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Archive for category Digital Learning Commons

Completion of MIIS iLearn Upgrade Scheduled for June 3

May 17

Posted by Bob Cole in Digital Learning Commons, iLearn, Information Technology | No Comments

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As some of you are aware, plans to upgrade MIIS iLearn to Moodle 2+ are well underway. This Spring a pilot of the newer  Moodle has been going well with a handful of faculty members and their courses.

We are preparing to complete the campus-wide upgrade to the Moodle 2+ in the coming weeks.  This switch is currently scheduled to take place Monday, June 3, 2013.  We do not anticipate interruption of service for current iLearn 1.9 or pilot Moodle 2+ users.  On June 3rd at roughly 8:00am, the current url for iLearn, http://ilearn.miis.edu will point directly to the upgraded version of Moodle 2+.

2011-2013 iLearn Course Archive
All courses from the past two years (academic years 2011 through Summer 2013) will reside at http://ilearn19.miis.edu after June 3.  A link to the new archive server will be visible from the main iLearn site.

Tuesday, May 21 Server Maintenance
Please note that in preparation for the integration of centralized authentication services on the Moodle 2 pilot, the current Moodle 2 pilot will be briefly offline for maintenance on Tuesday, May 21st, from 9am – 11am.

Rollover Requests for Fall 2013
Additionally, we have implemented an improved iLearn Course Rollover Request page. We are now accepting Fall 2013 requests and expect to begin fulfilling these requests by July 1st, if not sooner!

Future iLearn Bulletins
Our team will continue to keep you updated and informed in future bulletins on some of the following topics:

  • new features available in iLearn Moodle 2+
  • handling of Fall 2013 course rollover requests
  • Face-to-Face and web-based information sessions to get you acquainted with the upgrade

Some features to look forward to in iLearn 2+ include:

  • Drag and drop file upload
  • Drag and drop resource and block editing
  • Simplified resource adding interface
  • Support for viewing via mobile devices
  • More robust internal course navigation and the “awesomebar”

Thanks for your support, and have a great summer!

MIIS Helpdesk & the DLC

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DLC Workshop: “Voice, Audio, & Story,” with Barbara Ganley & Friends

Nov 9

Posted by Bob Cole in Digital Learning Commons, Workshops | No Comments

MIIS Radio Logo

WHEN: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 1:30 – 4:00pm (open to all MIIS community – no tech required!)

WHERE: Digital Learning Commons Design Space (MG 001 @ 420 Calle Principal)

WHAT: With an emphasis on understanding the deep complexity of the human voice and the soundscapes we live in, this hands-on workshop will explore what happens when we turn off the visual and turn up our attention to the voices and sounds around us.  The session is being offered in collaboration with Barbara Ganley, a former Middlebury writing professor, and DLC expert-in-residence on community development and digital storytelling.

Barbara Ganley

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to join the Digital Learning Commons team for our first ever live MIIS Radio broadcast.  Hear from an esteemed panel of experts including: Sarah Kramer, Emmy and Peabody award winning multimedia journalist from the New York Times and StoryCorps;

Andrea Olsen, Professor of Dance and the John C. Elder Professor of Environmental Studies at Middlebury College; Alan Levine, Open Education renegade and instructor of the DS106 ”MOOC”, and Barbara Sawhill, Oberlin College Spanish language teacher extraordinaire.Join our live audience to participate in the conversation about the possibilities of human connection through digital audio, the neuroscience of storytelling, and innovative digital storytelling initiatives.

Sarah Kramer

Andrea Olsen

Alan Levine

Barbara Sawhill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participants will also learn about MIIS Radio, Blogs @ MIIS, Midd Media, and MiddLab@MIIS as platforms for documenting academic research and field experiences for academic and professional purposes.   Tools and practical implications for how digital audio can be used in field research, storytelling and documentary will also be discussed.

