Emerging Instructional Technology Council
December 10, 2014
In attendance: Kitrina Carlson, Dan Dunbar, Urs Haltinner, Jane Henderson, Joshua Laskowski, Mitchell Ogden, David
Plum, Doug Wahl.
Guest: Nick Dangeur
Recorder: Gretchen Metzler
Office 365 – Dan Dunbar
Stout just received licensing permissions for Office 365 for the use of faculty and staff -- for home or work use -- and it
will be available next semester.
• LIT is working through the steps needed for deployment. Office 365 is a monthly subscription service, so users
will need to log on with their Stout email and password to use it (though they do not need to be connected in
order for it to work.)
• Jane is working with Callie Henderson to provide Apple-specific training for iPad users with this product in
January.
• Each individual will be allowed installation on up to five PCs, five Macs and five mobile devices.
SharePoint and OneDrive – Dan Dunbar
LIT is also working on a campus-wide rollout for SharePoint, on a department-by-department basis. OneDrive for
Business is essentially the same as SharePoint; a distinction is that OneDrive is specific to an individual user.
• Storage for this is now unlimited, with an individual file size maximum of 10 GB.
• If an individual leaves the university, their account will exist for thirteen months, to allow them access for that
period.
SharePoint is campus-specific. There are more collaborative possibilities (i.e. with faculty) with this tool.
• A concern is to have best practices clarified and in-place before deployment.
• Multiple users are able to dynamically edit documents they can all see at the same time.
• ImageNow is currently being used in some of these ways, but it should not be used as a real-time tool; its
purpose is primarily archival.
Future of Classroom Technology – Nick Dangeur
Nick presented a PowerPoint showing various tools that are useful in “flipped” classroom environments (students gain
outside knowledge and experience, return to class and the instructor then guides them to apply that information in
useful ways.) Typically this involves more face-to-face individual time with an instructor.
•
Crestron (manufacturer) (Air Media – device) – allows an instructor to present wirelessly in a bring-your-owndevice environment (BYOD) with more notebooks, tablets, phones being used in multiple platforms.
o It allows a quad-split screen, so four people can interact together on one screen.
o A user would enter an IP address which will take them to the website where they are allowed to
download the software for Windows or Mac.
o In this version an instructor can call on whichever student they want to present.
o As a collaborative device, it can do a screenshot (but does not mirror) on iOs and Droid devices -- and
includes pictures, documents, presentations.
o Can view wirelessly, i.e. if a student has vision issues.
In flipped classrooms, there are “active learning spaces” requiring flexibility, space, and high mobility. Distance learning
classrooms in MLNM currently allow this – in future other classrooms can have this also (VOIP connections.)
• Highfive – a conferencing tool. Can move a screen from one’s phone to video display; up to 10 people can be
included. Users can share content within 30 feet.
• One concern: The idea of bringing guest lecturers is exciting, but tech error issues often seem to happen despite
trial runs and preparation ahead of time.
•
•
Vaddio Group Station – This conferencing tool runs primarily off of Skype, but allows zooming in.
Stream8 – an HP tablet, running Windows 8.1, and relatively cheap.
We’ll continue to have multiple options available: content in the Cloud, My Media, Lecture Capture, smartphone and
DSLR cameras. Students also have access to a lot of this.
•
For video editing :
o WeVideo (a free, online video editor) that is very simple to use, for educational purposes available to both
students and faculty. It is all online and works with Google.
o Adobe Creative Cloud for Droid devices
o AdobeVoice – a fun way to make very quick, short videos for iOs devices only; good for presenting just one
idea.
o EDPuzzle – also free and developed for educational purposes. Faculty can edit video clips (YouTube,
Smithsonian clips, TED talks, Vimeo, etc.) then insert something interactive, like a quick quiz. It also allows a
metric to see which students watched, and how much. Students have to create an account and login.
•
•
4K Ultra HD - On this campus, is likely to be used for Art, some science courses.
Networking will be important for management of classrooms, the need for wireless, transferring video over IP, and
other online elements (D2L, etc.)
Are there possibilities for micro networks – useful only in a given classroom, for example? Dan responded that there
is currently not enough public frequency available to permit this on campus: fluorescent lights, microwaves and
cordless phones all interfere with campus wireless.
5G wireless is currently preferred on campus, but not all users have this on their devices.
•
•
Vision for 2015-16 – Doug Wahl
Doug shared handouts outlining five focused initiatives for IT for the current year (2014-2015), compared with 20132014.
• Next year we will need to revisit computer labs (there is no long-term planning for these.) In the past the
assumption was that the laptop initiative would eliminate the need for labs, but the need for them is back.
• Better, central printers are needed for students.
• Web space for student assignments and server space are seen as needs also, but keeping production servers
running and secure is ongoing and expensive; we have finite resources for this, so the scope needs to be
defined.
• Longer-term, students are hungry for access to “cutting edge” technology and innovation; we need to have the
discussion about how to make these opportunities available, how to cultivate a culture where this is possible.
o From a sustainability perspective, we need to have an intentional, curricular connection
o Hardware vs. software
o When students leave campus they experience a “reverse migration” from what is available on campus.
o A polytechnic is not just computer technology, or not just working with industry; perhaps involving the
creation of a trans-disciplinary course on emerging technologies, future needs, changes in
manufacturing, etc.
o Using models from other schools; we do not need to reinvent the wheel.
Doug welcomes suggestions for action items from this group. He will make the longer list available before the next
meeting.