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FEATURED
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 OIT
Support is on the MOVE!
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| OIT’s Instructional Support and Research Computing Support Groups will be moving from Hoskins Library to the 5th floor of Greve Hall in the next few weeks (move
date TBD). For assistance, contact the HelpDesk at 974-9900 or
help.utk.edu. Be sure to visit our
website for details on the move. |
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 iPads
in the Classroom
Two pilot studies are being launched this fall, both are sponsored by UTK’s Technology Advisory Board (Tech Fee). 1). The
mLearning pilot, which features five faculty participant groups, will focus on the effectiveness of teaching and learning by integrating iPad tablets and mobile applications into multiple courses over two semesters (Fall-Spring, Fall-Fall or Spring -Spring).
Participants include:
- Dr. Marleen Davis
Architecture
iPads in the Architectural Design Studio - Dr. Sebastien Dubreil
Modern Foreign Language and Literature
French on the Go: mLearning in the Second Language Classroom - Drs. Patti Johnstone, Jillian McCarthy and Ann Michael
Audiology and Speech Pathology
Innovative mLearning in Speech Sound Disorders - Dr. Richard Bennett, Will Schleter and Betsy White
Engineering Fundamentals
EFD mLearning Project - Dr. Mehmet Aydeniz, Theory & Practice in Teacher Education
Dr. Xueping Li, Industrial and Information Engineering
mLearning for Engineering Education - A Pilot Study
2). The eTextbook pilot is focusing on student satisfaction with using an eTextbook on an iPad in two sections of a large general education course (Biodiversity 130 - Dr. Stan Guffey).
Keep tuned for more information on these pilots as the progress!
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Blackboard
Enhances Mobile Options
Blackboard Mobile Learn and Blackboard Collaborate Mobile allow students and instructors to interact with the course content and one another anytime, anywhere, and on varied mobile
devices. This fall, taking a quiz, journaling, blogging, chatting, uploading files, or checking grades will be just a few taps or clicks away. Click to view the new features of
Blackboard Mobile Learn or to view
Mobile Web Conferencing with Blackboard Collaborate. For additional information or assistance, contact OIT’s HelpDesk at
help.utk.edu or 974-9900.
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Fall
Workshop Blitz Readies Faculty
At the beginning of each semester, OIT offers a "blitz" of hands-on workshops to prepare faculty to use certain technologies in the classroom. Workshops include sessions on the SMART
Classrooms and the Smart Board/Sympodium System, as well as the use of personal response devices, or Clicker Technology. These workshops are scheduled frequently the week prior to the start of class to provide the introductory or refresher assistance faculty
may need to use these technologies successfully. For more information or to register for our workshops, visit the
OIT workshops page.
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Technology
Tidbit
Online engagement without headsets.
Blackboard Collaborate’s web conferencing now includes echo cancellation for those on a computer with a standard microphone and speaker. That means no more headsets, allowing more students to participate, eliminating equipment cost, and driving wider adoption.
At the same time, students joining from a location with a lot of ambient noise can participate using a headset, while those without an internet connection can use
integrated teleconferencing.
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Got
Enough Data?
Statistical power is the ability of a statistical test to detect a real effect or more precisely, the probability that a statistical test will reject the null hypothesis when it
is not true. In statistical terms, an effect could be a difference between two means, or a relationship between two or more measurements, or the odds of an event occurring given the co-occurrence of other variables. In general, statistical power increases
as the sample size increases, but it is possible to have more subjects than are needed to detect a truly significant effect. In the latter case, time and other resources are wasted obtaining more data than are needed. There is a fine balance between having
enough data and having too much or too little when testing a statistical hypothesis.
By conducting a power analysis before collecting data, you can determine the sample size needed to find significant effects if they truly exist and also determine if the sample size necessary to attain statistical significance is worth pursuing. However, power
analysis is not a simple task and is specific to each research situation. You can obtain additional information about conducting a power analysis and find out what software is available for sample size estimation from Research Computing Support consultants.
To request assistance, please contact the OIT Helpdesk at 974-9900.
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New
Features in Maple 16
Maple is a sophisticated programming environment that helps you analyze, explore, visualize, and solve mathematical problems. Maple 16 introduces enhanced and innovative ways to
explore mathematics interactively. Newly developed Clickable Math 3.0TM provides Drag-to-SolveTM and Smart Pop-up functions. Important enhancements to visualization include Smart Plot which can focus on points of interest with new rubber-band zooming functionality.
For more information about new features in Maple 16, please check the website
http://www.maplesoft.com/products/maple/new_features/.
Maple 16 is available to faculty, staff and students at all UT campuses and can be downloaded at
http://.oit.utk.edu/software or DVDs can be purchased from the UT Bookstore Technology Center at
http://technology.utbookstore.org. Single-user and network licenses for academic use are free for Knoxville and Tullahoma campuses but $20 per license for other UT campuses. Maple 16 runs on Windows, Macintosh and Linux systems.
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GTA@OIT
Grants for GTAs
OIT sponsors GTA@OIT Grants to encourage UTK Graduate Teaching Associates and Assistants (GTAs) to incorporate technology into their teaching. GTAs with sole responsibility for teaching
a course are paired with OIT instructional design staff to accomplish their goals for technology use.
In addition to mentoring, grant recipients receive a monetary incentive to purchase software, attend a professional conference, prepare a professional presentation or publication about integrating technology into a course, or use as a stipend.
GTA@OIT Fall 2012 grant proposals are due Friday, September 14, 2012 by 5pm. For more information, contact Christina
Goode at
[log in to unmask] or 974-6470.
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Upcoming
Face-to-Face Workshops
Registration is required for all workshops. To view descriptions and register for sessions, visit the
OIT workshops page. If you have questions or need help with registration for any of the workshops listed above, contact the HelpDesk at
help.utk.edu or 974-9900.
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