CITations
August 7, 2009
No. 245
CITations is a report featuring information technology-related news of interest to UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members, graduate instructors and the staff who support them. CITations, published twice a month, is an electronic service of the ITS Teaching and Learning division.
E-Learning Initiatives Meeting
Major Blackboard Upgrade Completed
Tips for Using the New Campus Online Directory
New Webmail Version
ELI 2009 Challenges Discussion on Advancing Innovation in Era of Budget Cuts
Twitter Links
Technology and Social Change in NC
Library E-Research Tool Spotlight
Information Architecture Workshop
OASIS Workshops
ITS LearnIT Workshops
2009 CITations Publication Schedule
How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to CITations
E-LEARNING INITIATIVES MEETING
You are invited to attend a meeting focusing on the Task Force on Campus–wide Support Needs for Technology Mediated Teaching and Learning report (see http://cfe.unc.edu/e-learning/TaskForce/TaskForceReport.pdf). Laurie Cochenour will discuss her activities as the E-Learning Policy Coordinator at the Center for Faculty Excellence (see http://cfe.unc.edu/e-learning/TaskForce/high_priority_recommendations.xls). Representatives from the Center for Faculty Excellence and Information Technology Services will present information about current and proposed e-learning initiatives. Please contact Laurie Cochenour with any questions.
When: 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Where: Toy Lounge, Dey Hall
-- Laurie Cochenour, E-Learning Policy Coordinator
Center for Faculty Excellence
tel: 966-5400
email: lcoch@unc.edu
MAJOR BLACKBOARD UPGRADE COMPLETED
The upgrade to Blackboard 8 has been completed and Blackboard (http://blackboard.unc.edu) is now available to all users. This upgrade was essential to optimizing and enhancing this critical service.
The upgrade resulted in some interface changes and new features. Training is available through help documentation, online tutorials/videos, and instructor-led sessions. For information on training opportunities, visit http://its.unc.edu/BBNews/blackboard_upgrade/what_is_new_in_bb8/.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Blackboard 8, call 962-HELP for assistance.
-- ITS Teaching and Learning Blackboard Team
TIPS FOR USING THE NEW CAMPUS ONLINE DIRECTORY
The new online campus directory, which launched on July 20, functions much the same as the former version but there are some minor changes. For some helpful tips about using the new directory, including information about the preferred name field, go to http://connectcarolina.unc.edu/news/erp-news/tips-for-using-the-new-campus-online-directory.html.
NEW WEBMAIL VERSION
On Monday, August 17, Information Technology Services (ITS) will launch a new version of Webmail for all Carolina students, faculty, and staff. Because the new software is open-source and because it is running on existing equipment, the Webmail upgrade will be implemented without incurring any capital cost to the University.
The new version of Webmail has the look and feel of a desktop client -- like Thunderbird or Outlook -- and is more intuitive than the previous version. It will provide a much better overall user experience.
Evaluated and tested by members of student government, ITS, and other groups, the new Webmail has received positive reviews. Features include: easy navigation, spell check, an improved interface, new message pop-up, find-as-you-type address book, and faster performance.
The old version of Webmail will continue to be available to users through a link on the login page, http://webmail.unc.edu, for the next few months to give people time to transition to the new version. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 962-HELP.
ELI 2009 CHALLENGES DISCUSSION ON ADVANCING INNOVATION IN ERA OF BUDGET CUTS
During Summer 2008, the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) conducted focus groups within the EDUCAUSE teaching and learning community to talk about "challenges" -- those big issues dominating campus conversations across the country. ITS Teaching and Learning will host a series of discussions focused on the 5 challenges identified by ELI.
The next session will focus on the challenge of advancing innovation in era of budget cuts. If indeed, necessity is the mother of invention, there is no better time than now to investigate such innovations as open source solutions, cloud computing, Web 2.0, and Creative Commons licensing in meeting the needs of the 21st century campus. Making better use of Web and teleconferencing technologies can also help to offset the increased cost of energy, having a lasting and positive impact not only on our budgets but on our planet. The results from our discussion will be posted to the ELI Wiki for this specific challenge: http://www.educause.edu/wiki/Advancing_Innovation.
When: 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m., Thursday, August 13, 2009
Where: Toy Lounge, Dey Hall
For more details and to register, go to https://www.abcsignup.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0052-0006-b5dc9a66623b4ffb93d8a842b11098f6.
TWITTER LINKS
The topic for the August Instructional Applications Interest Group (IAIG) was using Twitter in the classroom. Links to Twitter articles and other resources that were mentioned at the meeting are available on the IAIG site at http://its.unc.edu/TeachingAndLearning/AOE/IAIG/index.htm. Scroll down the right-hand column of "Resources" on the page to the August 5 meeting notes to access the links.
