Small colleges have unique challenges with respect to their information technology environments. It is easy to forget sometimes that small colleges are not simply small big colleges, and that IT needs to be considered in a particular way, especially because of its associated costs. For one thing, the senior administration at a small college may be…

Instructional technology consists of many elements, including information technology, knowledge of pedagogy and faculty needs, technical support, and training. DePauw University has recently reorganized its Information Services staff to include several staff areas, including technicians, library staff and help desk, as well as faculty support…

At present, with new technologies emerging daily and the growing need for more flexibility in scheduling, there seems to be an overall drive towards the need for distance learning. According to PBS Campus, 67% of colleges and universities agree that online education is a critical, longterm strategy for their institution. As a result, 49% of…

This article describes how research in both educational theory and cognitive psychology tells us that visual learning is one of the best methods for teaching students of all ages how to think and how to learn. With this basic understanding, it is only natural that we teach and let students experience the power of visualization. Visualization can…

Over the past two decades, technology use has increased in the classroom. What started out as a single computer in a classroom has evolved into a laptop or handheld for every student, with a wireless connection to the Internet and other network resources. Cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic tools have opened up new horizons for utilizing…

Over the past several years, we have experienced a rather dramatic downward turn in demand for entry level information technology (IT) professionals. However, reports of trends at the end of 2004 indicated that job postings for IT workers reached their highest levels since 2001. This occurs at a time when the number of four year degree programs in…

Introduction to Application Development was completely reworked. Less emphasis was placed on programming and more emphasis on developing and communicating user requirements. Many items used in training industry were incorporated into the CPT 180 course. The paper will detail the change in focus in this course and overall how our curriculum is…

Web sites today should meet Web accessibility guidelines to comply with a host of regulations and guidelines for people with disabilities. Recent estimates state that 20% of the U.S. population has a disability and that 10% of the on-line population is disabled. Our aging population also experiences similar issues. This session will help you…

Reading with a pencil in hand to mark-up a book or article, scribbling questions and notes (along with rude drawings in some cases) in the margins of a committee meeting agenda, marking a student's essay with a red pen--all of these are everyday activities for most faculty. It is hard to say exactly how much of what we do can be defined as reading…

Whereas distance education was formerly on the periphery of education and in the realm of institutions with questionable academic credentials, it has been gradually gaining acceptance, is becoming mainstreamed, and is being embraced by traditional universities. The use of distance technologies is challenging the traditional structures of higher…

In early 2003, DePauw University recognized the need to upgrade their existing email system, which was rapidly exceeding its capacity. The decision was made to convert the entire campus to Novell's GroupWise solution for email. This presentation will focus on the options considered as well as some of the issues involved, and then discuss the…

Course Management Systems are becoming increasingly accepted as an effective and efficient method of course delivery. Often they are used as the principal means of web-based course delivery. In addition, many institutions are utilizing CMSs to more economically handle large sections of particular courses. However, CMSs can also be used as a…

The Portable and Mobile Classroom (PortMoC) began as an idea to bring Internet connectivity to places where there was no connectivity for education and healthcare, but still make the connection reasonably sustainable in terms of cost and manpower. Through trial and error and several research iterations, Saint Francis University's Center of…

Besides distance education, hybrid courses, and course enhancement, what else can you do with your course management system? Hampden-Sydney College has been stretching its basic level Blackboard system to fill a variety of needs. This presentation will start with a demonstration to showcase some of these uses such as engaging incoming freshmen…

The available research dealing with information technology and creativity has been limited. There is an obvious need to explore this area. Fortunately there is some available software and portals that have undertaken this important topic. This research starts by discussing the value of information technology as a major input to sustain and…