Data Visualization Designer and Consultant for the Arts
Lecturer
The University Libraries of Virginia Tech seeks a specialist to join a team offering critical and sophisticated new technology development services that enhance the scholarly and creative expression of faculty and graduate students. This new position will bring relevant computational techniques to the enhance the fields of Art and Design at Virginia Tech, and will serve as a visual design consultant to project teams using data visualization methodologies.
The ideal candidates will have demonstrated web development and programming skills, knowledge of digital research methods and tools in Art and Design, experience managing and interpreting common types of digital data and assets studied in those fields.
The Data Visualization Designer & Digital Consultant for the Arts will not only help researchers in Art and Design fields develop, manage, and sustain digital creative works and digital forms of scholarly expression, but also help researchers across Virginia Tech design effective visual representations of their research. Successful candidates will work collaboratively with other Virginia Tech units, such as the School of Visual Arts; the School of Performing Arts; the Moss Center for the Arts; the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology; and the arts community development initiative VTArtWorks (made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [SP-02-15-0034-15])
Responsibilities
– Investigates and applies existing and emerging technologies that help strengthen the Libraries’ mission to enhance and curate visual representations of data at Virginia Tech.
– Develops and modifies technologies and designs processes that facilitate data visualization/exploration, data and information access, data discovery, data mining, data publishing, data management, and preservation
– Serves as consultant to researchers on data visualization, visual design principles, and related computational tools and methods in the digital arts
– Keeps up with trends in digital research issues, methods, and tools in related disciplines
– Identifies data, digital scholarship, and digital library development referral opportunities; makes connections with research teams across campus
– Participates in teams and working groups and in various data-related projects and initiatives as a result of developments and changes in library services
The James E. Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) seeks a systems librarian to contribute to the mission of the library through administration and optimization of the library’s various management systems.
This is a 12-month, tenure-track position (#401070) at the rank of assistant/associate professor. Start date for the position is July 1, 2018. All library faculty are expected to meet promotion and tenure standards.
This position reports to the team director. The successful candidate will collaborate with campus faculty and library colleagues to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility of digital assets, projects, and datasets collected and created by the library, and to support metadata strategies associated with digital scholarship and special collections. The person in this position will engage in national and/or international initiatives and insure that best practice is followed for curation of digital materials.
Responsibilities:
Coordinate management of digital repositories, working across teams, including Digital Initiatives & Scholarly Communication, Special Collections & Archives, Technology, and Resource Services, to ensure the sustainability of projects and content
Create and maintain policies and procedures guiding digital preservation practices, including establishing authenticity and integrity workflows for born digital and digitized content
In collaboration with the Digital Collections Librarian, create guidelines and procedures for metadata creation, transformation, remediation, and enhancement
Perform metadata audits of existing digital assets to ensure compliance with standards
Maintain awareness of trends in metadata and resource discovery
Participates in team and library-wide activities; serves on Library, Librarians’ Assembly, and University committees; represents the library in relevant regional, state, and national organizations
Participates in local, regional, or national professional organizations; enriches professional expertise by attending conferences and professional development opportunities, delivering presentations at professional meetings, publishing in professional publications, and serving on professional committees
Perform other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited program or a master’s degree in a related field
Knowledge of best practices for current digital library standards for digital curation and of born digital and digitized content
Knowledge of current trends in data stewardship and data management plans
Experience with preservation workflows for born digital and digitized content
Experience with metadata standards and protocols (such as Dublin Core, Open Archives Initiative-Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), METS, MODS, PREMIS)
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, effectively identify and leverage resources, as well as meet deadlines and budgets
Aptitude for complex, analytical work with an attention to detail
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Excellent communication skills
Strong service orientation
Desired Qualifications:
One to three years of experience with digital preservation or metadata creation in an academic library setting
Experience with developing, using, and preserving research data collections
Familiarity with GIS and data visualization tools
Demonstrated skills with scripting languages and/or tools for data manipulation (e.g. OpenRefine http://openrefine.org/, Python, XSLT, etc.)
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Mimi O’Malley is the learning technology translation strategist at Spalding University
THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR LIBRARIANS,
LIBRARIES, AND LIBRARIANSHIP
The redefinition of humanities scholarship has received major attention in higher education over the past few years. The advent of digital humanities has challenged many aspects of academic librarianship. With the acknowledgement that librarians must be a necessary part of this scholarly conversation, the challenges facing subject/liaison librarians, technical service librarians, and library administrators are many. Developing the knowledge base of digital tools, establishing best procedures and practices, understanding humanities scholarship, managing data through the research lifecycle, teaching literacies (information, data, visual) beyond the one-shot class, renegotiating the traditional librarian/faculty relationship as ‘service orientated,’ and the willingness of library and institutional administrators to allocate scarce resources to digital humanities projects while balancing the mission and priorities of their institutions are just some of the issues facing librarians as they reinvent themselves in the digital humanities sphere.
A CALL FOR PROPOSALS
College & Undergraduate Libraries, a peer-reviewed journal published by Taylor & Francis, invites proposals for articles to be published in the fall of 2017. The issue will be co-edited by Kevin Gunn (gunn@cua.edu) of the Catholic University of America and Jason Paul (pauljn@stolaf.edu) of St. Olaf College.
The issue will deal with the digital humanities in a very broad sense, with a major focus on their implications for the roles of academic librarians and libraries as well as on librarianship in general. Possible article topics include, but are not limited to, the following themes, issues, challenges, and criticism:
Developing the project development mindset in librarians
Creating new positions and/or cross-training issues for librarians
Librarian as: point-of-service agent, an ongoing consultant, or as an embedded project librarian
Developing managerial and technological competencies in librarians
Administration support (or not) for DH endeavors in libraries
Teaching DH with faculty to students (undergraduate and graduate) and faculty
Helping students working with data
Managing the DH products of the data life cycle
Issues surrounding humanities data collection development and management
Relationships of data curation and digital libraries in DH
Issues in curation, preservation, sustainability, and access of DH data, projects, and products
Linked data, open access, and libraries
Librarian and staff development for non-traditional roles
Teaching DH in academic libraries
Project collaboration efforts with undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty
Data literacy for librarians
The lack of diversity of librarians and how it impacts DH development
Advocating and supporting DH across the institution
Developing institutional repositories for DH
Creating DH scholarship from the birth of digital objects
Consortial collaborations on DH projects
Establishing best practices for dh labs, networks, and services
Assessing, evaluating, and peer reviewing DH projects and librarians.
Articles may be theoretical or ideological discussions, case studies, best practices, research studies, and opinion pieces or position papers.
Proposals should consist of an abstract of up to 500 words and up to six keywords describing the article, together with complete author contact information. Articles should be in the range of 20 double-spaced pages in length. Please consult the following link that contains instructions for authors: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=wcul20&page=instructions#.V0DJWE0UUdU.
Please submit proposals to Kevin Gunn (gunn@cua.edu) by August 17, 2016; please do not use Scholar One for submitting proposals. First drafts of accepted proposals will be due by February 1, 2017 with the issue being published in the fall of 2017. Feel free to contact the editors with any questions that you may have.
Kevin Gunn, Catholic University of America
Jason Paul, St. Olaf College
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The Transformational Initiative for Graduate Education and Research (TIGER) at the General Library of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM) seeks an enthusiastic and creative Research Services Librarian to join our recently created Graduate Research and Innovation Center (GRIC).
The Research Services Librarian works to advance the goals and objectives of Center and leads the creation and successful organization of instructional activities, collaborates to envision and implement scholarly communication services and assists faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students in managing the lifecycle of data resulting from all types of projects. This initiative is funded by a five year grant awarded by the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program (PPOHA), Title V, Part B, of the U.S. Department of Education.
The Research Services Librarian will build relationships and collaborate with the GRIC personnel and library liaisons as well as with project students and staff. This is a Librarian I position that will be renewed annually (based upon performance evaluation) for the duration of the project with a progressive institutionalization commitment starting on October 1st, 2016. .
The Mayaguez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico is located in the western part of the island. Our library provides a broad array of services, collections and resources for a community of approximately 12,100 students and supports more than 95 academic programs. An overview of the library and the university can be obtained through http://www.uprm.edu/library/.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Master’s degree in library or information science (MLS, MIS, MLIS) from an ALA (American Library Association)-accredited program • Fully bilingual in English and Spanish • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work well with a diverse academic community • Experience working in reference and instruction in an academic/research library and strong assessment and user-centered service orientation • Demonstrated experience working across organizational boundaries and managing complex stakeholder groups to move projects forward • Experience with training, scheduling and supervising at various settings • Ability to work creatively, collaboratively and effectively on teams and on independent assignments • Experience with website creation and design in a CMS environment and accessibility and compliance issues • Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Experience creating and maintaining web-based subject guides and tutorials • Demonstrated ability to deliver in-person and online reference services • Experience helping researchers with data management planning and understanding of trends and issues related to the research lifecycle, including creation, analysis, preservation, access, and reuse of research data • Demonstrated a high degree of facility with technologies and systems germane to the 21st century library, and be well versed in the issues surrounding scholarly communications and compliance issues (e.g. author identifiers, data sharing software, repositories, among others) • Demonstrate awareness of emerging trends, best practices, and applicable technologies in academic librarianship • Demonstrated experience with one or more metadata and scripting languages (e.g. Dublin Core, XSLT, Java, JavaScript, Python, or PHP) • Academic or professional experience in the sciences or other fields utilizing quantitative methodologies • Experience conducting data-driven analysis of user needs or user testing.
Second master’s degree, doctorate or formal courses leading to a doctorate degree from an accredited university
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
Manages daily operations, coordinates activities, and services related to the GRIC and contributes to the continuing implementation of TIGER goals and objectives.
Works closely with liaison and teaching librarians to apply emerging technologies in the design, delivery, and maintenance of high-quality subject guides, digital collection, learning objects, online tutorials, workshops, seminars, mobile and social media interfaces and applications.
Provide support to faculty and graduate students through the integration of digital collection, resources, technologies and analytical tools with traditional resources and by offering user-centered consultation and specialized services 4. Participates in the implementation, promotion, and assessment of the institutional repository and e-science initiative related to data storage, retrieval practices, processes, and data literacy/management.
Advises and educates campus community about author’s rights, Creative Commons licenses, copyrighted materials, open access, publishing trends and other scholarly communication issues.
Develops new services as new needs arise following trends in scholarly communication e-humanities, and e-science.
Provides and develops awareness and knowledge related to digital scholarship and research lifecycle for librarians and staff.
Actively disseminates project outcomes and participates in networking and professional development activities to keep current with emerging practices, technologies and trends.
Actively promote TIGER or GRIC related activities through social networks and other platforms as needed.
Periodically collects, analyzes, and incorporates relevant statistical data into progress reports as needed (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Springshare, among others).
Actively collaborates with the TIGER Project Assessment Coordinator and the Springshare Administrator to create reports and tools to collect data on user needs.
Coordinates the transmission of online workshops through Google Hangouts Air with the Agricultural Experiment Station Library staff.
Collaborates in the creation of grants and external funds proposals.
Availability and flexibility to work some weeknights and weekends.
SALARY: $ 45,720.00 yearly+ (12 month year).
BENEFITS: University health insurance, 30 days of annual leave, 18 days of sick leave.
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Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian
The Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education (FLITE) at Ferris State University (Big Rapids, Michigan) invites applications for a collaborative and service-oriented Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian. The Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian ensures that library systems and web services support and enhance student learning. Primary responsibilities include management and design of the library website’s architecture, oversight of the technical and administrative aspects of the library management system and other library enterprise applications, and the seamless integration of all library web-based services. Collaborates with other library faculty and staff to provide reliable electronic access to online resources and to improve the accessibility, usability, responsiveness, and overall user experience of the library’s website. Serves as a liaison to other campus units including Information Technology Services. The Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian is a 12-month, tenure-track faculty position based in the Collections & Access Services team and reports to the Assistant Dean for Collections & Access Services.
Required Qualifications: ALA accredited master’s degree in library or information science by the time of hire. Minimum 2 years recent experience in administration and configuration of a major enterprise system, such as a library management system. Minimum 2 years recent experience in designing and managing a large-scale website using HTML5, Javascript, and CSS. Demonstrated commitment to the principles of accessibility, universal design, and user-centered design methodologies. Recent experience with object-oriented programming and scripting languages used to support a website. Experience working in a Unix/ Linux environment. Experience with SQL and maintaining MySQL, PostgreSQL, and/ or Oracle databases. Knowledge of web site analytics and experience with making data-driven decisions.
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL PROJECTS, MIT Libraries, to direct the development, maintenance, and scaling of software applications and tools designed to dramatically increase access to research collections, improve service capabilities, and expand the library platform. Will be responsible for leading efforts on a variety of collaborative digital library projects aimed at increasing global access to MIT’s collections and facilitating innovative human and machine uses of a full range of research and teaching objects and metadata; and lead a software development program and develop partnerships with external academic and commercial collaborators to develop tools and platforms with a local and global impact on research, scholarly communications, education, and the preservation of information and ideas.
MIT Libraries seek to be leaders in the collaborative development of a truly open global network of library repositories and platforms. By employing a dynamic, project-based staffing model and drawing on staff resources from across the Libraries to deliver successful outcomes, it is poised to make immediate progress.
REQUIRED: four-year college degree; at least seven years’ professional experience and increasing responsibility with library systems and digital library strategy and development; evidence of broad, in-depth technology and systems knowledge; experience with integrated library systems/library services platforms, discovery technologies, digital repositories, and/or digital preservation services and technologies and demonstrated understanding of the trends and ongoing development of such systems and of emerging technologies in these areas; and experience directly leading and managing projects (i.e., developing proposals; establishing timelines, budgets, and staffing plans; leading day-to-day project work; and delivering on commitments). Job #13458-S
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA LIBRARIES Digital Projects Librarian Position Description
General Summary of Responsibilities
The University of Alabama Libraries seeks an innovative, dynamic, and service-oriented professional for the position of Digital Projects Librarian. Reporting to the Head of Web Services, this position is primarily responsible for development, implementation, and project management of technology projects in a collaborative environment, as well as supporting the development and management of the UA Libraries various web interfaces. This position will also act as primary administrator for LibApps and similar cloud-based library application suites.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Reporting to the head of Web Services, the Digital Projects Librarian will manage and extend the University Libraries services by planning and implementing a variety of projects for internal and external audiences. The position will also integrate, manage, and extend various software platforms and web-based tools using LAMP technology skills and web programming languages such as PHP, CSS, and JavaScript. S/he will support tools such as the University Libraries web site and intranet, will work with an institutional repository instance and digital archives website, and will work with the LibApps suite of library tools. Will modify, implement and create widgets and small applications for learning tools and other interfaces and APIs. The librarian will interact with a wide range of individuals with differing technological abilities and will be expected to successfully collaborate across departments. The librarian will maintain a knowledge of current best practices in security for web tools, and library privacy concerns. The librarian will work to identify promising new technologies that can impact services and generate a better user experience. The librarian will be expected to have some participation in usability and user experience studies.
Department Information
The Web Services Unit is part of the University Libraries Office of Library Technology and is responsible for web applications, web sites, content, and services that comprise the University Libraries web presence. Among its duties, Web Services manages the University Libraries discovery service application, multiple instances of the WordPress CMS, WordPress Blogs, the LibApp suite of library tools, and Omeka as well as other tools, along with usability and accessibility efforts.
Duties
Administrate the UA suite of the LibApps tools (LibGuides, LibCal, LibAnswers, etc.); responsible for implementation of existing guidelines and maintaining continuity of look, feel and action;
Works as part of team that is responsible for management and extension of the University Libraries various web-based applications and tools (such as WordPress as a CMS and other CMS frameworks, WordPress Blogs, custom apps using an Angular JS framework and Bootstrap, Omeka, Drupal);
General, project-based web development and UX implementation within the framework of our web site, intranet and student portal;
Responsible for creating, modifying and implementing learning-tool solutions, such as Blackboard Learn widgets;
Evaluate the use and effectiveness of web applications and other technological services using analytics, usability studies, and other methods;
Work to identify and assist in implementing and evaluating promising emerging technologies and social media tools;
Provide technical expertise for the use of social media applications and tools;
Other duties as assigned.
Required qualifications
Master’s degree in Library & Information Sciences from an ALA-accredited program or advanced degree in Instructional Technology or comparable field from an accredited institution;
Ability to successfully initiate, track, and manage projects;
Demonstrated experience working on digital library projects;
Experience administering CMS-type tools and an understanding of web programming work;
Familiarity with the Linux and/or Unix command-line;
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills and the ability to interact effectively with faculty, students, and staff.
Preferred Qualifications
One year of experience working in an academic library on large digital projects – either implementation or programming/developing, or both.
Demonstrable experience creating course and/or subject guides via LibGuides or a comparable application;
Experience developing for libraries using current best practices in writing and implementation of multiple scripting or programing languages;
Experience with automated development repository environments using Grunt, Bower, GitHub, etc.
