Faculty invited to enter games and simulations contest
October 25, 2005 Not long ago, “Jeopardy” was the ultimate classroom learning game. No matter the course content or class size, an instructor could always count on a good quiz game to engage students in a fun and effective way. But technology has vastly broadened the scope of possibilities for instruction, and those in-class Jeopardy sessions have given way to countless new forms of games and simulations that can be played in or out of class, 24-hours-a-day.
PRESENT invites educators to take full advantage of the emerging demand for interactive technology by entering the Games and Simulations Contest. The winning applicant will have the opportunity to develop their idea in close cooperation with the skilled staff of PRESENT.
October 21, 2005 Reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Stanford University is making hundreds of Stanford podcasts available free to anyone through Apple Computer's popular iTunes Music Store. The podcasts include lectures by the university's professors."
Wikipedia defines podcasting as "a portmanteau of Apple's 'iPod' and 'broadcasting'... a method of publishing files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost." Note that podcasts are audio files that do not require the Apple iPod for playback.
October 20, 2005 What do a virtual chicken simulation, a gaming environment for dentistry education, and a 3-D representation of government policy-making process have in common? In addition to presenting the breadth of possibilities in gaming and simulations (see contest below), they all represent efforts of New Media Consortium (NMC) members. These schools are exploring RSS feeds, podcasting, classroom response systems and other emerging technologies for their potential contributions to teaching and learning. Find out more in US News and World Reports coverage:
October 19, 2005
Do you have an idea for creating a web-based activity that will engage and inform your students in exciting new ways? Submit your concept to the "Games and Simulations Contest." If approved, your proposal could be developed into web-based interactive media by the staff of PRESENT. Visit the contest web site for more information on proposal requirements, grant award criteria, and for links to other interactive media projects.
A recent EDUCAUSE study found that "students report they are looking for more innovative uses of information technologies that provide real-time data in experiential learning exercises; more visual materials; and simulation.
Learning so Everyone Teaches Conference
October 17, 2005 Join faculty colleagues at the Lilly-East Conference on College and University Teaching to be held at the University of Delaware on April 7-8, 2006, Learning so Everyone Teaches. The call for proposals deadline is January 16.
The 2006 Lilly Conferences will highlight the dynamic and interconnected nature of learning and teaching: Learning so Everyone Teaches. Lilly Conferences bring together faculty across disciplines and types of academic institutions. You are invited to share your teaching enhancements and innovations and your knowledge about effective ways to engage diverse students and assess their academic progress.
October 17, 2005 Mark your calendar for January 18-20 to attend the Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education's winter symposium, Pedagogies of Engagement. More details will be forthcoming on ITUE's calendar page.
WebCT and Blackboard join forces
October 13, 2005 Two leading providers of enterprise software and services to the education community, Blackboard Inc. and WebCT, Inc., announced a definitive agreement to merge.
According to the announcement, Blackboard plans to enhance and support the existing products of both WebCT and Blackboard. New releases and ongoing software maintenance for WebCT and Blackboard will continue to be a key focus of the combined company. Over time, Blackboard will incorporate the best features and usability characteristics from the two product lines into a new, standards-based product set that will incorporate a scalable, architecture, the use of Web services, unparalleled ease of use, and flexible customization features.
IT/User Services will continue to support the current version of MyCourses (currently WebCT 4.1) and actively evaluate emerging trends and products in Learning Management Software.
Distance Learning Association Annual Conference and Expo
October 13, 2005 Featuring Dr. Ruth Clark, author of 5 award-winning books, the Pennsylvania/ Delaware/ New Jersey Distance/ e-Learning Association Conference & Expo will be held on November 8 at Penn State Great Valley. Following her address will be 3 tracks, totaling 15 concurrent sessions, presented by some of the region's top distance/e-learning practitioners. Find out more at the conference web site, Foundations & Future of Effective Distance/e-Learning Initiatives.
Delaware Instructional Technology Conference 2005
October 13, 2005 The 2005 Delaware Technology Conference will be on October 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Dover Hotel. With over 40 vendors, over 25 break out sessions, a Disaster Simulation, and Wireless Demonstration, it's sure to be an exciting day. Full program and registration information is available at the Delaware Technology Conference web site.
Managing a hotel…online
October 10, 2005 Our latest faculty profile is available online. George Conrade, of UD’s Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, wants to help his managerial accounting students gain an in-depth understanding of duties faced by executives in the hospitality industry. To accomplish this, he and the staff of PRESENT are combining technologies such as Microsoft Excel with the functionality of MyCourses to develop Managerial Accounting Practice Sets (MAPS).
October 2005 News
Learning so Everyone Teaches Conference 
Join faculty colleagues at the Lilly-East Conference on College and University Teaching to be held at the University of Delaware on April 7-8, 2006, Learning so Everyone Teaches. The call for proposals deadline is January 16. 
Our latest faculty profile is available online. George Conrade, of UD’s Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, wants to help his managerial accounting students gain an in-depth understanding of duties faced by executives in the hospitality industry. To accomplish this, he and the staff of PRESENT are combining technologies such as Microsoft Excel with the functionality of MyCourses to develop Managerial Accounting Practice Sets (MAPS).