Methodist University
Title III Times
From the Director
Colleagues,
Here is an update of Title III activities that have occurred in the last months. As most of you know,
the final year (Year 5) of our Title III grant began October 1, 2014. Here is a quick review of activities since the last edition of the newsletter.
Regarding Jenzabar-related activities:
Methodist University (MU) Office of Institutional Computing (OIC) Programmers, led by Mary
Hupp, the Jenzabar Database Administrator, have continued development and customization of, as
well as training on, the main Jenzabar EX software system for our various administrative offices.
OIC Programming staff have also worked diligently to develop and customize the Jenzabar web
portal and also launch a mobile version of that portal. Tremendous thanks for all the OIC Programmer’s hard work!
Back in June, 2014, MU sent a large number of staff who are primary users of the Jenzabar EX system to the Jenzabar JAM annual conference. Attending were Mary Hupp (Database Administrator),
Ryan Pretlow (OIC Programmer), Elizabeth Cooper (OIRE Research Associate), Jasmin Brown
(Registrar), Nicky Howard (Assistant Registrar), Mary Mercer (Accounts Receivable Accountant),
Gina Thornton (Assistant Controller), McKenzie Jackson (Budget Analyst), and Gena Johnson
(Academic Services Associate). In addition, Student Affairs personnel attending were William
Walker (VP Student Affairs), Barbara Morgan (Housing & Residential Life Director), Doris Munoz
(Campus Life Director), and Michael McCabe (International Programs). This upcoming June, MU
will be send Mary Hupp, Ryan Pretlow, Gina Thornton, Gena Johnson, Dawn Ausborn (Associate VP
for Business Affairs and Controller), Mary Mercer, and Jasmin Brown to Jenzabar JAM to continue
learning about our Jenzabar system (the main system, the MYMU portal, and Jenzabar Mobile).
On October 13, 2014 MU hosted the Jenzabar South Regional Users Group (RUG) meeting. This
meeting was attended by staff and faculty from universities in the South that are Jenzabar clients.
It was one of the largest South RUGs in terms of attendance. Mary Hupp, Ryan Pretlow, Jasmin
Brown, and Elizabeth Cooper organized this every successful event and all four gave presentations.
Regarding instructional technology:
Bruce Morgan, the Director of Instructional Technology, has continued setting up and troubleshooting classroom technology. He also conducted many training sessions for faculty (both in small
groups and one-on-one) on instructional technology use. Please contact him for any training needs
you may have.
In spring 2014, the Title III Student Technology Committee recommended that Title III purchase a
number of charging stations (i.e., outlets with USB connectivity) to be installed around campus to
charge laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. These were installed last semester in areas that students
frequent. Also, Title III has purchased a couple of larger capacity charging stations that can charge
up to ten devices simultaneously.
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Volume 7, Issue 7
March 26, 2015
Inside this issue:
From the Director
1
Calendar
3
Morgan’s Minutes
4
Page 2
Title III Times
Inside this issue:
(continued from Page 1)
In spring 2014, MU held its first Title III funded cross disciplinary collaborative learning experience for
students. This experience was a simulated disaster scenario and involved students and faculty from the
Nursing, PA, Justice Studies/Applied Forensics, Environmental Management, and Athletic Train- ing departments and programs. The simulation was professionally filmed and departments received copies to use
as teaching tools.
In fall 2014, Title III funding provided support for another collaborative learning project involving the
Communications department students and faculty working with a number of different academic departments
to produce videos featuring students in these various departments demonstrating skills learned in their programs. Such videos will serve as instructional tools for these academic departments. These video projects
have begun this spring semester.
So far in Year 5:
This final year of Title III has again provided funding for faculty-proposed TIPs. The focus this final year
has been on a wider exposure of Title III initiatives to more departments and students. Therefore, TIP funding has not only been available for single department/faculty TIPs as in the past, but also for crossdisciplinary, collaborative, technology-rich learning experiences. Individual department TIPs that have
been approved and funded in Year 5 include instructional technology for the Psychology, Physical Education & Exercise Science, Athletic Training, Resort & Club Management, and Biology departments, as well
as individual faculty TIPs for iPads.
Cross-disciplinary TIPs that have been funded include a learning experience led by the Justice Studies department with the Applied Forensic Science program and Environmental & Occupational Management
(ENM) department, and an exercise led by the Chemistry & Physical Science department with the departments of Communications, Art, Education, and ENM using 3-D printers.