Experience with an Open Source content management systems such as WordPress;
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a large and complex environment;
Familiarity with project management and team productivity tools such as Asana, Trello, and Slack;
Knowledge of XML and library metadata standards ;
Knowledge of scripting languages such as XSLT, JavaScript, Python, Perl, and PHP;
Familiarity with responsive design methodologies and best practices;
Familiarity with agile-design practices;
Knowledge of graphic design and image editing software.
Environment:
The University of Alabama, The Capstone University, is the State of Alabama’s flagship public university and the senior comprehensive doctoral level institution in Alabama. UA enrolls over 37,000 students, is ranked in the top 50 public universities in the United States, and its School of Library and Information Studies is ranked in the top 15 library schools in the country. UA has graduated 15 Rhodes Scholars, 15 Truman Scholars, has had 121 Fulbright Scholars, is one of the leading institutions for National Merit Scholars (150 in 2015), and has 5 Pulitzer Prize winners among its ranks. Under the new leadership of President Stuart Bell, UA has launched a strategic planning process that includes an aggressive research agenda and expansion of graduate education. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, a metropolitan area of 200,000, with a vibrant economy, a moderate climate, and a reputation across the South as an innovative, progressive community with an excellent quality of life. Tuscaloosa provides easy access to mountains, several large cities, and the beautiful Gulf Coast.
The University of Alabama is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. The University Libraries homepage may be accessed at http://libraries.ua.edu
Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation.
SALARY/BENEFITS: This will be a non-tenure track 12-month renewable appointment for up to three year cycles at the Assistant Professor rank based on performance, funding, and the needs of the University Libraries. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Excellent benefits, including professional development support and tuition fee waiver.
Columbia University Libraries seeks a collegial, collaborative, and creative Digital Humanities Developer to join our Libraries IT staff. The Digital Humanities Developer will provide technology support for digital humanities-focused projects by evaluating, implementing and managing relevant platforms and applications; the Developer will also analyze, transform and/or convert existing humanities-related data sets for staff, engage in creative prototyping of innovative applications, and provide technology consulting and instructional support for Libraries staff.
This new position, based in the Libraries’ Digital Program Division, will work on a variety of projects, collaborating closely with the Digital Humanities Librarian, the Digital Scholarship Coordinator, other Libraries technology groups, librarians in the Humanities & History division and project stakeholders. The position will contribute to building out flexible and sustainable technology platforms for the Libraries’ DH programs and will
also explore new and innovative DH applications and tools.
Responsibilities include:
– Evaluate, implement and manage web and related software applications and platforms relevant to the digital humanities program
– Analyze, transform and/or convert existing humanities-related data sets for staff, students and faculty as needed
– Engage in creative prototyping and model innovative technology solutions in support of the goals of the Digital Humanities Center
– Provide technology consulting, guidance and instruction to CUL staff a well as students and faculty as required
– Conduct independent exploration of technology issues and opportunities in the Digital Humanities domain
The successful candidate will have great collaboration and communication skills and a strong interest in developing expertise in the evolving field of digital humanities.
Columbia University is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages individuals of all backgrounds and cultures to consider this position.
-Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, with experience in the humanities, a minimum of 3 years of related work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Significant experience with UNIX, relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL), and one or more relevant software / scripting languages (e.g., JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby/Rails, Perl); experience with modern web standards (HTML5 / CSS / JavaScript); ability to manage software development using revision control software such as SVN and GIT/GITHUB; strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work as part of collaborative teams; ability to communicate effectively with faculty, students, and staff, including both technical and non-technical collaborators; commitment to supporting and working in a diverse collegial environment
Advanced degree in computer science or a related field, or an advanced degree in the humanities or related field; experience in one or more of the following areas: natural language processing, text analysis, data-mining, machine learning, spatial information / mapping, data modeling, information visualization, integrating digital media into web applications; experience with XML/XSLT, GIS, SOLR, linked data technologies; experience with platforms used for digital exhibits or archives.
Experience in the design, development and management of web interfaces, including demonstrated pro?ciency with HTML, CSS, and web authoring tools.
Working knowledge of relevant coding languages such as Javascript and PHP
Ability and willingness to develop work?ows and standards related to all aspects of the library’s web presence and services including related applications.
Strong problem solving skills
Excellent organizational skills, including the capability for managing a variety of tasks and multiple priorities
Demonstrated initiative and proven ability to learn new technologies and adapt to changes in the profession.
Understanding of library services and technologies in an academic environment.
Strong service orientation and awareness of end user needs as related to library online services and technologies
Possesses an understanding of, and a commitment to, usability testing and ongoing assessment of web interfaces
Demonstrated ability to thrive in a team environment, working both independently and collaboratively as appropriate.
Ability to learn new technical skills quickly and adapt emerging technologies to new domains.
Proven ability and willingness to share expertise with colleagues and to articulate technology strategy to non-technical sta? and patrons.
Must be available to respond to situations and systems maintenance work that will occur during weekends or evenings.
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication, including the ability to develop written project documentation, process procedures, reports, etc.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of Responsive Web Design and W3C Web Usability Guidelines.
Experience supporting an Integrated Library System (ILS)/Library Management Platform and/or discovery system such as Ex Libris’s Primo.
Experience using web development languages such as PHP, Javascript, XML, XSLT, and CSS3.
Experience with content management systems such as Drupal or WordPress
Familiarity with the technical applications and strategies used to enhance the discover ability of library and digital collections.
Experience with managing projects, meeting deadlines, and communicating to various stakeholders in an academic library environment.
Experience working in a Linux environment.
Experience supporting web applications utilizing the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
The University Libraries at Appalachian State University seeks a responsive and collaborative Electronic Resources Librarian. The Electronic Resources Librarian will ensure a seamless and transparent research environment for students and faculty by managing access to electronic resources. Working collaboratively across library teams, the Electronic Resources Librarian will identify and implement improvements in online content, systems and services. The successful candidate will have strong project management, problem solving, and workflow management skills. The Electronic Resources Librarian is a member of the Resource Acquisition and Management Team.
Required
ALA-accredited master’s degree.
Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated e-resources project and workflow management skills.
Preferred
Experience with integrated library systems (Sierra preferred).
Experience with setup and maintenance of knowledge base, OpenURL, and discovery systems (EDS preferred).
Experience with proxy setup and maintenance (Innovative’s WAM, and/or EZ Proxy preferred).
Knowledge of security standards and protocols such as LDAP, Single-Sign On, and Shibboleth, and data transfer standards and protocols such as IP, FTP, COUNTER, and SUSHI.
Advanced skills with office productivity software including MS Office, and Google Apps for Education.
Evidence of establishing and maintaining excellent vendor relationships.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across library teams.
Demonstrated skill in technical trouble-shooting and problem-solving.
Demonstrated supervisory skills.
Second advanced degree.
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—–Original Message—–
From: lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Spencer Lamm
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2016 12:13 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: [lita-l] Jobs: Digital Repository Application Developer, Drexel University Libraries
Summary
Drexel University Libraries seeks a collaborative and creative professional to develop solutions for managing digital collections, research data, university records, and digital scholarship. Working primarily with our Islandora implementation, this position will play a key role as the Libraries advance preservation services and public access for a wide array of digital content including books, articles, images, journals, newspapers, audio, video, and datasets.
As a member of the Data & Digital Stewardship division, the digital repository application developer will work in a collaborative, team-based environment alongside other developers, as well as archives, metadata, and data services staff. The position’s primary responsibility will be working in a Linux environment with the Islandora digital repository stack, which includes the Fedora Commons digital asset management layer, Apache Solr, and Drupal. To support the ingestion and exposure of new collections and digital object types the position will extend the repository using tools such as: RDF, SPARQL, and triplestores; the SWORD protocol; and XSLT.
Reporting to the manager, discovery systems, the developer will collaborate with collection managers and stakeholders across campus. In addition, the successful candidate will play an active role in the Islandora and Fedora open source communities, contributing code, participating in working groups and engaging in other activities in support of current and future implementers of these technologies.
Librarian and Instructional Technology Liaison – Data Services (#459)
Date Posted: 10/19/2016 Type/Department: Staff in Library, Information & Technology Services
As a member of a fully blended group of librarians and instructional technologists in the Research & Instructional Support (RIS) department, the Librarian/Library and Instructional Technology Liaison (title dependent on qualifications) will work closely with fellow liaisons in RIS to provide forward-looking library research and instructional technology services to faculty and students, with a special focus on data services.The liaison collaborates broadly across LITS as well as with internal and external partners to support faculty and students participating in the College’s data science curricular initiative and in data-intensive disciplines. The liaison coordinates the development, design, and provision of responsive and flexible data services programming for faculty and students, including data analysis, data storage, data publishing, data management, data visualization, and data preservation. The liaison consults with faculty and students in a wide range of disciplines on best practices for teaching and using data/statistical software tools such as R, SPSS, Stata, and MatLab.All liaisons collaborate with faculty to support the design, implementation and assessment of meaningfully integrated library research and technology skills and tools (including Moodle, the learning management system) into teaching and learning activities; provide library research and instructional technology consultation; effectively design, develop, deliver, and assess seminars, workshops, and other learning opportunities; provide self-motivated leadership in imagining and implementing improvements in teaching and learning effectiveness; serve as liaison to one or more academic departments or programs, supporting pedagogical and content needs in the areas of collection development, library research, and instructional technology decisions; maintain high levels of quality customer service standards responding to questions and problems; partner with colleagues across Library, Information, and Technology Services (LITS) to ensure excellence in the provision of services in support of teaching and learning; and actively work to help the RIS team and the College to create a welcoming environment in which a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff can thrive.Evening and weekend work may be necessary. In some circumstances, it may be important to assist during adverse weather and emergency situations to ensure essential services and service points are covered. Performs related duties as assigned.Qualifications:
Advanced degree required, preferably in education, educational technology, instructional design, or MLS with an emphasis in instruction and assessment. Open to other combinations of education and experience such as advanced degree in quantitative academic disciplines with appropriate teaching and outreach experience.
3-5 years experience in an academic setting with one or more of the following: teaching, outreach, instructional technology and design support, or research support.
Significant experience with statistical/quantitative data analysis using one or more of the following tools: R, SPSS, Stata, or MatLab.
Significant experience with one or more of the following: data storage, data publishing, data management, data visualization, or data preservation.
Skills:
Demonstrated passion for the teaching and learning process, an understanding of a variety of pedagogical approaches, and the ability to develop effective learning experiences.
Demonstrated ability to lead projects that include diverse groups of people.
A love of learning, the ability to think critically with a dash of ingenuity, the open-mindedness to change your mind, the confidence to admit to not knowing something, and a willingness to learn and move on from mistakes.
Attention and care for detail without losing sight of the big picture and our users’ needs.
Flexibility to accept, manage, and incorporate change in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent oral and written communication, quantitative, organization, and problem-solving skills.
The ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Able to maintain a professional and tactful approach in all interactions, ensuring confidentiality and an individual’s right to privacy regarding appropriate information.
Enthusiastic service orientation with sensitivity to the needs of users at all skill levels; the ability to convey technical information to a non-technical audience is essential.
Ability to travel as needed to participate in consortia and professional meetings and events.
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From:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Williams, Ginger Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2016 8:37 AM To: ‘lita-l@lists.ala.org’ <lita-l@lists.ala.org> Subject: [lita-l] Job: Library Specialist Data Visualization & Collection Analytics (Texas USA)
library Specialist: Data Visualization & Collections Analytics
The Albert B. Alkek Library at Texas State University is seeking a Library Specialist: Data Visualization & Collections Analytics. Under the direction of the Head of Acquisitions, this position provides library-wide support for data visualization and collection analytics projects to support data-driven decision making. This position requires a high level of technical expertise and specialized knowledge to gather, manage, and analyze collection data and access rights, then report complex data in easy-to-understand visualizations. The position will include working with print and digital collections owned or leased by the library.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Develop and maintain an analytics strategy for the library. Manage and report usage statistics for electronic resources. Conduct complex holdings comparison analyses utilizing data from the Integrated Library System (ILS), vendors and/or external systems. Produce reports from the ILS on holdings and circulation. Develop strategies to clean and normalize data exported from the ILS and other systems for use in further analysis. Utilize data visualization strategies to report and present analytics. Conduct benchmarking with vendors, peer institutions, and stakeholders. Coordinate record-keeping of current and perpetual access rights for electronic resources and the management of titles in preservation systems such as LOCKSS and PORTICO. Maintain awareness of developments with digital preservation systems and national and international standards for electronic resources. Serve as the primary resource person for questions related to collections analytics and data visualization. Represent department and library-wide needs by participating in various committees. Participate in formulating departmental and unit policies. Pursue professional development activities to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities. Coordinate and/or perform special projects, participate in department & other staff meetings and perform other duties as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required: Ability to read, analyze, and understand data in a variety of formats; strong written, oral, and interpersonal skills, including ability to work effectively in a team; experience using R, Tableau, BayesiaLab or other data visualization or AI applications, demonstrated by an online portfolio; advanced problem solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills; demonstrated advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including experience using VBA, macros, and formulas; intermediate familiarity with relational databases such as Microsoft Access, including creating relationships, queries, and reports; innovative thinking including the ability to utilize analytics/visualization tools in new, creative, and effective ways.
Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in quantitative or data visualization field such as Applied Statistics, Data Science, or Business Analytics or certificate in data visualization; familiarity with library collection management standards and tools, such as reporting modules within integrated library systems, COUNTER, SUSHI, PIE-J, LOCKSS, PORTICO, library electronic resource usage statistics, and continuing resources; experience with SQL or other query language.
SALARY AND BENEFITS: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits include monthly contribution to health insurance/benefits package and retirement program. No state or local income tax.
BACKGROUND CHECK: Employment with Texas State University is contingent upon the outcome of a criminal history background check.
Texas State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Texas State, a member of the
Texas State University System, is committed to increasing the number of women and
minorities in administrative and professional positions.
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Assistant Professor
Working Title
Assistant Professor – Web Development Librarian #002847
Department
Office of the Dean – Hunter Library
Position Summary
Hunter Library seeks an enthusiastic, innovative, collaborative, and user-oriented librarian for the position of Web Development and User Experience Librarian. This librarian will research, develop, and assess enhancements to the library’s web presence. The person in this position will design new sites and applications to improve the user experience in discovering, finding, and accessing library content and services. Providing vision and leadership in designing, developing and supporting the library website content and integrating it with the larger library web presence, which includes discovery tools, digital collections, and electronic resources; supervision of one technology support analyst, as well as staff/student employees engaged in related work, as assigned. Monitors workflow and deadlines; day-to-day management, including programming and editorial recommendations, of the library’s web pages and intranet; serves as a member of the library’s web steering committee, an advisory group that includes representatives from across the library; development and implementation web applications and tools, particularly for mobile environments. The library values collaboration and broad engagement in library-wide decisions and initiatives. This position reports directly to the Head of Technology, Access, and Special Collections.
Carnegie statement
WCU embraces its role as a regionally engaged university and is designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a community engaged university. Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a commitment to public engagement through their teaching, service, and scholarship
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Required for this Position
Strong leadership skills and ability to lead a web based electronic content management development team; experience in designing, developing, and supporting web sites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; familiarity with User Experience Design; basic skills in graphic design; familiarity with usability testing, WAI guidelines, and web analytics; familiarity with mobile platforms, applications, and design; familiarity with responsive design; familiarity with content management systems, intranets, relational databases, and web servers; demonstrated flexibility and initiative; strong commitment to user-centered services and service excellence; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students; superior oral and written communication skills; ability to achieve tenure through effective job performance, service, and research.
Minimum Qualifications
ALA-accredited master’s degree or international equivalent in library or information science; strong leadership skills and ability to lead a web based electronic content management development team; experience in designing, developing, and supporting web sites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; familiarity with User Experience Design; basic skills in graphic design; familiarity with usability testing, WAI guidelines, and web analytics; familiarity with mobile platforms, applications, and design; familiarity with responsive design; familiarity with content management systems, intranets, relational databases, and web servers. Demonstrated flexibility and initiative; strong commitment to user-centered services and service excellence; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students; superior oral and written communication skills; ability to achieve tenure through effective job performance, service, and research
Preferred Qualifications
Academic library experience; demonstrated skills in User Experience Design; demonstrated experience with usability testing, WAI guidelines, and web analytics; demonstrated experience with mobile platforms, applications, and design; demonstrated experience developing responsive web pages or applications; demonstrated experience with content management systems, relational databases, and web servers; skills or interest in photography; experience with graphic design software; familiarity with a programming environment that includes languages such as ASP.NET, PHP, Python, or Ruby
Position Type
Permanent Full-Time
Position: Library Information Analyst
Position summary
The Library Information Analyst coordinates Access & Information Services (AIS) technology assessment activities, working in a 24/5 environment to support the technology needs of customers. This position will analyze and report quantitative and qualitative data gathered from various technology-related services including the iSpace (library maker space), equipment lending, and all public-facing user technology. Using this data, the incumbent will support strategic planning for improving and operationalizing technology-related services, provide analysis to support a wide variety of data to management, and makes recommendations for process improvements.
