from Information Technology Services
Foursquare is a location-based social networking game. Use your smartphone or SMS (text message) to “check in”, share your location with friends, and collect points and virtual badges.
You can also bookmark information about places (venues) that you want to visit, read tips that others have posted, and post your own tips. You can even become the “mayor” of a location!
See what students are saying about Foursquare.
What is file-sharing and why is it bad for the network?
File-sharing is the transfer of files over a computer network, usually via a peer-to-peer (P2P) program where files are stored on individuals’ computers rather than a central server location. Common P2P programs include Limewire, BitTorrent, uTorrent, eMule, Bearshare, and others. What this means is that people with the above listed programs can share files from their computers and download files on other users’ computers.
Problems arise because as long as the program is running, a large number of users can be connected to that computer at one time, all downloading. So even though a single file might be small and of little consequence, the number of people connecting to get that one particular file can be a big detriment on the network and use up a large amount of bandwidth. In addition to that, some programs may route local traffic through a user’s computer, even when no files are shared from that computer, compounding the problems listed above.
What legal concerns accompany file-sharing?
While the sharing of files from one computer to another is perfectly legal, the sharing of copyrighted material without the consent of the copyright holder is illegal. This includes most music, movies, and television shows that are played on the radio and television. If the copyright owner or an entity representing them discovers that someone is sharing their material via a P2P program, they are within their rights to pursue legal action against that person, which may include suing the individual for monetary damages. If you are unsure of whether or not you have permission to share a file, we recommend that you err on the side of caution and avoid doing anything potentially illegal.
What does this mean for students using personal computers or Wi-Fi – enabled personal electronic devices (laptops, cell phones, tablets, etc.) while connected to the Missouri State University network?
Should a student sharing copyrighted material be reported and the student’s illegal activity be confirmed, the student will be notified of the infraction and asked promptly to rectify the situation. A record will be made of the infraction and the student will be submitted to student conduct for further action. Multiple infractions may lead to termination of the student’s access privileges.
Due to the potential problems that accompany using file-sharing programs, we recommend that all students uninstall them. Since many of them start automatically with the device and will share files without the user’s knowledge, refraining from use of the program may be insufficient.
Are there legal ways to discover new music?
Fortunately, there are many legal alternatives to discover new music available that won’t damage the network, won’t put you at risk for viruses and malware, and don’t use up a lot of bandwidth. We have compiled an extensive list of worthwhile, legal music services. Please follow the link to check out our list of legal alternatives.
If you would like to learn more about the legal issues surrounding file-sharing, check out http://www.campusdownloading.com.
Students will soon have the opportunity when dropping a course online to indicate why they are dropping the class. In future semesters this service will begin after the first full week of classes each semester.
New screens students will see are shown below:
As college students, we are asked to do a lot of research for papers, discussion boards—you name it. I’ve noticed that sometimes when I find a really good source, the page is either gone when I try to find it again or I just can’t remember how to get back to that particular page. Bookmarking can be helpful but Diigo offers so much more.
By using Diigo, you can highlight text, bookmark, and attach sticky notes to webpages. The highlights and sticky notes are nice because they stay on the original webpage, so when you access the material through your Diigo account, you don’t lose any important information! Also, you can access your account from any computer or iPhone, so you’ll always have your information easily accessible.
Features:
You can also bookmark a page to Diigo by uploading the material to your personal account. Diigo allows you to search your collection of information by tags, highlights, sticky notes, etc. Tags are better for sporadic information while lists are helpful to organize, share, and display your collected material. You can also play with WebSlides and use any list of URLs as a slideshow!
Stop losing important information today – try Diigo!
What social media tools are available that could enhance communication between you and your customers or clients? This presentation shows some options.
For those who may register for college classes in the fall for the first time, or for returning students, fitting college classes into a busy life schedule can be very frustrating. Family and jobs usually come first – so where does school fit in? There are quite a few options available for those who are always “on the go” – here are some helpful ways to integrate college into almost any lifestyle.
