February 2008 Archives

Microsoft InkSeine is a prototype ink application from Microsoft Research that was released to the general public earlier this month.

Developed by a team at Microsoft Research, InkSeine is able to take unique advantage of the digital ink functionality of the TabletPC.

Video: InkSeine from Microsoft Research - The Official Video

At this time InkSeine is not an official Microsoft Project. The team that developed InkSeine is extremely interested in your feedback to help improve the software. Just email The InkSeine Team or discuss InkSeine in the GottaBeMobile forums, a great resource for all your Tablet PC needs.

Getting "Results 1-10 of about 3,159,724" when you search in Google can be less than helpful. Here are a few ways you can customize your searches to get to what you need to know faster.

Google Earth is an amazing 3D tool that provides the benefit of traveling the globe without ever getting on a plane.You can search for any address or keyword and Google Earth will fly you to the location. Including your house!

Lulu is web-based self-publishing service. Users can design, publish and print original material, including books, brochures, reports, calendars and posters. Users can also create digital content, such as audio files, videos, graphics, or e-books. EDUCAUSE recently published an article about Lulu and its application for education that you can read about here.

Who do you call on when you need help determining the best technology tool for a course project? Who can support you with the implementation process and see you through to the end? The TLT Center's Instructional Design Team! We are the primary point of contact for faculty technology projects, including support for teaching and learning initiatives. Each Instructional Designer is assigned to a number of departments. So, who's YOUR instructional designer?

The folks over at the Online Education Database have compiled a list entitled "100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better". This is fast on the heels of their "100 Free Podcasts from the Best Colleges in the World" posting. I'm sensing a theme. If you have a few hours to kill I highly recommend checking out both lists.

Not to be outdone, the group at openculture.com have compiled a list of "University & College Podcasts" that reads like a who's who of the iTunes U set. If you don't feel like looking through each University's site, they've gone one step further and created a list called "Free Online Courses from Great Universities". The courses listed include topics ranging from from Archaeology to Urban Studies (what, no Yoga or Zoology?!?) Good stuff.

Maybe you think YouTube is just another MySpace or Facebook- one of those sites where students go to goof off. But the educational potential of the site should not be ignored. That's not to say that YouTube offers anything radical or revolutionary in web design. In fact, the actual quality and resolution of YouTube content is pretty low, and the overall look and function of the site, even at the current height of its popularity, is still very basic. But then again, YouTube has always emphasized "user-friendly" simplicity, not technical advances. Its power lies in its sheer convenience and accessibility. The site has basically become, for media, what Google is for text. It has become the go-to audio-visual search engine.

We hope that you had a chance to stop by our Technology Table at the Student Center last Thursday. Twice a semester the TLT Center hosts a "tech table" to inform the community about the services that we offer. The focus is primarily on student services, such as Ruckus, but faculty and administrators are welcome to stop by as well. Be sure to look for our next tech table sometime after Spring break which will have a new and improved look.

Using the Assignment tool streamlines the process of assignment submission, grading, and feedback. No more email attachments getting lost in cyberspace! From your gradebook you can tell who has submitted an assignment, who has taken a look at the assignment and who has never accessed it!

This youTube video is a must see for those exploring the potential of virtual worlds for science education. Learning experiences highlighted include:

o Real-time data visualization; the ability to compile real time weather data with geographic display
o Publishers of Nature have created Second Nature - Learners can interact with cholesterol molecules
o Genome Island - Content centers on genetics, the history of genetics and genomics. Learners can enter giant cell and interact with its component. Also supports experiential learning - learners can interact with models of classic genetic experiments
o ARC research center - Anatomical models are being created in various sizes for learners to explore. Learners can animate small pieces of these modles (examples include a beating heart)
o NMC Research Park - Potential for clinical simulation models is apparent

As many of you are aware, Microsoft has had their new operating system, Vista, out on shelves for nearly a year. This OS was touted as being bigger, better, and more secure. Because of such claims, along-side the fact that Microsoft is running out of license keys for Windows XP, most new computers are coming with Vista as your only choice. Granted, the different versions of Vista are available (Everything from Home Basic right up to Ultimate), but in essence, it has created confusion amongst the masses. But, I am here to offer a little bit of relief and to help you make the transition with a little bit of ease.

