e-Medley: November's Session

Chemistry Department members Brett Bodsgard, Chris Jordan, and Nathan Lien opted to use a free e-text book from OpenStax this year.  To open this session they described this project.  They learned about OpenStax while at a conference and decided to try it out, hoping to save students from the high cost of chemistry textbooks.  They were generally happy with the content and design of the text book and particularly liked the the way its interactivity reinforced the material. Results from a student survey were mixed with some not having used it at all  (text was not required reading) and some finding that it was very helpful.




Josh Lallaman from Biology was up next with a description of how he is using McGraw-Hill Connect, an online teaching and learning platform,  to connect his students to publisher resources. The program is not free, but it integrates well with Blackboard and provides an interactive experience for his students.

Finally Peggy Johnson, Writing Center Director, along with four of her English 220 students described an efolio project  in which student used WIX,  a cloud based web development platform, to develop interactive resumes. Much more than a simple resume, these sites enabled the students to showcase their academic achievements  as well as their personal development using slide shows and graphics.  At the same time students had an opportunity to hone their writing skills in what Johnson described as "public literacy."

Missed the session?  Watch it here on Tegrity.

All Are Included

In support of October as Disabilities Awareness Month the October 21st session featured Karen Hemker (Director of Disability Services), Jason Spartz (Director of Instructional Technology), and Matt Klosky (Social Sciences Lecturer) introducing Universal Design concepts and strategies. 

Read and Write for Google was first on the agenda with two of Hemker's  students describing how the program works for them and how it can work for all students, not just those with disabilities.  The "Mike and Moe Show," as they titled their spirited offering, will be presented across the SMU campus to garner more buy in for the Google program. 

Hemker, Spartz, and Klosky continued the discussion of Universal Design for Learning concepts, with Klosky providing the results of a survey that tracked how faculty are using UDL strategies. Specific examples of classroom strategies were highlighted sparking a lively question and answer session with the audience.
 

Missed the session?  View it here on Tegrity

Not Your Mother's Art Class

 













Using Zurb’s Foundation 6, Kjellgren Alkire (Art Dept.) has been applying mobile responsive web development and design to enhance websites, WordPress pages, and web portfolios.  

In this session participants learned to better understand HTML as a digital literacy which is supporting creative producers in a new media ecology.

Missed the session?  Watch it here on Tegrity.

February Session: "It's All in the Game"

Michael Ratajczyk (Business) opened the first session of the second semester with a fascinating description of the game he created for his microeconomics class, Wealth of Nation Building.  Using Google Sites, the game consists of five person teams with each team functioning as a specific nation faced with the challenge of developing wealth and preserving the health of its citizens.  As Ratajczyk explains it, the game involves students in real-time problem solving and experiential learning. Along with the use of technology, the game provides for a collaborative work environment, as well as a multi-disciplinary and  multi-cultural, global component. Former students enjoy the game so much that they come back to help new students play the game in subsequent semesters.

For much more on Ratajczyk's use of gamification and Google Sites watch the Tegrity video.