8. Teaching with Technology
Various
forms
of
electronic
technology
and
media,
used
properly,
can
sometimes
make
your
task
as
a
professor
easier
and
more
efficient.
They
can
also
provide
you
opportunities
to
help
your
students
better
understand
materials
and
challenge
your
students
in
and
outside
of
class
to
think
deeply
and
creatively
about
your
course’s
topic.
This
section
does
not
pretend
to
give
exhaustive
instructions
on
how
to
use
technology
in
the
classroom
nor
does
it
present
an
exhaustive
list
of
all
the
different
types
of
technology
used
in
classrooms
at
Penn.
Instead
it
aims
to
describe
some
of
the
most
popular
types
of
technology
used
for
academic
purposes
at
Penn,
and
to
provide
an
introduction
to
how
and
why
you
might
use
them.
The
final
portion
of
this
section
of
the
handbook
will
explain
some
of
the
challenges
you
may
face
in
using
classroom
technology
and
where
to
find
further
information
and
technical
support.
If
you
want
more
information,
there
is
a
centralized
location
for
questions
about
instructional
technology:
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/computing/instructional/servic
es.html.
Penn
also
offers
workshops
on
how
to
use
many
of
the
technologies
listed
below:
see
http://wic.library.upenn.edu/workshops/
for
listings.
8.1 Academic technology at Penn
In-Class projection systems
Many
classrooms
at
Penn
are
equipped
with
a
projection
system
linked
to
computer
terminals
with
internet
connections
and
DVD
players.
These
systems
allow
you
to
show
Power
Point
presentations,
web
pages,
or
VHS
or
DVD
recordings
to
your
class.
To
see
if
your
classroom
has
a
projection
system
check
the
registrar’s
classroom
finder
page
and
enter
your
building
and
room
number:
http://www.isc‐cts.upenn.edu/finder/.
You
should
be
able
to
see
what
technology
is
permanently
installed
and
(if
you
click
on
the
room
number)
get
a
preview
of
what
the
room
looks
like.
These
presentation
systems
give
you
the
ability
to
show
a
range
of
sources
from
images,
to
audio
clips,
to
film.
These
sources
can
enrich
your
course
materials
and
provide
students
with
different
ways
to
think
about
what
they
are
learning
in
the
course.
Power Point
You
can
also
use
these
presentation
systems
to
use
Power‐
Point
or
other
presentation
support
software
to
help
your
students
follow
your
in‐class
presentations
or
to
show
important
visuals
that
illustrate
your
point.
As
you
use
this
software
be
aware
that
whatever
you
present
should
enhance
and
illustrate
your
spoken
materials
but
not
repeat
them.
PowerPoint
can
be
an
extremely
effective
supplement
to
your
classroom
presentation.
However,
a
poor
PowerPoint
presentation
can
distract
and
bore
students.
If
you
plan
to
use
Power
Point,
keep
in
mind:
•
Slides
should
support,
not
supplant
you.
That
means
you
should
avoid
putting
your
entire
lecture
on
your
slides.
Consider
ways
of
using
slides
to
illustrate,
to
explain
or
to
help
organize
your
content
–
not
to
state
or
replace
your
own
discussion.
•
Images
can
be
particularly
effective.
Using
PowerPoint
to
display
images,
rather
than
a
slide
of
bullet
points,
can
often
help
you
to
make
your
point.
Then
use
your
lecture,
not
written
text,
to
explain
the
significance
of
the
image.
•
Your
slides
are
for
your
students.
They
should
contain
what
your
students
need
–
not
lecture
notes
for
you.
Use
the
notes
section
or
other
media
for
your
any
reminders
you
need.
•
Do
not
read
from
your
slides.
•
Make
text
and
images
large
enough
to
be
seen
from
the
seats
in
the
back
of
the
class.
Don’t
crowd
a
lot
of
text
onto
a
slide.
•
Avoid
gimmicky
effects.
Use
animation
only
when
you
need
it.
•
Sometimes
writing
on
the
board
can
be
more
useful
for
students
than
a
PowerPoint
presentation.
For
example,
it
might
be
useful
for
students
to
watch
the
process
of
solving
a
problem
instead
of
seeing
the
solution
presented
as
a
whole
on
the
slide.