-- Suzanne Cadwell & Carolyn Kotlas, ITS Teaching & Learning
IAIG Co-facilitators
TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN NC
What's happening in the area of technology and social change, and what can we do in NC? The next meeting of NCTech4Good will feature Justis Peters leading a discussion focused on projects, sessions, and interaction at the N2Y4 NetSquared Conference he attended in May. Peters exchanged ideas for programming, outreach, and community engagement with organizers of several NetSquared Net Tuesday Meetups around the world and came back excited about the potential NCTech4Good has for our local communities.
When: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Where: The Community Room, Earth Fare, 10341 Moncreiffe Rd, Brierdale Shopping Center, Raleigh, NC 27560
Map: http://www.earthfare.com/storeinfo/1200/details/3090
For more details and to RSVP, go to http://www.meetup.com/NCTech4Good/calendar/10920155/.
NCTech4Good holds monthly meetings that focus on helping nonprofit organizations use technology to advance their missions. All interested persons are welcome to attend. For more information, go to http://www.meetup.com/NCTech4Good/.
-- Judy Hallman
email: hallman@email.unc.edu
LIBRARY E-RESEARCH TOOL SPOTLIGHT
The Health Sciences Library's Carolina Curator blog was recently cited as one of the "100 Best Curator and Museum Blogs" by OnlineUniversities.com. The blog is an open-ended forum for the history of the health sciences, and serves to alert readers to news and events, useful resources, as well as to highlight the activities of HSL's Special Collections.
Carolina Curator's August 5th entry shows that healthcare reform controversies are nothing new. The blog provides background on a timely new exhibit at the UNC Health Sciences Library which features the American Medical Association's 1961 campaign, Operation Coffeecup. Led by the Woman's Auxiliary to the American Medical Association, Operation Coffeecup was "an all-out effort to stimulate as many letters to Congress opposing socialized medicine and its menace as proposed in the King bill (HR 4222)."
To see the current and archived posts, visit the Carolina Curator at http://carolinacurator.blogspot.com/.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP
The Triangle Usability Professionals Association (TriUPA) is sponsoring an information architecture workshop "Modeling Concepts: New IA Techniques for a Web 2.0 World." This workshop will help participants adopt concept modeling into their own processes and help them understand where and when concept models are appropriate to use. We will discuss the range of problems concept models can address and how to translate a model from an abstract representation of a site’s structure to concrete wireframes.
When: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Where: Council for Entrepreneurial Development, 100 Capitola Dr., Suite 106, Durham, NC
For more details and to register, go to http://triupa.org/content.aspx?page_id=87&club_id=649261&item_id=96962.
Please note: your students can attend this workshop at a greatly-reduced registration fee.
Founded in 2005, TriUPA is focused on supporting the local community of practitioners in usability testing, user research, interaction design, and information architecture. Membership in TriUPA is open to all interested in usability issues. Annual membership dues are $15 and students can join for free. For more information go to http://triupa.org/.
OASIS WORKSHOPS
The College of Arts and Sciences' OASIS group offers individual, one-on-one consultations as well as workshops on a variety of technical topics. For more information on the OASIS training services and the workshops listed below and to register, go to http://oasis.unc.edu/training/.
August OASIS Workshops:
Plone for Administrators - Portlets, Rules, Groups & Users
August 14
Event Beginning Plone - Introduction to Content
August 21
Introduction to Word 2007
August 26
Create Simple Websites: Graduate Students
August 31
Create Simple Personal Websites
August 31
ITS LEARNIT WORKSHOPS
There are still spaces available in the following LearnIT workshops. To read a workshop description or to register for any of these workshops, go to http://learnit.unc.edu/workshops. For links to other campus training opportunities, go to the LearnIT website.
If multiple dates are listed, the workshop is offered on each of those dates.
Introduction to Emerald, a Research Computing Server
August 11
MPI for Parallel Computing
August 11
Linux: Introduction, Experimental Class Setting
August 12
ELI 2009 Challenges: Advancing Innovation in Era of Budget Cuts (Discussion)
August 13
What's New in Blackboard 8?
August 17 August 19
Introduction to Blackboard 8
August 17 August 19
Blackboard 8: Assignment Tool, Test and Quizzes
August 20 August 24 August 25
Introduction to Blackboard 8 Grade Center
August 26
2009 CITATIONS PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
January 9 & 23
February 6 & 20
March 6 & 20
April 3 & 17
May 8 & 22
June 5 & 19
July 10 & 24
August 7 & 21
September 11 & 25
October 9 & 23
November 6 & 20
December 4 & 18
CITations welcomes announcements from all UNC-Chapel Hill campus organizations involved in instructional and research technology. To have an announcement considered for publication in CITations, send email to Carolyn Kotlas, kotlas@email.unc.edu, or call 962-9287. The deadline for submissions is 11:00 a.m. the day before the publication date.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE TO CITATIONS
CITations is published twice a month by the ITS Teaching and Learning division. Back issues are available at http://its.unc.edu/tl/citations/.
For more information about ITS Teaching and Learning, see our website at http://its.unc.edu/tl/.
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