Technology Learning Opportunities

You may sign up for scheduled offerings or arrange for your group to be trained at a time and place most convenient to you. You may choose to receive group instruction or study alone. You may take a "blended learning" approach, complementing face-to-face instruction with work done at your own pace.

Some of the venues for technology training are free seminars, Training on Demand, Human Resource Development Center computing skills courses, Web-Based Training, and the Teaching and Learning With Technology lunchtime seminar series.

According to the Center for Education Technology Services Training Group staff, this academic year, additional sections of popular seminars have been opened to reduce the number of people on waiting lists. The number of Web-based courses has been increased, now totaling over 750 options. Also new this year is the Program Management Tool, which allows faculty and supervisors to assign specific Web-Based Training courses to students or staff and receive feedback on their progress.

Lisa Lacombe, manager of the Training Group, says, "We try to offer something for everyone. Our services are continually responding to the changing technology training needs of the Penn State community."

For Everyone

Free Seminars

Computer & Information Systems (C&IS) offers both hands-on and lecture-style workshops throughout the fall and spring semesters at various skill levels, usually lasting two to three hours. The dozens of free offerings are designed to fit in with busy schedules and emphasize techniques learners can practice on their own time. The seminar selections cater to faculty, students, programmers and developers, staff assistants, and presenters, among others.

Here are just a few enthusiastic comments from seminar attendees this fall:

For registration and further information, please see http://cac.psu.edu/training/

Training on Demand

For some, a specially planned session will best meet the training needs and schedules of a particular group. Training on Demand (TOD), provides the flexibility you need. You may schedule group training at a convenient time, at your own site or in the Wagner Computer Training Center (WCTC), consisting of two labs designed for teaching Windows and Macintosh software applications. You may mix and match topics from the seminar offerings to meet your group's specific skill-building needs. TOD offers qualified instructors, group learning, flexibility, convenience, cost-effectiveness, and guaranteed seating. These sessions could make a highly positive impact on your class or organization.

Groups may additionally rent the WCTC for their own training purposes; members of the faculty may reserve the labs for teaching Penn State credit courses.

See the Training on Demand link at http://cac.psu.edu/training/

Web-Based Training

Web-Based Training (WBT) provides free access to technology training to anyone with a Penn State Access Account userid, available anytime from anywhere. Over 750 self-paced tutorials are now available on the Web to help faculty, staff, and students learn new technology skills or enhance existing knowledge. New or updated courses are added to the WBT Web site once a year. Pre-and post-assessments are built in to each course to help gauge progress, as well as set up a Precision Learning Track. This valuable feature reduces the amount of time spent by customizing the course to target only topics missed during assessment. The most recent addition to the WBT Web site is the Program Management Tool (PMT). The PMT provides faculty members and supervisors with the ability to assign custom programs to an individual or group by organizing WBT courses into an easy-to-use curriculum. By combining courses into a program, a faculty member or supervisor can help students or staff learn skills to fulfill their academic or professional development needs. See http://wbt.cac.psu.edu/

For faculty, staff, and teaching assistants

Teaching with Technology lunchtime seminar series

Faculty and staff interested in instructional development and technology in the classroom should plan to attend the remaining sessions of this fall's free Teaching with Technology lunchtime seminar series, sponsored by the Center for Academic Computing and Center for Education Technology Services. On October 26, the Penn State Digital Media Group presents "Digital Media at Penn State." On November 30, the Center for Education Technology services presents "ANGEL (A New Global Environment for Learning)." Connect with others interested in using technology in teaching, and be made aware of potential resources available.

See http://cac.psu.edu/training/, click on "Register for Seminars," and select "Technology in the Classroom" and "Lecture."

Winter-Fest

Each year during the first week of January, free technology workshops are held for faculty and staff. This year's event focuses on Penn State's Course Management System, ANGEL (A New Global Environment for Learning), allowing instructors to create on-line courses. A similar Summer-Fest is also offered annually between terms.

Information and registration will be available later this year at http://cac.psu.edu/training/.

Human Resource Development Center Programs

A wide selection of in-depth computing skills training for beginning through advanced levels is offered to faculty and staff through the Human Resource Development Center (HRDC). Skills covered include administrative topics, Windows and Macintosh topics, tools for information technology professionals, and others. Programs last from four to twelve hours and are offered for a fee. To ensure your space in a program, HRDC must receive your registration two weeks in advance. See http://www.ohr.psu.edu/hrdc/home.htm