The National University Telecommunications Network (NUTN) will present
"Digital Learning: A Primer for Higher Education Decision Makers"
The Virtual Conference February 22 - March 12, 2010
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The Distance Learning Newsletter
Angela Auzenne
Public Information
The LeCroy Center for Educational Telecommunications
9596 Walnut Street
Dallas, TX 75243
972-669-6657
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 New Version of Blackboard Goes Live in Spring 2010 |
Happy New Year and welcome to 2010!
By now, you're one of the more than 1,000 faculty and staff who have been trained to work in the new Blackboard version 9.0 of the DCCCD student learning portal (eCampus). Blackboard 9 puts the student in the drivers' seat of the learning process with the addition of tools they are familiar with, blogs, journals, chat and text, and more social networking offerings. Not to mention the new navigation interface that is more user-friendly for faculty- the drop-and-drag option, being one of the more popular upgrades.
Trainers from the LeCroy Center presented 2-3 hour hands-on workshops at all campus locations in preparation of Bb v9, which will be fully functioning and available starting in some WinterMester classes and all Spring 2010 courses. That accounts for some 3000+ hours of training around the DCCCD.
Additional training will continue throughout the Spring with a variety of eCampus related courses:
- Podcasting
- Wimba
- Tegrity
- How to use the Digital Resource Repository
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There's an App for That: eCampus on the iPhone
 Millennial learners have taken their desire for online applications and expanded it to include their mobile devices. With smart phones and other web-enabled mobile devices in hand, they are continually looking for ways to stay in touch on the go. Recently, the LeCroy Center IT department enabled Bbsync for Facebook and for the iPhone.
Using the iPhone app, students can get their course content, discussions, mail and announcements on their iPhones, at no cost . It is an option available to everyone via the BbSync link under Tools.
Follow these instructions to get the FREE iPhone App for Bb:
1. On the eCampus portal page, locate "Tools" on the left side of the screen
2. Click on the BbSync link
3. Select iPhone
4. Make a note of the code being displayed
5. Go to iTunes and in the Apps Store select Blackboard Learn
6 .Download to the iPhone and install
7. In the iPhone launch the Bb app and follow the instructions. The server address will be http://blackboard.dcccd.edu and when prompted enter the security code in step 4.
8. That is it!
Enjoy mobile learning on the go. | |
| DCCCD Videos go Mainstream
 It's hard to surf the web these days without viewing a video on YouTube, Hulu or Facebook. In fact, online video useage is up 34%-- that's more than 130 million people watching professional video content online.
As online video consumption grows in everyday life, the demand for educational use of video in the classroom is growing too. A report by the Video and Higher Education Project says faculty and librarians expect their use of video to increase significantly in the next five years, yet technology and legal barriers still prevent them from finding and accessing the video segments they want.
The DCCCD has an array of videos avaialbe for use on online and on-campus teaching. Hundrededs of distance learning courses have video components occupied on the LeCroy Center Video Server. All faculty have access to these programs, along with more than 2,500 short video clips that are part of the new Digital Resource Repository. In addition, starting in February, more than 380 interactive lessons will be available via the Repository.
Thinking about including video or audio into your Blackboard course shell? Exectutive Director, Emilio Ramos answers some questions you might find helpful.
What is the DCCCD video server?
A storage system located at at the LeCroy Center to store and stream videos on behalf of the DCCCD. Can any video be stored, or videos only produced by DCCCD?
Only videos used by DCCCD personel that have copyright clearance may be stored on the serves. If they are not the property of the DCCCD, copyright clearance must be issued in advance. What type of files can be stored on the server?
Video and audio files may be stored on our server. Can I put a movie that I purchased from the video store on the video server?
Keep in mind that most mainstream movies have very stringent copyright rights and cannot be stored on our server. What about copyrights? Do I need to get all the proper permissions before I request anything be stored on the server?
Yes, all copyright permissions should be requested and granted before any videos are stored on the server. The LeCroy Center can provide limited assistance with copyright issues. If you created the video program and it is your property, no copyright permission is required.
What about a short video clip that I recorded in my home to introduce myself to the class, can this be stored on the server?
Yes, absolutely.
Is there a limit to how many videos I can have stored on the server?
There is a limit to our storage system that is monitored daily.
How do I request a video be included on the server?
Video storage requests should be made with the LeCroy Center. Please contact us at 972-669-6538.
Once the video is saved on the server, will you send me a special link to be embedded in my Blackboard course shell?
Yes. Please see below for a short tutorial on uploading a video program into a course shell.
Who can I contact for assistance with video links?
Contact the LeCroy Center staff for assistance with video links and using the video server: William Black (972-669-6538) and Freddie Castillo (972-669-6490).
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Richland College Dance Instructor Teaches Online Dance Course 
By Lauren Mang
It may be her first foray into teaching online, but Richland College dance instructor GINA SAWYER knows what it takes to keep distance learners engaged. Teaching a cool subject like Online Dance Appreciation doesn't hurt either.
Why teach Dance Appreciation online?
