Spring 2008 Tech Talk Topics

JUST-IN-TIME AUDIO FOR EFFECTIVE STUDENT LEARNING

Workshop presenters:Susan Prion, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Mathew Mitchell, Professor, School of Education for this special Valentine's Day presentation.

Research consistently indicates that audio can be a powerful influence on student learning given the right conditions. This session focuses on the potential benefits of audiobook packages. An audiobook package combines the actual audio file along with other relevant learning materials such as PDF handouts of presentation notes and visual models, additional reading materials, and multimedia presentations. A model for guiding the development of effective audiobook learning and practical experiences using the audiobook format with both undergraduate and doctoral-level students will be presented. General guidelines for producing audiobook packages, including software and hardware recommendations, will also be discussed.

SECOND LIFE

Workshop presenters: Jean Hewlett, Regional Librarian at the USF North Bay Regional Campus.Coauthored the book, "I Speak Hypercard: A Guide to Using Hypertext in Your Classroom."  JJ Jacobso, Director of the Caledon Libraries in the virtual world of Second Life and teaches online classes for the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Far more than a game, Second Life is an excellent platform for distance education and professional networking. In this workshop, we will discuss the experience of offering university continuing-education classes on Second Life, from the standpoints of both instructor and student. Classes on Second Life do not have the sense of isolation that normally permeates online education. You teach in a virtual classroom that feels like a real place, and you can see your students.  In addition, the virtual world environment allows an instructor to utilize marvelous immersive demonstration materials.

Join your colleagues as they share their experiences integrating teaching and learning technologies into their classes.  Please RSVP to cit@usfca.edu and indicate which presentation(s) you would like to attend. Lunch provided.

BLOGGING 101

Workshop presenter: David Silver, Assistant Professor, Media Studies McLaren 250, Thursday, September 6th, 12:15-1:15.

This workshop introduces blogging, discusses its growing role in academia, and suggests strategies for integrating blogging into the classroom. The workshop begins with a basic introduction to blogging and traces the relationship between blogs and what many people call Web 2.0. Next, the workshop places blogging within various academic activities such as fostering collective intelligence, peer review, and professional networking. Saving the best for last, the workshop highlights some blogging activities of USF students.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Workshop presenter: JP Allen, Associate Professor, SOBAM CIT (School of Ed) Room 010, Wednesday, October 24th, 12:15-1:15.

Are you on Facebook yet?  This workshop will either inspire you to connect and collaborate with your students and colleagues in exciting new ways, or leave you shaking your head in wonder.  We will discuss:  how students, academics, and professionals are using social networking; tips for how to cope with students being your "friend" and other interesting dilemmas; the new applications being built on top of social networking; and how social networking can fit into a larger online collaboration strategy that includes profiles, social bookmarking, blogs, wikis, and shared task lists.