_Technology Tools

Technology Updates

The Center for Teaching, Learning, & Technology is changing! We will continue to value our partnerships in our new role focused on promoting assessment and innovation. As details of our new responsibilities are being sorted out, here are some important updates.

Make an appointment anytime to talk about web 2.0 innovation; assessment tools and strategies; or just to talk about teaching and learning (with or without technology).

Online rubrics, surveys, student evaluations & research: We will still be available for helping members of the WSU community use free and available technologies in our new role in the Office of Academic Effectiveness. We have developed the Skylight Matrix Survey System© (Recognized worldwide as Flashlight Online) that you can use for:

Quick formative assessment of students’ learning in large and small classes
Sharing rubrics for gathering outcomes assessment
Midterm as well as end of term student evaluations
Your professional survey research

eLearning/Blackboard CE (WebCT): This fall, WSU will be moving from eLearning to a new learning management system, Angel, which will be hosted by Angel and supported by WSU’s Information Technology Services (ITS) and Center for Distance & Professional Education (CDPE). In Fall 2009 faculty can continue to use eLearning or move to the new LMS Angel. To learn more about Angel or to get help moving into it, contact ITS: helpdesk@wsu.edu or 335-HELP

Angel Help Portal
eLearning Help Portal
Request an eLearning course for Fall 09.
CTLT will only be supporting current eLearning users through 2009. We no longer can provide drop-in lab hours for work with eLearning (Blackboard CE aka WebCT).

WSU mySite is hosted and supported by ITS: http://mysite.wsu.edu

Technology to Support Collaborative and Generative Learning

The information context in which our students are living is changing and in turn it is changing our students. But despite these changes, students may not know about, or be able to take advantage of these resources for their learning. Here is an introduction to some Web 2.0 tools that the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) can help you and your students use to improve learning.

COLLECTING DATA TO IMPROVE LEARNING

There are a variety of tools that make it easy for you to create an online form to collect information. You can use these tools to:

Gather mid-term feedback about how your class is working.

Have students provide formative feedback to you about specific assignments.

Have groups of faculty and others rate student work for program-level outcomes assessment.

Have students gather formative feedback on projects and papers.

Have your students use surveys to collect data for a project.

CTLT helps faculty and academic programs to use these techniques as evidence for tenure, promotion, and accreditation reviews.

ALTERNATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

CTLT consults with instructors who want to explore and use a variety of web-based tools, including open source (“free” or Web 2.0) technologies (such as wikis, blogs, Trendalizer, Twitter) as well as designing spaces and activities in SharePoint through MySite and MyClass. CTLT helps faculty choose, innovate, and assess alternative technologies to support their particular instructional goals and activities for students.

COLLABORATE ACROSS BOUNDARIES

Here are some explanations of common Web 2.0 tools and terms.

Wiki is a Hawaiian word meaning "quickly". Generally, it is a website that allows users to collaboratively create and edit webpages. (defined) Wikis Plain English
- WSU Wiki - collaborative, editable webpages open to the WSU community.
- Michael Wesch's Course Wiki: Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University http://ksuanth.wetpaint.com/?mail=1201&t=anon
RSS is a system for aggregating information with notification every time content is updated on a particular Web site or collection of Web sites. (defined) RSS in Plain English
Blogs (defined) Blogs in Plain English
- An introduction to Blogging (WordPress)
  - Washington State University Course Blogs
    - Brett Attwood's Convergent Journalism Courses: All of these courses incorporate a simple design of student blogs linking to a central course blog: Journ 475, PR 475, Journ 305
    - Margo Tamez Critical Intersections Race Class Gender Sexuality
Social Bookmarking is a collaborative process of collecting, annotating, sharing, and commenting on Internet bookmarks. (defined) Social Bookmarking in Plain English
Social Media (defined) Social Media in Plain English
Google Docs is a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application offered by Google. Google Docs in Plain English
Podcasting is the process of distributing collections of digital media files over the Internet for playback on portable devices. (defined) Podcasting in Plain English
Twitter- is a free micro-blogging and social networking service (up to 140 characters per post) . Twitter in Plain English
Online Photo Sharing- Online Photo Sharing in Plain English
- Photosynth (video)
Diigo- A research tool and knowledge sharing community. Highlight, annotate, bookmark and share websites.
Zotero is a "browser based" Firefox extension that can be used as a research tool to highlight, annotate, bookmark, cite and generate bibliographies of your research sources.

A Directory of Learning Tools and Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008 from the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies.

CREATE AND PUBLISH PORTFOLIOS

Personal portfolio - All current WSU students and employees can create electronic portfolios using the WSU mySite tools, linked from the menu in myWSU. (Learn more about WSU mySite as an ePortfolio.).
Program/Unit Portfolio - CTLT supports programs and units who seek consultation on creating portfolios, and/or who seek a technology base to host their ePortfolio work. (Learn more about Teaching Portfolios, or contact CTLT for a consultation.)


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