The University of Alabama Libraries seeks a talented and energetic professional Web Development Librarian in the Web Technologies and Development unit. Reporting to the Manager of Web Technologies and Development, this position will be responsible for supporting and extending the Libraries’ custom web applications, tools, and web presence. The position will also engage in project work, and support new technology initiatives derived from our strategic plan. The position duties will be split among extending and supporting our custom PHP web apps framework, maintaining and enhancing our web site, maintaining and extending our custom Bento search tool, and developing for open-source digital initiatives such as EBSCO’s FOLIO library framework. The position will also support inter-departmental development and troubleshooting using your front-stack and back-end skills.
The successful candidate will maintain a knowledge of current best practices in all areas of responsibility with special attention to security. S/he will identify promising new technologies that can positively impact services or generate a better user experience and will be an innovative and entrepreneurial professional who desires to work in a creative, collaborative and respectful environment.
The Web Technologies and Applications department is responsible for the development of such nationally-recognized tools as our Bento search interface and our innovative applications of Ebsco’s EDS tool. The University Libraries emphasizes a culture of continuous learning, professional growth, and diversity through ongoing and regular training, and well-supported professional development.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
MLS/MLIS degree from an ALA accredited program, or
Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with diverse constituencies; comfortable with ambiguity; and effective oral, written and interpersonal communication
Experience (1 year+) developing for LAMP systems / extensive familiarity with PHP and MySQL or other back-end development Eg, must be able to write SQL queries and PHP code, and show understanding of web application usage using these tools within a Linux and Apache environment.
Extensive familiarity with front-stack development using Javascript and Javascript libraries, AJAX, JSON, HTML 5 and
Familiarity with version control usage systems in a development
Familiarity with basic UX, iterative design, accessibility standards and mobile first
Experience developing within a WordPress
Ability to problem solve
Ability to set and follow through on both individual and team priorities and
Aptitude for learning new technologies and working in a dynamic
Demonstrated comfort with an evolving technology
A desire to be awesome, and develop awesome projects.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
1-3 years of programming and development experience in a web environment using LAMP
Experience developing for, and supporting, common open-source library applications such as Omeka, ArchiveSpace, Dspace,
Experience with Java, Ruby, RAML
Familiarity with NoSQL databases and
Experience interacting with and manipulating REST API data
Application or mobile development
Experience with professional workflows using IDEs, staging servers, Git, Grunt, and
Familiarity with js, Bootstrap, Angular.js, Roots.io.
Familiar with UX methodologies and
Experience with web security issues, HTTPS, and developing secure
Experience developing for and within open-source
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Web Developer/Content Strategist
0604162
University Libraries
Desired Qualifications
– Experience working with Drupal or similar CMS.
– Experience working with LibGuides.
– Familiarity with academic libraries.
General Summary: Designs, develops and maintains websites and related applications for the University Libraries. The position also leads a team to develop holistic communication strategies including the creation and maintenance of an intuitive online experience.
– Develops web content strategy for all University Libraries departments. Serves as Manager for CMS website. Leads effort to coordinate website messaging across multiple platforms including Libraries CMS, LibGuides, social media, and other electronic outlets. Leads research, organization, and public relations efforts concerning the development and release of new websites.
– Designs, tests, debugs and deploys websites. Maintains and updates website architecture and content. Ensures website architecture and content meets University standards.
– Collaborates with University staff to define and document website requirements. Gathers and reports usage statistics, errors or other performance statistics to improve information access and further the goals of the University Libraries.
– Works with Libraries Resource Management to incorporate web-related materials and resources from the Integrated Library System into other web platforms. Works with Libraries IT Services to coordinate maintenance of the architecture, functionality, and integrity of University Libraries websites.
Minimum Qualifications
– Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field from an accredited institution.
– Three years’ relevant experience.
– Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
– Experience documenting technical and content standards.
Under supervision of the Director of Educational Technology, the Academic Technology Specialist will implement complex technical programs and/or projects; perform a range of work in development/programming, communications, technical support, instructional design, and other similar functions to support faculty, staff and students depending on the needs of the Office of Educational Technology; and provide input to educational technology policy-making decisions.Key Responsibilities and Activities:
Support in the implementation of 21st Century technologies, such as ePortfolios, blended/asynchronous courses, mobile learning, Web 2.0 tools for education;
Develop and implement innovative pedagogical applications using the latest computer, mobile and digital media;
Develop educational and interactive websites, including interactive learning modules, multimedia presentations, and rich media;
Provide one-to-one guidance to faculty in Blackboard, ePortfolios, blended/online learning, mobile learning, and digital media use in the classroom across all disciplines in a professional setting;
Support and enhance existing homegrown applications as required;
Develop and administer short-term training courses for faculty and students. Provide support for Blackboard, Digication, and WordPress users.
Keep abreast of the latest hardware and software developments and adapt them for pedagogical uses across disciplines.
Other Duties
Manage multiple projects in a dynamic team-oriented environment;
Serve as a liaison between Academic Departments and the Office of Educational Technology, and as a technical resource in all aspects of instructional design, as well as technologies used in the classroom.
Qualifications
Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or related field, and three years of related work experience. Master Degree preferred.
In-depth experience of programming in ASP.NET MVC, PHP and C#;
Strong understanding of database design (MySQL, MS SQL);
Strong understanding of HTML5, CSS3, HTML, XHTML, XML, JavaScript, AJAX, JQUERY, and Internet standards and protocols;
Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills;
Knowledge of project development life cycle is a plus;
Strong understanding of WordPress Multisites, Kaltura, WikiMedia, and other CMS platforms is a plus;
Experience with Windows Mobile, iOS, and other mobile environments / languages is a plus.
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Digital Literacies Librarian
Instruction Services Division – Library
University of California, Berkeley Library
Hiring range: Associate Librarian
$65,942 – $81,606 per annum, based on qualifications
This is a full time appointment available starting March 2019.
The University of California, Berkeley seeks a creative, collaborative, and user-oriented colleague as the Digital Literacies Librarian. The person in this role will join a team committed to teaching emerging scholars to approach research with confidence, creativity, and critical insight, empowering them to access, critically evaluate, and use information to create and distribute their own research in a technologically evolving environment. This position also has a liaison role with the School of Information, building collections and supporting research methodologies such as computational text analysis, data visualization, and machine learning.
The Environment
The UC Berkeley Library is an internationally renowned research and teaching facility at one of the nation’s premier public universities. A highly diverse and intellectually rich environment, Berkeley serves a campus community of 30,000 undergraduate students, over 11,000 graduate students, and 1,500 faculty. With a collection of more than 12 million volumes and a collections budget of over $15 million, the Library offers extensive collections in all formats and robust services to connect users with those collections and build their related research skills.
The Instruction Services Division (ISD) is a team of seven librarians and professional staff who provide leadership for all issues related to the Library’s educational role such as student learning, information literacy, first-year and transfer student experience, reference and research services, assessment of teaching and learning, instructor development, and the design of physical and virtual learning environments. We support course-integrated instruction, drop-in workshops, online guides, and individual research. Our work furthers the Library’s involvement in teaching and learning initiatives and emphasizes the opportunities associated with undergraduate education. We cultivate liaison relationships with campus partners and academic programs.
The School of Information (I School) offers: professional masters degrees in information management, data science, and cybersecurity; a doctoral program in Information Management & Systems; and a Graduate Certificate in Information and Communication Technologies and Development. Research areas include: natural language processing, computer-mediated communication, data science, human-computer interaction, information policy, information visualization, privacy, technology for developing regions, and user experience and design.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Head of the Instruction Services Division, the Digital Literacies Librarian will further the Library’s digital literacy initiative (Level Up) by working with colleagues in the Library and engaging with campus partners. This librarian will play a key role in supporting information literacy and emerging research methods across the disciplines, partnering with colleagues who have expertise in these areas (e.g. Data Initiatives Expertise Group, Data and GIS Librarians, Digital Humanities Librarian) and campus partners (e.g. D-Lab, Academic Innovation Studio, Research IT, Research Data Management). Collaborations will be leveraged to identify, implement, and promote entry-level research support services for undergraduate users. This librarian will actively participate in the Library’s reference and instructional services—providing in-person reference, virtual reference, individual research consultations, in-person classes, and the development of online instructional content. This librarian will provide consultation and training to students, faculty, and librarians on using digital tools and techniques to enhance their research and to improve teaching and learning. Serving as a liaison to the I School, this position will establish strong relationships with faculty and graduate students and gain insights into trends in information studies that can be incorporated into the library’s instructional portfolio, with a special focus on undergraduates.
Working with colleagues in ISD and across the Library, the Digital Literacies Librarian will develop innovative programs and services. A key pedagogical tactic is promoting peer-to-peer learning for undergraduates, including administering the Library Undergraduate Fellows program. The Fellows program provides students with training and networking opportunities while helping the Library experiment and pilot service models to best support emerging scholars. New service models are piloted in the Center for Connected Learning (CCL) beta site in Moffitt Library. Currently in the design phase, the CCL is a hub for undergraduates to engage in multidisciplinary, multimodal inquiry and creation. Students learn from peers and experts as they ask, seek, and find answers to their questions in an environment unbound by disciplines or domain expertise. Students discover possibilities for learning and research by experimenting directly with new methods and tools. The space is run in partnership with students, and they are empowered to influence service and space design, structure, and policies. The Digital Literacies Librarian will contribute to this ethos by ensuring that emerging scholars are supported to experiment and be connected to the Library’s wealth of scholarly resources and programs.
Qualifications
Minimum Basic Qualification required at the time of application:
● Bachelor’s degree
Additional Required Qualifications required by start date of position:
● Master’s degree from an ALA accredited institution or equivalent international degree.
● Two or more years experience providing reference and/or instruction services in an academic or research library.
● Two or more years experience using digital scholarship methodologies.
Additional Preferred Qualifications:
● Experience applying current developments in information literacy, instructional design, digital initiatives, and assessment.
● Demonstrated understanding of methods and tools related to text mining, web scraping, text and data analysis, and visualization.
● Experience with data visualization principles and tools.
● Demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and implement effective programs, complex projects, and services.
● Demonstrated analytical, organizational, problem solving, interpersonal, and communication skills.
● Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, creativity, and ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member.
● Knowledge of the role of the library in supporting the research lifecycle.
● Participation in Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI), ARL Digital Scholarship Institute, Library Carpentry, or other intensive program.
● Experience with or coursework in collection development in an academic or research library.
● Knowledge of licensing issues related to text and data mining.
● Familiarity with data science principles and programming languages such as Python or R.
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Making and Innovation Specialist, UNLV University Libraries [R0113536]
The Making and Innovation Specialist collaborates with library and campus colleagues to connect the Lied Library Makerspace with learning and research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This position leads the instructional initiatives of the Makerspace, coordinates curricular and co-curricular outreach, and facilitates individual and group instruction. The incumbent coordinates daily Makerspace operations and supervises a team of student employees who maintain safety standards and provide assistance to users. As a member of the Department of Knowledge Production, this position works jointly with all disciplines to explore the application of technology in learning and research, and prioritizes creating inclusive spaces and experiences for the UNLV community.
QUALIFICATIONS
This position requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and professionals at all stages of their career are encouraged to apply.
Required
Technology
Ability to use technology in creative ways to facilitate research and learning.
Ability to maintain and troubleshoot digital fabrication technology.
Experience with 3D modeling and printing principles including equipment, software, and basic CAD skills.
Working knowledge of vector graphic editors and laser cutting or vinyl cutting equipment.
Experience with circuitry, Arduino microcontrollers, and Raspberry Pi single-board computers.
Coding skills as they apply to circuitry preferred.
Instructional & Organizational
Ability to create and maintain policies and instructional materials/guides for Makerspace equipment and services.
Managerial skills to hire, train, supervise, and inspire a team of student employees.
Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to describe relatively complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience.
Aptitude for developing and supporting learner-centered instruction for a variety of audiences.
Demonstrated capacity and skill to engage students and contribute to student success.
Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness within the Libraries and the campus.
Experience in a relevant academic or public setting preferred.
purpose: draft a document for the provost to plan for charting the future goal 3.12 “develop a comprehensive strategy to increase awareness and development of e-textbooks and open educational resources (OERs)”
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SCSU goal: to reduce the cost of textbooks as an affordable learning initiative. Amount of reduction is undetermined
According to Bossaler et al (2014), it might be worth considering that SCSU (MnSCU?) must go first through implementing of e-text[books] in courses first by using publisher materials and then by using “in-house” produce. At this point, SCSU does NOT have an aligned policy of integrating e-texts in courses across campus. Lack of such experience might make a strategy for adoption of e-textbooks much more complex and difficult to implement
stats are colored in green for convenience. Stats regarding the increase in textbook costs are re-printed from author to author: e.g. Acker (2011, p. 42). Murey and Perez (2011, p. 49 (bottom) – 50 (up)) reports stats from 2009 and projections for 2013 regarding etexbook adotion. Same authors, p. 50 second paragraph reports good stats regarding texbooks’ price increase : US$1122 per year for textbooks in 2010.
Wimmer at al (2014) presents a lucid graphic of the structure of the publishing process (see bottom of this blog entry for citation and perm link).
Wimmer at al (2014) discusses copyright and permissions, which is of interest for this research (p. 85)
regarding in-house creation of e-textbooks, see (Distance education, e-learning, education and training, 2015). It very much follow the example of SUNY, which Keith was laying out: a team of faculty charged with creation the e-textbook for mass consumption.
Besides the SUNY model Keith is envisioning for MnSCU (comparable), there is the option of clustering OER sources: e.g. NASTA as per Horejsi (2013), CourseSmart. FlatWorld Knowledge (Murrey and Perez, 2011) etc.
Hamedi & Ezaleila (2015) present an entire etextbook program. Article has been ordered through ILL. Same with Joseph (2015).
Open Educational Resources in Acker (2015, p. 44-47). Also in Murey and Perez (2011, p. 51).
Also in ICWL (Conference) (13th : 2014 : Tallinn, E., & Cao, Y. (2014): OpenDSA
Different models of pricing also in Acker (2015, p. 48). Keith touched on that
students learn equally well from etextbooks as from paper ones: Taylor (2011)
my note: there is no good definition about e-textbook in terms of the complexity, which e-textbook on campus might involve.
Considering Wimmer et al (2014) account on their campus experience in publishing e-textbook, a textbook may involve an LMS (Canvas) and blog (WordPress). Per my proposal during the F2F meeting, and following Rachel’s suggestion about discrimination of the different types of e-textbooks, here is an outline of e-textbook definition:
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working definition for e-textbook for the purposes of SCSU:
e-textbook is a compilation of textual, multimedia and interactive material, which can be viewed on various electronic devices. E-textbook can: 1. be purchased from a publisher; 2. compiled in HTML format on faculty or group web space; 3. compiled on the content module of LMS (BB, D2L, Canvas, Moodle, etc.) 4. compiled on LMS (BB, D2L, Canvas, Moodle, etc.) and including all interactive materials: e.g. hyperlinks to MediaSpace multimedia, quizzes, etc.; 5. compiled on special apps, such as iBook Author, eCub, Sigil.
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e-book
(Electronic-BOOK) The electronic counterpart of a printed book, which can be viewed on a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet or e-book reader (e-reader). When traveling, a huge number of e-books can be stored in portable units, dramatically eliminating weight and volume compared to paper. Electronic bookmarks make referencing easier, and e-book readers may allow the user to annotate pages.
Although fiction and non-fiction books come in e-book formats, technical material is especially suited for e-book delivery because it can be searched. In addition, programming code examples can be copied, which is why CD-ROMs that contained examples or the entire text were often packaged inside technical paper books.
E-Book Formats
Wimmer, Morrow, & Weber: Collaboration in eTextbook Publishing
There are several e-book formats on the market, including EPUB, Mobipocket (PRC, MOBI), eReader (PDB), Kindle (AZW, KF8) and Apple iBook (EPUB variation). Many e-readers also accept generic formats, including Adobe PDF and plain text (TXT).
According to a United States Government report, textbook prices have increased at over twice the rate of inflation in the last couple of decades. According to another report, the average student spends between $700 and $1,000 per year on textbooks while the cost of e-textbooks can be as much as 50% lower than paper textbooks.
Oxford dictionary, an electronic book or e-book is “an electronic version of a printed book that can be read on a computer or handheld device designed specifically for this purpose.” An e-textbook is defined as an e-book used for instructional or educational purposes and often includes features such as bookmarking, searching, highlighting, and note-taking as well as built-in dictionaries and pronunciation guides, embedded video-clips, embedded hyperlinks, and animated graphics.
E-textbooks have moved from occasional usage to a mainstream technology on college campuses. According to the Association of American Publishers, sales of e-books hit over $90 million; this is up over 200% when compared to the same month the previous year. When the cost of textbooks and the availability of formats are considered, the use of an e-textbook in the classroom may be the reasonable choice.
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A digital textbook is a digital book or e-book intended to serve as the text for a class. Digital textbooks may also be known as e-textbooks or e-texts. Digital textbooks are a major component of technology-based education reform. They may serve as the texts for a traditional face-to-face class, an online course or degree.