In‐class
presentation
systems
also
may
enable
your
students
to
use
PowerPoint
for
any
class
presentations
you
assign.
This
can
help
students
to
demonstrate
their
knowledge
and
develop
new
skills.
Student Response Systems
In‐class
presentation
systems
also
enable
professors
to
use
Student
Response
Systems
(or
clickers),
which
aggregate
student
responses
to
in‐class
questions
and
display
them
on
screen.
Some
instructors
use
these
systems
for
checking
students’
understanding
during
class
or
simply
for
administering
quizzes.
Others,
such
as
instructors
in
statistics
or
sociology
classes,
use
the
technology
to
take
polls
and
generate
data
in
class.
Blackboard
Blackboard
is
the
main
course
management
software
used
by
the
School
of
Arts
and
Sciences
and
other
schools
at
the
University
of
Pennsylvania.
It
is
the
standard
tool
for
creating
course
websites
to
suppplement
and
reinforce
the
classroom
experience.
To
set
up
a
Blackboard
site
for
your
course
go
to:
http://www.
library.upenn.edu/forms/courseware/bbrequest.html.
If
there
are
people
who
you
would
like
to
add
to
your
Blackboard
site
(like
your
TAs
or
guest
lecturers)
use
the
Blackboard
support
form
to
request
that
they
be
added:
http://www.library.upenn.edu/
forms/bb‐gethelp.html.
If
you
would
like
further
training
with
Blackboard,
the
library
offers
a
number
of
sessions.
For
more
see
http://wic.library.upenn.edu/workshops/#BB.
At
the
most
basic,
Blackboard
can
provide
you
with
an
easy
way
to
email
your
students
and
a
way
to
post
your
syllabus
or
other
course
documents
so
that
your
students
will
always
have
access
to
them.
However,
Blackboard
can
provide
a
number
of
different
ways
to
enhance
your
students’
learning:
•
It
provides
a
location
for
reserve
readings.
(To
place
a
reading
on
electronic
reserve
contact
the
appropriate
librarian
for
your
subject
http://www.library.upenn.edu/reserves/contacts.html.)
You
can
also
provide
students
with
a
wide
array
of
different
materials
including
websites,
podcasts
and
images.
•
Discussion
boards
allow
students
to
communicate
through
threaded
discussions
on
course
topics
outside
of
class
or
get
discussion
started
before
class.
•
Wikis
and
blogs
provide
students
with
the
opportunity
for
longer
more
thoughtful
assignments
and
the
ability
to
collaborate
on
web‐based
projects.
•
The
assignments
and
drop
box
tools
give
students
the
ability
to
turn
in
their
assignments
on
line.
•
Grading
tools
allow
you
to
keep
track
of
students’
grades
on‐line
and
allow
students
to
keep
track
of
their
progress
in
the
course.
•
Blackboard
also
allows
you
to
give
students
quizzes
and
sample
exams.
Discussion boards
Many
professors
at
Penn
have
had
great
success
using
threaded
discussion
boards.
They
are
easy
for
you
and
your
students
to
use.
Instructors
currently
use
this
tool
in
a
number
of
different
ways,
including:
•
Answering
student
questions:
One
efficient
way
to
respond
to
common
questions
is
to
use
a
discussion
board
where
student
questions
and
your
answers
are
posted.
This
way
you
do
not
have
to
answer
the
same
question
for
several
students.
Some
professors
have
found
that
students
can
even
answer
each
other’s
questions.
•
Prompting
thinking
and
discussion:
One
strategy
for
getting
students
thinking
about
class
materials
outside
of
class
is
to
require
that
they
post
a
discussion
board
comment
and
that
they
respond
to
other
students’
postings.
You
may
want
to
post
prompts
ahead
of
time
or
you
may
encourage
students
to
post
their
own
questions
and
ideas.
•
Exploring
specific
issues
in
structured
ways:
Some
instructors
use
on‐line
discussions
in
formal
ways
to
engage
particular
ideas
or
material
outside
of
class.
For
instance,
some
assign
roles
and
conduct
on‐line
debates
and
others
use
discussion
boards
as
forums
for
student
peer
review
of
proposals
or
papers.
