Blackboard Information

A few Blackboard updates for the summer:

1. We are currently using Blackboard Academic Suite 8.0.1. We should be installing some Hotfixes this summer which will resolve some minor issues. As a user, you should not see any differences in the look and feel of the application. The exact date of the minor upgrades will be address later.

2. Blackboard is in the process of updated their web resources by providing up-to-date information on browser and OS requirements, manual, quick references and other tutorials. Most of the resources are available on their web site at The Faculty Support Resource Center.

3. I am excited to be going to the BbWorld 2009 conference at the National Harbor, July 14-16. I attended one of these conferences in Boston about 10 years ago and it was an overwhelming experience. At this conference I hope to get the latest updates from Blackboard, attend workshops from other educators in the field of online education and a chance to meet exhibitors and learn about how they can improve expereince with Blackboard products.

csmdtube

The College of Southern Maryland recently formed a partnership with YouTube to create a video channel under the banner of http://www.youtube.com/csmdtube. More than 100 schools have partnered with YouTube which is owned by Google.com. At csmdtube you will find promotional videos, college events, guest lecturers, course introductions and classroom lectures. Outreach is one of the benefits of Youtube. These videos not only benefit the prospective and current students, but the community and “lifelong learners”.

The DLF is promoting the use of csmdtube in the classroom environment by providing resources and support to faculty. The Department of Distance Learning and Faculty Development (DLF) consider YouTube an integral part of our students’ daily lives and by making csmdube videos available as a part of a course can only stimulate the learning process. This benefits the student as well as making the instructor more comfortable with digital media.

Full and part-time faculty at the College of Southern Maryland are invited to learn more about how you can enhance your class by adding csmdtube by contacting Joel Kinison.

SitePal

CSM has purchased SitePal Avatar creation services. Creating SitePal characters that are unique to you class is easy. SitePal has thousands of different characters to choose from by allowing you to personalize your character's physical attributes.


See the DLF for Login info.

Software Upgrades

The DLF is in the process of purchasing software upgrades. Below is a complete list of the recently purchased upgrades:

1. e-learning Support: Articulate was upgraded to Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio '09. This is our favorite program which quickly creates course material from PowerPoint and develops exciting interactive content such as interactive graphics, quizzes, assessments and timelines. The program takes the PowerPoint with narration, other audio and even video and creates one easily viewable streaming flash file. We use this program with a number of our contracted courses and a number of faculty also use Articulate presentations in their web-based classes.

2. Video Editing: DLF's two video editing work stations were upgraded to Pinnacle Studio 12. The market leading software program has been the base of our video work for the past 5 years. The program combines the power of capturing, editing and creating with ease that even a novice can easily use. Pinnacle Studio allows for the ability to import VHS and Digital video from a wide range of devices then streamlines the editing process. The output can be burned to a DVD or thumb drive or posted on YouTube or Google Video. The college also has the ability to stream the video on our web server.

3. PDF Creation: We have updated selected lab computers with Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro. Adobe Acrobat is designed to view, create, manipulate files in the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). The new version extends the support to create polished PDF files, present multiple documents in a PDF Portfolio, and even add multimedia.

4. Capture Software: Adobe Captivate 4. This long overdue upgrade from version 2 to version 4 is a welcomed addition to the DLF software list. This program just keeps getting better and better. This version adds more interactivity for software and scenario simulations, quizzes, and other engaging experiences. Like all of our other software, it is easy to use...no program skills required. Just pick a template and start your e-learning creation.


We are really excited to have these upgrades to our software lineup. So please drop by and let us showcase our software and how it can be incorporating into your classroom.

Microsoft Work at Home Software

Microsoft Work at Home Software

The college is making available the Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 software package to faculty who find it necessary to work from home. With your Chair/ Supervisors permission, you can obtain the software from the library on the La Plata campus.
If you wish to obtain a copy of the software you will need to have your Chair/ Supervisor send an email to circulation@csmd.edu requesting the library to loan you a copy. Once the email is received the library will charge out to you the 1 disk. You can either pick the software up at the library in La Plata or request that it be sent directly to you through the college mail. The use of this software is governed by the Computer Use Policy.