The concepts of open access and open source support the idea of open textbooks, digital textbooks that are free (gratis) and easy to distribute, modify and update https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_textbook
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Exploring Students’ E-Textbook Practices in Higher Education
Authors: by Aimee Denoyelles, John Raible and Ryan Seilhamer Published: Monday, July 6, 2015. Instructional Designers, University of Central Florida
According to the United States Government Accountability Office, prices have increased 82 percent from 2002 to 2012.3This cost sometimes drives students to delay or avoid purchasing textbooks. Digital materials such as e-textbooks may offer a more cost-effective alternative.4 Also, the expectation for digital materials is gaining strength in the K–12 sector.5 For example, Florida school districts set a goal to spend at least half of classroom material funding on digital materials by the 2015–2016 school year. Given that 81 percent of first-time-in-college (FTIC) undergraduate students hailed from a Florida public high school during the fall 2014 semester at the University of Central Florida (UCF), it is important to anticipate student expectations of digital materials. Finally, the availability of digital materials has risen exponentially with the incredible popularity of mobile devices.
Key Issues
Despite the advantages that e-textbooks pose, such as interactive features and accessibility on mobile devices, several barriers exist regarding implementation in higher education, namely non-standardization of the platform, limited use by students, and the unclear role of the instructor in adoption.
a survey questionnaire in 2012 that explored basic usage and attitudes regarding e-textbooks.
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Bossaller, J., & Kammer, J. (2014). Faculty Views on eTextbooks: A Narrative Study. College Teaching, 62(2), 68-75. doi:10.1080/87567555.2014.885877
This qualitative study gives insight into the experiences instructors have when working with publishers to integrate electronic content and technology into their courses.
Baek, E., & Monaghan, J. (2013). Journey to Textbook Affordability: An Investigation of Students’ Use of eTextbooks at Multiple Campuses. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 14(3), 1-26.
the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance (2007) reported that textbook prices represent a significant barrier to students’ accessibility to textbooks. The report concluded that textbooks cost between $700-$1000 per year; textbook prices have risen much faster than other commodities; and that college aid fails to cover textbook expenses. Textbook costs are equivalent to 26% of tuition costs for an average four-year public university student and 72% of tuition costs for an average community college student. In fact, the California State Auditor (2008) reported that textbook costs grew more rapidly than student fees in academic year 2007–08.
the creation of an interactive e-book called “Practical Clinical Chemistry: core concepts” was accomplished using the
Apple Macintosh platform and the iBooks Author software. Digital content, including videos, was developed for the
project and embedded within the final package. In order to limit the size of the final files, some content was uploaded
onto Youtube so that the user could access these via the internet.
The e-book, 200MB in size, was uploaded onto the Apple ITunes site and made available in 51 countries via the
iBooks store. This prototype is the first interactive digital textbook available in clinical chemistry and contains “4-
dimensional” content including digital images, videos, interactive presentations, real-time data generation as well as
review questions with instant feedback and assessment.
Hamedi, M., & Ezaleila, S. (2015). Digital Textbook Program in Malaysia: Lessons from South Korea. Publishing Research Quarterly, 31(4), 244-257. doi:10.1007/s12109-015-9425-4
Joseph, R. (2015). Higher Education Book Publishing-from Print to Digital: A Review of the Literature. Publishing Research Quarterly, 31(4), 264-274. doi:10.1007/s12109-015-9429-0
Taylor, A. K. (2011). Students Learn Equally Well From Digital as From Paperbound Texts. Teaching Of Psychology, 38(4), 278-281. doi:10.1177/0098628311421330
Much of the research related to digital texts has focused ontechnical aspects of readability (see Dillon, 1992, for a review) and limitations of digital media for note-taking, underlining, or highlighting text (Brown, 2001). However, the important—and unanswered—question from a teaching perspective is, ‘‘Can students learn as well from digital texts as from paperbound textbooks?’’ Few published studies have addressed this ques-tion directly, and even fewer studies have examined this ques-tion among college students.
Murray, M. C., & Pérez, J. (2011). E-Textbooks Are Coming: Are We Ready?. Issues In Informing Science & Information Technology, 849-60.
Pilot projects that can help build institutional expertise
Address how and where insights gained from pilot projects will be collected and
made available
People resources (e.g., instructional designers) that will be needed to assist
instructors to use this technology
ICWL (Conference) (13th : 2014 : Tallinn, E., & Cao, Y. (2014). New horizons in web based learning: ICWL 2014 international workshops, SPeL, PRASAE, IWMPL, OBIE, and KMEL, FET, Tallinn, Estonia, August 14-17, 2014, revised selected papers. Cham: Springer.
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MnSCU will by as Content Authoring Tool – SoftChalk. Here is a promo from Softchalk (my bold):
NEW SoftChalk Create 10 and SoftChalk Cloud eBook publishing features will arrive on April 25th! Come check out the latest enhancements at our upcoming webinars!
Sleek Designer Headers and Callout Boxes – Add some new pizazz to your SoftChalk lessons!
Three New Quiz Types – Test your students’ understanding with Sentence Completion, Multiple Blanks and Feedback Questions.
Polished New QuizPopper and Activity displays – With an enhanced interface for instructors and students.
Accessibility enhancements – Make your lessons available to everyone with even more accessibility enhancements.
NEW SoftChalk Cloud eBook creation and publishing – Includes a totally re-vamped, easier eBook creation and management. New SoftChalk eReader apps available for free download in the iOS, Android, Chromebook and Windows app stores. (Cloud Only)
are any faculty really going digital? Which content distributors will thrive? What are the implementation concerns? And when will going digital really happen?
think about what has been your traditional way of having the students create something. Do you feel, when you look at their final product, that they are mostly all the same? If so, then using one of the digital tools available is your answer.
Keep the same requirements but give the students some choices by offering a variety a presentation tools and let them teach you some new things about technology. Also, let them drive their learning, become more engaged and as a result inspire others to do the same.
Digital storytelling encourages creativity; having that choice inspires curiosity and will help to diminish the fear of trying something new.
This synchronous online course will introduce school administrators to the multitude and complexity of educational technology issues. Through group discussions and exercises, the course will focus on the development of knowledge, skills and depositions to effective professional practice in educational leadership. The goal of the course is to develop knowledge and understanding of appropriate application of technology in the teaching and learning process and in the management of educational programs.
Information and experience in the course will include review of the latest trends in technology. Familiarity to acquisition of expertise will be sought in understand and use of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, as well as social media, multimedia and interactivity and how it affects school life as well as the role of the educational leader. Specific attention will be paid to the importance and ability to develop and maintain policies, which reflect the ever-changing world of technology. Auxiliary, but no less important issues such as legal issues, copyright issues, ethics and other forms of digital citizenship will be discussed.
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course the student will:
Course Objective
Knowledge
Skill
Disposition
Impact
1. Demonstrate knowledge and the use of related technologies appropriate to the management of a school #
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2. Demonstrate knowledge and the use of related technologies appropriate to the instructional program of a school #
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3. Demonstrate knowledge and the use of various types of related technologies for supporting the instructional program of the school #
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4. Demonstrate knowledge of planning and management procedures and policies for the appropriate use of technological resources to serve the mission of the school #
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5. Demonstrate knowledge of common computer and related technological applications #
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6. Identify gender & diversity issues related to technology in education
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7. Demonstrate knowledge of adaptive technology devices for individuals with special needs
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8. Demonstrate skill in the use of technology for materials preparation, presentations, record keeping, computation, communication, information / data collection and management, and the effective use of the Internet
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9. Demonstrate an understanding of legal issues, including copyright issues, related to educational technology
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10. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of ethical practice in the use of technology
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11. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of administrative policies and procedures that promote appropriate utilization of technology by school personnel
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12. Demonstrate familiarity with appropriate professional standards related to educational leadership and technology
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13. Demonstrate an understanding of the digital age learning culture, digital citizenship in particular
This course seeks hands-on experience in integration of educational technology into the classroom. Students will learn to select opportunities for application [or not] of technology in education. The course will provide a hands-on experience for educational leaders to understand the application of technology in the curriculum process. Topics of consideration include instructional design, media and formats, devices, telecommunications and social interactivity. The course will provide an opportunity to apply technology knowledge and experience in hands-on exercises for curriculum management as well as monitoring student achievement progress. Further discussions and practical approach will include modern, effective and efficient ways of communications among parents, students, faculty and administration. The course offered in synchronous online mode and F2F mode.
Objectives/Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course the student will:
Understand the impact of technology on the teaching and learning process.
Understand the principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and National Educational Standards for Students (NETS*S) and their application in the curriculum process.
Research and assess the opportunities for technology to be integrated in the classroom.
EDAD ??? Technology as an Integral Part of Successful Educational Leadership
1 credit, Summer 2016
Course Description
Course Description
This class will support teacher leaders and school administrators in reviewing and systematizing the fast aspects of modern electronic technologies. Based on a foundational better understanding of how technologies work, future educational leaders will develop skills and practice the application of ideas, tactics and methods for better integration of technologies in the teaching and learning process as well as the creation of better policies and procedures.
The course is designed to bring research and analytical skills and build structure in the process of resolving technology issues, which educational leaders face in modern schools, including hardware and software problems, networks and computers, curriculum and teaching and learning methods.
The course will offer discussions as well as practical solutions such as social media (e.g. Twitter) for professional development, online tools for teacher evaluation, online tools for collaboration and creativity, immediate and future trends, which already impact education and educational leadership.
The course offered in synchronous online mode and F2F mode.
Objectives/Outcomes
Students will be able to identify and update sources for information to keep current their technology knowledge
Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of technology leadership standards.
Student will demonstrate an understanding of how to create, promote, and sustain a dynamic, digital – age learning culture that provides a rigorous, relevant, and engaging education for all students.
Students will demonstrate understanding of how to promote an environment of professional learning and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to provide digital – age leadership and management to continuously improve the organization through the effective use of information and technology resources.
Students will understand and apply knowledge of how to model and facilitate understanding of social, ethical and legal issues and responsibilities related to an evolving digital culture.
Students will demonstrate knowledge of technology as integral part of facilities and resource management
Students will be able to describe and use budget planning and management procedures related to educational computing and technology.
Students will be able to describe and maintain current information involving facilities planning issues related to computers and related technologies.
Students will be able to design and develop policies and procedures concerning staffing, scheduling, and security for managing computers/technology in a variety of instructional and administrative school
PowToon is Web-based animation software that allows users to create animated presentations by manipulating pre-created objects, imported images, provided music and user created voice-overs.[4] Powtoon uses an Adobe Flex engine to generate an XML file that can be played in the Powtoon online viewer, exported to YouTube or downloaded as an MP4 file.[2]
Videomaker, Presentation tool, storytelling tool.
templates versus starting from scratch
having a plan (or a story, or a screenplay)
narrate with voice over your video. can’t edit recording, but can re-record
This session will present results from an evaluation of the integration of RealizeIT adaptive learning technology into three fully online courses: General Psychology, Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice, and College Algebra. Presenters will discuss the impact on students, faculty, and the university.
Adaptive learning systems provide each student with a personalized learning experience, adapting the presentation of the content, and possibly the assessment to the individual ability of the student
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Co-developed by Learning Technologies and the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Indiana University, a digital badge pilot (badges.iu.edu) was launched to support faculty professional development and growth. This session will cover the competency levels, topics of study, and the badging platform to document levels of achievement. Outcomes: Understand the basics of a three-tiered framework for digital badges * Review the online badging platform * Explore topics for faculty development
Mozilla Open Badges 101: Digging into Badges (a webinar)
personalized learning or competency-based does not resolve it. GPA does not respond to employers search
regimenting credentials. digital representation of of skill or achievement. represent achievements on the web. social status (foursquare). granular, evidence-based and transferable. badge ecosystem (across multiple areas), this is why open badges; open system. Open Badge Standard: issuer information; earner information; criteria URL; evidence URL; Standards Alignment; Taxonomy Tags
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Data Visualization: The What, the Who, and the How
Data visualization tools are becoming much stronger and are now targeted at a much wider audience. This panel will explore what we should be trying to do with data visualization, who will be doing it, and how we might support and steer it. OUTCOMES: Identify multiple opportunities for use of data visualization * Learn about multiple user communities, including those not centrally managed * Explore ways to support users and steer them toward good practiceshttp://www.educause.edu/sites/default/files/library/presentations/E15/SESS029/Data%2BViz%2BEducause%2B151028%2BFINAL1.pptxslides 7: What works well for technically savvy developers may not work for faculty or staff without those same credentials.
Data Wrapper
Raw
Infogram
Tableau
Oracle suite of OBIEE (Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition) has been very successful for CSU
Cognos (IBM) is another tool that is very popular for developers and has been used by USG central office
D3 (For Data Driven Documents)
Fusion Charts
Chart js
Google Charts
slide 11: Two primary design goals supported through Data Visualization:
Discovery and Exploration
–What story is the data telling you
–Identify patterns and exceptions
Decision-making
–Compare, contrast, choose
–Explain, make a point, decide
slide 15:
qTo communicate
qPresent more clearly or more forcefully than would be accomplished with text or tables
qReports, dashboards, infographics, etc.
qTo discover
qAllow us to see what would be difficult or impossible to see if not presented in a useful visualization
qRealm of research but moving into the mainstream
qCan same visualization serve both purposes?
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iPad, You Pad, We All Pad: Transforming Teaching and Learning
California State University Northridge, Lynn University, and Jackson State University have all deployed one-to-one iPad tablet initiatives, with the objectives to increase student engagement and learning, improve the quality of teaching materials, and decrease student costs. This session will discuss the transformational educational opportunities afforded by the iPad and highlight technology and pedagogical lessons learned. Outcomes: Learn about the transformational impact of one-to-one iPad initiatives in the classroom * Understand the need for extensive faculty development and faculty adoption strategies * Appreciate deployment and support challenges====================
The Avalon Video and Audio Repository for Libraries and Beyond
The Avalon Media System provides an open-source streaming media solution, based on Hydra/Fedora repository technologies, focused on delivery of library media collections, but it is finding other uses, including support for publication, teaching and learning content, and digital scholarship. As a result, new features enhance support for additional research and instructional use cases. Outcomes: Understand the problems Avalon solves * Understand the extended use cases addressed with Avalon, both present and intended future * Learn how best to engage with the Avalon project.========================
The Karuta Open Source Portfolio, currently under incubation by the Apereo Foundation, offers dramatic flexibility for designing portfolio workflows with rubrics to assess learning outcomes. Karuta is LTI enabled for integration with the LMS for easy access and transfer of evidence of learning. Subsequent releases will add functionality for showcasing as well as reporting. Outcome: Learn how Karuta can flexibly support your programs and institution through leveraging its functionality
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Supporting the Discovery and Adoption of Open E-Textbooks
The California Open Education Resources Council comprises faculty from the three CA higher education systems working together to identify open textbooks for high impact courses. The selected open textbooks are in the process of being peer reviewed and curated in the CA Open Online Library. Outcomes: Identify quality open textbooks for general education, high-impact courses * Learn how to interpret textbook peer reviews with a faculty-created rubric * Understand how to reference these resources for the discovery of quality no- or low-cost materialshttp://www.educause.edu/sites/default/files/library/presentations/E15/PS58/COOL%2BEducause%2BPoster%2B2015.pdf
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Seminar 12P – Six Secrets for Evaluating Online Teaching (separate registration is required)
What makes online teaching different from face-to-face teaching? How can we tell when it’s done well? Faculty members, administrators, and IT leaders will learn six evaluation “secrets” from the authors of the new book Evaluating Online Teaching. You will leave this seminar with use-them-now strategies, tools, and templates to take back to your campus. OUTCOMES: Distinguish online content and practices that “count” as teaching behaviors * Design self-, peer-, and administrative-evaluation analytic tools * Develop a 6-stage, campus-wide program for evaluating online teachinghttp://www.educause.edu/annual-conference/2015/seminar-12p-six-secrets-evaluating-online-teaching-separate-registration-required
Learn how the University of Pittsburgh is creating a scalable classroom model for active learning on a traditional campus. Administrators, faculty, and instructional technologists and designers recently collaborated to reimagine legacy large-enrollment lecture halls. The focus of this session is on the learning space design process across the disciplines. Outcomes: Identify and apply the principles of active learning associated with learning space deign * Understand the design process * Assemble an effective learning space design teamhttp://www.educause.edu/annual-conference/2015/reimagining-learning-space-design-across-disciplines
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Thinking Digitally: Advancing Digital Literacy with Personalized Learning Tools
The session will outline a scalable framework for integrating digital literacy in higher education curriculum, supported by tools that allow for active and personalized learning. Research and examples from Georgia State University’s experience implementing a pilot program will be used as a catalyst for interactive discussion and idea generation. Outcomes: Understand the value of incorporating digital literacy into curriculum * Select from emerging personalized learning technologies to support digital literacy across diverse academic scenarios * Adapt a methodology for developing partnerships to advance digital literacy across the organizationhttp://www.educause.edu/annual-conference/2015/thinking-digitally-advancing-digital-literacy-personalized-learning-tools===============
A discussion of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and drone activities that either take place on campus or impact a campus from the outside. The state of federal aviation regulations and guidelines for drones will be covered. Attendees can share their experiences with official and rogue drone activities at their institutions. Outcomes: Learn about the drone devices in use, from miniature to massive * Understand the impact of drones on academic institutions, for better or worse * Learn what drone activities are legally allowable, banned, or discouragedhttp://www.educause.edu/annual-conference/2015/whats-droning-overhead
Resources – Higher Ed Drone Policies
The Ohio State University
Iowa State University
Indiana University
University of Kansas
Penn State University
University of New Mexico
The Association of College and University Policy
Administrators (ACUPA, acupa.org)
Join this lively discussion and discovery of innovative and functional uses and support for mobile computing. We will explore creative ideas for projects using mobile devices in teaching, learning, and administration. Topics may include hardware, applications, tools, special uses, wireless and mobile connectivity, web services, support issues, and security.