This
can
get
students
engaged
in
the
material,
and
enable
instructors
to
use
class
time
ways
that
build
on
the
discussions
that
have
already
taken
place.
Penn
offers
support
for
instructors
who
wish
to
create
their
own
websites.
Begin
by
reading
“Guide
to
Publishing
on
the
World
Wide
Web”
at
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/www‐
guide.html.
This
site
outlines
how
to
set
up
your
site
and
where
to
go
for
help.
Anyone
teaching
in
the
School
of
Arts
and
Sciences
can
get
support
and
training
for
setting
up
their
own
websites
through
SAS
Computing.
Your
department
may
also
offer
support:
contact
webmaster@sas.upenn.edu
for
details.
Email
Email
is
often
an
effective
way
to
communicate
with
students,
particularly
if
you
need
to
send
messages
to
an
entire
class.
Class
emails
allow
you
to
communicate
important
announcements
and
to
answer
a
question
that
many
people
in
the
class
have
by
sending
only
one
email.
Blackboard
provides
you
with
the
ability
to
email
your
whole
class
or
just
selected
members.
Class
email
lists
are
an
alternative
to
Blackboard.
Such
lists
are
created
automatically
just
before
the
start
of
every
term;
all
registered
students
are
subscribed.
Class
list
addresses
include
the
course
department
abbreviation,
number,
section
and
term
at
lists.upenn.edu.
For
instance,
Economics
001,
section
101,
taught
in
the
fall
of
2008
would
be:
econ001‐101‐08c@lists.upenn.edu.
By
default,
only
the
instructor(s)
of
record
for
the
course
can
send
mail
to
the
list.
You
can
also
configure
the
list
to
also
allow
students
to
send
mail
to
the
list
by
using
the
Classlist
Service
Request
Menu
at
http://www.upenn.edu/computing/classlist/.
Internet Research
The
web
can
be
an
extremely
powerful
research
tool
for
your
students,
provided
you
are
willing
to
take
the
time
to
prepare
students
to
use
it
wisely.
Encourage
students
to
see
the
web
as
a
resource
that
must
be
treated
properly,
like
any
other
academic
resource,
and
insist
that
they
document
the
information
they
use
from
it,
just
as
they
would
cite
any
other
source.
More
particularly,
students
may
use
the
internet
to
search
important
databases
and
other
electronic
resources
specific
to
your
field.
Reference
librarians
can
help
teach
students
how
to
do
so.
A
librarian
can
visit
your
class
or
meet
with
your
students
individually.
To
find
the
proper
library
contact,
see
the
directory
of
library
specialists
http://www.library.upenn.edu/common/browsesubj.html.
The
library
provides
a
number
of
additional
resources
that
students
can
use
to
help
them
negotiate
the
web.
•
For
help
with
locating
and
evaluating
sources
(including
the
Web)
have
students
use
the
relevant
sections
in
the
“Penn
Online
Research
Tutorial”
see
http://gethelp.library.upenn.edu/PORT/
•
For
help
with
citations,
see
http://gethelp.library.upenn.
edu/PORT/documentation/documentation.html
Class websites
Alternative Assignments
Blackboard
is
able
to
meet
the
needs
of
most
instructors
but
it
is
possible
that
you
will
need
something
that
Blackboard
does
not
provide.
In
that
case
you
may
want
to
create
your
own
website.
Some
instructors
now
use
web‐based
and
video
projects
as
alternatives
to
essays
and
papers.
These
multi‐media
assignments
are
challenging
to
implement,
but
can
excite
students
and
allow
them
to
develop
new
skills
and
to
think
critically
and
creatively
about
media.
For
a
sense
of
the
range
of
assignments
and
projects
instructors
at
Penn
have
been
using,
look
at
the
Weigle
Information
Common’s
Success
Stories
webpage,
http://wic.library.upenn.edu/about/success.html
8.2 Helpful support locations and
troubleshooting
Classroom Technology Support
Each
building
at
Penn
has
an
assigned
Local
Support
Professional
(LSP).
If
you
intend
to
use
technology
in
class,
get
to
class
early
to
make
sure
the
technology
works
and
know
the
name
and
number
of
the
support
person
for
the
building.
