FCN News 2 November 1999

Upcoming Events

Local events of particular interest to FCN members (see also On Campus below)

• Creationism, Evolution, Science, and Education: What Should We Do?, Nov 3, 7:30pm, Willamette 100. Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, will talk about her work in science education and on on the creation/evolution controversy in public schools.
• Harnessing the Power of Group Learning in Higher Education, Nov 5, 10am-3pm. Repeated Nov 12. This seminar focuses on the Readiness Assurance Process (RAP), a structured sequence of individual and group activities that has been very successfully adopted by several UO faculty. Register by email <mailto:gcooper@oregon>.
• Faculty workshop: writing in the curriculum, Nov 6. How to improve students' learning and engagement with ideas in their courses through effective writing and research assignments. For information, <mailto:alivey@darkwing>.
• Canon Digital Document Camera, Nov 10, 11:30am-12:30pm. SSIL has a new tool that will be of interest to many faculty for creating instructional presentations, capturing images for porting into webpages and Powerpoint, or integrating transparencies into your next lecture.<http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ssil/newsletter/current.html>.
• Census 2000, Nov 17, 9am-noon, Knight Library 144.. The UO Library and the U.S. Bureau of Census will discuss what's new and different in the 2000 census, efforts to include more "under-counted" persons, recent political and judicial decisions on data collection and use, and how you can make the most effective use of 2000 Census data. Registration required: <mailto:tstave@oregon.uoregon.edu>
• Apple Quarterly Technical Update, Nov 17, 2:30-4:30pm, Gilbert 231. MacOS 9, G4, iBook, iMovie video editing software, etc. Register at <http://www.applenw.com/update>
• Cultural Differences in the Classroom, Nov 19, 2-4pm. Offered by the Office of Human Resources. This workshop for faculty and GTFs highlights the different needs of international students and how to look for them. <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~humanres/train99.htm>. Register <mailto:leneef@oregon>
• Web Publishing, Nov 19, 10am-noon, (part II Dec 3, 10am-noon). Offered by the Office of Human Resources.This two-part workshop for staff and faculty will cover the basics of web publishing using HTML, and provide you with the knowledge and skills to successfully update your department web pages or create new ones. Register <mailto:leneef@oregon>.
• Computer Literacy: From Definitions to Decisions, Nov 30, 9am-noon. Offered by the Office of Human Resources. Targeted primarily at UO staff members who need a very basic introduction to computer technology. <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~humanres/train99.htm>. Register <mailto:leneef@oregon>
• Online Testing: Assessment and Evaluation of Distance Learners. Dec 2, 11:30am-1pm, Media Services Studio D. Live teleconference, focused on institutional policies, alternative assessment methods, who's doing what in this area, and tips from leading practititioners.. <http://www.pbs.org/adultlearning/als/dallas99/>.
• Beginnings: Insights, Tools and Strategies for New Teachers, Dec 4, 8:30am-5pm. TEP will pilot a pre-winter term teacher training on Saturday, December 4. This training was originally designed for GTFs new to teaching, and is now open to any instructor on campus. Register: <mailto:gcooper@oregon>. For more information see <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~tep/beginnings/index.html>

Note: the Media Services Open House announced in the last issue of this newsletter has been postponed until Winter Quarter.

On Campus

IT CURRICULUM. Some workshops of particular interest to FCN members include (see <http://libweb.uoregon.edu/it/> for details):

Endnote/Procite: What Are These, and Why Should I Use Them?
      Wed  Nov 3  3:30pm-4:50pm   RSR  Brownmiller, Lenn
Web Publishing I
      Tue  Nov 2 10:00am-11:50am  ITC  Bell, Benedicto
Power Web Searching 
      Mon  Nov 8  1:00pm-2:20pm   EC   Stirling
Web Publishing II
      Tue  Nov 9 10:00am-11:50am  ITC  Bell, Benedicto
Web Programming I - CGI
      Fri  Nov 12 2:00pm-3:50pm   RSR  Johnson
Web Design Principles and Practices 
      Tue  Nov 16 1:00pm-2:50pm   RSR  Bell
Cascading Style Sheets
      Wed  Nov 17 2:00pm-3:50pm   RSR  Johnson
Designing Web Access for Users with Disabilities
      Thu  Nov 18 10:00am-11:20am EC   Bailey
Web Programming II - Javascript 
      Fri  Nov 19 2:00pm-3:50pm   RSR  Johnson

TECHNOLOGIES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. A new monthly newsletter for UO faculty from the Social Science Instructional Lab. You can subscribe to an email version, or read it on the web at <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ssil/newsletter/current.html>.