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Social Networking

Today I will be presenting a social networking demo for our college’s Web Council. I want to keep it short because we have other issues to talk about including the Website redesign update. I want to focus on just a few social networks or more precisely Web 2.0 applications. These applications include; Facebook, Wikipedia, blogs, Wikis, electronic portfolios and Google Apps for Education.

Facebook – Originally launched by a student at Harvard University as a way to keep in contact with fellow classmates. Now Facebook has expanded to everyone who has a official e-mail address. With Facebook you can choose to join one or more networks like College of Southern Maryland. This allows users to stay connected with users of the same network. http://www.facebook.com

Wikipedia – Written collaboratively by volunteers from everywhere, anytime by anyone. Did you know the college has a Wiki site? Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_of_Southern_Maryland.

Blog – Unique in that blogs are owned by an individual. The nature of the blog is to invite comments, suggestions and additions for the public. This idea is similar to social networking in that is shares features of personal expressions. It also serves as a location to share and connect to other web resources.

Wiki – Similar to a blog but work is completed as a collective unit. This collaborative environment is idea fro groups and committees/team assignments. This application is a tool for thinking, reflecting, creating and commenting.

Electronic Portfolios – Wikis, blogs and social networks have all influenced ePortfolios over the last five years. With Net Generation and Digital Natives sharing and organizing their lives online the idea of ePortfolios only makes sense. There are a number of available ePortfolio sites available online. Additionally, ePortfolio applications are becoming standard resources in Learning Management Systems like Angel and BlackBoard NG. Epsilen ePortfolio management system combines ePortfolio tools with social networking framework. Its application is being billed as the new model for the next generation of life- long learners and professionals. My Epsilen site: http://joelk.csmd.epsilen.com/content/personal/universal/public/home/index.aspx?pr=joelk

Google Apps Educational Edition – This application can be branded with the CSM name in the URL as well as a logo on the pages. When you log into Google you can send and receive email, create, edit, share and view documents, spreadsheets and presentations, create web sites and chat with other Google users. I am still doing some research on Google Apps Educational Edition. This application might be piloted this spring. I will have more information on Google Apps in an upcoming blog entry.

More on the TEACH Act

When the TEACH Act first come out we worked to ensure our college meet all the requirements that the law provides for educational institutions transmitting copyrighted works as part of a distance education course. The TEACH Act requires the following conditions must be satisfied to use material under the TEACH Act. The following are the requirements along with our college’s status in meeting those requirements. This also works as a good checklist for distance education instructors:

1. The institution must be accredited.
CSM is accredited

2. The transmission of the work must be part of an instructional activity.
The copyrighted material is used as part of a class experience

3. The work must be directly related to the teaching content.
Faculty is informed that use of copyrighted material should be related to the teaching content

4. The transmission must, to the extent technologically feasible, be limited to the student enrolled in the distance learning experience.
Blackboard CE8, CSM’s web delivery tool, requires a student to provide a valid login and password to enter the content

5. The institution must have a copyright policy.
CSM has a policy

6. The institution must provide notice to students that materials used in the course may be subject to copyright protection
CSM needs to add this statement to the footer portion of the Learning Modules page for each course.

7. The institution must apply technological measures that reasonably prevent students from retaining the work in accessible form after the class session.
After each session, the student must log out. At the end of the course (2 weeks), student’s access is taken away

8. The institution must apply technological measures that reasonable prevent redistribution of the material.
We purchased RealNetworks Real Player streaming audio/video server has the capability to prevent students from downloading the streamed file to their computer. This protocol is called “Secret Handshake”.

More links regarding Coprright and TEACH Act, thanks to my friends at University of West Georgia and their Distance Education Certificate Program:

Regents Guide to the TEACH Act
Copyright Considerations in the Digital Age
10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained, Brad Templeton
Copyright Issues Relating to On-Line Classrooms, Hill