“I’d really rather work alone. . .” Most of us have heard that from a student (or several students) when we assign a group project, particularly one that’s worth a decent amount of the course grade. It doesn’t matter that the project is large,…
we train students to join the workforce. Team work is key. None of this lone wolf , inner child stuff. You cant be a nurse, a plant worker, someone in business unless you can teamwork……….
if you want to be an academic , even then you have others in your department , you teach . whether they are shy, introverted makes no difference. We humans are a pack type animal.
You can make all the esoteric analogies you want. But in this world , its a we world not an I one.
Professor (Adjunct) at Manchester Community College
With the demographics that I work with, I do not feel that group projects are particularly productive. One thing we must always be sure of before assigning a group project is whether or not doing so supports the objective of the course. That said, a mandatory group project might not be appropriate, say, in an accounting class, where group dynamics and playing well with others is not particularly a focus of the class objective.
For business classes, I give the option of group vs. individual project – but make it clear that the expectation multiplies by the number of group members. Our students work different schedules and all commute to class – the logistics alone can be overwhelming. Who’s going to watch the kids and the dogs?
Historically, group projects can be particularly overly stressful for students requiring accommodations and/or are living with physiological or mental health issues. When a group project is assigned, it is incumbent upon the instructor to ensure any such issues are addressed.
Assigning a group project now also makes us responsible for ensuring that the group functions appropriately, and the role of each group member is clearly identified so that you are able to assess performance. “Free riders” are an inherent reality in group projects, and as with public goods, someone still has to pay the price. (I have used a group project in an economics class – with a student “plant” to demonstrate the “free rider.”)
Overall, I feel that group projects should only be assigned in a controlled structured environment, otherwise someone will always feel left out. I use scheduled group projects only in classes where doing so meets a course objective, as I feel this is fairest to all of the students.
No doubt the ‘lone wolf’ phenomenon is real, and we as educators have created it. Our educational system has reinforced to students that individual performance is supreme, and that is how they have generally been judged. Students have spent years polishing their capabilities to excel individually, and then suddenly we are saying that they need to not only work effectively in teams, but also figure out how to push team efforts to an excellent level so that their individual grade does not suffer due to below-average performance by other team members. So, first we need to be more consistent in our message(s) to students. We should be talking about critical professional skills (higher-level thinking, problem solving, communication, and teamwork) from the time they enter our university. And our curricula and courses should be designed to help them develop these skills. In the meantime, we should do all that we can to help them be successful in their new and unfamiliar teamwork roles. One way I have tried to reduce surprises and conflicts is to require student teams to develop a team charter before they commence any work. A charter lays out goals and methods for the team, along with expectations for team members and agreement on how conflicts will be resolved. I have students start at this link to learn about the benefits and structure of team charters: http://www.clarosgroup.com/jumpstart.pdf.
Adjunct Lecturer at Asia Pacific International University
I was one of those students who hated group work. The reason for me at least was because the group would slow me down. Often when people work in groups accountability goes down and people go off task. I remember being in groups were nobody wanted to do the assignment but wanted to socialize. In the real world this is not as bad because people are being employed and paid money so they have some motivation to work together.
Sadly, there are times were students need to work in groups. However, if I have a student who insist on working alone I tried to make accommodations for them because that student used to be me.
Associate Professor , Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at King Abdulaziz University
Top Contributor
I agree with Alan that team projects should be chosen only if they are required to support the ILOs.However although the course may or may not require the team project we should keep in mind that all graduates are sooner or latter going to work outside the institution with people whom they dont know at all.If they are not encouraged to deal with their own familiar peers (at a relatively more flexible stage of their lives) I dont see how we can expect them to demonstrate standard collegiality later on in their careers.So I think team projects do groom our students with culture, grace , dignity and respect above all.It fosters life long professional relationships in which the team members become invested in each others ” development and well-being”
Yes! a serious challenge to team project is that of ” free riders” because they can potentially annoy and de- motivate delligent students.In my experience there has always been a note of caution in using “team projects ” since team’s performance is difficult to implement which I suppose is about ” performance mangement”.
This can be addressed by choosing the right design for the project that should be designed in a way that individual efforts are observable and measurable keeping the number of students to small.There are different models of team projects .I think “additive tasks where the individual inputs are added together so that the group productivity is determined by the individual contributions of all group members” are the best .The monitoring can be done by the direct supervision of the facilitator or by peers. We may also indirectly stress the potential for reputational consequences for poor individual effort that may work into motivating their engagement next time.
Team composition is an important determinant of team performance. Allowing teams to form autonomously with like-minded individuals who have self-selected into the team knowing who they will be working with are likely to perform better.But as an educator I have experienced that learning outcomes are better met with heterogeneity within the team.
Other way of engaging ” free riders” into teams is by using a mechanism to make the P & P well known to all students at the begining and by continuous monitoring of effort so that at the end they could share in a reward only if there is substantial evidence that they have worked hard enough to deserve it.
1. complicated schedules. I generate groups with catme.org, which will take into account parameters that you determine (schedules, grades, etc.), allowing you to say what should and should not match, and how important it is, in order to come up with groups. I often modify the groups based on what I know of the individuals, but the main thing they help with is sorting the schedules. There is a catme users group on Linked In.
2. loafers. When I grade a group project, 1/3 of the grade is the overall project (and each member of the group gets the same grade), 1/3 is for the individuals’ performance (in presentation, answering questions, etc.) and 1/3 of the grade is peer grades. Every student grades the other members of the group. My assessment of the students’ contrubutions, and their peers’ assessment, is usually very close, but being allowed to grade their co-workers gives the student a little bit of feeling of input that helps to deal with the feeling of unfairness in being burdened with an uncooperative group member.
my group projects , except for one, are all where i can observe.
that being said i hear every semester the “i work better alone or it’s not fair to grade me with a group”
inevitably i ask them what “field” they are going into? we don’t need sole workers in the fields we ready them for.
1. the entire group gets the same grade.
2. all the groups , usually 4 or 5 of 4 or 5 students each, grade each other by student and by group.
3. everyone has same instructions……build a model for the physical folks, make an oral presentation ,3 to 5 minutes each student, in front of entire class and me, and bring it all together with a written report on the subject of a minimum of 20 pages for a C grade.
One of our Profs adds this little tidbit……..if after 2 weeks into the 5 week assignment, the team wants to remove someone for lack of commitment or participation, they can vote them off the team.
BUT they all have to put that in writing AND say why……….AND SIGN IT
the tossed student can then do the entire project all by themselves………BUT they lose one grade. so from an A to a B for example. WHY? it’s a team project and they know it ahead of time……
this isn’t Burger King and NO you can’t have everything YOUR own way in work either….
the other students are harsher graders then i usually turn out to be to….
I have to admit I never liked team projects at first. I would be one that would rather do it myself and on my time, but with the way the world is today that is not a good idea anymore. You have to be able to work on virtual teams. Employers want to know that students have that skill. I always have the teams fill out an evaluation that I only read on their team members.
Former Professor at Georgia College & State University
Mary Bisson’s recognition of two flaws of group work, coordinating schedules and accounting for those who “loaf” through the project, is very real. I hated college committees for a third reason: conflicting learning styles (I’m being polite about the clashes). Some need reflection and contemplation before decision-making, others need visual prompts to facilitate understanding, and still others were more interpersonally oriented and needed to talk it over with someone, etc., etc. The notion that our society is “team” oriented is flawed. Most of our organizations are authoritarian, including the law, education, business, and the military. There is someone at the top who makes decisions–a judge, a teacher, a CEO, a general–and those below must follow. Only about 20% of us, on average, actually participate in one of the few “democratic” group activities: Juries.
My group projects were mainly during class time, during which I broke the large group into smaller ones, conducted an activity, and had a return to the larger group for reporting results.
Brian Murphy is right about our fostering individual success as the prime focus of our educational evaluation, yet working in groups is important. Learning to subjugate the self for a larger goal involving others is an important awareness, and those who cannot do this become outlaws…or CEOs or professors (being facetious here).
Assistant Professor at Saint James School of Medicine
I have observed marked improvement in group projects after providing the students with a workshop session on the Tuckman Stages of Team Development. Once they understand the causes of the Storming phase, they readily adopt the leadership strategies for moving into the Norming and Performing phases.
Former Professor at Georgia College & State University
Tuckman has fun ideas because he rhymes, but the “stage” idea can be misleading since groups don’t always necessarily progress in these phases or the phases overlap. Having taught small group communication at my college, I can say that Tuckman’s (and Jensen) ideas came out of his research in the 60’s and 70’s and have been criticized for “overreaching” when trying to formulate neat stages, but his work has been very influential. Still, consideration of the purpose of the group, its “chemistry,” and the outside pressures guiding it is important. A family discussion at Thanksgiving is very different from small groups of students asked to analyze a short story, or a Senate committee charged with examining a marriage rights bill. Whether they neatly go from Forming to Storming to Norming to Performing is questionable (Tuckman later added “Adjourning” as a fifth stage).
And Ron, I thought I had pointed to Wall Street bankers when I mentioned outlaws.
Biology Professor at Pellissippi State Community College
To David Muschell,
You are incorrect about military decision making. While generals (and colonels and majors) do have to make snap decisions in the midst of combat, the planning for combat operations is a lot more group based than most civilians think. The book “Into the Storm’ by General Fred Franks (co-written by Tom Clancy) describes the degree of collaboration between higher and lower levels of command and between adjacent units. The military understands that the best ideas don’t always come from the top. The lower ranking leader is often closer to the action and able to provide a different perspective.
Former Professor at Georgia College & State University
You have to have extreme admiration for Frederick Franks, but saying that the military structure is not authoritarian may overlook the fact that most of the best authoritarian leaders take input from others, especially those closest to the decision making theater, before making a decision. If a judge doesn’t look at precdents, a teacher at educational psychology, or a cop at the law, we can get bad decisions. The worst authoritarian leaders ignore those below them and dictate.
Professor of Curriculum, Educational Management and Research at UNEFM
I applaud Mary for raising this reflection in the group because it is a reality that we are in our teaching performance and hardly we have strategies, but Rana, Brian and Grace made some interesting proposals that we can apply.
Professor and Founder International Professors Project
Top Contributor
@David …I apologize for missing Wall Street going David.
There many other instances of overvaluing a theory, a law or an idea, since almost no reader or student, or even a professor will check the research design and statistics and logical analysis of all such.
Mallow’s “theory” of personalty was disproved fifty years ago(?), but as the following years rolled by, HR professionals and many other admins were attached to the theory at the hip. It was a nice contribution to use as a subjective guideline for further work, but not to assume the hierarchy postulated almost always works–and even almost perefect does not a theory make–its considered to have been disproven.
Many people have a miserable childhood: physically and/or emotionally, and go hungry but pretty well climb the ladder toward self actualization.
Professor and Founder International Professors Project
Top Contributor
@David …I apologize for missing Wall Street going David.
There many other instances of overvaluing a theory, a law or an idea, since almost no reader or student, or even a professor will check the research design and statistics and logical analysis of all such. Masow’s “theory” of personalty was disproved fifty years ago(?), but as the following years rolled by, HR professionals and many other admins were attached to the theory at the hip. It was a nice contribution to use as a subjective guideline for further work, but not to assume the hierarchy postulated almost always works–and even almost perefect does not a theory make–its considered to have been disproven.
Many people have a miserable childhood: physically and/or emotionally, and go hungry but pretty well climb the ladder toward self actualization.
Biology Professor at Pellissippi State Community College
Yes the military is authoritarian, but Soldiers also have to work in groups. All of my military training courses were taught in the small group style. My work as a staff officer was all done within small groups. And in Gen. Franks book he explains a lot about the reflective nature of his decision making process. How he would have his staff develop multiple possible plans and then not choose one until he had a chance to reflect on it. As he stated (paraphrasing a bit from memory): he often waited until the situation developed a bit and then the best option presented itself.
I think that it is important that students learn that group work of some time is required in all professions. Whether the group gets to make the decision or only pitch a particular plan, they stil have to work together to finish whichever job they are given.
Professor (Adjunct) at Manchester Community College
Not sure how the discussion digressed to military groups – or quoting Tommy Franks as a reliable source – but institutions such as the Army and Marine Corp do operate as small groups. The “basic” in basic training emphasizes the breaking down of individuality and being rebuilt to “all you can be” as part of a “group project.”
No place for that in accounting class.
The use of “small group” or team project instruction permeates throughout the public sector – whether military or civilian. But your added value to any group or organization remains what you contribute as an individual; first you must learn as an individual before you can effectively contribute to a group.
Group dynamics are important, but should not affect the individual outcome if not part of the learning objectives in the curriculum. I spent little time as a staff officer in the Army and never did figure out what the group think was leading to “decisions” that were handed down – and thanks to line officers like James Blunt who think as individuals, and disobeyed orders from General Wesley Clark, that we succeed as nations.
Professor of Psychology at Franklin Pierce University
I use team work in classes where, as Alan mentioned above, a particular goal is enhanced. However, I never make the project worth more than 20% of the final grade because I once saw a stellar student miss out on admittance to his preferred grad school (he was admitted to another) due to one B on his transcript (from a course where the team grade was 60%).
I also believe that equating classroom team work with the world of employment is a terrible mistake. They are just not apples to apples! The people I work with have a lot more in common with me than students in a class room have with each other; and this class room heterogeneity is at it’s worst in the freshman and sophomore years. As for the team I work with, we have identical advanced degrees in the same field. All of us competed during hiring with other applicants, yet we, not those others, got hired. The chances that our personalities would mesh well are not guaranteed, but the odds are a lot higher than randomly throwing together a group of students.
Also regarding actual employment, there are many jobs that do not require team work, and shy people or those with Asperger’s, for example, tend to self-select and gravitate to these positions. One example is a family member who works at the American College of Surgeons in Chicago. He sits in an office all by himself editing manuscripts and may see his boss once a week. Though this is not my idea of a fun time, he loves his job.
Assistant Professor Process Technology at College of the Mainland
Question: if you go into a workplace right out of College , what are you?
answer: A freshman in the workplace. A lot of book learning maybe, but damn little practical experience.
Teamwork is a requirement for the majority of folks outside Academia. You don’t have to like the other, you sure as heck don’t have to have the same outside interests.
But you do have to work together. The Team will have type A’s and type B’s and folks who play well with others and folks that don’t. There for sure are no guaranties, but i know of none except death and taxes anyways. There is a valid reason for teaching teamwork. It has a function in life and in the workplace.
and i see the “Asperger’s clause too. Which just in last few months has been called into question, if it even exists. If 5 % are that way, we modify everything and NOT teach or lead the other 95%? I modify my entire class for the same percentages? (and i know you can argue whatever that % should be and miss the point)
We do student NO service by NOT getting them out of their comfort zone in this regards.
Assistant Professor at Univ of Manitoba, Inner City Social Work Program
Top Contributor
I use group work for several classes and find that my students are apprehensive about this style UNTIL I explain that although it is “group” work they will ONLY be graded on their portion. For example, when I have the 4 groups go out to do a community assessment on the 4 sections: demographics, community characteristics, community services, and strengths and challenges, I have each student take a portion of their section and present their 4-5 page paper, as a poster presentation, in which they are quizzed about their poster and the information they gathered on the community for their particular section. Each student in each group has their section to present and defend, while at the same time they must all work together to ensure that their section is accurate! And I make sure to reinforce this grading system every class until the poster presentation, which is usually the last class before the final exam. I find that when this is explained properly, at the beginning of the class, and reinforced when the assignment is discussed, then there are fewer questions/problems. Students need to learn the importance and value of teamwork.
I have personally always hated group work – whether as a student or as an employee. Quite frankly, working with others lowers the quality of the work I could do on my own. Either that, or I end up doing all the work myself, anyway, because I have lazy group members. However, I also accept that I have to do it, so when required, I do it, and “we” produce a mediocre outcome. When I’m allowed to work alone, I get excited about the possibilities, get creative, excel, the product is better, and it’s delivered faster.
I don’t blame students for hating group work. When they say they hate group work (when I DO assign it, and I DO), I tell them that hating something is no reason not to learn to do it and no reason not to do it and do it well. “For example,” I tell them, “I also really hate doing the dishes.”
