How can teachers leverage appropriate technologies to enhance their courses? What is engaging design for various technologies? These are just a few of the questions Lehigh's first instructional technology conference posed to its attendees. The two-day "Cyber-Tools for Teaching" conference held on August 14th and 15th provided instructional design and technology seminars to faculty, staff and graduate students who teach. Held in Linderman Library and various lower campus technology classrooms, the free conference was sponsored by Information Resources and the Faculty Development Program.
Provost Ron Yoshida provided the keynote address in which he enthusiastically discussed the evolution of technology and residential universities in the dot-com age. Four faculty members provided showcases of their instructional technology use.
Professor Jacob Kazakia, Electrical Engineering, discussed how he uses Lehigh computer usernames and public space for the management of large classes. In this system, students submit projects to their home space that are automatically collected, and grades are made available to students using their Lehigh computer log-in. Professor Ed Gallagher, English, discussed the evolving online database he and his students have created on "Reel American History," an online review of American films with historical content. This project allows undergraduate students to be involved with a reel project beyond their efforts for the individual class. Professor Gallagher discussed how this motivates students and creates collaborative learning among groups. Future student groups can add to these projects, so there is a layering effect in overall development (see www.Lehigh.edu/~ineng/ejg/rahfp.html).
Professor Steve Krawiec, Biology, discussed his development of a "lecture-less" bacteriology course that is designed to foster inquiry-based learning and classroom discussion. For each module, students must post substantive, accurate and insightful commentaries on the course discussion board. These submissions will be used to guide face-to-face classroom discussions on topics such as the collaborative development of an evolutionary tree. Professor M.J. Bishop, Education, discussed how 2-way audio can be used to augment an online course. She demonstrated the HorizonLive "Office Hours" product as a means to add 2-way dialogue during specified class "meetings" for a fully online course. Then she summarized the pros, cons and technical issues of using this synchronous/asynchronous style online.
Other speakers included Bruce Taggart, Vice Provost for Information Resources, who spoke on using technology to create an engaged learning environment. Also, Kathy Olson, Professor of Journalism and Communication, gave a concise yet informative presentation on copyright in the digital age.
Concurrent instructional sessions followed two separate tracks for each of the two days. Topics included: using digital images and text, designing with web courseware, good design models for audio and video, and designing with web tools. Some of these sessions were partitioned into beginner and intermediate groups. The "Cyber-Tools" conference used an ongoing theme of construction to depict the processes occurring both on our residential campus and in our Lehigh cyberspace. After all, a well-constructed building begins with good design and the right tools to build it. (see www.lehigh.edu/~incytool/ for complete program).
Students Receive Internet Connections, Microsoft Software
Lehigh University has selected FASTNET Corporation of Bethlehem to serve as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) for Lehigh's full-time and certified full-time off-campus students beginning with the fall 2001 semester. This new service, provided as a result of the Technology Fee, gives students unlimited access and connects them directly to the Internet. Part-time students can also qualify for the service by "opting-in" to the Technology Fee. Students in university residences now automatically receive connectivity in their rooms and consulting help via the WIRED program, formerly an optional service that cost $37 per semester and was elected by most students.
Formerly most off-campus students, as well as faculty and staff, connected to Lehigh and the Internet through Lehigh's modem pool which has a 4-hour limit due to rapidly increasing demand from users. Even with the daily limit, some clients found that the modem pool was often busy during evenings and late nights. Analysis of the traffic on the modem pool also revealed that many users were using the modems primarily as an access point to the Internet rather than for Lehigh resources. Information Resources is aware of interest in DSL (digital subscriber line) service and will offer it through FASTNET at a reduced rate when available. FASTNET Corporation's primary business is managing large banks of modems and access to the Internet; the company was selected from among competing vendors responding to the university RFP.
As of mid-September almost 450 students had opened their new FASTNET accounts. The sign-up process for students who qualify for the service is done via the Lehigh "account management" option on the E-Mail and Accounts Web page at www.lehigh.edu/account. As announced in spring 2001, Lehigh University faculty and staff can qualify for a discounted FASTNET ISP service ($9.95/month). This discounted rate is also available to part-time students. Sign-up for the discounted service is from the "Other Functions" section at the bottom of the "account management" page.
As of late August, students could receive CD copies of Microsoft Office 2000 Professional and FrontPage 2000 for Windows or Microsoft 2001 for Macintosh for use on their personal computers The students may keep this software. Students in need of programming software may borrow CDs containing Microsoft Visual Studio professional 6.0 to install on their personal computers.
Visual Studio is being used for the first time to teach programming in Engineering 1. Christine Roysdon, IR Director for Collection Development, noted that for several years faculty have been requesting universal availability of various Microsoft software products such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that are introduced in their courses.
Students can obtain the software by showing their Lehigh ID and completing the "Lehigh University Microsoft Student User's Acceptance Form" at the circulation desk of the Fairchild Martindale Library during normal operating hours. For more information on this new Microsoft program contact Software Librarian Gwyn Allman at 86247 or gja2.
The purpose of the Technology Fee is to provide support and improvement of student-related computing infrastructure and services at Lehigh University. In addition to the software, WIRED and ISP services, students will experience upgraded computing sites on a 3 year cycle (see "New Computer Site and Network Upgrades" page 2), expanded Internet bandwidth, and increased wireless options on campus.
