Faculty Learn Valuable Tips Over Spooktacular Lunch

Julia Chibbaro, Mary Hancock, and Susan Boes joined about thirty other colleagues from across campus for our spooktacular Apollo Club lunch last Monday. During the free monthly lunch-n-learn session, faculty Darlene Owens demonstrated how she uses pen-based electronic grading, audio, and video screen capture to provide feedback to her MIT students. Distance learning colleagues dined for a spell while Owens shared the secrets to success with this medium; prepare students for the technology and don’t waste time editing or re-recording a less than perfect session. Eighty five percent of her fifty-four students agreed that the process was easy, and eighty percent said that the video/audio feedback was more helpful than written feedback. Owens explained that this method was also easier for her than trying to type out long descriptive narratives. Though the lunch participants only saw a seven minute abbreviated presentation, the original full powerpoint can be found here.

First Four Faculty to Respond Win Pumpkins

Yesterday, Janet sent an email out encouraging faculty to subscribe to this newsletter using an RSS aggregator. Today, we'd like to reward the efforts of those who did. In addition to ongoing news, we will also have occasional contests like this one on our newsblog - and of course, the surest way to win is to be a subscriber. If you are one of the first four UWG faculty to send an email to WebCat and say that you saw this, then we'll deliver a lovely pumpkin to your office next Monday.

Free Software for Interactive Assessments

For faculty looking for ways to offer interactive and fun assessments into their online classes, there is a free tool provided by the University System called iMod. The Interactive Media Object Development(iMOD^® ) tool is an easy-to-use software tool which enables faculty to design and create distinct, multimedia, interactive, learning activities for use in online or face-to-face instructional environments. There is a built-in equation editor and fourteen types of assessments that can easily be built using a fill-in-the-blank wizard, including virtual
flash cards, timelines and image maps.

Click here for an example of a "Drag and Drop Basket" made in iMod. Contact us to get your free copy of iMod and any additional help needed.

New Face for eCore

Stacey Rowland of the DDEC has taken over the role of eCore advisor (from Vista Migration queen Janet Gubbins). Stacey is currently implementing a program aimed at measurably increasing retention in eCore courses. Among the strategies have been surveys of eCore students, development of eCore mentor programs, increased and regular communication with our eCore students through telephone and email, and the redevelopment of the UWG eCore website. Please visit the eCore page and let us know what you think. Also, check out our feature story on eCore student, Kim Holder. As full-time mother of two, Kim credits UWG's online courses for making her continued educaiton possible.

The Last Bit of Vista Migration

On December 31st, UWG's license for the older version of WebCT, WebCT CE, will expire. By that time, all desired courses should be migrated to the new version of WebCT, currently referred to as WebCT Vista. Blank Spring course shells will be on the WebCT Vista server by October 20th, when the remainder of Arts & Science users are expected to join the
other college departments on the new WebCT Vista server.

To get started, faculty will need to complete this new required Board of Regents Technology Survey, in order to gain initial access to their Vista courses.

To assist with Vista training and migration:

• New training workshops and migration drop-in assistance dates have been posted to the http://www.westga.edu/~training/, 678-839-0630 )
• The UWG Vista faculty website is being expanded to include Helplets (online mini-movies demonstrating how to accomplish a specific task)
• DDEC staff are available for one-on-one assistance at your convenience. Email or call 678-839-0630.