current planning process is available here:
National Educational Technology Plan: https ://edtechfuture.org/

The team is seeking input from the public. You can join the conversation on their website here.
Opportunities for Input: https ://edtechfuture.org/?page_id=888

“If you had five minutes to talk with President Obama about educational technology, what would you say?”

The key topic discussion points are these.

* Learning: Providing unprecedented access to high-quality learning experiences.
* Assessment: Measuring what really matters and providing the information that enables continuous improvement at all levels of the education system.
* Teaching: New ways to support those who support learning.
* Productivity: Redesigning systems and processes to free up education system resources to support learning.

4 Sims allocated for this meeting, all at the ISTE site:

1. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/92/83/30

2. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island%202/128/128/2

3. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island%203/2/190/30

4. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island%204/208/215/25

If any CSU Chico faculty or staff would like to attend this virtual conference, please contact Ann Steckel in the Technology & Learning Program at X6780.

TILT: Assessment Strategies for Vista

October 26th, 2009

Learn how Rovane Younger of the CSU, Chico Construction Management Department has used Blackboard Vista to assess student learning.
icon_blog_tilt_noshadow1
This presentation was given on Wednesday, October 28
Presenter: Rovane Younger

In this TILT session, Rovane Younger details the process his department has gone through to assess student learning using Blackboard Vista. His presentation includes examples of test questions, testing scenarios, setting changes and recommendations, as well as what his department hopes to accomplish in the future.

View the Archive of the Presentation

Strategies and Implications for Open Access

October 23rd, 2009

Educause Live! offered a free session today, and you can watch the archive!
What it’s about:
In the past decade, the proliferation of Web 2.0 tools for sharing and creating knowledge, coupled with the creation of open-access journals, databases, and archives across the web, has begun to redefine the concept of “openness” in higher education. Advocates of the open-access campaign argue that free, virtual access to scholarly works and research advance scientific discovery and lead to faster knowledge dissemination and richer research collaborations, throwing open the doors that once restricted knowledge sharing and exploration. Critics of the movement have doubted its economic sustainability and raised concerns about its impact on peer review. Regardless, open access requires a new examination of campus copyright and publishing policy. Join us as we discuss the strategies and definitions behind open access and its implications for campus IT, librarians, administrators, and policy offices. To view the archive, click on this link.
http://www.educause.edu/Resources/ThrowingOpentheDoorsStrategies/185876

TILT: Getting Student Feedback with Bb Vista Surveys

October 6th, 2009

TILT logoWednesday, October 14 POSTPONED – DATE TBA
2:00 – 3:00 pm

Presenter: Dr. Janja Lalich, CSU, Chico Sociology Professor

In this TILT session, Janja Lalich will show participants a survey she has created in Vista to obtain feedback about text selections, course curriculum, and class procedures. This session will include examples of survey questions, the basics of survey setup, as well as interpreting the results.


Three Ways To Attend:

Live – Come to MLIB 31 and participate in the audience
Online – Log in via the Guest Access Link
After The Fact – View the Archive

Podcasting Your Lectures 101: Recording

September 25th, 2009

Podcasting is a route many professors are taking to provide supplementary lecture material for students, however to many, this process is still a bit fuzzy. The article, Podcasting Your Lectures 101: Recording, is a good place to begin reading about the basics of recording lectures or other content to further engage students with content.

For those teaching at CSU, Chico, the university provides every instructor with the Wimba Podcaster which is built into Blackboard Vista. This product is fairly simple to use for both faculty and students and requires little equipment to create content. If you would like to learn more about the Wimba Podcaster go to the TLP website or contact Ann Steckel in TLP at X6780 for a consultation.

Want More?
Go to the article, Podcasting Your Lectures 101: Recording

The TLP Website, The Wimba Podcaster Tool

Can Sustainable Hybrids Produce Better Outcomes?

September 22nd, 2009

From Inside Higher Ed:

“The question of whether distance education is as effective as classroom education is hotly debated in academe and largely unanswered by existing studies. However, new research from South Texas College suggests that hybrid courses — those that are offered online but also involve substantial face time — can produce better outcomes than those that are delivered exclusively on the Web or in the classroom. ”
Read more: Sustainable Hybrids – Inside Higher Ed http://bit.ly/JSW9Z

TILT: Beyond Small Talk – Setting Up Productive Groups for Students

September 16th, 2009

TILT logoThis presentation was held on Wednesday, September 23.
Presenter: Dr. Kim Jaxon, from CSU, Chico’s Department of English
In this TILT session, Kim Jaxon presents classroom practices she uses with her students in order to make their group work productive. This session includes video of students working together as they establish norms, negotiate work, and discuss ideas.


After The Fact – View the Archive
Go to the Participant Login and please enter your name. No password is required.

100 Best Blogs for Tech-Savvy Teachers

September 16th, 2009

“While there are still some educators who dispute the importance of technology in the classroom, there is no dispute over the fact that technology is here to stay in schools. Whether you are one of those tech-savvy teachers who can’t get enough of technology news and ideas or you are a teacher just learning to embrace technology in the classroom, these blogs offer a wealth of information straight from teachers and other professionals in the education field themselves.”

This blog lists some excellent resources ranging from Technology in Education to Special Education and Assistive Technology. This resource can be found at: Online Courses.org

15th Annual CELT Conference on Excellence in Learning & Teaching

September 15th, 2009

Registration for the 2009 CELT conference is now open. The event which runs from Wednesday, October 7 and until Friday, October 9, includes sessions by CSU faculty and staff. For more information and to register, please go to: http://rce.csuchico.edu/celt/.

Use TLP Resources to Create Content For Furlough Days

September 4th, 2009

TLP is here to help you improve your curriculum with technology. During this most disturbing budget crisis, some of you are seeking to create online content for your students to use during your furlough days.

We appreciate your desire to maintain student learning and encourage you to come use our expertise as consultants and instructional designers to help you achieve your goals. While we have limited resources, we do have a number of ways we can support you in this effort:
Read the rest of this entry »