Digital Commons

Faculty Multimedia Center

The Faculty Multimedia Center (FMC), in 206 Pollock Buiding, offers consultation, specialized equipment and applications, and online tutorials about digital media and authoring tools that enrich the learning experience of students. Instructors can make an appointment to discuss audio, video, and graphics tools with an experienced consultant. Those already familiar with multimedia tools can arrange to work independently on FMC workstations. The facility features flatbed and slide scanners, and you can capture from and output to VHS, miniDV, and DVD. Some workstations include speakers, microphones, VHS/SVHS video decks, a Sony converter box, and a source monitor. See http://tlt.its.psu.edu/fmc/.

Studio 204

Studio 204 is a free video studio for Penn State students located in Room 204 Pollock, University Park. Students assigned video projects including interviews, presentations, e-portfolio introductions, and demonstrations can use Studio 204's professional equipment and draw on the expertise of multimedia consultants to make their projects sparkle. Equipment includes high-end digital video and still cameras, professional lighting, wireless and boom microphones, green and grey screens, and basic presentation props. Studio 204 is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. First time users must complete a twenty-minute orientation. For more information, call 814-574-9721, e-mail studio204@psu.edu, or visit http://tlt.its.psu.edu/studio204/.

Penn State's Course Management System, ANGEL

Information Technology Services (ITS) supports the ANGEL course management system at http://cms.psu.edu/. ANGEL enables instructors to manage course materials, communication, quizzing, and grading from one online location without the need to know HTML.

ANGEL version 7.1, released on May 19, 2007, offers several new enhancements. Instructors have increased flexibility to customize course tabs. Using the new report tool, instructors can generate a variety of reports on student progress from a single location. For more details or to access animated tutorials demonstrating new features, visit http://angelkb.ais.psu.edu/ or click the question mark icon within ANGEL, then select the "ANGEL 7.1 New Features" category on the left.

ANGEL allows students to access course materials online. If several of your instructors are using ANGEL, you only need to log on to one location and learn one interface. ANGEL offers students several ways to keep academic work organized and to manage time. "My Calendar" lists course-related events posted by instructors plus your own personal events. Keep backup copies of course files you have submitted in "My Files." Within a course, use the "guide" tool to easily list "What's New," or view a list of "Tasks" you can check off as they are completed. Take course-related notes right within ANGEL by selecting the "My Notes" link on the "Lessons" tab.

If ANGEL is being used in one or more of your courses, you can learn how to use basic ANGEL features by going to http://angelkb.ais.psu.edu/ or clicking the question mark icon within ANGEL. Select the "Student Topics" category on the left to view help topics specifically designed to help students master ANGEL skills as rapidly as possible.

All ANGEL users are welcome to visit the ANGEL Community Hub at http://ets.tlt.psu.edu/angel/, a place to share ideas, discuss views, and help fellow community members work out solutions and best practices related to ANGEL. Anyone visiting the site can read existing posts on the ANGEL Community Hub blog. In order to post a new topic or comment on an existing topic, you must select the "Login" link on the right side of the page, then enter your Penn State Access Account userid and password on the WebAccess form.

Podcasts at Penn State

The Podcasts at Penn State program offers a variety of services designed to offer faculty an easy way to produce educational podcasts and distribute them to their students. These services include hands-on training, information on locating equipment to borrow or purchase for producing podcasts, recommendations of the best practices for creating pedagogical podcasts, free software downloads necessary to create podcasts, free accounts to begin posting podcasts, online tutorials, and more. For more information on how to participate in the program and to begin podcasting to students, visit http://podcasts.psu.edu/ or e-mail podcasts@psu.edu.

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect (formerly Breeze Meeting) is a collaboration tool that includes videoconferencing, application sharing, live polling, chat, whiteboards, and presentations. Live, synchronous interactions with small or large groups take place right on your desktop. For information on how to get started with Adobe Connect, visit the Adobe Connect Community site at http://meeting.psu.edu/. The site features a forum where anyone involved in using or supporting Adobe Connect can meet and share ideas, information, and materials. Anyone may access the site and read the content. To contribute to the collective knowledge of the community, select the "Click Here to Log In" link on the right side of the page, then enter your Penn State Access Account or Friends of Penn State account (http://fps.psu.edu/) user ID and password on the WebAccess form. Official support of Adobe Connect for Penn State faculty, staff, and students is provided by the ITS Help Desks at helpdesk@psu.edu, 814-863-2494, or 814-863-1035.

LionShare

LionShare is an open-source, secure peer-to-peer file sharing application for higher education, enabling legal file sharing of academic content for Penn State and other institutions. Users can search and retrieve files in any format from other LionShare users and many academic networks around the world, including image, video, audio, and text files. Along with file sharing, LionShare has an integrated instant messenger tool to allow communication and collaboration among LionShare users. LionShare runs on all major operating systems, including Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. For more information and to download LionShare for free, visit http://lionshare.psu.edu/.

