Comtech Agenda

• Welcome – Harold Esche• Project Emerge – Grant Watterworth/Don Zarsky

• Wireless - Tom Seto• Blended Learning – Jeremy Mortis/Heather Weiland

– Blackboard • Survey Results

– Breeze– Elluminate

• Connect with Mac Users – Anthony Reimer

Connected Campus

Enabling the learning, research, administrative, and community goals of the UofC, through the effective and efficient use of technology; allowing people to access information when they need it, at the required time, in the desired location, and in the appropriate format.

Wireless Initiative

• Phase I– August 31, 2005– Targeting “student spaces”– Ground floor of all buildings with student

spaces

• Phase II– August 31, 2006– Ubiquitous campus coverage

Wireless Initiative

• AirUC– Currently 130 access points

• RezNet– Currently 144 access points

• Phase I– Add 400 new access points

• Phase II– Add further 800 new access points

Wireless Initiative

• Thin Access Points– APs have minimal intelligence– Controlled by WLAN switches– Easy management and control

• Fat Access Points– Intelligent APs– Can run standalone– Difficult to maintain and manage

Wireless Initiative

• Applications– Student access to Portal, webdisk, email– VoWIP Voice over Wireless IP– GSM/WiFi Phones– Parking– Security– Inventory– Bookstore

Wireless Initiative

• map_presentation.swf

Blended Learning

What is Blended Learning? • Blended Learning’ is an approach to course design that

meaningfully brings together the best of both face-to-face and online learning. It is not intended to supplant either of these individual approaches, rather to build from each to create, a new, more effective learning experience for students.

• Blended learning course design seeks to leverage what is best done in-person (debates; group presentations; reflexive response/thought) in combination with what is best done online (provision of content; deeper, reflective discourse; document management and organization). In this view, the traditional ‘3 hours of class time per week’ is reconsidered with some equivalent combination of face-to-face and online work.

IT Infrastructure to Support Blended Learning

• Blackboard

• Breeze

• Elluminate

Blackboard Stats for Fall 2004 and Winter 2005

FALL 2004

Registrar's: Total number of UofC students:  25,495 Students in a Bb course:        18,478  (72%) Avg number of Bb courses per Bb student:  2.4 Total number of Bb courses:        844

Cont Ed: Students in a Bb course:         2,036 Avg number of Bb courses per Bb student:  1.5 Total number of Bb courses:        189

Server stats (per typical weekday): Page hits:          640,000 Logins:              40,000

Blackboard Stats for Winter 2005

WINTER 2005

– Registrars

Total Students:  24165 Students in a Bb course:  18393 Number of Bb courses:    906

– Cont Ed

Students in a Bb course:   1983 Number of Bb courses:    186

Blackboard Student Survey Results

• Why did we want to do a survey?

• Number of students responding to survey– 5554 respondents (5423 unique)

• Questions designed by IT, Learning Commons and the BB Course Administrators Group

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 1

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 2

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 3

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 5

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 8

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 11

Notes & Course MaterialsReview notes after classSample exams & assignments

AnnouncementsDiscussion boards

Input from both students & profGroup projects

File exchange & emailGradesAssignment submission

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 12

Low prof involvementNo discussion board made available

Site set up but not usedDisorganized layout

Posted just before lectureFile formats

Instructors didn’t know how to use the toolsUnused tools (Gradebook, discussion, chat, groups, calendar)Overused email

Not always relevantAssumption that students knew what it was and how to use it

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Question 15

Blackboard Student Survey Results

Breeze

• What is BreezeBreeze is software developed by Macromedia that publishes your

PowerPoint files into Flash (.swf) format for easy viewing. Using just some of Breeze’s capabilities, you can:

• Add narration to your PowerPoint file

• Synchronize PowerPoint animations to the narration

• Publish your PowerPoint file to the Breeze server (creating a Breeze Presentation)

• Allow the public to view your Breeze Presentation

• Download your Breeze Presentation and put on a CD or into Blackboard

Breeze

• Demo of Breeze

http://breeze.ucalgary.ca/p60365062/

Breeze

• Learn more about BreezeDate: May 31, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Learning Commons – 5th floor Bio Sciences

Register:  http://commons.ucalgary.ca/workshops/view/1000612

Elluminate

Connect with Mac Users

• mactech-L Mailing List