Title III funding is still available for TIPs for both individual departments and cross-disciplinary/interdepartmental learning experiences/projects for students. The funding will supply the technology required to
carry out such experiences. Please contact Bruce Morgan or a member of the Title III Technology Integration Committee (Carl Dyke, J.D. Knode, Mark Bowman, Gary Hinson, Hugh Harling) for details on how to
make a proposal for such funding.
Please keep in mind we have faculty development money to sponsor faculty attendance to instructional
technology/teaching and learning conferences. Again, please contact Bruce Morgan or a member of the
Title III Technology Integration Committee for details.
A very important piece of business:
If you are a faculty member who received Title III TIP funding during Year 4 (or even Year 3 or Year 2 for
some of you) it is now time to turn in your assessment report regarding the impact of the use of instructional
tech- nology in your classes. This assessment was a critical part of your TIP, and we need these reports as
documents to include in our Title III report to the federal government. Please send your TIP assessment
reports to both Bruce Morgan and Don Lassiter. These are due by the end of the spring 2015 semester.
Also, a reminder – the Title III staff have relocated. We are no longer in the North Administration Building. Bruce Morgan has moved to the OIC office suite in the new Services Building located between Clark
Hall and the Mallet-Rogers House. Don Lassiter and Beth Butler are now located in the basement of the
Davis Memorial Library, Room 001 in the former Tutoring Center. All of our phone extensions remain
the same: Bruce Morgan (7465), Don Lassiter (7081) and Beth Butler (7422). Call us anytime or stop by!
Best regards,
Don Lassiter
Title III Director
From the Director
1
Calendar
3
Morgan’s Minutes
4
Title III Times
Page 3
Inside this issue:
From the Director
1
Calendar
3
Morgan’s Minutes
4
Calendar of Events
April 2015
May 2015
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April 3—Good Friday (University Closed)
April 16—Blackboard Training 3:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. (Library Classroom)
April 17—Blackboard Training 9:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. (Library Classroom
April 23—Blackboard Training 3:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. (Library Classroom)
April 24—Blackboard Training 9:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. (Library Classroom)
April 30—Blackboard Training 3:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. (Library Classroom)
May 1—Blackboard Training 9:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. (Library Classroom)
May 8—Blackboard Training 9:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. (Library Classroom)
May 9—Baccalaureate at 10:30 a.m., Graduation at 2:00 p.m.
May 12—Blackboard Training 8:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.(Library Classroom)
May 13—Blackboard Training 8:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. (Library Classroom)
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Title III Times
Morgan’s Minutes
Inside this issue:
Choose Your Technology
Available at: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tech_tools_table
Technology Type
Facilitating Group Work Using Online Collaboration Tools
Group work can be a powerful tool to enhance students’ mastery of course content, motivation, and persistence in problem solving (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith 1998; Deslauriers,
Schelew, & Wieman, 2011; Smith et al., 2009; Crouch & Mazur, 2001). Instructional technologies can enhance the ability of student teams to collaborate effectively, increasing access and efficiency by reducing spatial and temporal barriers to teamwork. Similarly, IT
can provide novel, efficient, and effective means for instructors to monitor and provide
feedback on group projects. Online collaboration tools provide a variety of means to enhance group
Possible Instructional Uses
Managing, sharing and collaborating on large files associated with group projects
Improving group process and decision making
Enhancing small group discussions during lectures
Team-building through peer evaluation
Facilitating synchronous online group interactions outside of class
Some Available Tools
Google Docs
Google Drawings
Skype
Oovoo
Google+ Hangouts
MS Word
Blackboard
Technology Type
Lecture Capture
Lecture Capture involves the recording of classroom activities or special events using specific software and making that recording available electronically. The recording is sometimes referred to as a podcast or a screencast, and may be audio-only or include video of
the lecture. Some software synchronizes lecture slides for viewing alongside the relevant
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From the Director
1
Calendar
3
Morgan’s Minutes
4
Title III Times
Page 5
Morgan’s Minutes
(continued from page 4)
Inside this issue:
sections of audio and/or video recordings of the instructor. Depending on the software used for recording, students may be able to speed up or slow down lectures, pause the playback, and move forward or backward in
the presentation.
From the Director
1
Calendar
3
Morgan’s Minutes
4
Possible Instructional Uses
 Allowing students to review content that they found difficult to understand during lecture.
 Creating recordings to be used for future students to prepare for class.
 Archiving lectures and classroom activities for course planning.
 Alternative for students who miss class.
 Interdisciplinary courses can include lectures from other departments.