WebLion

WebLion is a Web content management system that allows Penn State units to more effectively and efficiently maintain their Web sites, even if they do not have expert technical staff. WebLion helps users create Web sites that are easy to navigate, have updated content, utilize Penn State's security infrastructure, and meet Web visual design and accessibility standards including Policy AD54. An open-source Web content system, WebLion is built on a foundation consisting of the Zope application framework and the Plone content management system. For more information about WebLion, including how to join a growing community of Zope and Plone users at Penn State, please visit http://weblion.psu.edu/.

The Blogs at Penn State

The Blogs at Penn State is a pilot project exploring the use of blogs (Weblogs) in higher education. Once you have established your blog, you are free to use it as you see fit. Blogs are published in your personal Web space (http://www.personal.psu.edu/), so they belong to you. If you would like to participate in the pilot, go to the Blogs at Penn State Community site at http://blogger.psu.edu/ and click the "Get your Penn State blog" button on the left. The site includes a forum where Penn State bloggers can gather to share information on how to get the best use of the Penn State blogs.

Research and Assessment Consultation

The Assessment and Evaluation Research Group within Teaching and Learning with Technology can help you determine the effectiveness of instructional technologies and strategies in your courses through student surveys and other traditional research methods. To schedule an appointment for a consultation, e-mail assessment@psu.edu. Reports of previous surveys and research projects can be accessed at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/pages/surveys.html.

Teaching with Technology Certificate Program

The Teaching with Technology Certificate program gives graduate teaching assistants the opportunity to combine their existing technology and teaching skills with new skills to create a Web-based portfolio showcasing the ways in which they use technology for teaching. Students who complete this program receive a certificate of achievement from The Graduate School. For more information about the Teaching with Technology Certificate Program, visit http://tlt.its.psu.edu/support/twt/.

Multimedia Teaching Objects

Faculty searching for materials to reinforce course concepts can view and download free multimedia teaching modules at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/mto/. The modules, developed through the Multimedia Teaching Object (MTO) grant program, use multimedia such as animation, 3-D visualization, video, audio, online games, and interactive demonstrations. Faculty applications for the development of new modules are accepted three times per year. See the Web site for details. Faculty can now subscribe to an RSS feed at the MTO site that provides instant updates regarding new modules and other MTO news.

Technology Learning Assistants

Faculty who would like one-on-one tutoring in their offices on teaching, learning, and class management tools can apply for a student Technology Learning Assistant. Possible topics include basic computer skills, e-mail and file organization, PowerPoint, creating basic Web pages, and/or ANGEL. Interested faculty should complete a brief application form at http://ets.its.psu.edu/tla/.

Annual Symposium and Innovators Series

The annual Penn State Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology brings together faculty and teaching support staff to share innovative ideas and best practices for using technology to enhance courses. The next symposium is scheduled for March 29, 2008. As a complement to the event, the Web site at http://symposium.tlt.psu.edu/ provides a calendar of events, podcasts, and a blog to which faculty are invited to contribute throughout the year. An RSS feed of new blog posts is available. During the fall semester, the Teaching and Learning with Technology unit of ITS also hosts a monthly Innovators Series, during which invited faculty members present effective or emerging technologies for use in teaching and learning.

Faculty Engagement Initiative

The Faculty Engagement Initiative (http://engage.tlt.psu.edu/) is designed to give faculty an opportunity to work with staff within Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) to explore emerging technologies that have the potential to impact teaching and learning at Penn State. Throughout the year, new technologies are selected for further investigation, and a call for proposals is made for a limited number of projects. Once a proposal is accepted, TLT staff time and facilities will be dedicated to the development and successful implementation of the project. Areas of investigation planned for 2007-08 include novel uses of blogs for teaching and learning, the integration of digital media into curricular design, and gaming. Please contact facultyengagement@psu.edu if you would like to discuss future opportunities.

Free Technology Seminars

Each year, ITS Training Services offers hundreds of free computer and technology seminars to Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Conveniently offered during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, as well as during session breaks, these seminars are designed to help faculty, staff, and students learn the technology skills that can improve their teaching and learning activities at Penn State and beyond. Some popular seminar categories include Web and Internet; Databases; Graphics, Multimedia, and Desktop Publishing; Technologies for the Classroom; Penn State's Course Management System, ANGEL; High Performance Computing; IT Professional topics, like server administration and operating systems; and many more. Registration is required for participation in these seminars. For registration dates, times, seminar information, or to receive new course and registration announcements through various subscription options, visit http://its.psu.edu/training/.