CD-ROM PRINTING. A new service from University Printing -- CD and DVD reproduction! They are even considering offering CDs as alternatives to printed coursepacks if that makes sense to the instructor. See <http://uopress.uoregon.edu>.

FACULTY/STAFF DIRECTORY. Telecom Services has taken over the management of the UO faculty/staff directory. The current online directory is very out of date, but Telecom is working on a pilot replacement. Check out the updated information at <http://duckweb.uoregon.edu/telecom/index.html>.

ONLINE TEACHING PORTFOLIOS. TEP is offering ALS 609: Creating an Online Teaching Portfolio this winter. This (optionally one credit) course explores the possibilities for presenting online evidence of your teaching background and skills.. Class begins Thursday, January 13 from 12-1:20. Enrollment limited; For more information or to enroll contact <mailto:gcooper@oregon>.

Seen on and about the Net

CAMPUS COMPUTING SURVEY, 1999. Casey Green's latest Campus Computing Survey provides the best available information about national trends in higher education's academic uses of information technology. Green concludes: "Assisting faculty efforts to 'integrate information technology into instruction' remains the single most important information technology (IT) issue confronting American colleges and universities over the next two to three years." See the story in the Chronicle of Higher Education, <http://chronicle.com/free/99/10/99102101t.htm>, or the Campus Computing Project website, <http://www.campuscomputing.net/>

REDESIGNING LARGE COURSES. The first monograph from the Pew Symposia on Learning and Technology, Improving Learning and Reducing Costs: Redesigning Large-Enrollment Courses, is available on our Web site (including a downloadable PDF version) at <http://www.center.rpi.edu/PewSym1.html>.

BLACKBOARD AND TLT GROUP FORM PARTNERSHIP. The course management software market is full of partnerships and mergers. Here's one of particular interest to UO, since the TLT group is one of the most dynamic organizations focused on technology in higher education (see <http://www.tltgroup.org/>):

Washington, D.C. – October 20, 1999 – Blackboard, Inc., a leading online education provider, and The TLT Group, the non-profit teaching, learning and technology affiliate of the American Association for Higher Education, today announced the launch of a unique alliance. The "Blackboard TLT Group Academic Support Program" is designed to accelerate colleges' and universities' capabilities for using information technology to improve teaching and learning.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ON THE WEB. Several web sites of interest:

• Copyown, by Rodney Peterson, <http://www.inform.umd.edu/copyown/>. I had the opportunity to hear the developer of Copyown speak at Educause last week, and he was really excellent -- informed, thoughtful, and to the point. He's a lawyer doing a PhD in educational administration with a dissertation focused on university copyright ownership policies, and has collected a wealth of information on current practice. Of particular note are his collection of existing institutional policies and position papers (by AAUP, AAU, ARL, etc.).
• Copyright Bay, by Glenn Gummess, St. Francis U. <http://www.stfrancis.edu/cid/coprbay/fairuse.htm>
• Distance Learning and Copyright: Is a Solution in Sight? by Laura N. Gasaway, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill <http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cem9932.html>

IT SPENDING BOOM FORECAST FOR COLLEGES. Information technology spending by colleges and universities is expected to jump from $3.1 billion in 1998 to nearly $5 billion by 2003 in an effort to attract students and stay current in computer technology, predicts International Data in the report "IT Spending Forecast for Higher Education Institutions, 1998-2003." (Business Communications Review 09/99; from EduPage, 1 Oct /99).

HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE. A growing number of colleges, schools, and companies are delivering high-school courses over the Internet, focusing on specialized courses that many traditional high schools don't have the resources to offer. (Chronicle of Higher Ed, 22 Oct 99) <http://chronicle.com/free/v46/i09/09a05501.htm>.

