Do you or your students use Apps.SMU to access SAS, SPSS, STATA or another application used in teaching or research? If yes, OIT Training is available to assist. OIT Training offers documents and screencasts that you can share with students. Screencasts include Installing the Citrix Receiver for Windows and Mac. There is also documentation on Saving and Accessing Files from a Network Drive. These and other Apps.SMU related resources are available by clicking the Documentation and Training tab at apps.smu.edu. Contact me or the IT Help Desk for assistance with Apps.SMU.
Category: Resources
Academic Technology Group
Have you explored the Academic Technology – Dedman College group in Canvas? It contains helpful pages, links and other resources for Dedman College faculty. If you do not see it under your Courses list in Canvas, please contact me. The Academic Technology – Dedman College group was previously named the Faculty Group for Dedman College.
Zoom cameras, Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablets and more are available for checkout by Dedman College faculty through the ATS Office in Hyer 104. Checkout lasts 2 weeks but may be extended upon request. Contact me or stop by Hyer 104 to learn more.
Laptops are available at the IT Help Desk for loan to faculty and staff. The IT Help Desk is located in the Fondren Library West lobby. They have 14 Windows and 2 Mac laptops. Faculty laptops are also available for checkout through the ATS Office for Dedman College.
Making Sense of File Storage
What’s the difference between Box and CrashPlan Pro?
Box is a cloud storage, file management and sharing service for SMU. If you want to securely share a file with someone at the university, or outside the university, Box is a great option. CrashPlan Pro is SMU’s desktop backup software. It creates an exact copy of your computer (or copies what you tell it based on the parameters you provide) in the event of future data loss. CrashPlan Pro is not for file sharing.
Conversations That Include Everyone
Try this poll!
Poll Everywhere is available to all Dedman College faculty. It is a classroom response system and much more. It does not require students to purchase any clicker hardware or user license. Students can respond via desktop, laptop, or text message.
The following are the top 3 most frequently used poll types in Poll Everywhere:
Multiple Choice Polls (MCP)
MCPs are probably what you’ll use most often. They’re the workhorses used for quick formative assessment or for standard quizzes you intend to grade. Deploy a simple MCP every 10 to 15 minutes to bring wandering minds back into the fold.
Word Clouds
Word clouds are a great way to gauge students’ reactions to a topic, or to distill a topic to a one-word takeaway. They’re also a ton of fun (you’ll see words grow bigger and smaller on screen as students send in their responses). One of my favorite uses is a “before and after” activity. Ask students what they think of a topic before you cover it, then do the same at the end of class to see how students’ perceptions of that topic changed.
Q&A
Use a Q&A to collect feedback during a lecture, or just leave one open at the beginning of class as an always-on comments/questions/concerns forum. One very popular use for Q&A: leave one open behind students as they give a presentation, encouraging the class to engage with the material being presented. Keep in mind that students can upvote their favorite responses, so the most popular float right to the top.
Contact me if you would like to learn more about Poll Everywhere, or to request an account.