Assistant Professor at Saint James School of Medicine
It can be very difficult when individual group members simply do not have any competencies relevant to the group assignment. However, working in teams in which individual members contribute their highest level of expertise or talent to the project generates outcomes that are greater than those that could be produced by a single person working alone.
Assistant Professor Process Technology at College of the Mainland
and BINGO !!!!!!!!!!!!! Rana Thank you very much. That is EXACTLY why we should do teams in college.
BTW………….rarely in 30 + years in 5 different sets of Plant experiences have i ever been asked if i wanted to join a group. I was assigned.
I was not the lead in the group more then i was. When i was leader, i was “graded” on how the team did. The sum of the parts is most often better then just 1 part. This ” I excel when i am working alone” besides being egocentric is most often NOT true in more Industries and careers then it is.
Steve Jobs , Bill Gates, et al might be really impressive individuals no doubt, but Apple, Goggle, Microsoft, and every top 500 company is team work oriented.
Here’s what I would see…the high achievers didn’t like group work because they ended up carrying the lesser achievers. The lesser achievers didn’t like group work because they were unveiled as lesser achievers.
Assistant Professor Process Technology at College of the Mainland
maybe, but that is the real world isn’t it? Sometimes i was the high achiever , some times not so much……….It isn’t us vs them………..it’s how do you work in teams to get the “job” or “assignment” done? and maybe more importantly how do i feel about the job i am doing?
and with peer grading input, every one in class knows who is who just like in real world.
I was turned down for a promotion once early on in my career field. The Boss 2 levels up said he couldn’t afford to lose me cause i was such a great member of the team……….
Boy did i hem and haw and get bent………..then my direct boss came to me and asked me if i trusted him and his boss or not?
i had to say yes since that was the truth………i got more of a raise and moved into a more visible spot on other teams then the fella who got promoted.
Assistant Professor at Univ of Manitoba, Inner City Social Work Program
Top Contributor
I agree with Rana and Wethington! I know that my wife has standards and she told me of one bad experience where she had to expel a member of her group and then explain to the prof why. After receiving a 1 page group assignment, which was due the following week, one group member choose not to submit anything until 10pm the night before the assignment was due for the 8am class. This was after repeated phone calls and emails asking for her input! So the next morning, this group member was told that her name would be removed from the next assignment, with a handwritten explanation that she had not contributed to the assignment and the prof was also given copies of the unanswered emails for the week! The funny thing, the assignment was on Humanities and covered free will. My wife told the prof that the other group members and she were using their collective “free will” and asking this student to be removed from the group. It was done, as the prof used his free will and placed her in another group — where she caused them havoc for the rest of the semester! The problem with group work stems from conflicting personalities rather than one person maybe not wanting to do “real” work to get the job done.
But she knows that she can be hard on group members and tells them in the beginning. If you tell students that this is about teamwork and the ability to show respect for others talent, time, skill, etc, and communicate your feelings in a non-confrontational way, then group work can be amazing.
Currently my wife is helping to mentor my 4 groups writing their portion of their class community assessment, so she is helping to reign 24 different personalities and working/writing styles so that these students individual papers can be edited into one cohesive paper. Yes, group is challenging for some, as trying to overcome the need to control everything can be exhausting.
Assistant Professor at Univ of Manitoba, Inner City Social Work Program
Top Contributor
Michael – maybe the “lesser achiever” did not appreciate the demeaning tone used by those who thought they were the “higher achievers.” I know that once group members start to label others, then that shows a lack of respect. While there are (many) times that group members may not contribute what they need to the group as a whole, it is up to the instructor to be made aware of this “problem” and let the students know that there is a solution to the situation of one or several members of a group not pulling their weight and doing their job to get the project done. That is why I grade on individual work within the group assignment- that way, the students still need to work together in order to ensure that the group project is well covered/presented and at the same time one member is not carrying the academic work load for the entire group. Group work is team work!
Associate Professor and Program Director at Paralegal Program, Kapi`olani Community College
Having the group spirit falter because one member doesn’t show up consistently can negatively impact the final project. However, in the real world for which I am preparing my students, they will run into good teammates and bad teammates, and they will need to produce the best work they can, despite any slackers. This is my strategy.
I give only one group project as semester (and not in each course) in recognition of the difficulty that students have in collaborating with each other in a non-residential community college setting where 75% of the students work. I assign a maximum of three people per team and I give them a description of the three roles that are important on this team – the coordinator, the scribe, and the document preparer – and each team gets to decide who gets which role. This gives them a structure right from the start and helps manage expectations.
In addition to the rubric for the project, I also provide them, right from the start, with a team member rubric that allows them to rate their team members as participating at a 100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20% or 0 level. I tell the students that if one of their members is slacking, that they will have to pitch in and do the work so that they produce a quality product, but that their teamwork multiplier will be applied to their colleague (so that if the team product receives 25 points, the two dedicated members get 100% of that, or the full 25 points, while a somewhat less productive member could get an 80% rating and thus earn only 20 points, or a real slacker get 40%, or 10 points). I reserve the right to make the final judgment in case of conflict.
So each student knows that they cannot coast with penalty – the individual grade they get will be adjusted according to their peers’ perception of them. So far, I have not had many team member downgrades, and no challenges to a group’s decision to downgrade the contributions of one of its members.
I agree that it helps to reinforce that they will be evaluated privately to me from their group members. I guess there will never be a perfect situation in teamwork; but when it works the members of the team can learn from it. The real world workplace will have obstacles along the way and the more practice the better.
I have had students say well if I was working in the workplace with this team I would quit. I try to explain to students that is not always an option. Working with team members is here to stay.
Professor (Adjunct) at Manchester Community College
In my function as an employment counselor, I would never consider recommending a customer take a position or place a client in a job where they are not comfortable. There is a job out there for everyone, that they will enjoy as part of their own fulfillment. If someone is uncomfortable with group work, we would not attempt to place someone in such a position, that could very well be paramount to failure.
Working with team members, as an overpowering concept, is overrated. That goes to the current warm fuzzy that people are happier if they socialize with the people they work with. Another not so bright idea – effectively, it breaks the workplace into age groups. Let’s face it – the years I worked as a ski instructor, my “peers” (and I do hate that term) were almost young enough to be my grandchildren. Not only did we not socialize outside of work, but a lot of folks probably would ave thought it was creepy for me to be hanging around with teenage boys and girls!
While at work, we may have to suffer participating with others for a project, there are usually some major differences than in the classroom. Most likely, the team has been chosen because of the unique skills they bring to the project. Their will be a designated arbitrator or team leader, and it is not just a random group of people who may or may not ave similar goals. Although we mean well in academia, are we really satisfying the need for any particular skills or are we blindly following our own “intuition.”
Having been to faculty and staff meetings that may take weeks just to come up with a mission statement, one must question whether or not we are helping or hurting students by having them participate in our personal version of group dynamics. I don’t teach HVAC – I leave that to the experts. Same with group dynamics – let’s have the black belts (re: General Electric) take the lead. Better yet – maybe we should send faculty to Six Sigma Certification. http://www.ge.com/sixsigma/SixSigma.pdf
The root cause for all maladies in executing any large sized projects in any Country lies in this very basic ‘hatred’ to get associated with group tasks or assignments by the students. It may sound strange, but it is true through empirical proof. The very fact that Chinese are very successful in their ventures, be it the Olympics or in delivering mega projects, with a spectacular finish are all linked into their cultural inheritance to consider themselves as a part and parcel of a large family at all times and in all places. The elements of Guanxi (establishing personal rapport with one another), the Mianzhi phenomenon (influence of Face), and their indomitable ethnographic bonding (‘minzhu de jing mi jie he) all play predominant roles in their work environment. In contrast to Chinese, people in other parts of the world are all influenced by their ‘self centric’ attitude and the desire to excel and compete with peers as an individual rather than as a group. Where ever there is a cohesion between the team members, as in the case of sports / games, the clear results of success can be easily discerned due to synergy creation. If the culture of group work is indoctrinated into the young minds right from their preliminary schooling days, by designing mini projects involving team participation, we as teaching fraternity can really transform our society in a great way!
professor at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
First, the “theory” –
In schools, colleges and universities, students are mainly graded on their individual competence as demonstrated in examinations of one sort or another. Assessment of personal performance and individual accountability for achievement are – like it or not – endemic to the liberal tradition (broadly defined) that has been increasingly part of Western culture since the early political theories of possessive individualism articulated by Hobbes and Locke. They are also essential to Western concepts of fairness, to what’s left of the idea of a “meritocracy,” and to concepts of unfairness such as collective punishment for the bad acts of a few (never mind coercion in the interest of creating “snitches” – as in “you’ll all get a detention until you ‘rat out’ the kid who hit the teacher in the back of the head with a piece of chalk … or a snowball”).
Group work (along with group-think and group-speak) may well be the order of the day (or the day after tomorrow) in the organizational-cum-corporate society (never mind that all members of the group are ready and willing to stab their colleagues in the back at an opportune moment and to win some sort of reward/promotion for doing so); however, we must at least acknowledge that an undiminished sense of personal responsibility and a complete dedication to teamwork are fundamentally contradictory – the potential problems this poses for employees’ mental health are enormous, if only in terms of issues of cognitive dissonance.
Now, the practice –
We all know (or should know) that assigned group work is mainly a farce. For example, tasks are almost never equally shared. The “smart kids” do the work and the dullards ride the coat-tails … especially if the smart kids are also easily intimidated and the dullards carry weapons. In any case, when all members of the group receive the same grade for an allegedly collaborative accomplishment, the ones who were mainly responsible for whatever success was achieved will inevitably feel resentment and the laggards will feel empowered for having “gamed the system.” Neither is a commendable result.
But, please, don’t get me wrong. I am a tremendous supporter of working in groups … provided that the groups are self-selected. Throughout undergraduate school and at least for my first postgraduate degree, I benefited a great deal from working with colleagues-friends in informal arrangements running from organized “study groups” in preparation for examinations to extended and unstructured “seminars” that could go for hours after a class (with or without libations at a local pub). In fact, I regard these often seemingly endless chats about this or that to have been essential to whatever learning took place for me and, I think, for others as well.
The point?
The trick is to distinguish between authentic “education” and “job training” in the sense of practice for corporate success by mirroring the “labour process” of employment and the “learning process” of education. As with most insinuations of the “business model” into the “academic atmosphere,” the results can be at best ambiguous, often oxymoronic and mostly a sham.
Incidentally, at a near-by university, several students were expelled for “plagiarism” in that they had gathered in a study group (online, I think) “brainstormed” about what was likely to be on the final exam, assigned responsibility for members to come up with answers to one or more questions, shared the information and – when the exam was written – got “caught” for providing almost identical word-for-word responses. So, it seems that not only the students but also the professors and the authorities above them are totally confused about what all of this means and may portend for a very uncertain future.
Self-selected groups are definitely the way to go. I have had very interesting issues, though, where after a time, no one would select a certain person for their group. That person had to wander around the room asking groups to please accept him in the group. Thank you for this wonderful post and the reminder that education is not all “job training.”
I do like team work. It is inspiring, fun, and let you communicate with others and build life-time friendships. Sometimes, group work hold you back, but it pays off when you meet people might need your help. This might release and ignite your mental reasoning, which will make you smarter.
The fact that one uses self – selected teams might work if all were of the exactly same motivation i suppose. I have seen “hi-performance” teams before, doesn’t usually work except maybe in a research environment.
We here select the teams. Why? Because of demographics, mixing the students up. They come to us not from the same demographic , except maybe for ivy-leaquers. We mix races, sexes, ages, family backgrounds, and the students demonstrated or even perceived abilities.
We give them projects including hands-on, oral, written, and presentations on subjects they know little if anything about. We set a timeline and send them off. As a Prof i nudge, cajole, push a little, send in right directions for info, and educate….
Take more time then a lecture? damn sure it does……But the outcome, oh the outcome when a team gets accomplishment that the project works!!!!
I have even seen teams who were successful, turn around and help other student teams reach the finish line. WITHOUT ME ASKING THEM TOO!!!
And they all Cheered and laughed and bonded thru it all……..Their eyes lite up, they hug each other, a sense of accomplishment is born showing how teamwork……..WORKS!!!!!
Anybody ever seen a high school or college debate team win??? WOW……..
I am not as eloquent as Howard. But i teach in a real world . :
“The trick is to distinguish between authentic “education” and “job training” in the sense of practice for corporate success by mirroring the “labour process” of employment and the “learning process” of education. As with most insinuations of the “business model” into the “academic atmosphere,” the results can be at best ambiguous, often oxymoronic and mostly a sham.”
Teams aren’t back stabbing, cut your throat minded or bad things. Neither is business. To even imply such when discussing what i believe we are to do as educators and mentors is ludicrous. You want to develop that side ?
I certainly don’t. It’s always amazing to me what stops Academia from investing in what supposedly is our concerns, the students.
Like it or not students need to go to jobs after college. Most of those jobs will NOT be academic in nature.
I rarely got to “pick” my teams i worked on. In Academia i sure haven’t. In workforce , omg i mean jobs…….GASP….in the “real “world, the same was true.
Doctors work together in surgery with all sorts of specialized training to ensure the outcome, a healed patient. Businesses can’t run without teamwork. The Military , far from what has been said here, may have top down leadership, but you can not fix a jet or ship or tank all by one person.
We tell the students “you can either be an agent for change in your life……or get run over by it”
Founder, Clavester University College Ltd; Clicking Connections; Oh Gracie! Sorrel jelly, wine and short stories
Re grade and plagiarism:
All group members have a collective responsibility where a group task is concerned. One cannot say not me, but the others. The grade is to be the same in my book.
My students are definitely fans of forming their own groups. What I did this semester was let them pick a topic, and also tell me if there were people in class they wanted to work with. For people who had other people they specifically wanted to work with, I tried to accommodate them. For people who did not know the other students well enough to know whom they wanted to work with, I assigned them to groups by the topic they were interested in.
I have a question for those of you who let students form their own groups, though. How do you handle that in a class of, say, 20-30, when the students don’t really know one another yet?
associate professor, faculty of art at Ontario College of Art & Design
At OCAD University in Toronto, i give my students a group assignment as their first assignment. I allow them to form their own groups and intervene when they are uncertain.
The students produce a short performative drawing using old-school overhead projectors and drawings on acetate, creating a narrative or music to accompany the images. I video their performances and later together we review the projects and offer critique based on the predetermined criteria. The project is only worth 20% of their total grade for the course in order to factor in the coasters. The results vary from year to year.
The project is not so much about product, although of course it is an important factor, but rather about learning to work in a group – how to organize themselves and utilize each others strengths to best advantage. Even in the arts, we are dependent on each other to form our ideas and forward them through the creation of exhibition venues for example. Often, after this project, students find peers and friendships emerge which sometimes continue long after they have graduated. In a large university setting is often hard for students to connect with one another, and let’s face it, so much learning comes from informal discussions among peers as from formal lecturing at the front of the lecture hall. And in the professional world, the discussion goes on after a degree is achieved.
Conference program available in PDF and upub format, so I can have it on my laptop and on my mobile device: diminishes the necessity to carry and pull constantly a paper stack.
it is the only conference I know with 6AM yoga. Strong spirit in a strong body. LRS & CETL must find space and instructors an offer mediation + yoga opportunity for SCSU students to disconnect
1:00 – 5:00 PM excursion to Carnegie Mellon – Learning Spaces. LRS interest in Learning Commons.
From the pre-conference workshops, Thurs, Nov 7, 8:30AM – 12:00PM: Linda Shadiow, Connecting Reflection and Growth: Engaging Faculty Stories.
This workshop seems attractive to me, since it coincides with my firm conviction that SCSU faculty must share “best practices” as part of the effort to engage them into learning new technologies.
Kenyon, Kimberly et al, Risky Business: Strategic Planning and Your Center.
This workshop might be attractive for Lalita and Mark Vargas, since strategic planning is considered right now at LRS and CETL might also benefit from such ideas.
roundtables, Thurs, Nov. 7, 1:30-2:45PM
Measuring the Promise in Learner-Centered Syllabi
Michael Palmer, Laura Alexander, Dorothe Bach, and Adriana Streifer, University of Virginia
Effective Faculty Practices: Student-Centered Pedagogy and Learning Outcomes
Laura Palucki Blake, UCLA
Laura is the assistant director http://gseis.ucla.edu/people/paluckiblake
3 time survey of freshmen. survey also faculty every 3 years. can link this date: faculty practices and student learning
triangulating research findings. student-centered pedagogy. which teaching practices are effective in promoting student-center learning practices.
no statistical differences in terms of student learning outcomes between part-time and full-time faculty. The literature says otherwise, but Laura did not find any statistical difference. http://ow.ly/i/3EL77
discussions is big, small group work is big with faculty
in terms of discussions, there is huge difference between doing discussion and doing it well.
this is a self-report data, so it can be biased
there are gender differences. women more likely to use class discussions, cooperative learning same, students presentations same. gender discipline holds the gender differences. same also in STEM fields.
students evaluations of each other work. cooperative learning: it is closer gender-wise.
the more student-centered pedagogy, the less disengagement from school work.
understand on a national level what students are exposed to. lpblake@hmc.edu http://www.heri.ucla.edu/
wabash national data.
ePublishing: Emerging Scholarship and the Changing Role of CTLs
Laura Cruz, Andrew Adams, and Robert Crow, Western Carolina University
LORs are in Kentucky.