BRITANNICA MOVES TO CYBERSPACE. The venerable Encyclopaedia Britannica is making a leap of faith, and posting the contents of its entire 32-volume set on the Internet for free. The 231-year-old company, which has reduced its workforce to 350 from a peak of 2,300 in 1989, hopes to shift its business model from hard copy sales to an online advertising basis, capitalizing on its impeccable credentials for accuracy in a world that's dominated by less-than-rigorous standards for information content. (Los Angeles Times 19 Oct 99); see also <http://chronicle.com/free/99/10/99102002t.htm>. Initial reaction from the public has been extremely positive, with the EB website jammed as people take advantage of the newly free service.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND HOW TO TELL THEM APART. For many, the burgeoning availability of Internet-based courses presents a singular opportunity to earn college credits and sharpen professional skills. But pursuing an online education is a serious commitment, and the choice of an online institution should be undertaken with the same care that you would give to choosing a bricks-and-mortar college. To make the search a little easier, the Distance Education Training Council's Web site, <http://www,detc,org/>, an accreditation agency for online schools, offers an extensive view of what an Internet school should be, as well as a information about the many academic and vocational schools that meet its criteria. Another site, by St. Louis Community College <http://www.stlcc.cc.mo.us/distance/index.htm>, offers a self-assessment area to help you decide if you have what it takes to succeed in an online environment. ( The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3 Oct 99; from Eduprise, 20 Oct 99)..

How To -- Changing cell references in Excel

One thing we do constantly in Excel is enter cell references in formulas. And frequently we need to change them between relative (e.g. A1) and absolute (e.g. $A$1). You've probably edited a formula to insert or delete those dollar signs.

There's an easier way, at least on a PC with Office 97. Simply edit the formula and place your insertion point in the cell reference. Then, press the F4 key to cycle through the various cell reference formats you can use! I haven't found a similar function in the Mac version of Excel, unfortunately.

Conferences and Workshops, Real and Virtual

This space highlights new listings of conferences of possible interest to UO faculty interested in educational technology. For more meetings see <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/fcn/conferences.html>.

• SC99, Nov. 13-19, Portland, OR. Supercomputing 99, High Performance Networking and Computing Conference. <http://www.sc99.org/>
• Professional Publishing: The Cutting Edge and Beyond, Feb 6-9, 2000, Washington DC. Association of American Publishers. <http://www.publishers.org/home/confpub/index.htm>
• Interdisciplinary Conference on Intellectual Property and Digital Technology, Feb 10-12, 2000, Ohio State U., <http://www.osu.edu/units/law/intellectualproperty.htm>
• ICLT 2000: Does Technology Make a Difference? March 8-10, 2000, Temple U., Philadelphia, PA. This year's International Conference on Learning with Technology focuses on research in educational technology effectiveness <http://www.temple.edu/iclt/>

The Lighter Side -- research definitions

• "It has long been known..." translation: I haven't bothered to look up the original references.
• "Of Great Theoretical and practical importance..." --- Interesting to me.
• "While it has not been possible to provide definite answers to these questions..." ---The experiments didn't work out, but I figured I'd get publicity out of it.
• "Three of the samples were chosen for detailed study..." --- The results on the others didn't make sense and were ignored.
• "Accidentally stained during mounting..." ---Accidentally dropped on the floor.
• "Handled with extreme care during the experiments..." ---Not dropped on the floor.
• "Typical results are shown..." --- The best results are shown.
• "Presumably at longer times..." --- I didn't take the time to find out.
• "These results were reported at a later date...." --- I might get around to this some time.
• "The most reliable values are those of Jones..." --- Jones was a student of mine.
• "It is believed that..." --- I think.
• "It is generally believed that..." --- A couple of other guys think so too.
• "It might be argued that..." --- I have such a good answer for this objection that I will now raise it.
• "It is clear that much additional work will be required before a complete understanding..." --- I don't understand it.
• "Correct within an order of magnitude..." --- Wrong.
• "It is to be hoped that this work will stimulate further work in the field..." --- This paper is not very good, but neither are any of the others on this miserable subject."
• "Thanks are due to Joe Glotz for assistance with the experiment and to Jane Doe for valuable discussions..." --- Glotz did the work and Doe explained to me what it meant.

Administrativa

The UO Faculty Consultants Network Newsletter is published (approximately) once a month. If you have materials for inclusion in the newsletter you can send them to <mailto:jqj@darkwing>. This newsletter (as well as other FCN-related material) is available on line in <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/fcn/news/>.