Online classes are a great choice for those that work part time or full time, or the family oriented type. Once registered, you sign up for Blackboard – a means of communication between students and instructors, group discussions, and how you look up and find assignments for online classes, when they’re due, and what your grade is in that class. From there it’s easy. Just follow your instructor’s guidelines – it’s that simple. What’s great is you can get your assignment and not have to answer it right away. It gives you time to read up on a topic, research the information, and write up a response without being watched or hovered over. This is definitely a good choice if you need school to work around you.
Another option for busy students is the Hybrid classes. My public speaking class met one day a week and each student got a DVD of pre-recorded class lectures to take home and watch. This was extremely helpful – you could watch the lecture DVD as many times as you wanted to get the information and material you needed. Instead of speed-writing notes in class and missing half the information your instructor throws at you, you can go over the same lecture in the comfort of your own home, follow along in the book and highlight the important info. Plus it saves you time by only meeting in class once a week.
As for students who work mostly in the mornings, there are evening classes available as well. Some even start as late as 7:30pm, and again some of these classes only meet once a week. Evening classes are a great way to continue your education and still have time for work.
With several class options available to suit each individuals needs, students have the opportunity to be able to spend time with their family, keep the same work hours, and get a valuable education to better their future. See what fits into your schedule, and sign up for classes today!
About a year ago I got an invite in my Gmail to try a new Google service called Google Voice. I’m a big Google fan so I quickly signed up and began to use it. It was touted as a phone management system but I didn’t think much of it until I realized what that actually entailed. Let me tell you what Google Voice is. It is a single phone number that you can use to: make free long distance calls, make inexpensive international calls, text for free, read or hear voicemail (it will actually transcribe your voicemail!), manage all of your other phone numbers, filter how you receive calls by contacts, and the list goes on. This can be all managed from a web browser, or even a phone. I currently use Google Voice primarily to make all of my long distance calls. I’ve used it in this capacity so much, that I’ve recently removed the long distance service from my land line entirely. This has saved me quite a bit of money! These are just a few of the highlights of Google Voice. If you want to find out more, please go here:
www.google.com/voice
Google Wave is a web-based application that represents a rethinking of electronic communication. Users create online spaces called “waves,” which include multiple discrete messages and components that constitute a running, conversational document. Users access waves through the web, resulting in a model of communication in which rather than sending separate copies of multiple messages to different people, the content resides in a single space. Wave offers a compelling platform for personal learning environments because it provides a single location for collecting information from diverse sources while accommodating a variety of formats, and it makes interactive coursework a possibility for nontechnical students. Wave challenges us to reevaluate how communication is done, stored, and shared between two or more people.
View the Google Wave PDF from EDUCAUSE’s 7 Things… page.
Data visualization is the use of tools to represent data in the form of charts, maps, tag clouds, animations, or any graphical means that make content easier to understand. Graphic representations of data are popular because they open up the way we think about data, reveal hidden patterns, and highlight connections among elements. Because current web applications allow anyone with access to data to enter information and easily create a virtualization of it, students, informal learners, and the purely curious can now easily create visualizations that might reveal trends that were not obvious from the numbers alone. For scholars, particularly those whose conclusions depend on interpretation of complex statistics, data visualization offers the promise of easier communication and a wider audience for their findings.
The “7 Things You Should Know About…” series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.
In addition to the “7 Things You Should Know About…” briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.
Download the Data Visualization I or Data Visualization II from EDUCAUSE’s 7 Things… page.
Remote instrumentation involves remote, network-based control of scientific instruments. The expense and complexity of specialized instruments limits some institutions’ access to them, and logistical issues may prevent institutions that have such instruments from fully utilizing them. Remote instrumentation addresses these access and efficiency issues to improve educational quality and student opportunities.
View the Remote Instrumentation PDF from EDUCAUSE’s 7 Things… page.
