May 29, 2012

The Mobility Imperative: Improving Engagement for Today’s Student

Join us in the Technology Learning Center (TLC)-Bennett 102, Wed. May 30th from 1-2pm for the webinar The Mobile Imperative:  Improving Engagement for Today’s Student.  Listen to Melissa Mintz, Blackboard Student Engagement Specialist, as she shares examples of how institutions are attempting to tackle this problem today, and provides a prescriptive road-map for institutions to move forward, solving for the Mobility Imperative. Mobile technologies are helping forward-thinking schools engage their students with innovative strategies for:
- Mobile Learning
- Student Outreach
- Faculty/Student Communication
- On-Demand Campus Information
- Student Life-cycle Management

Discussion will follow webinar.  Hope you can join us!

Filed Under: Instructional Technologies, Mobile Leave a Comment
May 24, 2012

What’s Next for Education: The New Course Ecosystem webinar in the Technology Learning Center

Please join us May 24th at 1:00 p.m. in the Technology Learning Center (Bennett 102) for “What’s Next for Education: The New Course Ecosystem.” This webinar is sponsored by Blackboard and hosted by The Chronicle of Higher Education. A group discussion will follow.

Who: Institutional leaders, faculty, course designers and IT leaders will get an insightful view into the evolution of digital technology in the higher education landscape.

About: A recent survey notes that students are purchasing tablets and mobile devices at a rate far faster than predicted. And, it’s no surprise that the greatest growth sector in education is expected to be in the adoption of digital textbooks, multimedia and tools, a sector that topped the $1 billion dollar mark in 2011.

Content is not the only area in higher education undergoing transition. The mission of the learning management system LMS seems to be changing also. All types of content will soon be accessible within a single course experience, uniquely delivered by the learning management system. With the LMS as a new channel for digital content, instructors and students both can expect manifold benefits from greater choice in teaching materials to more options for consuming instructional content.

During this event, you will hear an insightful view into the evolution of digital technology in the higher education landscape.

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May 17, 2012

New Website

I hope you’ve had a chance to visit and browse around the new website for Washburn University.  This is a great step in enhancing our online presence and engaging our community as well as those we hope will join our community.  Below are some of the features of the new website taken from a news release written by Amanda Hughes.

  • A consistent and professional design for all areas featuring new imagery. The Cascade Content Management System (CMS) provides a framework for managing the brand across the website, while allowing individuals to publish specialized content.
  • A new “Meet Our Faculty” area allows students to get to know more about the Washburn faculty reflecting Washburn’s commitment to student engagement with faculty taught courses and other faculty lead opportunities, such as service and research.
  • The new interactive virtual tour gives insight into Washburn University and not only covers academics, but includes student activities, campus life, and athletics through an interactive map, pictures and videos.
  • Highlighted are six messages, with accompanying videos, which speak to realizing your dreams through quality, affordable education at Washburn.
  • A number of new tools have been added to include a comprehensive calendar of events and news services from across campus.
  • In addition, schools and departments can personalize the displayed news and events on their web pages which are relevant to their specific audience.
  • The use of social media has been adopted to better promote campus programs and allow faculty, staff and students to share information with their friends and colleagues.
  • With the growing use of mobile devices, Washburn employed a “responsive” design for the new website enabling the effective use of smart phones and tablets as well as laptop and desktop computers.

Filed Under: Web 5 Comments
May 17, 2012

Reflecting

I’ve been at Washburn University for four months now and I thought I might reflect a little.  As you can imagine, I still have a great deal to learn, but I feel that I’m really finding my place.  It’s not just the technology, although that would certainly fill the time; it’s the staff, the culture and the community which interest me most.  The tag cloud below gives you a visual of projects, feelings and focus during my first few months.

Initial Months Word Tag Arriving in January gave me the opportunity to dive into the budgeting process at Washburn.  :)   My emphasis was on governance and understanding how we can prioritize and fund the numerous projects waiting in the wings.   What I found was dedicated and passionate staff, a warm community and enthusiasm   for the future.  For those of you who don’t know me… I like chocolate and usually have some in my office so stop by… I still try to swim and run a little, but have found Kansas to be a little windy, so I’m adjusting…

I’m very happy to have joined the Washburn community and look forward to working with you and getting to know you.

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May 17, 2012

Our Blog is Live

Welcome.  I’m extremely excited for our new web blog to go live.  I hope you’ll find the information posted here useful and interesting.  Since I like short postings, I’ll simply direct you to the About page for a more detailed introduction.

Filed Under: Web 2 Comments