You
can
find
their
names
and
phone
numbers
at
the
Classroom
Technology
Support
web
page
at
http://www.isc‐cts.upenn.edu/finder/quicksupport.asp.
In
addition,
there
is
emergency
tech
support
available
between
9
and
4
at
215‐573‐4004.
Some
classrooms
at
Penn
lend
themselves
to
multi‐media
presentations
better
than
others
do.
Should
you
need
additional
presentation
equipment
for
a
class
or
two,
you
may
be
able
to
request
a
classroom
other
than
your
regular
one
that
will
meet
your
needs.
Multi‐Media
Services
and
the
Weigle
Information
Commons
both
have
a
few
technology
rich
rooms
that
are
available
for
use.
You
may
also
find
a
room
through
the
registrars’
Classroom
Finder
http://www.upenn.edu/classrooms/
finder/index.html.
Multi-Media Services (MMS)
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/computing/instructional/mmets
/
MMS
provides
audio
and
visual
assistance
for
class
activities
in
SAS.
Their
services
include
classroom
technology
support,
special
event
support
and
a
variety
of
production
services.
MMS
features
small
computer
classrooms
and
editing
facilities
and
equipment
loans
for
class‐related
projects.
Their
production
studios
can
record
podcasts
or
even
lab
demonstrations
that
you
can
then
post
on
the
web.
Weigle Information Commons (WIC)
http://www.wic.library.upenn.edu
The
Weigle
Information
Commons
provides
an
array
of
multi‐media
services
for
faculty
and
students.
The
commons
contains
group
spaces
where
students
can
study,
work
on
group
projects,
or
even
record
their
meetings
or
presentations.
In
addition,
the
media
lab
has
video‐editing
stations,
a
large
poster
printer,
scanners
that
can
handle
slides,
films,
and
large‐format
documents,
as
well
as
digital
conversion
facilities.
The
commons
even
has
a
space
on
Second
Life
that
instructors
can
reserve
and
use
http://wic.library.
upenn.edu/multimedia/tutorials/secondlife.html.
For
students
and
instructors
unfamiliar
with
the
lab’s
technology
and
with
various
types
of
classroom
technology,
including
Blackboard,
PowerPoint,
Photoshop,
iMovie
and
Excel.
Weigle
offers
workshops
as
well
as
one‐on
one
instruction,
http://wic.library.upenn.edu/workshops/.
8.3 Challenges
While
you
might
think
that
today’s
students
are
incredibly
tech
savvy,
they
are
not
always
as
fluent
as
you
might
hope.
Do
not
take
for
granted
that
they
can
easily
navigate
Blackboard
or
that
they
will
be
able
to
complete
multi‐
media
assignments
without
some
training.
You
can
help
them
find
assistance
through
the
Weigle
Information
Commons
where
there
are
workshops
on
commonly
used
software
like
Blackboard
and
PowerPoint.
See
http://wic.library.upenn.edu/workshops/
for
upcoming
workshops
for
students.
In
addition,
you
can
arrange
for
a
session
for
the
entire
class
on
any
unfamiliar
technology
that
you
want
students
to
use
in
class
or
for
assignments.
If
you
do
plan
to
assign
students
multi‐media
projects
be
aware
that
the
labs
at
MMS
and
at
Weigle
are
used
most
heavily
at
the
end
of
the
semester.
Encourage
the
students
to
give
themselves
plenty
of
time
and
help
them
plan
ahead
so
that
they
will
be
able
to
use
the
editing
facilities
and
the
equipment
lending
programs.
There
is
far
more
that
you
can
do
with
technology
than
this
handbook
has
outlined.
For
more
information,
see
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/computing/instructional/servic
es.html.
Various
forms
of
electronic
technology
and
media,
used
properly,
can
make
your
task
easier
and
more
efficient,
and
can
help
you
teach
more
effectively.
This
section
does
not
pretend
to
give
exhaustive
instructions
on
each
aspect
of
teaching
with
technology.
Rather,
it
has
three
goals:
to
present
you
with
the
options
available
at
Penn
for
enhancing
your
teaching
with
technology,
to
explain
why
you
might
consider
using
these
tools,
and
to
direct
you
to
further
information
and
technical
support
for
learning
and
using
these
technologies.