The League for Innovation

2005 Conference on Information Technology, Dallas, TX

R. Craig Collins

 

Sunday, October 23, 2005

 

Breaking the Chains That Bind: Using Moodle in an Open-Source Distance

Learning Environment

Ronda Hayes, Faculty, Computer Information Technology; Brian Koontz,

Coordinator, IT, North Lake College, TX

 

My notes: This was basically a Moodle vs. Blackboard session

Began by discussing Open Source programs

Moodle pedagogical (Social constructivism)

Blackboard and WebCT merged (shareholder and revenue, not students)

Moodle scales better (1:17,000 students vs. 12:48,0000;

VLE 40,000 users and 11000 courses for 1000 concurrent users on 4 servers)

Cost and support (free vs. paid)

Installations (6,466 sites in 137 countries ad 69 languages vs. 3,700 in 59 with 8)

OS/Browser (any vs. Windows/OSx & IE, Netscape, Firefox)

DB and SQL (and server with PHP and MySQL vs. Win/Sol/Lin+ SQL or Oracle)

Can import GIFT or Blackboard format tests

www.moodle.com

www.altrc.org/specification.asp for SCORM

www.opensource.org 

 

Using Problem-Based Instruction in an Online Course to Develop Higher-Order

Skills

Alan Maples, Professor and Coordinator, Computer Information Technology, Cedar

Valley College, TX

 

My Notes: (No handout)

Presenter wasted 70% of time discussing his use of humor, taking a year off to develop content that is now provided by publishers, and burnout for pure distance ed courses and his desire to go to hybrid instruction.

Case studies can drive Internet courses, and be used as a basis of assessment

Publishers now provide case studies

Can be used to unify Internet and traditional classes so delivery is identical, which will become more important when the co-board visits campuses.

 

Good, Best, and Even Better: Developing Better Practices in DE

Charles Fox, Director, Instructional Technology Services; Jim Rhodes, Instructional

Technologist, Instructional Technology Services, Polk Community College, FL

 

My Notes:

Discussion groups should be novel and substantive + one short reply

Discussions can be used in hybrid language classes for written proficiency, even without Wimba

(Wimba, and similar products, can record voice for asynchronous two way delivery)

Portfolios using web pages are now replacing traditional portfolios, and including a very high number of samples for work to be produce increases final student production values.

Use SmartBoard to capture notes into PowerPoint for later distribution

            New Smartboards are basically projected images on a whiteboard that can also record what is written

Use of class interviews (prepared questions delivered to subject matter expert by instructor, and responses transcribed (very lengthy process) and  delivered to students)

 


Sunday, October 23, 2005, continued

 

Putting students to Work: Using real world projects in a web development course

James Taggart, Assistant Professor, Computer Information Systems, Atlantic Cape Community College, NJ

 

My notes: no handouts. Presenter worthless, suggested students do school web site. I suggested:

HTML before Dreamweaver

Student interviews

Rubrics

Capstones

Crowd suggest more attention in future to CSS

Public web pages without interfering with employed students

 

Engaging Students in the Learning Process Through Technology

Richard Cerkovnik, Department Chair and Professor, School of Arts & Sciences;

Jeanne Porter, Manager, Information Services, Anne Arundel Community College,

MD

 

My Notes: Demo hell… nothing worked

New to TC: AMX touchpad to drive all smart classroom devices

CPS remote polling system to poll students

Real Time data collection and science probes for laptops

Gooseneck Lab cam instead of elmo

Administrative control of PCs, include view and project student machines

 

Exhibition hall

 

My notes: visited several book vendors (Thomson, McGraw Hill, etc.)

Visited SmartBoard

Visited HP computers and PDAs

Visited Compaq computers

 

General Session Chantilly Ballroom, Tower Lobby Level

NASA’s Cutting Edge-Ucation 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Adena Williams Loston, Director of Education, Wallops Flight Facility, National

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), DC

Reception Trinity 1 Exhibition Hall

 

My notes: NASA projects for kids, such as Whirlwind, but little pedagogy to support CC

 

Opening Reception 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

 

My notes:

Visited TechSmith booth for further information on Camtasia;

not only can it capture what ever is on your screen, but the ‘video’ can be edited to an extent, notes added, voice over can be added, and screen in screen can be done as well. Then, wrapped in a web page for delivery. A must have for simulation in distance ed computer classes.

Visited various Distance Ed offering advanced degrees

            Walden

            Nova Southeastern

            Franklin

Visited several vendors who convert content to web delivery

Impatica converts PowerPoints

Anystream captures and manages classroom video

Visited several vendors using remote classroom voting devices for polls or that offer games for tests.    


Monday, October 24, 2005

 

Are We There Yet?