On Thursday, February 14 the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center held a Grant and Faculty Showcase, highlighting past grant recipients. Danielle Mirliss, the Associate Director of Instructional Design and Training, gave a short introduction on the type of grants available. Renee Cicchino, Mike Soupious and Maribel Roman detailed each opportunity, Faculty Innovation, A&S Online, ReSoft and SURF later in the program.

The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) created by funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is a consortium of institutions and organization which are committed to quality online education. Sloan-C promotes best practices, collaborative knowledge sharing, and strives to improve the quality of online teaching and learning. In addition to their well attended annual international conferences, Sloan-C offers a wide variety of journals, resources including an Effective Practices Database, and workshops.

As a replacement for Microsoft FrontPage, the wed editing tool used to create and maintain many of the University webpages, Microsoft Expression Web is now available to be installed on your University owned laptop or desktop.

To have Microsoft Expression installed, you can visit the PC Support Consultation area ( lower level of Corrigan Hall) with your laptop or call the Technology Helpdesk @ ext. 2222 to have a field technician install the software on your desktop.

Seton Hall University is part of Cohort III of the I/NCEPR whose mission is to investigate innovative methods as well as learning outcomes for eportfolio experiences. In addition to SHU, Cohort III includes members from California State University, Florida State University, Framingham State University, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Penn State University, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Waterloo and University of Wolverhampton amongst others.

While you are on the internet all day, there are files being downloaded to your hard drive which, if they are not removed, can build up and slow down your PC's overall performance. They are called temp files (.tmp), they are not harmful to your machine and can easily be deleted.

On the MS Internet Explorer browser, click on the Tools button on the upper right. Move down and click Internet Options. On the dialog box that appears, click the Delete button in the middle of the box. On the next screen, at the very least, click the Delete Files button at the top (you can also click the Delete All button at the bottom, nothing bad will happen to you). Then click Yes. This will remove all of those .tmp files from your hard drive.

If you have never done this before, it might take a while to get rid of them all so be patient. You should get in the habit of doing this procedure once a week to keep the hard drive as free of these files as possible.

The February 2008 Vicinity Magazine (distribution in Union County) featured a story titled Students, Science and Success. The article highlighted the use of River City at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, NJ. River City is a simulation built in the 3D space Active Worlds and challenges students to find a solution to what is making an 1800's river town sick. River City was introduced to students through a collaboration between Ridge High School and the TLT Center. Heidi Trotta, Instructional Designer, first engaged the high school in the use of this virtual world while exploring opportunities to "Bridge the Gap" between high school and college (2006 FIG grant).

DyKnow: Collaboration Software in a Ubiquitous Computing Environment
TLTC Application Series * Friday, February 22, 2008 * ITV Room, Walsh Library

The TLT Center will be offering a DyKnow workshop on Friday, February 22, 2008.

What is DyKnow?
DyKnow is a classroom management software that fosters interaction through collaborative note taking, student response tools, content replay, and anywhere, anytime access. Instructors can use DyKnow to transmit content instantly to students screens for annotation and to limit distracting programs (i.e. instant messenger) with its powerful classroom management capabilities.

This past Tuesday members of the TLT Center staff explored the potential of Second Life. The professional development workshop provided staff with a basic understanding of how to navigate through the virtual world, change avatar appearance, and interact with objects (such as notecards). Much of the fun took place on the NMC campus and Pirate Island (Seton Hall's leased space). The workshop also provided the opportunity for a test run as we plan a similar event for faculty on February 29th. Registration for the Leap into Second Life workshop is limited to 16 - if you are interested be the first to register at http://tltc.shu.edu/register.

Are you looking for a simple solution to be able to open files created in Office 2007 that are being sent to you by your colleagues or by students?

With the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Office 2007 (27.5 MB) you can open, edit, and save files created in Office 2007 (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) with Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003.

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact the Seton Hall University Technology Help Desk by email at helpdesk@shu.edu or by telephone at 973-275-2222