CETL does at least Professional Development, Resources, Eportfolios, LORSs. FLCs
Teaching Times at Penn.
model 2: around instructional technology. More and more CETL into a combined comprehensive center. about 9 are paid by IT and 11 by academic center. because of finances cuts this is the model predicted from the 90s. Why not IT? because ater they say how to use it. and how to use it effective. think outside of technology, technogogy is not the same as technology. Teacher-scholar model: research, service, teaching. http://ow.ly/i/3EMJl
egallery and other electronic ways to recognize productivity. Stats and survey software does NOT reside with grad studies, but with CETL, so CETL can help faculty from a glimmer of an idea to presentation and publication. Research Support Specialist.
how and where it fits into faculty development. Neutrality. Should CETL be advocates for institutional, organizational change. Do CETL encourage faculty to take innovation and risk (change the culture of higher ed). Tenure and promotion: do we advocate that epub should count, e.g. a blog will count toward tenure.
a national publication: http://www.sparc.arl.org/resources/authors/addendum
we domenstrate that it is good school. scholarship of teaching will be good teaching.
OER? Open educational resources. SHould CETL host and participate in those? Do we participate in creating resources, which are designed to replace texbooks? Caroline has a state-wide grant to support faculty developing learning resources.
open access is controversial. the right to publish and republish. http://www.sparc.arl.org/
40% of all scholarly articles are owned by 3 publishers
Academic Social Media academic.edu and electronic journals.
CETL is the comprehensive center, the hub where people go to, so CETL can direct them to and or get together stakeholder to make things happen.
the lesson from this session for me is that Lalita and Keith Ewing must work much closer.
Evaluating the quality of MOOCs: Is there room for improvement? Erping Zhu, University of Michigan; Danilo Baylen, University of West Georgia
reflection on “taking” a MOOC and the seven principles. how to design and teach MOOC using the seven principles.
MOOC has a lot of issues; this is not the focus, focus is on the instructional design. Both presenters are instructional designers. Danilo is taking MOOC in library and information science.
Second principle: what is a good graduate education.
about half had completed a course. Atter the 3rd week the motivation is dissipating.
Erping’s experience: Provost makes quick decision. The CETL was charged with MOOC at U of Michigan. Securing Digital Democracy. http://www.mooc-list.com/university-entity/university-michigan
Danilo is a librarian. his MOOC class had a blog, gets a certificate at the end. Different from online class is the badges system to get you involved in the courses. the MOOC instructors also had involved grad students to monitor the others. the production team is not usually as transparent as at Corsera. Sustainability. 10 week module, need to do reflections, feedback from peers. 7 assignments are too much for a full-time professional. http://www.amazon.com/Library-2-0-Guide-Participatory-Service/dp/1573872970 http://tametheweb.com/category/hyperlibmooc/ http://tametheweb.com/2013/10/20/hyperlibmooc-library-2-013-presentation-links/
1. principle: contact btw faculty and student. Not in a MOOC. video is the only source provides sense of connection. the casual comments the instructor makes addressing the students provides this sense. Quick response. Collaboration and cooperation in MOOC environment and bring it in a F2F and campus teaching. Feedback for quizzes was not helpful to improve, since it i automated. students at the discussion board were the one who helped. from an instructional design point of view, how MOOC design can be improved.
group exercise, we were split in groups and rotated sheet among each other to log in response to 7 sheets of paper. then each group had to choose the best of the logged responses. the responses will be on the POD site.
eri week resources
Per Keith’s request
“Why Students Avoid Risking Engagement with Innovative Instructional Methods Donna Ellis, University of Waterloo”
Excerpt From: Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. “POD Network 2013 Conference Program, Pittsburgh PA 11/7 to 11/10.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
A quantitative study. The difficulty of group works. Various questions from the audience, the time of class (early Mrng) is it a reason to increase the students disengagement. Students pereceptions .
The teacher did. It explain why the research and this might have increased the negative perception. Summary of key barrierS.
Risk of negative consequneces
preceived lack of control
contravention of perceived norms.
fishbein and Aizen 2010
discussoon . How faculty can design and deliver the course to minimize the barriers. Our table thought that there are a lot of unknown parameters to decide and it is good to hear the instructor nit only the researcher. How to deal with dysfunctional group members behaviors. Reflections from the faculty member how to response to the data? Some of the barriers frustrated him. Outlines for the assignments only part of the things he had done to mitigate. What are we asking students on course evaluations. Since a lot more then only negative feedback. Instructor needes more training in conflict resolution and how to run group work.
Friday, Nov 8, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
William Penn Ballroom
7 into 15
CRLT Players, University of Michigan”
Excerpt From: Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. “POD Network 2013 Conference Program, Pittsburgh PA 11/7 to 11/10.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
It is a burlesque and theater approach to engage students and faculty into a conversation. 10 plays in 30 min.
Discuses different topics from the plays and seek solutions as a team. How to deal with international students ( Harvard lady said ” safe places” for students) how to deal with technology or the lack of it, missed next one writing this notes and how to reward faculty in innvative things. T. Encoruage innovation, they received a letter from the provost and if they fail, it is not used in their annual evaluation
No videotaping of this performance because the power is in conversation. Is there a franchise, like training people to do that. NSF grant was allowing them but now just pick up the idea. Sell scripts? Can have conversations about strategies how to collaborate with the theater department where to start these short vinniets. If come to campus and bring performance do they do also the follow up.
Is anger or hostility a reaction during after these presentations. How to handle it. Hostility can be productive and make sure that it is told that it is productive. Getting difficult things out there is what the theater is trying to do in a distant way. This is not a morality
how develop the work? How come up with issues. Faculty bring issues, followed by interviews, draft created we heater identifies the problem and address the issue. Preview performances with stakeholders who confirm . There are more then. Sufficient ideas, so the organizers can choose what they see most pertinent
ecrc committee went to their meeting instead of lunch to see if I can particpirate for next year activitities. Ecrc is the acronym for the tech committee. Web site is one takes of this committee. Word press site , how the groups work, how forms work, how to connect with people and most importantly how to start communicating through the web site and cut the listserv. An attempt to centralized all info in the website rather then scattered across universities.
what is BRL? Google apps and Wikipedia as a wiki for another year until figure out if it can be incorporated in the web site. Reconceptualize how do work in the process. To groups in ecrc. Wikpaidea and web page. And then social media with Amy? Ecrc liaison in every POD committee to understand how to set up the committee web presence. Blackboard collaborate to do meetings and this is what liason explain to committee members. Tinyurl.com/ECRC2013
Designing Online Discussions For Student Engagement And Deep Learning Friday, Nov 8, 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM, Roundtable
Parkview East
Danilo M Baylen, University of West Georgia”
pit must be asynchronous discussion
What is the purpose and format of the discussion. Assessment. How the online discussion is supporting the purpose of the curriculum to the students learning
About five discussions per semester all together. Behaved part of the class culture
Format of the assignment
asynchronous discussion list. Series of questions or a case study. Is the format a sequence of responses or invite a discussions
checklist which stifles a creative discussion or just let it more free
purpose – must be part of the syllabus and it must be clear.
Meeting learning objectives.
duration
interactivity – response to other students. List of 6 different options how they can reply. what format the interactivity takes Is important issue, which has no textbook
assessment- initial posting are critical, since it gives and idea what to work on. How much points as part of the bigger picture. Yet it is the ground work for the assignment, which gets most points.
metacognitive not evaluative , give students examples from the pro regions class what a good discussion is And explain students how to. Evaluate a good discussion entry
how the question is worded and use the threaded discussion for them to reflect how they think, rather then only assess if they read the chapter. The research about online discussion is very different.
What is the baseline.
Online course must must be set up ready before semester starts or not?
reflection for the end of the semester
SteVn brookfields critical questionaire
meet thISTI and qr standards
is reflection on the content or the process
students reflect on their own reflections
what have you learned about yourself as online learner and look for consistencies for both negative and positive reflections
2. Social media – in community with other students , faculty, organizations
3. Resume builder
eportfolio is. Prt of the assessment. Conversation on campus. Some depts use exportfolio extensively but not happy. Programmatic academic e portfolio to collect data
use Sakai open portfolio system
12 drepartments and six more second year. to speak the same language, they developed a guideline, conceptual framework ( see snapshot of handout)
Curriculum mapping ( see the grid on the. Handout) took much longer then expected.
the role of CETL. The provost at Kevin’s institution charged CETL to do the portfolio gig.
The big argument of the CETL redirector with the provost is that portfolio not only to collect data for assessment and accreditation but to provide meaningful experience for the students. EDUCAUSE report horizon, learning analytics Scandalous headlines of students suing law schools. bad deductions made on big data. The things that matte for students must be in the portfolio and they get used to use the portfolio. Pre reflection entries by the students, which shorted the advising sessions. The advisor can see ahead of time. The advisers. Will. B the. Focus point, The. Advising portfolio Is becoming
portfolio must be used by faculty not only students.
Whats the by in for students. Presentations portfolio part of. Marketing purposes. Google sites so when students leave the institutions students can ” take” the portfolio with them as we’ll go multimedia. attempts failed because platforms which can be cutozmized we’re not used Digital identity As CETL director not technology expect and how to learn from the faculty and that was very
documenting and learning with eportfolios.
faculty to demonstrate reflections to students and how enter into portfolio. Using rubrics. Faculty are using already tools but connecting with. Reflections.
STAR: Situation , tasks, action, response
Writing skills differentiate, but even good writers got better on reflection
how one polish a portfolio before bringing to an Employer. Student Working with career services to polish and proofread.
How much the university is responsible for an individual portfolio. How many levels of proof reading.
Poor student work reflects a poor faculty attention.
“Groups Inform Pedagogies Friday, Nov 8, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM, 35-Minute Research Session A
Carnegie III
Rhett McDaniel and Derek Bruff, Vanderbilt University”
Teaching Online and Its Impact on Face-to-Face Teaching Friday, Nov 8, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM, 35-Minute Research Session B
Greene & Franklin
Lorna Kearns, University of Pittsburgh”
Freedom to Breathe: A Discussion about Prioritizing Your Center’s Work
Andy Goodman and Susan Shadle, Boise State University
Connecting, Risking, and Learning: A Panel Conversation about Social Media
Michelle Rodems, University of Louisville. Conference C 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
The use of social media in higher education
Conference C 9-11:15 AM
Panel of CETL directors and faculty. The guy from Notre dame uses word press the same way I use it. Collect questions and after the 3rd one creates blog entry and answers the next q/ s with the URL to the blog entry NspireD is the name of. The blog
the OHIO state UCAT guy is a twitter guy. Program coordinator who manages wordpress and web site. Intersect with FB and twitter. Platforms are inteGrated, so be did not to know the technicalities. The graduate consultants are setting up. ciirdinator tried to understand how the mesh together. Can be used as conversation starters or to broadcast and share info. Use of hashtags how to use them appropriate in twitter and FB to streamline .
Scsu problem. W don’t build it they will not come. a Tim burton version of the field of dreams.
Rachel CETL assist dir at U of Michigan. She is out there personally likes it. Very static web page. Drupal as a content management system so the blog is part of the web page. So 2 times a week entries. One of the staff people is an editor and writes blog posts, but vetted by a second CETL staff. Auto push for the blog to the twitter. Screencasts for YouTube channel with screencasts. Comments on the blog minimal from faculty and stat. What about students? About 1000 followers on the twitter. What do analytics say. Hits on home page, but no idea how much time reading. The time people spend more time and using the tags . the use of blog is less formal way to share information. recycling in December and August a lot of material.
does anybody subscribe and do you promote RSS
the separate blog for a workshop requires interaction and that is a success
for faculty development U of Michigan is using blog recruited 50 to follow the blog. TSam of 3 using. WordPress For a semester and then survey. Focus group. Huge success, between 6 and 30 comments. Community with no other space on campus
how are u using social media to promote connections. elevate voices of others on campus by interviewing faculty. At U of Michigan there was no interest to learn about what other faculty are doing. So they trashed that initiative but starTed a video narration about faculty who innovate. Videotaped and edited no hi Qual video , tagged and blog posted and this approach created more connection, because it is not text only.
What have been the obstacles and indoor failure and what have you learned?
convincing the administration that CETL than do it and it does not have to be the same quality as the web page and the printed material. Changing the mindset. No assessment, since nothing else was working and they were ready for radical step such as blog
Same with the twitter. Taking the risk to experiment with the hashtags. Tweets can’t be approved. Need to time to build an audience, one month will not have an impact. Start with the. Notion that you are building a reposIvory noT a foRum
one of the panelist has a google spreadsheet which has information of allCETL social media sites There are resources on how to deal with negative outcomes of using social media. Working with librarians, the Norte dame said! they will give you twenty sources. No no, no, he siad, give me your best three.
U of MichiGan more grad studns blog guest posts almost no faculty.
Have you considered giving them more then guest blog, but no facilitator? Let faculty once a semester do a blog post. It is not moderated but more like lead to how to do a good blog. Interview based approach is unique and does not show up somewhere elSe.
Insitutional background important in these decisions.
How often refresh the wordpress page. How often one person is voicing and it takes a log of journalistic skills. Use the draft option to publish when there are several ideas coming at once.
Mindshift of CETL is to decrease the standards. Make it more informal. Blog post can be always fixed later. To avoid faculty false perception that this is not scholarly needs to be references. So causal tone + references.
Blog ” from students perspective” is repurposE
Risking Together: Cultivating Connection and Learning for Faculty Teaching Online
Michaella Thornton, Christopher Grabau, and Jerod Quinn, Saint Louis University
Oliver 9-11:15 AM
Space Matters! and Is There a Simple Formula to Understand and Improve Student Motivation
Kathleen Kane and Leslie A. Lopez, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Riverboat 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
The Risks and Rewards of Becoming a Campus Change Agent
Dr. Adrianna Kezar, University of Southern California
William Penn Ballroom 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Branch campuses, students abroad, to more with less, completion from profit institutions
students work more but this is a good reflection on learning success
provost might ask to consolidate prof development opportunities for faculty and students instead of faculty only.
If administration is genuine understand transparent Administration more about persuading not listening. Respect, not assuming that faculty will not accept it. If faculty will sacrifices what will faculty see the administration sacrifice on their side. Leading from the. Middle , it means collective vision for the future. Multilevel leadershup, top down efforts dont work and bottom top are fragile. Managing up is less preferred then powering up. It is difficult to tell administration that they miss or misunderstand the technology issue.
Four frames. Goal multi frame leadership http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/bolman.html. Vey much the same as Jim Collins good to great right people on the bus right trained http://www.afa1976.org/Portals/0/documents/Essentials/Creating%20Organizational%20Learning%20and%20Change.pdf
How to build coalition, different perspectives, aknowledge the inherent conflict.
The Delphi project
It Takes a Campus: Promoting Information Literacy through Collaboration
Karla Fribley and Karen St. Clair, Emerson College
Oakmont 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Most of the attendees and both presenters were librarians
The presenters played a scatch to involve the particppaints
Curriculum mapping to identify which courses are the stretigic ones to instill the non credit info litreacy
acrl assessment in action
Risky Business: Supporting Institutional Data Gathering in Faculty Development Centers
Meghan Burke and Tom Pusateri, Kennesaw State University
Oliver 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM Roundtable
Exploring Issues of Perceptual Bias and International Faculty
Shivanthi Anandan, Drexel University.
Heinz 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM Roundtable
Why do we need it and onoy regarding international faculty don’t in Kim Lisa wolf-wendel
susan twombly. Pointers for hiring and retention. Performance is both teaching and living. Sanitary effect. sanitary issues not only pay rate. FLC all tenure track without citizenship they are worried about their tenure. Funding agencies, very few will fund you if you are not a citizenship
Diane Schafer perceptual biases, graffiti. Cathryn Ross
Averting Death by PowerPoint! From Killer Professors to Killer Presenters
Christy Price, Dalton State College
Riverboat 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM
How to create effective mini lectures checklist for acting palnning
engage and leave lecture out. The reason why can’t move away is because some people lecture as performance art
Make lectures mini. How long mini should be. 22 min, the age number of the person.
Emotional appeal, empathy.
Evoke positive emotions with humor. Always mixed method research, since the narrative Berk, r. (2000) and Sousa (2011)
ethical. Obligations and emotional appeal
acknowledge the opposition
enhance memory processing with visuals and multimedia
use guided practice by miniki zing note taking
presentationzen is a book! which need to read http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/presentation-zen-garr-reynolds/1100391495?ean=9780321525659
1. Is your system proprietary as far as the handheld device and the operating system software?
The site and the service are the property of Poll Everywhere. We do not provide handheld devices. Participants use their own device be it a smart phone, cell phone, laptop, tablet, etc.