Training on Demand

Training on Demand offers a convenient way for staff and instructors to provide their groups with critical technology training. Faculty can request training sessions for their students right in the classroom. Popular topics include e-Portfolio, Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft Access. Penn State staff members at all campuses can request just-in-time training sessions for their groups, and experienced instructors from ITS Training Services will provide the professional instruction that will boost critical job skills. Popular topics include Microsoft Access, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and many more. These seminars can be presented at various requested sites, including any ITS Training Services lab. For more information, visit http://its.psu.edu/training/.

The TEACH Act

The passage of the TEACH Act in November 2002 clarified important sections of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1999. The TEACH Act modifies and clarifies the ways in which copyrighted material may be used in online education by an "accredited nonprofit educational institution," without permission of the copyright owner. The Act extends earlier permissions granted to educators, but also specifies new requirements for how far educational institutions must go in preventing copyright infringement.

The greater freedoms granted to instructors are balanced with greater responsibility for oversight or management of online learning at the institutional level. In order for Penn State to take full advantage of the provisions of the TEACH Act, faculty and students must understand clearly what they can do under "fair use" and what they cannot do. Anecdotal evidence suggests widespread unfamiliarity with principles of "fair use."

In February 2003, Executive Vice President and Provost Rodney Erickson charged a committee to examine how Penn State can best respond to the TEACH Act. He wants the committee's recommendations on how to best inform the Penn State community of the new legislation and its implications using the Web in teaching and learning. The committee is considering such questions as these: What kinds of educational programs (seminars, workshops, publications, etc.) would be most effective? How can we encourage faculty and students to comply with the principles of "fair use"? How can we help faculty and students find out how to obtain permissions to use copyrighted materials if permissions are required?

ITS offers a variety of seminars and instructional materials that cover the TEACH Act and other copyright issues throughout the year. To learn more about the TEACH Act, visit the Web site at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/dmd/teachact/.

Academic Integrity Resources

To help encourage academic integrity, Penn State faculty are invited to take advantage of two free Web-based resources. Turnitin is a plagiarism detection and prevention system owned by Turnitin.com, which has licensed the system to Penn State for use in the University community. Faculty can submit students' papers to the system to perform originality checks. Turnitin can also be used as a teaching tool to raise awareness of paraphrasing and quoting skills among students to avoid plagiarism. In addition, faculty can assign the self-paced instructional module entitled "Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Copyright" via ANGEL (see instructions at http://istudy.psu.edu/), providing the academic integrity information that should be included in every course. Both resources, made available by Teaching and Learning with Technology, a unit of Information Technology Services, are detailed at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/turnitin/. Faculty can also e-mail turnitin@psu.edu for more information.

Penn State's Computer Store

Products include:

• Laptops, Computers and Printers
• Digital Cameras and Scanners
• Memory and Cables
• Ink, Toner, and Specialty Papers
• iPods, MP3s, Speakers, Headphones
• Preferred Vendors: Apple, Dell, and IBM/Lenovo

Software Services include:

• Free Purchasing Consultation
• Full Range of Software for PC, Mac, and Unix/Linux
• Low Cost Licensed Software for Students, Employees, and Departments
• CD and DVD Duplication

Visit the Web site for a full list of products and prices. If you don't see something you need, be sure to ask—many products can be special ordered at no additional cost!

Contact Information:

Penn State's Computer Store
12 Willard Building or HUB Ground Floor
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-2100 or 800-251-9281
Email: computerstore@psu.edu
Order in Person or by Phone: Mon.-Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Order Online: 24 hours/day at http://computerstore.psu.edu

Calling Options-Cellular and Long Distance Service

A variety of discounted cellular calling plans are available through local providers for departments as well as student, faculty and staff personal use. Students, faculty and staff who have existing cellular service should contact their service provider to verify if they are eligible for discounts. Please check the coverage in the buildings where you will be using your phone before you commit to a provider or plan. Several options are available for students, faculty and staff who wish to make long-distance calls.

Students may use a prepaid calling card or use any long distance service accessible by dialing a toll-free number (such as 800, 888, 877) or by using a 1010 Carrier Identification Code. University policy prohibits the use of University services/phones for personal long distance calls, but does provide access to outside lines for prepaid calling cards, personal calling cards, and collect calls. Prepaid calling cards are usually less costly than collect calls and can be obtained locally.

Penn State Travel Calling Cards are available to faculty and staff and are recommended for all domestic, departmental voice and data calls, while away from the office. Prepaid calling card services are authorized for international calling ONLY (while within or outside the United States) as per the conditions outlined in guru policy BS-19 located at http://guru.psu.edu/policies/BS19.html. Penn State employees may use their choice of prepaid calling card, but should purchase one with a reasonable cost. Other International and Domestic Long Distance Calling options for University faculty and staff include the University Corporate Calling Card (for University Park locations) and the University ExecuBill Calling Card (for other campus locations).