Some Available Tools
Camtasia
iPad / Swivl recording station
Technology Type
Online Discussions
The online discussion is a familiar form of online writing for most students and instructors. Often, the instructor posts a question or prompt, and students respond either to the initial prompt, or to the posts of their classmates. The technologies available today offer many options for encouraging, organizing, and moderating
online discussions.
Possible Instructional Uses
 Whole class or small group discussion of class materials
 Reading responses
 Online debates
 Brainstorming and prioritizing ideas
 Online Q&A about class material and/or course logistics
 Engaging in discussion with the wider community
Enabling students to collect, share and discuss relevant resources with each other
Some Available Tools
Piazza
Google Moderator
Blackboard
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Title III Times
Morgan’s Minutes
(continued from page 5)
Technology Type
Online Writing Tools
Online writing includes any form of writing where the process of writing occurs online or the writing is
shared online. Online compositions may be short or long, and they may be written individually or collaboratively. They may be published on the web for anyone to see, shared with the class, or shared only between
one student and the instructor. Online writing often leverages the linking power of the web to include images
and other media, but this is not always the case. Online writing tools may also offer a glimpse into the writing
process by making it possible to see the history of changes to a document, and they often include commenting
features to facilitate discussion of the writing and the writing process. Your goals for the type and length of
writing, the level of formality, the content and the audience will inform your choice of online writing tools.
Possible Instructional Uses
 Individual or group writing assignments of any length
 Peer review of writing assignments
 Metacognitive reflection on writing
 Collaborative note taking
 Writing for the wider community
Individual reflective journals or portfolios
Inside this issue:
From the Director
1
Calendar
3
Morgan’s Minutes
4
Some Available Tools
Collaborative writing tools, such as Google Drive, MS Word
Blogs, such as Blogger and Wordpress
Wikis, such as PBWiki
Websites, such as Google Sites or Wix
Technology Type
Personal Response Systems
Personal response system (PRS), Classroom Performance System (CPS), and Audience Response System
(ARS) refer to technology tools that provide a way for students to interact with the instructor during instruction. Through small remote devices ("clickers") or through laptops, tablet devices and/or smart phones accessing online tools, instructors can poll their students, ensure key points are understood, give low-stakes
quizzes to assess student learning, and receive immediate classroom feedback on teaching.
Possible Instructional Uses
Assessing students’ prior knowledge and identifying misconceptions before introducing a new subject
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Title III Times
Morgan’s Minutes
(continued from page 6)
Inside this issue:
Checking students’ understanding of new material
From the Director
1
Starting class discussion on difficult topics
Calendar
3
Using Peer Instruction and other active learning techniques
Morgan’s Minutes
4
Administering tests and quizzes during lecture
Gathering feedback on teaching
Recording class attendance and participation
Some Available Tools
e-Instruction Classroom Response System
LectureTools
Poll Everywhere
Socrative
Google Forms
Piazza
Technology Type
Presentation Technology
Presentation technology refers to a wide range of applications that enable instructors to display information
during a lecture. Students also use these applications when they make presentations as part of class assignments. Used to help organize presentations, show examples, and provide visual interest, these applications
usually allow for some combination of text and graphics as well as embedded video. While Microsoft PowerPoint is the most commonly used, there are a range of applications that fall under this category.
Possible Instructional Uses
 Displaying lecture outlines, visual examples (photos, graphs, diagrams, videos) and/or instructions
for classroom activities
 Displaying sample test questions or concept questions to check student understanding (possibly
used with personal response systems)
 Creating opportunities for students to organize content and present to peers as part of a lecture
Providing "skeletal" outlines that facilitate student note taking
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Title III Times
Morgan’s Minutes
(continued from page 7)
Inside this issue:
Providing a resource that guides students' review of lecture material (alone or in connection with audio/
video recordings of lecture)
From the Director
1
Calendar
3
Some Available Tools
Morgan’s Minutes
4
 Microsoft PowerPoint
 Apple Keynote
 Google Slides
Prezi
Technology Type
Screencasting
Screencasts are video recordings of the actions on one’s computer screen, including any associated audio.
Screencasts, synonymous with video podcasts, provide a simple means to increase access to course content
and learning resources. The product of screencasting is a video or movie file that can be uploaded to YouTube,
a website, or a course management system for dissemination. Students may access screencasts repeatedly, at
any time, from anywhere, using computers or a variety of handheld mobile devices (e.g., smart phones, iPods,
iPads).
Possible Instructional Uses
Providing feedback on student work
Responding to classroom assessments of student learning
Modeling problem solving and other expert skills
Creating opportunities for active learning
Creating tutorials and other supports for students
Some Available Tools
Jing
Camtasia