Archive for the ‘SOG’ Category
Multi-use Computer Training Room (1300). Now Open for Business.
Posted by: Joel Galbraith in How To, SOG, Teaching, Try it! on July 30th, 2009
A couple weeks ago, construction was completed on the new multi-use, computer classroom in 1300, funded by the Knapp Foundation. The 20-computer, 30-seat room is now ready and can be scheduled in CollegeNet. The room has already accommodated multiple successful inaugural training sessions. It has been thrilling to see people in the room anxiously engaged in learning new skills where just months ago the space served as a large, concrete storage closet–packed with the building’s odd and ends and surplus furniture–but no longer!
ITD hosted two Outlook training sessions which were well-attended, and useful to those in attendance. If you missed those, links to the edited archives will be available shortly. In addition Dale Roenigk has also conducted a couple Microsoft Excel trainings in the room.
I’m attaching excerpts of James Balfour’s original detailed room description below:
The room is equipped with a fixed podium, computer, VCR/DVD player, document camera, and a connection for a laptop. A wall panel allows easy control of which device is sent to the projector. The room also has dimmable fluorescent lights controlled with a wall panel near the podium. Three round tables are also available at the rear of the room.
The classroom supports software training for 20 students (i.e. Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Blogs, Turning Point etc.). As part of your conference, you may also bring in outside instructors to train clients on software and applications relevant to their jobs. The space can also be used as a normal lecture space, but note that the desk arrangement is fixed.
We would like to thank Sean Downing for all of his work coordinating contractors and ensuring the project was completed as quickly and accurately as possible. We would also like to thank Kelly Medlin for her behind-the-scenes work coordinating and tracking expenditures on this Knapp Foundation project.
A (budget) Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste…
Posted by: Joel Galbraith in Distance Learning, SOG on March 4th, 2009
Two recent and related blog posts got me thinking this week. From one I got the line “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste” (Lev Gonick). From the other, “crisis + wit = opportunity”(Jon Mott). Both capture the notion that there is an opportunity that would be a shame to waste in the current economic downturn. In the case of the SOG, there is an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of distance and online learning environments. In many cases, both learners and faculty need convincing. As Mott puts it:
Now that we face growing demand for our services (teaching and learning) at the exact moment that we’re facing resource constraints, we have a golden opportunity to demonstrate the value of our craft.
The “craft” Mott refers to is that of Instructional Design and the enterprise of distance teaching and learning. Over 10 years ago, the Sloan-C Consortium published their 5 Pillars of Quality Online Education that listed areas in which an online learning program should excel to be considered successful. I’ve taken a stab at contextualizing these for the SOG: Read the rest of this entry »
Distance Learning Preferences Poll: To listen or Read?
Posted by: Joel Galbraith in Best Practice, Distance Learning, How To, SOG, Tools on February 9th, 2009
There’s often a difference between what we prefer, and what we really do. This issue is seen in distance learning preference as well. Most people generally prefer face-to-face instruction, but we’re all capable of learning in different ways, and do so on a regular basis (informally) while listening to the radio, reading an article etc. We wouldn’t want all our learning to be classroom delivered.
In the distance learning world, instruction and knowledge is technologically mediated (delivered), and can generally take the form of temporal or time-based media (audio, video, presentations, lectures), or non-temporal media (text, images, slides only). When we’re in a hurry, or are only marginally interested, we often prefer text which is easily skimmed. There are times when we want to hear a good lecture, or casually listen while doing other things…and selectively pay attention when we get to the good (interesting) parts. Each has its merits. One is not “better” for learning than the other…at least not on those grounds)
But I’m curious, Which do you prefer? To read or to listen?, and perhaps more importantly, if your online SOG training were to be presented in this way, which do you think you’re more likely to sit down and actually “do”?! Take the Poll (omit your name if you wish)
Promoting SOG Conferences & Training Sessions …a bit differently
Posted by: Joel Galbraith in SOG, Uncategorized on February 6th, 2009
So I was thinking…Yes, we send out announcements, cards and reminder emails. We post upcoming events on our website and in PG and on the listservs. But much of the material that I have seen to date is pretty text-heavy.
Are we ready/willing to do anything a little differently to promote our training offerings? Maybe “promote” isn’t the right word, maybe it smacks too much of “hawking our wares” . In reality, I think rich-media promos can grab and focus attention on key benefits of a course, and inspire and remind us of the “social” connections and peer-networking aspect that our trainings provide. I share a couple short and different types of possible “inspirer/promo” pieces here, both of which I think reflect well on the SOG’s image:
1) We recently helped David A. create this 30 second “promo” for a single presentation he made at another conference.
2) For fun, I also threw this quite different demo piece together (in under 10 minutes) with some available pics on our website.
So what do you think? Do we want to explore this type of thing? Do we embed it in our webpages? Link to in out listserv messages? Add it to the course catalog? (…all of course after first running it by Ellen B.) Please share your comments below
~Joel G.