Tackling Wicked Problems by Design: DLC Brown Bag Lunch with Dr. Nancy Roberts

Oct 3

Posted by Bob Cole in Digital Learning Commons, Workshops | No Comments

Join us for an informal brown bag lunch with Naval Postgraduate School professor Dr. Nancy Roberts on Thursday November 1st, from 12:00pm to 1:30pm in the Design Space @ the Digital Learning Commons.

Nancy is looking forward to discussing her journey to the topic of “wicked problems,” why Design Thinking has promise in “wicked problem territory,” and what you need in any setting to get started as a Design Thinker and problem solver. For more information on Nancy, you can read her bio at the bottom of this post.

What are “wicked problems,” you ask?

If you’re a MIIS community member, chances are you’re already quite familiar with them:

Climate change. Health Care. International Drug Trafficking. Nuclear Nonproliferation. The Global Financial and Economic Crises. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Human Trafficking. Poverty. HIV/AIDS. Small Arms. Public Education. Disaster Relief. Refugees. Dark Networks. Nuclear Energy. Pollution. Human Rights. Ecosystem Degradation.

“Wicked problems” occupy the messy spaces this world’s most important issues oft lead us; the spaces where past efforts have worsened the situation and stakeholders cannot agree on what, exactly, the problem is.

We look forward to seeing you!

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Nancy Roberts  is Professor of Defense Analysis in the Department of Defense Analysis, School of Operational and Information Sciences at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.  She received a PhD from Stanford University, a MA and BA from the University of Illinois, and a Diplome Annuel, from the Cours de Civilization Francaise at the Sorbonne.  Her previous faculty appointments have been at the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School, the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, and the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University as a visiting associate professor. Dr. Roberts has published extensively in the areas of public entrepreneurship and innovation, strategic management and planning, leadership, stakeholder collaboration, complex networks, dialogue and deliberation.  Her recent work, focusing on “wicked problems”such as the organizational challenges of peace operations and post-conflict reconstruction, won her the Freider Naschold Award for Best Paper at the International Public Management Network Conference in Sydney, Australia.  She is the co-author of Transforming Public Policy: Dynamics of Public Entrepreneurship and Innovation (1996) and editor of two books—The Transformative Power of Dialogue (2002) and Direct Citizen Participation (2007).  Dr. Roberts serves on the editorial boards of Public Management, The American Review of Public Administration, and the International Public Management Network Review.  Her current teaching assignments include courses on Planning and Organizing in Complex Networks and Coping with Wicked Problems. She also has served as a consultant for numerous public and private sector organizations and is Co-Director of the Institute for Whole Social Science in Carmel, California.

MIIS Radio: Coming to Your Classrooms This Fall

Aug 18

Posted by Rebecca Walters in Digital Learning Commons | No Comments

Dear MIIS Professors,

Have you considered incorporating MIIS Radio in a your coursework? Radio is an excellent forum to showcase student research, interviews with experts, and/or in-depth policy analysis. In addition, students will learn many marketable skills including:

  • Audio and video recording and editing
  • Multimedia content production
  • Interviewing and journalism techniques
  • Narrative storytelling
  • Publishing content online

Listen to one student’s feature story on a local organic agriculture conference as an example of MIIS Radio in action.

The Digital Learning Commons and MIIS Radio will work with teachers, students and classes to design tailored projects that add a technological twist to conventional coursework! To discuss how to incorporate multimedia assignments into your classes, please contact Bob Cole or Rebecca Walters, or come visit us in our new space in McGowan, facing Calle Principal!

Where in the World is the Digital Learning Commons?

Aug 17

Posted by Amy McGill in Digital Learning Commons | No Comments

In case you were wondering… the Digital Learning Commons is very much in business at its NEW LOCATION: McGowan 001 / 420 Calle Principal. Our new space is still a work in progress, but we needed to move before the start of the semester to make way for the Center for the Blue Economy, now in the process of moving into the Craig Building across from McCone.

The new Commons is light, airy, spacious, and includes a large, flexible teaching and learning area called the Design or “D” Space. When it’s finished, we’re going to love it, and so will you.. but it’s a little hard to find at the moment because we are waiting for a city permit to cut a door through from the McGowan lobby.

