Increasing Instructional Efficiency:
Maximizing Content Delivery and
Student Empowerment Through
Technology
UMSL November 13-14, 2008
Joe Naumann – Adjunct Assoc. Prof. – Geography
Jennifer Simms – Technical Trainer-Principal – FRC
Educational Technology 1813
…in the winter of 1813 & '14 … I attended
a mathematical school kept in
Boston…On entering [the] room, we
were struck at the appearance of an
ample Black Board suspended on the
wall, with lumps of chalk on a ledge
below, and cloths hanging at either side.
I had never heard of such a thing before.
[Samuel J. May, 1855]
2
Joe Naumann 2001
• He knew how to use the overhead projector
– He could make overhead transparencies
• He was totally Ignorant of:
– MyGateway (Blackboard)
– PowerPoint
– Creating web pages
– Video Clip editing/creating & streaming
– Digital photography & photo editing
– Using UMSL servers
3
What about ignorance?
• Ignorance is a condition that can be corrected . . . . .
• How did I replace my ignorance with knowledge
and skills?
– Patience & helpfulness of Prof. Rocky Keel
– Patience, helpfulness, and encouragement of the staff of
the Faculty Resource Center
– The outstanding classroom support of Chris Scheetz and
his staff
– Mini courses presented by IT & FRC
– Attendance at Technology Conferences
4
Cheers for the FRC!
• Jennifer Simms, Paul Wilmarth, and Tom
Roedel have helped me through rough spots,
taught me new skills, and have given me
tremendous support and encouragement!
5
Today we have many options.
Email &
Listservs
Web
information
resources
Whoa!
Computer
enhanced
lectures
Online
distance
education
courses
Bulletin-boards
& online
discussions
Multimedia
CD-ROMS
DVD’s
Audio & video
conferencing
Web lessons
&
tutorials
Streaming
media &
webinars
Document &
application
sharing
6
The Technology Exception,
not the Rule
7
8
9
10
Our Challenge!
• Create educational content for multiple
delivery modes
– Technologically enhanced face-to-face lecturediscussion
– Blended face-to-face and online
– Totally online
• Materials and assistance all online
• Live online classroom plus materials and assistance
online
– Wimba Classroom, Wikis, Podcasts, Blogs, etc.
11
A Frequent Problem
• Staff do not consistently take advantage of
educational technology
– Unaware of what is available?
• Attend conferences & talk with colleagues
– Feeling of being overwhelmed by the unfamiliar?
• Talk to IT people (at UMSL, the Faculty Resource
Center)
– Unsure of how to start?
• Add technology one step at a time
12
Why use more technology?
• Students become more responsible for their
own education.
– You won’t have to lug syllabi, handouts etc. to class
and carry the leftovers back to the office.
– You can make basic and supplementary materials
easily available to those who choose to use them.
– Students can help each other with Blackboard.
• Discussion Board
• Chat Room
– Students can interact with peers and instructor on
13
Wimba PRONTO.
Important decisions!
Email &
Listservs
Web
information
resources
Web lessons
&
tutorials
Computer
enhanced
lectures
Technology
Bulletin-boards
& online
discussions
Audio & video
conferencing
Multimedia
CD-ROMS
Pedagogy
Online
distance
education
courses
Streaming
media &
webinars
Document &
application
sharing
14
Selecting appropriate
technology.
“I’d like to try using some new
technologies and methods in my
teaching. What’s the best way to
begin?”
• What can technology help me accomplish?
1. Address an existing deficiency, gap, or problem.
2. Transfer or redistribute instructional functions or activities to another
medium (blended instruction).
3. Empower students to be more responsible for their education.
4. Improve the effectiveness, efficiency (quality) of an instructional
function, activity or process.
5. Experiment and discover better ways for teaching & learning.
15
Design Focus
Integrating technology
into your teaching
Selecting
appropriate learning
technologies
Designing Or
Redesigning
instruction using
appropriate technology
Instructional Design principles
16
Instructional Design
Principles
• Learning is facilitated when learners are engaged in
solving real-world problems.
• Learning is facilitated when existing knowledge is
activated as a foundation for new knowledge.
• Learning is facilitated when new knowledge is
demonstrated to the learner.
• Learning is facilitated when new knowledge is
applied by the learner
• Learning is facilitated when new knowledge is
integrated into the learner's world.
17
Take One Step At A Time!
• Use Blackboard
• Features I have used (not all of them)
– Calendar
– Course & Staff Information
– Course Documents
– Grade Book (Greatly improved for ‘08-’09)
– Assignment Manager
– Chat Room – now I keep Wimba PRONTO running
– Announcements
– E-mail
18
– Online quizzes
Take Small Simple Steps
• If you already use
PowerPoint, take
the next step!
• Use SMART
Sympodium to
enhance
PowerPoint!
19
“Smart Board” features in
SMART Sympodium
20
SMART Sympodium Notebook
21
Link PPT to the Internet
• http://www.umsl.edu/~naumannj
• http://mygateway.umsl.edu
• http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/
22
Establish a Web Page
• Store your materials on the Web Page
server
– Use it as a warehouse for materials
• Link the web page to MyGateway
• Easier to edit web page than it is to keep
reprogramming MyGateway
• Demonstrate NVU
23
Why link to a web page?
• Storing documents on the web page
server greatly reduces set-up time from
semester to semester.
• The more that is stored on the class
management server (BlackBoard, etc.),
the slower it runs.
• Making changes is much simpler
– NVU web page editor
24
Stream Videos
• Convert your videos to WMV files.
– Use the free Microsoft program to format WMV
files for streaming.
• OR ask if your technology resource staff can
do the formatting for you. (FRC at UMSL)
• Store the files on the streaming server and
link them to BlackBoard if you have such a
server – If not, start requesting one.
25
Demonstrations
• MyGateway (BlackBoard)
• Website
• NVU (free web page editor)
26
Useful URLs (UMSL & Beyond)
• Faculty Resource Center
– http://www.umsl.edu/technology/frc/
• Instructional Technology Services Home Page
– http://www.umsl.edu/technology/
• Downloadable Software
– https://tomsawyer.umsl.edu/webapps/weboffice/software
_distribution/login.cfm
• Training opportunities
– https://tomsawyer.umsl.edu/webapps/mygateway/trainin
g/login.cfm
• If you aren’t from UMSL, check to see what is
available at your institution.
27
• Online Testing Center
– http://www.umsl.edu/technology/mgwhelp/fachelp/otc.html
– Great when you have several sections of the same course
and 100 plus students.
28
Thank you for your attention.
• If we can help . . . . . . .
– Joe Naumann
•
•
•
•
UMSL
One University Boulevard
Economics/Geography 408 SSB
St. Louis, MO 63121
Jennifer Simms or Paul Wilmarth
UMSL
One University Boulevard
Faculty Resource Center – 450 CCB
St. Louis, MO 63121
• 314-516-4147
314-516-6704
• naumannj@msx.umsl.edu
wilmarthp@umsl.edu
• http://www.umsl.edu/~naumannj
jsimms@umsl.edu
http://www.umsl.edu/technology/frc/
29