Linda Elliott-Nelson, Division Chair, Modern Languages; Chris Jones, Professor, ESL, Arizona Western College, AZ

 

My Notes: Visual Communicator, www.seriousmagic.com + Impatica, www.impatica.com 

            Use: can capture video of lecture, convert PowerPoint to Java for Blackboard

Wimba, www.horizonwimba.com, 1 on 1 asynchronous Q&A, voice board (language)

            Stored on Wimba site

Yahoo Messenger with voice, www.yahoo.com, group discussions (free)

            Can save text but not voice

Alado, www.alado.net, chat room with voice and PowerPoint

            Everything recorded

Ellumintate, www.elluminate.com, chat room with voice, whiteboard and PowerPoint       

            Everything recorded, plus web cam for moderator

Presenters also suggested using voice mail if students don’t have mic (???)

 

Using Anonymous Instant Messaging to Encourage Questions

Theresa McDonald, Professor, CTIS, Texarkana College, TX; Steve Terrell, Professor, Grad School of CIS, Nova Southeastern, FL

 

My notes: used during class (AOL IM); students felt it was easy to use, avoided apprehension, but did not improve learning in the class. Similar to Mudd, but instant and could be incorporated during the class

 

True Distance Learning: Really Remote Labs

Serena Butler, Professor, Collin County Community College District, TX

 

My Notes: Was used to support blended distance learning via Netlab Academy Edition; provides simulation of network 24/7 for student, and  recorded lab session for faculty; real use, 28 academies out due to hurricane, but students could access remote lab

 

General Session Chantilly Ballroom, Tower Lobby Level

Harnessing the Power of Technology to Enhance Educational Achievement and

Opportunity Piedad Robertson, President, Education Commission of the States, CO

 

My Notes: former college president who gives examples of break job as an event that now makes mechanics in need of computer training (??). Did stress role of Community colleges in shake up of education.

 

Online Learning 101: Getting College Students to Teachers and Computers, do they really use them? (22% use students for tech)

Robert Voss, Associate Professor, College of Education; Florida International University

 

Hat Trick: Tackling Learning Styles and Asynchronous Learning Support on

the Web R. Craig Collins, Faculty, Computer Information Systems, Temple College, TX

 

My presentation

 

Reception 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

 

Visited Macromedia

Dreamweaver, used by 80% of web authors, now has better support of CSS, RSS, and the ability to display and organize content for both tradition monitors and hand-held computers

Flash is now being included in more hand-held phones and computers, and the new rendering engines provide faster download and real-time rendering.

Now Macromedia offers a content manager that is an expensive low end course management system


Tuesday, October 25, 2005

 

3D Holographic Projection

Les Wilson Chief Marketing; Carroll Lastinger, Chief Scientist, 3dh Communications

 

My notes: Very interesting technology, especially the 3d effects possible on plasma screens and laptop monitors… useful for many classes from hardware to nursing; was able to reduce explaining planetary rotation explanations from 2 weeks to one hour with visualization; however, incredibly expensive recording and playback systems for the time being

 

Continental Breakfast  9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

 

Visited NISOD booth, and was invited to submit a proposal to present

 

Create Video Tutorials for Students and Colleagues

Dave Hamilton, Educational Advisor; Adam Martingano, Educational Advisor,

Matchware, Inc., FL

 

My notes: very similar to Camtasia, but did not mention camera in camera option. Did suggest breaking videos into small pieces for editing, the reassemble for delivery; may render smaller files, but it may also be that files were shorter presentations.

 

General Session Chantilly Ballroom, Tower Lobby Level

A Brief History of the Video Game Industry: In the Beginning There was PONG

Andre' LaMothe, Founder and CEO, Xtreme Games LLC / Nurve Networks LLC, CA

 

My notes: very interesting presentation of history of games, plus how gaming pushing the capacity of computers. Little to now pedagogical information, however, about applying his information to teaching or learning.

 

Adobe Premiere Elements: Video Editing for Your Students Made Easy!

Sara Flaherty, Manager, Marketing, Adobe Systems, Inc., WA

 

My notes: the perfect tool for taking live video content and editing it for web or DVD distribution. Includes three audio and three video tracks, transitions, titles, and web formats or DVD menu building.

 

Adobe Video Collection: A Comprehensive Toolset for Windows-Based Video Production

Sara Flaherty, Manager, Marketing, Adobe Systems, Inc., WA

 

My Notes: Using the full Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Audition, and Adobe Encore DVD

 

The Problem With PDAs: The Adoption of Technology in the Classroom

Craig Trineer, Professor, Electrical Control Systems, Humber Inst of Technology and Advanced Learning, ON

 

My notes: good history and current uses in classes; costly, and may soon be replaced by smart phones

 

Stop Reinventing the Wheel and Share Your Best Instructional Resources:

Reusable Learning Objects

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Donna Rebadow, Faculty, Psychology, Paradise Valley Community College, AZ;

Lisa Young, Program Director, Water Resources, GateWay Community College, AZ

 

My notes: More the notion of what a reusable learning object is than how they can be implemented via technology. While RLO can reduce repetition among faculty, many RLOs lack assessment, and are hindered by royalty issues. http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/ocotillo/rsvp/index.php?eid=823