Until our new main entrance is finished, here’s how to find us.  Think of it as a treasure hunt… or your new exercise regimen!

1.  Go to the McGowan Building located at the corner of Pacific and Franklin Streets.

2.  Enter through the right set of doors at 411 Pacific.

3.  Walk straight. Classroom MG 102 will be to your right, and a campus information monitor (large wall mounted flat-panel display) in front of you.  Curve to the right and follow the corridor.

4.  You will see a vending machine.  Turn left and down three steps to another door on the right.  (If you go right at the vending machine you will find the restrooms).

5.  Go down the steps and at bottom, through the door on the left.

6.  You should be on the lower floor of the Commons (which, right now, looks like a big empty room with a very prominent staircase).

7.  Go up the stairs to the second level.  That’s where the DLC Team will be located.

 

New and returning faculty – iLearn Course Management Reminders

Jan 23

Posted by Bob Cole in Digital Learning Commons, iLearn, work | Comments off

As we power up the Spring 2012 academic term, your friends in the ITS Help Desk and the Digital Learning Commons have some useful reminders and updates about iLearn course management services and support.

Logging In

The campus supported course management system, iLearn, is available at: http://ilearn.miis.edu.

  • iLearn user accounts are activated by logging in. Use your current Middlebury email account username (everything before @miis.edu) and password to log in.

Course Archives Policy

  • All iLearn Moodle course sites are backed up and archived for two years beyond the semester of instruction.
  • Fall 2012 courses will continue to be archived on ilearn.miis.edu.  Summer and Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 courses will be officially and archived some time in May or June 2012
  • Spring 2011 courses are archived at ay1011.ilearn.miis.edu, where “ay” stands for academic year.
  • Pre-Spring 2011 Courses continue to be archived on our old server eLearning.miis.edu

Course Rollover Requests

  • Faculty who wish to import an archived course from an archive of a previous academic term should complete the Course Rollover Request Form.  Look for the yellow call out bubble on the main iLearn page.  Requests will be processed by the ITS Help Desk.  Please allow at least 3 working days for processing.
  • Please allow at least 3 working days for processing.

Accessing Your Spring 2012 iLearn Course Shell(s)

To gain editing privileges to an iLearn course shell:

  • New faculty – be sure to Login to iLearn at http://ilearn.miis.edu to activate your profile.
  • New and Returning faculty – Email the Help Desk helpdesk@miis.edu with the course name and names of any other instructors who need access.

iLearn Help & How To

  • Schedule an iLearn Orietnation or Refresher Session: If you are new to campus or are feeling a little rusty with iLearn, contact Bob Cole [bob dot cole at miis.edu] at the Digital Learning Commons to schedule a one-on-one or small group training session.
  • Knowledge Base: Common Moodle questions and answers can be found in the Knowledge Base “KB”: http://blogs.miis.edu/kb/tag/moodle/
  • Help Forum: Have a quick question? Post it in the iLearn User-to-User Forum on iLearn.  Your questions make the community smarter!
  • Just in Time Video Training: We have access to a great new resource called Lynda.com which includes video-based tutorials for software ranging from iMovie to Excel to Moodle.  Login with your Middlebury webmail credentials here to explore further: http://go.miis.edu/lynda

 

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Reminder: Mobile Learning Work Group Meets Tues 10/18

Oct 17

Posted by Bob Cole in Digital Learning Commons, Events, Mobile, work | Comments off

Bring your mobile device!  We’re meeting upstairs in Kade from 4-5pm, Tuesday, October 18.

Special Guests this month:

Mitch Winick, President of the Monterey College of Law and Elizabeth Xyr, Monterey College of Law Program Director for the iPad program will talk about the College’s all iPad program.  Learn more about the pilot program at the Monterey College of Law.

