FITS Newsletter Home

Announcement:

FITS will have tables set up during the Library and Information Services open house on Tuesday, Oct. 30^th from 2:00 to 5:00 in the basement of Roy O. West.  Click here for more information on the open house.  We look forward to see you there!

 Table of Contents:

• Trying out Tablets
• FITS Fall Workshop
• New Tools for Old Questions - Using a Tablet PC for Student Feedback
• What’s new in Microsoft Office 2007
• Moodle Showcase Events

Contributed by Dave Berque

Background on DePauw’s Tablet PC Grants from Hewlett-Packard

In May, 2006, DePauw received an HP Technology for Teaching grant to encourage the transformation of teaching and learning using HP Tablet PCs (essentially laptops that are augmented with digital pens) and DyKnow software in Computer Science courses taught by Dave Berque. In July, 2007, DePauw University received a follow-up HP Technology for Teaching Leadership grant. This grant recognized the success of the earlier award and provided support to transform Terri Bonebright’s offering of “Cognitive Psychology” and Tom Dickinson’s offering of “Foundations of Education” (see related article in this issue about Tom’s work).

Combined, the two grants are valued at more than $189,000 and have provided more than 60 Tablet PCs and supporting equipment. While the Computer Science, Psychology, and Education Studies courses listed above were the focus of the HP Grant activities, a total of 23 courses enrolling 395 students in 9 disciplines (Biology, Computer Science, Chemistry, Education Studies, Economics, Geosciences, Japanese language, Physics and Psychology) have used the granted equipment to date. We expect students in an additional 11 courses to use the equipment during the spring of 2008.

Convertible Tablets: The Best of Both Worlds

DePauw has been using a Tablet PC form factor known as a “Convertible”. When a convertible Tablet PC is first opened it looks just like a standard laptop, complete with a keyboard. However, the screen can be swiveled and closed over the keyboard so that its display faces up as show below. When converted to this mode the Tablet is easy to draw on with a special stylus. When many standard Windows applications (Word, PowerPoint, etc.) are run on a Tablet PC they expose extra functionality that takes advantage of the pen interface.

Using Tablet PCs to Support Teaching and Learning

Imagine being asked how a traditional laptop or desktop computer can be used to support teaching and learning. The question is hard to answer because the list of potential uses is so long. Students can write papers with Microsoft-Word, classes can share information with Moodle and E-mail, presentations can be given with PowerPoint. Of course many discipline specific applications are also available in specific domains.

The potential uses of Tablet PCs are just as varied. For example, students can submit typed papers in Word and faculty members can use a stylus to make electronic annotations directly on the document (see related article in this issue). Similarly, the electronic pen can be used to annotate PowerPoint slides during a presentation (watch a video that demonstrates this on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeUp38UcbD4 ).

Additionally, using software such as LectureScribe or Camtasia a teacher can record a handwritten answer key to a problem while orally explaining the problems’ solution. The resulting ink and sound video can be posted to a web site for student review. This allows the students to see and hear the process that was used to solve the problem. If students have Tablets (or even laptops) during class DyKnow Vision software will let students and teachers share typed and pen-based notes (each student leave class with a personalized and replayable electronic notebook consisting of the teacher’s content augmented with the student’s personal annotations). This software also supports a variety of classroom interactions ranging from multiple choice polls to sharing of pen-based sketches and problems solutions produced by students in and outside of class. Finally, as is the case for traditional laptops, a variety of discipline specific applications are available.

If you are interested in learning more about how Tablet PCs can support teaching and learning consider attending the Tablet PC track of the FITS workshop on November 17^th(See next article for more information).  Also, a Tablet PC is available in the FITS lab for you to explore.

Contributed by Michael Gough and Dave Berque

This year’s FITS fall workshop will be on Saturday, November 17^th from 8:30 to 2:00 in the Julian lab spaces on the first floor of Julian. We will have two different tracks, Tablet PCs and Moodle, running simultaneously. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. See descriptions of each track below. We ask that you sign up for only one track. To register, click on one of the links at the bottom of the article.

Tablet PC Track:

Participants will explore the ways Tablet PCs (essentially laptops with pens) can be used to support teaching and learning. Specific applications will include (a) using a digital pen to annotate student work and other material using Word, (b) using a digital pen together with standard tools such as PowerPoint to make classroom presentations more spontaneous, (c) using DyKnow classroom collaboration and notetaking software to engage students, and (d) using LectureScribe to make electronic answer keys. We will devote a significant amount of time to discussing the pedagogical implications of using pen-based computing. In addition, participants will be encouraged to bring electronic versions of papers that they need to grade (there will be time to get some grading done during the workshop) and/or electronic copies of professional reading they need to do, and/or classroom material they need to prepare. More details will be provided to workshop registrants.

Moodle Track

Faculty members will learn how different Moodle features could best meet their course needs while gaining hands on experience creating their course(s). Breakout sessions on popular topics will focus on the pedagogical uses of Moodle’s features and give a brief technical overview on how to use them. Participants should come with a goal for how they would like their course set up. Lots of time will be devoted toward individual course building and one-on-one support. By the end of the workshop, participants should feel comfortable enough with Moodle to meet the needs of their course goal. To register, click on the link below to take our short pre-registration survey. This will help us identify what features to focus on.

