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Inspiring Presentation on Changing Education Paradigms

I saw this video via BoingBoing, and I think it is one of the most inspiring and thought provoking presentation on education I have seen for some time. The content and argument is transformed by the accompanying animated illustration - which creates a truly multi-model delivery that aids learning. Well worth watching and sharing.

The presentation is by Sir Ken Robinson, and was originally given at the RSA.


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DePaul Mobile Apps for iOS and Android

Good news for iPhone, iPad and Android users. DePaul has released some mobile applications that make on-the-go communication a little easier....

iOS



Currently there are three apps for the iPhone and iPad in the Apple App Store:

DePaul Mobile App


DePaul Mobile App for the iPhone

DePaul Mobile is an application developed by DePaul University students for all iOS devices. It features:

  • Events: Search or browse for things happening on campus, including DePaul sporting events. See the events on the campus map and add the events to your iPhone calendar.
  • Directory: Search for faculty and staff. Tap to call, e-mail, add them to your address book, or located them on the campus map.
  • Courses: Search for classes, find course descriptions, schedules, and tap to add to your favorite courses.
  • Maps: Find buildings for all DePaul city and suburb campuses, tap to see address, and use GPS to find your current location.
  • Favorites: Keep your favorite courses, events, and contacts all in one location for easy access from the app home screen.

Student Life Mobile

Student Life Mobile

This application (developed by DePaul University) allows you to register for events at DePaul University sponsored by Student Life.

COL player for iPad

COL Player for iPad

This application (developed By DePaul University CDM) is specifically designed for the Apple iPad and iPad 2. The application allows CDM students to download and view their COL lectures on their iPad. It can display all the same screens as the desktop players, such as the video from the lecture, the whiteboards, and the lecturer’s computer screen.

Android


DePaul Mobile App Andoid

DePaul Mobile App

Android users can visit the Android Market and download the DePul Mobile App, which allows DePaul students to view Events, Course Information, Building Locations and directions as well as instructor contact information:

  • Upcoming / Past Events
  • Instructor Contact information and location
  • Course Information / Offered Sections
  • Personalized Schedule
  • Building Address / Location and Directions
  • Favorites stored for future references

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ShareStream Webinar

ShareStream

ShareStream is holding a webinar at 1PM (Central Time) tomorrow, in which they will demonstrate version 5.0 of their rich media management and delivery platform. Worth attending if you available.....

More information can be found on the ShareStream website.

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Blackboard could be purchased

Inside Higher Ed (and others) are reporting that that Blackboard (the Learning Management System that DePaul used prior to Desire2Learn) has received offers to be purchased. Obviously this has ramifications for current Blackboard/Angel clients.
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Desire2Learn Capture: New Webcasting Tool

Desire2Learn (the company) announced a new integrated webcasting tool today. That tool is called “Desire2Learn Capture” - more information about use and capabilities can be found at:

www.Desire2Learn.com/capture

Desire2Learn is demonstrating the tool via a webcast on April 27th from 1:30 p.m. (CT) to 2:00 p.m. (CT). You can register via this link.
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Converge Special Reports

Converge

I had the chance to talk with one of the Research Associates from the Center for Digital Education (www.centerdigitaled.com) on Friday. There are a couple of their resources and reports freely available that I think are worth sharing. You can download the results here:

www.convergemag.com/reports/


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Updates to Desire2Learn

D2L

Josh Lund of FITS has been playing about with some of the new features of Desire2Learn (after the recent upgrade).

The structure of QuickLinks has changed, and some older filepaths may not work. If links in a course you have copied across from a previous quarter are not working, it may be worth re-linking.

Importing grades from a spreadsheet has improved. Here is the process that Josh recommends:

First, export your grades to a CSV. When you are about to export, select the key field Username and uncheck everything else. When you open the CSV it creates, you’ll have one column with all the usernames in your course and the End-of-line indicator column. Hold on to that for a minute.



Josh downloads the sample import file to get the formatting right, but if you’ve already got a spreadsheet you can use that. Copy and paste the Username column from the export file into the leftmost column of the spreadsheet, and copy the end-of-line indicator into the rightmost column. Previously it had sometimes accepted columns for OrgDefinedID or First Name and Last Name, but Username works reliably.



Each column after the first one has to have only numbers or text in the cells. (You can use Copy/Paste Special if you need to remove formulas from cells but keep the values.) You can call the columns anything you like, but they have to end with the word Grade (capitalized too) if it’s Numeric, Symbol if it’s a Text item, or for Adjusted final grade and calculated grade, have two columns, one for (Adjusted, Calculated) Final Grade Numerator and one for (Adjusted, Calculated) Final Grade Denominator. That last word is what tells the system it’s a grade item and what kind. You don’t need the stuff anymore; in fact, if you have that code in there it will tell you the file can’t be imported. Also, delete any extraneous columns. This includes empty columns. Paste in the necessary data.



Be sure when you import that you check the ‘Create new grade item when an unrecognized item is referenced.’ Also, if you have any grade items in your spreadsheet with scores that are already in the D2L gradebook, you can import those too; it’ll ask you which data you want to keep, but I haven’t found the results to be reliable. Probably best to just remove those too, and only import new stuff to the gradebook.

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DOTS II

DOTS

Registration for Spring DOTS II: Building Community (May 23 - June 5) is now open. A detailed program description and online registration can be found here. The program is offered completely online for faculty who will be teaching an online or a hybrid course that has been developed already.

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