The Mobile Learning Work Group is an informal gathering of MIIS community members interested in exploring how mobile tech is changing the way that we work, teach, and learn through regular open sessions and idea sharing among MIIS faculty, staff, and students and our colleagues and peers in similar professional contexts. The Work Group plans to use the Digital Learning Commons as meeting space for an on-going conversation about mobile tools and document happenings through the DLC blog.

Mark your calendar! The group meets the third Tuesday of every month – next meeting is November 15, 2011.

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Notes from September 20th Mobile Learning Work Group

Sep 21

Posted by Bob Cole in Digital Learning Commons, Emerging Trends, Mobile, work | Comments off

Our third open meeting (third Tuesday of every month at 4pm) was another great conversation about how mobile technologies are influencing (or not) the way we work, teach, and learn.

Mark your calendar as our next meeting is Tuesday, October 18, at 4:00 pm.  For that meeting we have invited special guest Mitch Winnick, President and Dean of the Monterey College of Law, which recently went all iPad. Read up on their pilot program here.

In attendance this month were: Navindra Gunawardena (IPS/NPTS), Sarah Springer (DLC/CALL), Mike Garnett (ESL), Adrienne Stacy (ESL), Jennifer Grode (ESL), Gus Leonard (Special Guest from CSUMB), Christopher Hurtado (NPTS), Bob Cole (DLC), Patricia Szasz (ESL), Katie Dutcher (ESL).

Gus Leonard talks about AirSketch

We invited special guest, Gus Leonard the Language Lab Coordinator from CSUMB, to come and share with us his experience with mobile tools in language learning.  He had some interesting insights about the administration of multiple iPads and their respective “apps,” specifically mentioning issues involved in buying multiple copies of apps.  Apple does have a program to buy apps and give codes out, a system for managing licenses for apps for multiple iPads and this may be a solution for ESL at MIIS.  Gus suggested that we follow up with Apple’s regional sales representative, Dane Riley, to learn more.   Gus also suggested that administrators managing larger number of iPads (20 or more) be aware that there is special education pricing available for bulk purchase of app licenses. Not all developers are aware of this, so it’s always good to ask about discount pricing.

Gus mentioned that one of his favorite apps is AirSketch, a screen sharing app that allows the user to wirelessly project a document via IP address to another computer.  The app conveniently works with Dropbox to open files. It runs for $9.99.

When asked about the use of mobile tech for teaching at CSUMB, Gus mentioned that there are about twenty-five iPads in circulation for faculty to experiment with and for student to rent through CSUMB’s TechRent store.  Clickers and classroom texting have become popular in the sciences for on the fly surveys and polls.

He also noted that the Japanese program at CSUMB has been using a predecessor of the smartphone and tablet called the iPaq PDA.  These have been popular for learning characters, for dialogues (listening and recording). If funding can be secured the language labs will likely move to iPads, though they would hold off for the 3rd generation models which may be coming out later this year.

App Sharing in Context

The group can’t help but mix in references to apps that have really made a difference in daily work habits. Thanks to Katie we have also assembled a public spreadsheet listing apps that we have talked about.  You can review that spreadsheet and contribute to it as well.  In addition here’s a rough list of some of the ones that were mentioned:

Always popular are Apps that allow users to read and annotate PDF files including:

Our friends from the Intensive ESL program also reported experimenting with a number of different apps as part of their new student orientation activities.  These included:

  • iCard Sort as a interactive approach to breaking the ice
  • EverNote to collaborate with groups on docs…possibility of adding photos

And as conversations go this led to some ssharing of apps for brainstorming and collaborating in the cloud such as:

  • StickyBoard (a possible alternative to iCard Sort)
  • iThoughts for mind-mapping (recommended by Navindra $9.99)
  • Christopher uses MindMeister and it works on the web, too and for sharing, but others can’t edit

Lastly, there was some discussion of mobile access to websites.  Gus mentioned that CSUMB has a mobile friendly version of its website viewable at m.csumb.edu, and Middlebury recently announced its new mobile gateway available here portal.middlebury.edu.  MIIS will also has a mobile friendly version of its site  in the works!