Register for the Tablet PC track

Register for the Moodle track

Contributed by Thomas S. Dickinson, Professor of Education Studies

The questions rise to the surface each semester—

• How do I communicate effectively to my students about their writing, both drafts and final papers?
• How do I handle the paper load effectively and efficiently?
• Will a checklist or scoring rubric assist my students in their writing and how can I incorporate that with my comments.

Like most instructors dealing with a range of student writing, whether in a W-competency class or not, I have struggled with these questions across my university teaching career. As well, as an instructor who is trying to incorporate new technologies into his teaching, I have been moving toward “paperless” classes by employing Blackboard and now Moodle, discussion boards, blogs, and email. How to deal with writing comments and the “storage” of student papers has become a major concern within my courses.

This semester I have had the opportunity to participate in The HP Technology for Teaching Leadership Grant under the direction of David Berque and Carol Smith. The grant has provided me with an HP tablet pc that I have been using in two sections of a W-competency course, EDUC 170 Foundations of Education. While I have been learning the use of this new tool (even after half a semester I am still trying to turn the screen around the wrong way!) I have also been learning how I might answer my questions about writing and commentary. To date, this is what I have found:

• By using the hand-writing feature on the tablet pc I have been able to provide detailed commentary on drafts and finished papers just as I would if I were commenting on paper copy with my own handwriting. Additionally, since I have a range of color options and a range of pen styles (both pen and highlighter), I have been able to use color to add to or emphasize points I want students to learn from.
• The tablet pc has a responsive “eraser” feature that will allow me to quickly and easily change my mind and either erase an entire section of commentary or one individual letter (I admit to mis-spelling words on my rough comments but this feature lets me correct them easily).
• If students chose to print the draft paper with comments, the reproductions have been very good, even in black-and-white. Color reproductions have been excellent as well.
• The initial response from students has been positive, especially to the personalization through the electronic means. This was particularly evident during writing conferences with drafts that I had commented on and had sent to the student prior to the conference. On these occasions we were able to sit side-by-side to read and discuss the comments and at that time I could make additional written comments and remarks on that edited draft in a different color to indicate when the commentary had occurred.
• I have been able to incorporate my writing rubrics by pasting a blank copy at the end of the student’s draft or final paper and then annotating that document just as I did with the draft. Again, I have used both the pen and the highlighter feature to respond with my assessment of student work.
• The “archive” question has been answered as well. I have used the Digital Drop Box on Blackboard and the Moodle assignment feature to receive electronic copies of both drafts and final papers. While I have to save/send the electronic copies that I have commented upon, both my students and I have permanent archive copies of the documents that we can get to regardless of where we are.

Going into this exercise with the tablet pc, I began a journal noting the time I was spending on the electronic editing compared to the time I was spending on editing via paper copies. To date the difference is negligible. While I have to save/send papers I don’t have to print them, stand in line at the copier, or even worry if it is down. I don’t carry a bulging briefcase home at night as I normally have although I do have a laptop case for the tablet pc (I haven’t totally integrated all of my affairs with technology—I plead to preferring a paper daily planner and handwritten to-do notes). At this point I am still learning but the tablet pc does bring a new tool to both old and new questions.

Contributed by David Diedriech

1. Office 2007 User Interface is dramatically different from previous versions.

The old menus and toolbars (e.g., File, Edit, and View) have been replaced with the “Ribbon” and the “Office Button”. This new interface is designed to give you all the options you would need in an easily navigable tabbed environment. Also new is the Microsoft Office Button in the top left corner. Not unlike the Start button, this is where users may change global options and settings for the program.

2. The default file formats (.docx, .xlsx, .mdbx, and .pptx) for Office 2007 files are incompatible with older versions of Office, including Windows Office 2003 and Office 2004 for Mac[DU1] .

• If you already have Office 2007 installed on your computer, you should use the “Save As” option to save files in the older format (e.g., “Word 97-2003 Document”) to ensure that those who don’t have Office 2007 can read your files. If you are a faculty member, remind your students who have Office 2007 to use the “Save As” option described above when preparing files that they submit to you electronically.
• If you have Windows Office 2003 or Office 2004 for Mac, you should download and install the following compatibility pack or file converter. When you install these, you can open, edit, and save files that were originally saved in the default Office 2007 formats (.docx, .xlsx, .mdbx, and .pptx).
  • ForWindows Office 2003:
    Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats
  • For Office 2004 for Mac
    Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2
    (Please Note:This Beta version ONLY supports Word and PowerPoint files)

• For additional information on Office 2007 at DePauw, please visit our website at http://www.depauw.edu/it/helpdesk/office2007/.

Contributed by David Diedriech

On Wednesday, October 3rd, FITS held its first Moodle showcase in the Julian auditorium. Three instructors – Matthew Balensuela, Jeff Hansen and Dave Guinee – presented examples of how they were using Moodle resources that were comparable to features in Blackboard. One of the many highlights included Dave showing the Moodle site that he uses as part of a collaborative class through NITLE. Several of those present offered suggestions and observations from their own courses. It was a great discussion!

Upcoming Moodle Showcases and Workshops:

Wednesday, November 7th
Moodle Showcase
“What I’ve learned about Moodle”
3:15 p.m. Julian Auditorium

Saturday, November 17th
FITS Saturday workshop
Click here for details