Faculty and staff may check out the Best Rate-Finder at http://css.its.psu.edu/es/phone/bestrate.html to find out what calling option is best for them.

More information is available at http://its.psu.edu/ under phones and paging.

ITS Web and Media Design Solutions

ITS offers a Web site and media design, development and production service at low for-fee rates. This service specializes in programming and back-end database creation, as well as design and graphics.

• Web site Design and Development
• Database driven Web Applications
• CD/DVD Creation
• VHS to DVD Conversion

For more information visit http://websolutions.its.psu.edu/ or http://mediasolutions.its.psu.edu/.

Contact Information:

Software Sources

Penn State students, faculty, and staff can obtain Windows, Mac, and UNIX software at no cost or at special prices, see https://downloads.its.psu.edu/.

• The Open Source Mirror Site, found at http://carroll.aset.psu.edu/, provides access to various large Open Source packages including Linux distributions, BSD distributions, the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN), Sun freeware, and more. The mirror server is accessible via the following protocols:

ftp://carroll.aset.psu.edu
http://carroll.aset.psu.edu
rsync://carroll.aset.psu.edu

• Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) File Backup and Archive Server offers a means for faculty, staff, and departments to easily back up and archive files. See http://aset.its.psu.edu/accounts/tsm.html for details.

Penn State Calendaring

Oracle Collaboration Suite Calendar (Oracle Calendar) is a calendaring and scheduling client, which allows users to create meetings, events and compare schedules with others using the group agenda, as well as manage the scheduling and use of high-demand resources such as conference rooms and equipment. While clients are available for UNIX, Linux, Macintosh, Solaris and Windows, users can easily access and update their calendars via the Oracle Calendar Web server, http://www.cal.psu.edu/ provided that they have a valid license. In addition, Portable Digital Assistant (PDA) synchronization clients for Palm and Pocket PC devices can be obtained. For more information about Oracle Calendar licenses and access to downloads, please visit http://downloads.its.psu.edu/. To apply for this service, please visit http://aset.its.psu.edu/accounts/calendar.html.

Getting Connected

To get started with wireless computing, your laptop must be "wireless capable:, i.e. it has an 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g wireless adapter. If your laptop does not have a wireless adapter, you can purchase one from the Penn State Computer Store at http://computerstore.psu.edu/ or at their showroom at 12 Willard Building on the University Park campus. .

You also will need to download the free Virtual Private Network (VPN) software available at http://wireless.psu.edu/. For those who do not have an Internet connection and need to download the VPN client to begin using wireless, go to http://wireless.psu.edu/ to download the client without having to be connected to the wired campus network. The VPN software enables you to have a secure network connection on your laptop while accessing Penn State's networking resources.

To connect and use the Penn State Wireless network (and the Internet) on campus simply power up your laptop and,

1. Connect to the wireless network called "pennstate".
2. Open the VPN software (previously downloaded in the section above), select the appropriate Penn State campus location, and click "connect".
3. Enter your Penn State Access Account Username and Password and click OK.

You are now connected to the Penn State Wireless network!

Penn State Wireless Locations

Wireless is available in a growing number of public outdoor spaces and in buildings on campus. Currently, there are over 60 buildings (with more being added) at the University Park campus. In addition to University Park, many other Penn State campus locations have installed wireless networks. Wireless access is also available in some outdoor areas at several Penn State campus locations. At University Park, those areas include the HUB Plaza, Willard Plaza, Thomas Plaza and the outdoor area surrounding the new Business Building. Wireless access is becoming more readily available in general purpose classrooms (GPCs) on the University Park Campus due to the fact that all newly constructed buildings are installing wireless connectivity that includes coverage in the new GPCs. University Housing has made wireless access available in many of the common areas (lounges and lobbies) within the residence halls at University Park to provide those who live in residence halls with additional study places. Currently, residence hall rooms do not have wireless and student-installed wireless networks are prohibited. Look for the "Signal": Wireless Signal signs. The wireless signal indicates that there is Penn State Wireless in that general area. Posting of this sign is optional and not all locations with Penn State Wireless will have this sign. More information on wireless locations is available online at http://wireless.psu.edu/.

eLion (eLion.psu.edu)

Penn State's eLion is an expert-based, empirically grounded interactive system delivered by the latest technologies to supplement student-advisor relationships, engage students in interactive inquiry for informed educational planning, facilitate faculty access to student information, and allow prospective students to explore
Penn State.

The Purpose pf eLion is to provide current, prospective, and former students access to the information and services needed to initiate and complete academic programs and to provide faculty and advisers access to the information needed to successfully advise and teach students. Through eLion, students can learn who their assigned academic adviser is, prepare to meet with their adviser, register for classes, check final grades, view a summary of their academic records, participate in interactive advising sessions concerning late course drop and withdrawal, and more.

This page is part of Your Guide to Information Technology @ Penn State.