Legal activity has reduced the number of students using peer-to-peer (P2P) systems for swapping music files, but they have turned to other techniques. Some purchase software using iTunes and similar store-fronts. The most common technique seems to be moving things directly between their iPod or MP3 devices. No threat of viruses and no chance of being caught. Interesting how increasing pressures reveal new outlets to release the pressures. People are very creative, yes?
Details in http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2987/050323pewtrade/
Source of information: http://www.pewinternet.org/
Link to article: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/153/report_display.asp
Friday, March 25, 2005
Assessing Higher Educational Assessment
Do we know how we, as an institution, teach?
From an e-mail on POD:
http://listserv.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0503&L=pod&F=&S=&P=23273
Last year we did a survey on grading habits of our faculty (N=215 respondents). . Here's the relevant paragraph:
"What is a typical exam like? For a typical exam, faculty reported the percent of the grade derived from multiple choice items is 29.7%, algorithm solving (e.g., completing an equation) 18.5%, essays 18.1%, short answer 17.9%, fill in the blank 7.1%, matching 3.6% or performance items (e.g., oral exam) 2.7%. Thirty one percent report they do not use open-ended items."
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:38:50 -0600
Sender: Professional & Organization Development Network in Higher Education <POD@listserv.nd.edu>
From: Sally Kuhlenschmidt <sally.kuhlenschmidt@WKU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [POD] Oral ExamsTo: POD@listserv.nd.edu
POD Listserv Archive: http://listserv.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?LIST=POD
From an e-mail on POD:
http://listserv.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0503&L=pod&F=&S=&P=23273
Last year we did a survey on grading habits of our faculty (N=215 respondents). . Here's the relevant paragraph:
"What is a typical exam like? For a typical exam, faculty reported the percent of the grade derived from multiple choice items is 29.7%, algorithm solving (e.g., completing an equation) 18.5%, essays 18.1%, short answer 17.9%, fill in the blank 7.1%, matching 3.6% or performance items (e.g., oral exam) 2.7%. Thirty one percent report they do not use open-ended items."
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:38:50 -0600
Sender: Professional & Organization Development Network in Higher Education <POD@listserv.nd.edu>
From: Sally Kuhlenschmidt <sally.kuhlenschmidt@WKU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [POD] Oral ExamsTo: POD@listserv.nd.edu
POD Listserv Archive: http://listserv.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?LIST=POD
Safe Classrooms and Resistance to New Ideas
The Fall/Winter issue of On Campus With Women (available at http://www.aacu.org/ocww/volume34_1/) (Featured Topics) has a number of articles on "resistance" as expressed by students when learning about new concepts. This ties in to the idea of "safe" classrooms where students can struggle with new ideas without fear of being hurt. Here is a list of strategies to consider.
Strategies for engaging resistance in the classroom:
Strategies for engaging resistance in the classroom:
- Affirm students' right to resist.
- If students begin displaying attack-defend behaviors, slow the pace of the discussion.
- Incorporate student feedback and concerns into your session plan.
- Use students' resistance to illustrate course content and promote insight.
- Use "time outs" during which you allow students time to write about what's going on.
- Use humor, music, and other media to alter the mood of the classroom.
I especially like the idea of "time outs" for writing. This use of Writing to Learn activities can help diffuse an intellectual confrontation and help everyone involved better understand what is happening.
New Dean at UM
Source: http://www.thehurricaneonline.com/sections/270639.html
The University of Miami announced Monday that the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will be Michael R. Halleran, currently the divisional dean of Arts and Humanities and a professor of classics at the University of Washington in Seattle.
"It's a young campus-I like that. Being younger makes one more nimble. You don't have tradition telling you 'this is how you do it," he said.
"My job as a dean is to create a culture of opportunity. That's my main focus as a dean. That's what education is really about. There are a lot of things in place at UM so that one can extend that culture of opportunity."
The University of Miami announced Monday that the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will be Michael R. Halleran, currently the divisional dean of Arts and Humanities and a professor of classics at the University of Washington in Seattle.
"It's a young campus-I like that. Being younger makes one more nimble. You don't have tradition telling you 'this is how you do it," he said.
"My job as a dean is to create a culture of opportunity. That's my main focus as a dean. That's what education is really about. There are a lot of things in place at UM so that one can extend that culture of opportunity."
Library Computer Lab Usage
The computer lab in Richter Library is used almost constantly. Everytime I go to the library I try to walk through the area to see what students are doing. Years ago I hardly ever saw anyone on Blackboard. The proponderance of people seemed to be doing e-mail, eBay, and similar activities. Now I see Blackboard, PowerPoint, Word and web research as the primary activities.
It has been argued that public computer labs would be phased out as personal ownership of computers, especially portables, became more common with students. Or that the public labs would only be needed for specialized software such as CAD-CAM packages in architecture and engineering. The evidence doesn't seem to reflect that. Why?
An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education talks about the decision of students to study in various places. "Those who study in their rooms tend to blur their work and personal lives, while those who study in the library like to keep the two separate. Students who work in the student union generally prefer to be around other people, using the background noise to help them focus. Ubiquitous laptop computers, data connections, and wireless networks have encouraged such idiosyncratic work habits, enabling students to be more productive in whatever setting appeals to them." (http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i29/29b02901.htm - requires subscription)
So it may be that people choose public computers in order to organize their lives. I certainly blur my work and life. I have one computer that I use for everything. It is a TabletPC that goes almost everywhere with me. But with students the actual computer may be less relavent than it is with me. They may be using more web services, so they can sit down at any computer and be equally productive whereas I expect access to all the tools, utilities, and documents that are on my actualy computer.
The only relevance in this is that we are trying to provide services to students, so it would pay to know what their needs are, wouldn't it?
It has been argued that public computer labs would be phased out as personal ownership of computers, especially portables, became more common with students. Or that the public labs would only be needed for specialized software such as CAD-CAM packages in architecture and engineering. The evidence doesn't seem to reflect that. Why?
An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education talks about the decision of students to study in various places. "Those who study in their rooms tend to blur their work and personal lives, while those who study in the library like to keep the two separate. Students who work in the student union generally prefer to be around other people, using the background noise to help them focus. Ubiquitous laptop computers, data connections, and wireless networks have encouraged such idiosyncratic work habits, enabling students to be more productive in whatever setting appeals to them." (http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i29/29b02901.htm - requires subscription)
So it may be that people choose public computers in order to organize their lives. I certainly blur my work and life. I have one computer that I use for everything. It is a TabletPC that goes almost everywhere with me. But with students the actual computer may be less relavent than it is with me. They may be using more web services, so they can sit down at any computer and be equally productive whereas I expect access to all the tools, utilities, and documents that are on my actualy computer.
The only relevance in this is that we are trying to provide services to students, so it would pay to know what their needs are, wouldn't it?
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