2. Describe the scalability of your system, from small classes (20-30) to large auditorium classes. (500+).
Poll Everywhere is used daily by thousands of users. Audience sizes upwards of 500+ are not uncommon. We’ve been used for events with 30,000 simultaneous participants in the past.
3. Is your system receiver/transmitter based, wi-fi based, or other?
N/A
4. What is the usual process for students to register a “CRS”(or other device) for a course? List all of the possible ways a student could register their device. Could a campus offer this service rather than through your system? If so, how?
Student participants may register by filling out a form. Or, student information can be uploaded via a CSV.
5. Once a “CRS” is purchased can it be used for as long as the student is enrolled in classes? Could “CRS” purchases be made available through the campus bookstore? Once a student purchases a “clicker” are they able to transfer ownership when finished with it?
N/A. Poll Everywhere sells service licenses the length and number of students supported would be outlined in a services agreement.
6. Will your operating software integrate with other standard database formats? If so, list which ones.
Need more information to answer.
7. Describe the support levels you provide. If you offer maintenance agreements, describe what is covered.
8am to 8pm EST native English speaking phone support and email support.
8. What is your company’s history in providing this type of technology? Provide a list of higher education clients.
Company pioneered and invented the use of this technology for audience and classroom response. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poll_Everywhere. University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Raleigh, North Carolina
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
King’s College London
London, United Kingdom
Raffles Institution
Singapore
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina
10. What personal data does your company collect on students and for what purpose? Is it shared or sold to others? How is it protected?
Name. Phone Number. Email. For the purposes of voting and identification (Graded quizzes, attendance, polls, etc.). It is never shared or sold to others.
11. Do any of your business partners collect personal information about students that use your technology?
No.
12. With what formats can test/quiz questions be imported/exported?
Import via text. Export via CSV.
13. List compatible operating systems (e.g., Windows, Macintosh, Palm, Android)?
Works via standard web technology including Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Participant web voting fully supported on Android and IOS devices. Text message participation supported via both shortcode and longcode formats.
14. What are the total costs to students including device costs and periodic or one-time operation costs
Depends on negotiated service level agreement. We offer a student pays model at $14 per year or Institutional Licensing.
15. Describe your costs to the institution.
Depends on negotiated service level agreement. We offer a student pays model at $14 per year or Institutional Licensing.
16. Describe how your software integrates with PowerPoint or other presentation systems.
Downloadable slides from the website for Windows PowerPoint and downloadable app for PowerPoint and Keynote integration on a Mac.
17. State your level of integration with Desire2Learn (D2L)?Does the integration require a server or other additional equipment the campus must purchase?Export results from site via CSV for import into D2L.
17. How does your company address disability accommodation for your product?
We follow the latest web standards best practices to make our website widely accessible by all. To make sure we live up to this, we test our website in a text-based browser called Lynx that makes sure we’re structuring our content correctly for screen readers and other assisted technologies.
18. Does your software limit the number of answers per question in tests or quizzes? If so, what is the max question limit?
No.
19. Does your software provide for integrating multimedia files? If so, list the file format types supported.
Supports image formats (.PNG, .GIF, .JPG).
20. What has been your historic schedule for software releases and what pricing mechanism do you make available to your clients for upgrading?
We ship new code daily. New features are released several times a year depending on when we finish them. New features are released to the website for use by all subscribers.
21. Describe your “CRS”(s).
Poll Everywhere is a web based classroom response system that allows students to participate from their existing devices. No expensive hardware “clickers” are required. More information can be found at http://www.polleverywhere.com/classroom-response-system.
22. If applicable, what is the average life span of a battery in your device and what battery type does it take?
N/A. Battery manufacturers hate us. Thirty percent of their annual profits can be contributed to their use in clickers (we made that up).
23. Does your system automatically save upon shutdown?
Our is a “cloud based” system. User data is stored there even when your computer is not on.
24. What is your company’s projection/vision for this technology in the near and far term.
We want to take clicker companies out of business. We think it’s ridiculous to charge students and institutions a premium for outdated technology when existing devices and standard web technology can be used instead for less than a tenth of the price.
25. Does any of your software/apps require administrator permission to install?
No.
26. If your system is radio frequency based, what frequency spectrum does it operate in? If the system operate in the 2.4-2.5 ghz. spectrum, have you tested to insure that smart phones, wireless tablet’s and laptops and 2.4 ghz. wireless phones do not affect your system? If so, what are the results of those tests?
No.
27. What impact to the wireless network does the solution have?
Depends on a variety of factors. Most university wireless networks are capable of supporting Poll Everywhere. Poll Everywhere can also make use of cell phone carrier infrastructure through SMS and data networks on the students phones.
28. Can the audience response system be used spontaneously for polling?
Yes.
29. Can quiz questions and response distributions be imported and exported from and to plaintext or a portable format? (motivated by assessment & accreditation requirements).
Yes.
30. Is there a requirement that a portion of the course grade be based on the audience response system?
No.
Gloria Sheldon
MSU Moorhead
Fall 2011 Student Response System Pilot
Summary Report
NDSU has been standardized on a single student response (i.e., “clicker”) system for over a decade, with the intent to provide a reliable system for students and faculty that can be effectively and efficiently supported by ITS. In April 2011, Instructional Services made the decision to explore other response options and to identify a suitable replacement product for the previously used e-Instruction Personal Response System (PRS). At the time, PRS was laden with technical problems that rendered the system ineffective and unsupportable. That system also had a steep learning curve, was difficult to navigate, and was unnecessarily time-consuming to use. In fact, many universities across the U.S. experienced similar problems with PRS and have since then adopted alternative systems.
A pilot to explore alternative response systems was initiated at NDSU in fall 2011. The pilot was aimed at further investigating two systems—Turning Technologies and iClicker—in realistic classroom environments. As part of this pilot program, each company agreed to supply required hardware and software at no cost to faculty or students. Each vendor also visited campus to demonstrate their product to faculty, students and staff.
An open invitation to participate in the pilot was extended to all NDSU faculty on a first come, first serve basis. Of those who indicated interest, 12 were included as participants in this pilot.
Pilot Faculty Participants:
Angela Hodgson (Biological Sciences)
Ed Deckard (AES Plant Science)
Mary Wright (Nursing)
Larry Peterson (History, Philosophy & Religious Studies)
Ronald Degges (Statistics)
Julia Bowsher (Biological Sciences)
Sanku Mallik (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Adnan Akyuz (AES School of Natural Resource Sciences)
Lonnie Hass (Mathematics)
Nancy Lilleberg (ITS/Communications)
Lisa Montplaisir (Biological Sciences)
Lioudmila Kryjevskaia (Physics)
Pilot Overview
The pilot included three components: 1) Vendor demonstrations, 2) in-class testing of the two systems, and 3) side-by-side faculty demonstrations of the two systems.
After exploring several systems, Instructional Services narrowed down to two viable options—Turning Technologies and iClicker. Both of these systems met initial criteria that was assembled based on faculty input and previous usage of the existing response system. These criteria included durability, reliability, ease of use, radio frequency transmission, integration with Blackboard LMS, cross-platform compatibility (Mac, PC), stand-alone software (i.e., no longer tied to PowerPoint or other programs), multiple answer formats (including multiple choice, true/false, numeric), potential to migrate to mobile/Web solutions at some point in the future, and cost to students and the university.
In the first stage of the pilot, both vendors were invited to campus to demonstrate their respective technologies. These presentations took place during spring semester 2011 and were attended by faculty, staff and students. The purpose of these presentations was to introduce both systems and provide faculty, staff, and students with an opportunity to take a more hands-on look at the systems and provide their initial feedback.
In the second stage of the pilot, faculty were invited to test the technologies in their classes during fall semester 2011. Both vendors supplied required hardware and software at no cost to faculty and students, and both provided online training to orient faculty to their respective system. Additionally, Instructional Services staff provided follow-up support and training throughout the pilot program. Both vendors were requested to ensure system integration with Blackboard. Both vendors indicated that they would provide the number of clickers necessary to test the systems equally across campus. Both clickers were allocated to courses of varying sizes, ranging from 9 to 400+ students, to test viability in various facilities with differing numbers of users. Participating faculty agreed to offer personal feedback and collect feedback from students regarding experiences with the systems at the end of the pilot.
In the final stage of the pilot, Instructional Services facilitated a side-by-side demonstration led by two faculty members. Each faculty member showcased each product on a function-by-function basis so that attendees were able to easily compare and contrast the two systems. Feedback was collected from attendees.
Results of Pilot
In stage one, we established that both systems were viable and appeared to offer similar features, functions, and were compatible with existing IT systems at NDSU. The determination was made to include both products in a larger classroom trial.
In stage two, we discovered that both systems largely functioned as intended; however, several differences between the technologies in terms of advantages and disadvantages were discovered that influenced our final recommendation. (See Appendix A for a list of these advantages, disadvantages, and potential workarounds.) We also encountered two significant issues that altered the course of the pilot. Initially, it was intended that both systems would be tested in equal number in terms of courses and students. Unfortunately, at the time of the pilot, iClicker was not able to provide more than 675 clickers, which was far fewer than anticipated. Turning Technologies was able to provide 1,395 clickers. As a result, Turning Technologies was used by a larger number of faculty and students across campus.
At the beginning of the pilot, Blackboard integration with iClicker at NDSU was not functional. The iClicker vendor provided troubleshooting assistance immediately, but the problem was not resolved until mid-November. As a result, iClicker users had to use alternative solutions for registering clickers and uploading points to Blackboard for student viewing. Turning Technologies was functional and fully integrated with Blackboard throughout the pilot.
During the span of the pilot additional minor issues were discovered with both systems. A faulty iClicker receiver slightly delayed the effective start date of clicker use in one course. The vendor responded by sending a new receiver, however it was an incorrect model. Instructional Services temporarily exchanged receivers with another member of the pilot group until a functional replacement arrived. Similarly, a Turning Technologies receiver was received with outdated firmware. Turning Technologies support staff identified the problem and assisted in updating the firmware with an update tool located on their website. A faculty participant discovered a software flaw in the iClicker software that hides the software toolbar when disconnecting a laptop from a second monitor. iClicker technical support assisted in identifying the problem and stated the problem would be addressed in a future software update. A workaround was identified that mitigated this problem for the remainder of the pilot. It is important to note that these issues were not widespread and did not widely affect all pilot users, however these issues attest to the need for timely, reliable, and effective vendor support.
Students and faculty reported positive experiences with both technologies throughout the semester. Based on feedback, users of both systems found the new technologies to be much improved over the previous PRS system, indicating that adopting either technology would be perceived as an upgrade among students and faculty. Faculty pilot testers met several times during the semester to discuss their experiences with each system; feedback was sent to each vendor for their comments, suggestions, and solutions.
During the stage three demonstrations, feedback from attendees focused on the inability for iClicker to integrate with Blackboard at that time and the substantial differences between the two systems in terms of entering numeric values (i.e., Turning Technologies has numeric buttons, while iClicker requires the use of a directional key pad to scroll through numeric characters). Feedback indicated that attendees perceived Turning Technologies’ clickers to be much more efficient for submitting numeric responses. Feedback regarding other functionalities indicated relative equality between both systems.
Recommendation
Based on the findings of this pilot, Instructional Services recommends that NDSU IT adopt Turning Technologies as the replacement for the existing PRS system. While both pilot-tested systems are viable solutions, Turning Technologies appears to meet the needs of a larger user base. Additionally, the support offered by Turning Technologies was more timely and effective throughout the pilot. With the limited resources of IT, vendor support is critical and was a major reason for exploring alternative student response technologies.
From Instructional Services’ standpoint, standardizing to one solution is imperative for two major reasons: cost efficiency for students (i.e., preventing students from having to purchase duplicate technologies) and efficient utilization of IT resources (i.e., support and training). It is important to note that this recommendation is based on the opinion of the Instructional Services staff and the majority of pilot testers, but is not based on consensus among all participating faculty and staff. It is possible that individual faculty members may elect to use other options that best meet their individual teaching needs, including (but not limited to) iClicker. As an IT organization, we continue to support technology that serves faculty, student and staff needs across various colleges, disciplines, and courses. We feel that this pilot was effective in determining the student response technology—Turning Technologies—that will best serve NDSU faculty, students and staff for the foreseeable future.
Once a final decision concerning standardization is made, contract negotiations should begin in earnest with the goal of completion by January 1, 2012, in order to accommodate those wishing to use clickers during the spring session.
Appendix A: Clicker Comparisons
Turning Technologies and iClicker
Areas where both products have comparable functionality:
Setting up the receiver and software
Student registration of clickers
Software interface floats above other software
Can use with anything – PowerPoint, Websites, Word, etc.
Asking questions on the fly
Can create questions / answers files
Managing scores and data
Allow participation points, points for correct answer, change correct answer
Reporting – Summary and Detailed
Uploading scores and data to Blackboard (but there was a big delay with the iClicker product)
Durability of the receivers and clickers
Free software
Offer mobile web device product to go “clickerless”
Areas where the products differ:
Main Shortcomings of Turning Technology Product:
Costs $5 more – no workaround
Doesn’t have instructor readout window on receiver base –
This is a handy function in iClicker that lets the instructor see the %’s of votes as they come in, allowing the instructor to plan how he/she will proceed.
Workaround: As the time winds down to answer the question, the question and answers are displayed on the screen. Intermittently, the instructor would push a button to mute the projector, push a button to view graph results quickly, then push a button to hide graph and push a button to unmute the projector. In summary, push four buttons quickly each time you want to see the feedback, and the students will see a black screen momentarily.
Processing multiple sessions when uploading grading –
Turning Technologies uses their own file structure types, but iClicker uses comma-separated-value text files which work easily with Excel
Workaround: When uploading grades into Blackboard, upload them one session at a time, and use a calculated total column in Bb to combine them. Ideally, instructors would upload the grades daily or weekly to avoid backlog of sessions.
Main Shortcomings of iClicker Product:
Entering numeric answers –
Questions that use numeric answers are widely used in Math and the sciences. Instead of choosing a multiple-choice answer, students solve the problem and enter the actual numeric answer, which can include numbers and symbols.
Workaround: Students push mode button and use directional pad to scroll up and down through a list of numbers, letters and symbols to choose each character individually from left to right. Then they must submit the answer.
Number of multiple choice answers –
iClicker has 5 buttons on the transmitter for direct answer choices and Turning Technologies has 10.
Workaround: Similar to numeric answer workaround. Once again the simpler transmitter becomes complex for the students.
Potential Vendor Support Problems –
It took iClicker over 3 months to get their grade upload interface working with NDSU’s Blackboard system. The Turning Technology interface worked right away. No workaround.
Tuesday, Jan 22, 2PM, we met to discuss the basics of design, graphic design in particular.
Sliderocket and SLideshare
Here is the handout with sources and outlines. Pls feel welcome to contribute with your sources and ideas.
Design Basics
Handouts
– What is design and how to we approach it
to prepare the preliminary sketch or the plans for (a work to be executed), especially to plan the form and structure of http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/design
what is graphic design
The process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication is the formal, short definition of graphic design. Today’s graphic designers often use desktop publishing software and techniques to achieve their goals. http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/basic/g/graphicdesign.htm
– Why is it important to consider it
Graphic design helps clarify meaning and ease communication from one person (persons) to another, and it does so in a few ways. http://www.quora.com/Why-is-graphic-design-important
– Keep it simple
Your slides should have plenty of white space, or negative space. Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
– Limit bullet points and text
The best slides may have no text at all.
– Limit transitions and builds (animation)
– Use high quality graphics
– Have a visual theme but avoid using PowerPoint templates
– Use color well
Color evokes feelings. Color is emotional. The right color can help persuade and motivate. Studies show that color usage can increase interest and improve learning comprehension and retention.
You do not need to be an expert in color theory, but it’s good for business professionals to know at least a bit on the subject. Colors can be divided into two general categories: cool (such as blue and green) and warm (such as orange and red). Cool colors work best for backgrounds, as they appear to recede away from us into the background. Warm colors generally work best for objects in the foreground (such as text) because they appear to be coming at us.
– Choose your fonts well
Fonts communicate subtle messages in and of themselves, which is why you should choose fonts deliberately. Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation and use no more than two complementary fonts (e.g., Arial and Arial Bold). Make sure you know the difference between a serif font (e.g., Times New Roman) and a sans-serif font (e.g., Helvetica or Arial).
Serif fonts were designed to be used in documents filled with lots of text. They’re said to be easier to read at small point sizes, but for onscreen presentations, the serifs tend to get lost due to the relatively low resolution of projectors. Sans- serif fonts are generally best for PowerPoint presentations, but try to avoid the ubiquitous Helvetica.
– Spend time in the slider sorter
According to the Segmentation Principle of multimedia learning theory, people comprehend better when information is presented in small chunks or segments. By getting out of the Slide view and into the Slide Sorter view, you can see how the logical flow of your presentation is progressing. In this view, you may decide to break up one slide into, say, two or three slides so that your presentation has a more natural and logical flow or process.