New Computer Site & Network Upgrades By Kathy Miller
During the spring semester and throughout the summer, Information Resources has upgraded over 190 computers at nine computing classrooms and sites as well as printers and supporting infrastructure. IR has committed to upgrading pubic computing systems at classrooms and sites using a three year lifecycle renewal plan. The primary computer platform installed this summer is a Pentium 3 1000MHz Gateway E3400-SE and most systems are equipped with a 20GB hard drive, 256MB RAM, CD ROM, 250MB zip drive and 10/100 Ethernet.
New systems were deployed at:
• Drown Hall 10 (23) and 20 (23)
• Iacocca B103 (16) and D109 (10)
• Maginnes 485 (10)
• Mohler Labs 444 (17)
• Williams Hall 210 (14)
• Fairchild Library (73) and
• Linderman Library (6).
A new "express" computer service has been added at Linderman and Fairchild Libraries - four computers at each location. These computers are intended to be available for short duration use, such as reading e-mail or printing a document. Ten laptops, Gateway Solo 5300 Pentium 3 750MHz, with either a wired LAN or wireless LAN card, are available for sign-out from the Fairchild Circulation Desk. Wireless laptops are also available for sign-out at the Linderman Circulation Desk. In addition to other locations, wireless LAN service has been installed at the second floor of the Ulrich Student Center in Grace Hall. A list of wireless LAN locations on campus may be found at www.lehigh.edu/wireless.
Many computer classrooms and sites now have 100Mb network connectivity since it facilitates the reload of the operating systems and applications used in these places and was relatively easy to do at the same time as the machine upgrade. Increased bandwidth to the desktop enables effective use of video and audio files, improves file transfer speeds for researchers moving large files to and from Internet2 sites and improves responsiveness of compute or graphics-intensive applications.
The Maginnes Hall 260 classroom has been equipped with a rear-screen projector with interactive touch screen capability, VCR, DVD and laptop interfaces. Rauch Business Center has two new classrooms (41 and 241) equipped with a projector, VCR and laptop interfaces. Other classroom upgrades installed include providing wireless mice at all lecture classrooms where a PC is installed. Faculty interested in using a wireless mouse can sign out a mouse for the semester by contacting Instructional Technology Support , 83059.
During the fall semester distance education students will earn approximately 1,370 credits from Lehigh University via satellite, web, and videoconferencing delivery systems. This is an increase of about 12% over the credits earned during the fall. The major academic area of increased activity is graduate business which (as of September 7, 2001) had twenty-six more distance students than last fall. New client corporations for the 2001-2002 academic year include Lonestar Industries in Illinois and Boeing (Helicopter Division) outside of Philadelphia.
Information Resources Changes By Bruce Taggart
I would like to share with you several changes that have taken place in Information Resources over the past six to eight months. These changes are designed to improve service to the Lehigh University community by providing new synergies and collaboration among important segments of the academic and administrative support effort. In January 2001 the Enterprise Systems Implementation group, directed by Manny Pena, became part of Information Resources; this group continues to work closely with many functional departments and with other IR units in the implementation of the SCT Banner project. Distance Education and Summer School, directed by Jim Brown, has now become a unit within Information Resources, facilitating the transition over time of many courses to online delivery. Faculty Development, directed by Dina Wills, joined Information Resources in July to combine general faculty development with a continued joint emphasis on providing resources for course enhancement and design.
Information Management, directed by Joe Lucia, will be known in the future as Library Technology and Access to make this unit's mission clearer at Lehigh University and elsewhere. Within that unit Library Technical Services is led by Sharon Wiles Young and Library Access Services by Gail Kriebel. Finally, in the coming months the Instructional Technology Support Services Team, led by Elia Schoomer, will be migrated from Technology Management to Client Services within IR as further integration of instructional technology design, development, and support activities takes place.
Under the leadership of Library Access Team Leader Gail Kriebel, this able crew assisted in the moving and shifting of books for the new compact shelving installation over the summer. The new compact shelving was installed on the far west end of the second floor north wing of Fairchild-Martindale Library to alleviate severe crowding of bound journals. All books were removed temporarily while both the shelving and new carpeting were installed. The conventional shelving that was removed was able to be used elsewhere in the building, especially on the fourth floor of the north wing, to alleviate crowding in other areas.
Early English Books Online Aids Research By Kathe Morrow
The Lehigh Libraries are now able to fulfill the most exhaustive research requirements of graduate scholars for primary materials published in England from 1475 through 1700. From the first book printed in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare and the tumult of the English Civil War, Early English Books Online (EEBO) contains the full text of over 125,000 titles listed in Pollard & Redgrave's Short-Title Catalogue (1475-1640), Wing's Short-Title Catalogue (1641-1700), and the Thomason Tracts (1640-1661).
English Professor Patricia Ingham found this resource extremely useful recently in completing an invited paper on William Caxton's unusual printing of an English legal document. She was able to trace subsequent publications of this document in the period by other printers.
It will take ten years to complete digitizing works in Pollard & Redgrave's Short-Title Catalogue and Wing's Short-Title Catalogue. This is due to the rare nature of the remaining material. EEBO literally scours the globe to uncover new works to include in their database. Currently work is being done on four continents with over 125 contributing libraries that hold Pollard & Redgrave and Wing works. Featured in EEBO are works by Malory, Bacon, More, Erasmus, Boyle, Newton, Galileo; musical exercises by Henry Purcell and novels by Aphra Behn; prayer books, pamphlets, and proclamations; almanacs, calendars, and many other primary sources. All subject areas are covered including English literature, history, philosophy, linguistics, religion, political tracts and proclamations, science and much more.
[GRAPHIC] A woodcut illustration from Malory's Morte d'Arthur
published by Wynkyn de Worde.