I have a fabulous opportunity as an educator to reach students from diverse geographical regions who have an appreciation for dance. Dance is an imaged-based discipline; it complements the virtual learning environment where technology allows us to see moving images on video via the Internet.
What tips do you have for other instructors who may be interested in
teaching an online course?
This is my first time to teach in an online setting so I'll be putting my pedagogical
theories into actual practice. I've created a virtual learning environment to guide
students in critically viewing dance images in relation to implied or defined issues
of power. And I encourage them to share ideas in collective research among their
peers. I've designed lessons involving peer collaboration and assessment in the
virtual setting that will hopefully engage learners where face-to-face interaction
does not occur.
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 Copy Rights
Know your rights when it comes to copying.
The importance of copyright laws has never been more important than they are now. With the emergence of millions of miles of data and information being shared on the Internet, giving credit for someone else's work is essential and the law. Copyright laws are very confusing and complex, and in most regards, should not be taken lightly.
One of the most common questions surrounding copyrights and the Internet, is "If it is available on the Internet, can it be used in my online course?" Quick answer, yes-- maybe. But first check for any copyright requirements and ask for permission to use the information. Finally, credit the source of the information. :
Q. What does copyright do?
A. Copyright gives the creator or author of a work the power to control the work. The owner of the copyright has the exclusive right to control if, when, how and how often his or her work can be used or copied.
Q. How do I get permission to use a copyrighted work?
A. Permission to use a copyrighted work is called a "license." A license must be obtained from the owner of the copyright prior to using the work.
Q. What is protected by copyright?
A. Copyright protects original works of authorship that are fixed in tangible form. This includes photographs, literary works including non-fiction and fiction, letters, music as well as accompanying lyrics, sound recordings, pictorial, graphic and sculptural works, motion pictures, audiovisual works, computer software, and architectural works. Even such ordinary things such as simple letters, catalog descriptions and doodles are protected by copyright. The only essential condition that the law requires is that the work is original.
Q. What is "public domain?"
A. Public domain works are works with no copyright protection. You are free to use any work that is in public domain. This includes federal government documents, materials produced before 1923 and materials produced before 1977 without a copyright notice.
Here are some Helpful Sources:
When in doubt-call a lawyer, or better yet, call the DCCCD Legal Office at 214-860-2470 for help.
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Blogs, Wikis, and other Social Networking Tools
 Still not convinced that social networking can be an asset in the classroom? Consider this, according to a recent survey by the Texas-based Center for Community College Student Engagement; more higher education students are using social media multiple times a day for school, communicating with other students, instructors and college staff about coursework, than students who said they don't use social tools at all. The survey by more than 400,000 students and more than 630 institutions also found that not many colleges are taking advantage of social networking tools.
Take a look at how these tools can help you in the classroom, online and on-campus.
- Blogs - a blog is a journal available on the web, in which you post information on an ongoing basis. It can be used to share information between members of the class, shared only between the individual student and instructor, or shared between specific student groups and the instructor.
- Wiki - Create a wiki for a particular class to share information only between the individual students and instructor or between specific student groups and the instructor. Wikis can create a collaborative, knowledge sharing tool and online space for harnessing collective intelligence.
- Podcasts - A podcast offers a way for individuals to create and allow others to selectively subscribe to audio or video content over the Internet.
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The New Face of Government Online
 Get ready for an all new face of government, as The LeCroy Center prepares for the remake of The U.S. & Texas Government distance learning courses. This course redesign project includes 30 new lessons-- 22 lessons focused on American government and 8 lessons focused on Texas government. The new online U.S. Government course is scheduled for debut in Fall 2010.
A continual use of short documentary videos called "virtual roundtables", become the integral thread throughout each program. These issues-oriented "virtual roundtables" draw upon the expertise of prominent national academics, politicians and policymakers-- confronting students with a variety of competing political ideas and values. These issues are explored from many perspectives, while allowing room for students to reach their own conclusions.
Recently, the LeCroy Center production team interviewed U.S. soldier turned blogger and author, Colby Buzzell, as part of the course redesign. Slated for a lesson about "Media - The Fourth Estate", ex-soldier Colby Buzzell sat down with Lecroy's production team and Cedar Valley College faculty member and course content expert, David McCoy to discuss his experience as a blogger during the Iraq War.
Buzzell, who joined the Army at age 26 after a series of dead-end jobs, began blogging anonymously under the title "CBFTW." His first-hand accounts of the war quickly grew in popularity and often provided a more accurate story than what was being reported by embedded mainstream journalists. "At the time, blogs were still under the radar and it was just something I did to keep me entertained," said Buzzell. "I wrote about events that actually happened and it gave the people back home a different perspective from what they were hearing in the media."
Buzzell's interview will be part of a documentary video about "War and the Media," one component of the lesson about the Fourth Estate. The video explores the media's role in government and politics, claims of media bias, federal regulation of the media, and the effect of new technologies on media communication, particularly the effect new technologies have on the military's ability to control war correspondence. Other experts featured in the video are Lara Logan, CBS News Chief Correspondent and Susan Moeller, Professor at the University of Maryland. Read more about the new online U.S. Government course.... |
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