And finally a few random notes…

  • iPad2 works better than iPad 1 with projections, but still some complications…some apps do not work
  • Patricia shared how iPads are changing music class.  She’s a member of a local choir that has also gone mobile, providing rehearsal agendas and schedules with an app called Music Stand (Free) which allows her to annotate her part and follow along with the music director electronically.  Pretty cool!
  • Mike took the prize for fun app to share with MadPad ($0.99) which allows you to record sound and video snippets to create an interactive beatbox remixer.  Check this demo video out and you’ll see why we thought this was a fun app:

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Web based video trainings from lynda.com

Sep 19

Posted by Natalie Sherman in Digital Learning Commons, Resources, Tools, Tutorial, work | Comments off

The Digital Learning Commons would like to share an amazing online resource named “Lynda“!   This online library of resources is an excellent site that can guide you through audio, design, video, image software.  If you are looking for extra online help working with your software lynda.com is an excellent resource.

With your MIIS email account and password, go to http://go.middlebury.edu/lynda, log-in with your MIIS webmail username and password.  Once you have edited your personal information you will have acces to a wealth of online video trainings from talented authors.

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Digital Learning Commons hosting 2 Community Engagement & Storytelling Workshops with Special Guest Barbara Ganley

Sep 14

Posted by Bob Cole in Digital Learning Commons, Events, work, Workshops | Comments off

The Digital Learning Commons is extremely excited to be hosting Barbara Ganley on Monday, September 26th for two unique workshops with a focus on techniques, strategies and tools (from the analog to the digital) for strengthening and developing community through storytelling.

Keep reading for more background on Barbara, workshop descriptions, and registration information.  Seating will be limited, so sign-up soon.

Barbara is Founder and Director of Community Expressions, LLC and is a former member of the writing faculty of Middlebury College, where she pioneered the integration of social media and digital storytelling in the liberal arts and service learning. In 2008, she left the College to found her consultancy dedicated to helping small communities bring traditional and new forms of storytelling to civic engagement efforts. Her expertise in using social media and storytelling to engage citizens and to foster belonging has brought her to work with small towns in the Northeast and the Rocky Mountain West as well as foundations, schools and nonprofits on local, national and international levels. Her research and artistic interests include the multimedia essay, slow-blogging and community-based storytelling. She gives talks and workshops around the world, and writes widely about storytelling, social media and lifelong learning.

Workshop #1 An Overview of Storytelling Techniques
10:00-11:30am Monday, September 26, 2011
Digital Learning Commons (2nd Floor of Kade)

Participants:  Anyone interested in using storytelling for community engagement

Description
In this short interactive introduction to storytelling techniques and tools for community engagement, we will cover storytelling approaches and their effective implementation in a range of community-building efforts, from classroom communities to inter-departmental communication.  We will explore and experience a range of storytelling approaches from the simplest, non media-needed story circle to the story interview to dispersed digital stories told through platforms such as WallWisher, Geostory and Storify.

Pre-Workshop Assignment:

  1. Send Barbara a brief email [bgblogging @ gmail dot com] stating what you hope to get out of this workshop and prior experience with community-building storytelling.
  2. Watch Community Expressions’ Storytelling for Community Planning Video (for Orton Family Foundation) http://vimeo.com/23910697

Register for this event at the bottom of this post.

Workshop #2 Strategies for Creating a Vibrant Online Community
4:00 – 5:30pm Monday, September 26, 2011
Digital Learning Commons (2nd Floor of Kade) 

Participants:  Anyone interested in the opportunities and challenges of community development

Description
In this hands-on workshop, we’ll discuss effective techniques for building online communities within the academic context: online classes, networks, and communities of practice.  We will look at the relationship of f2f interaction to online participation and play with some tools and exercises that lead to active participation, bonding and bridging within the online community and make possible a range of participation levels.

Equipment Needed: Bring your laptop if you can

Pre-Workshop Assignment: 

  1. Send Barbara a brief email [bgblogging @ gmail dot com] stating what you hope to get out of this workshop and your prior experience with online communities, including links to your own online work.

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