Penn State Launches Online Grade Recording Initiative: Starting Fall 2002, all Penn State faculty will have the opportunity to record their end-of-the-semester grades on the Web using eLion (http://elion.psu.edu/). In an effort to make grade recording more convenient and reliable, Penn State is making several online grade-recording options available and is discontinuing the previously used scanning system. The eLion Grade Entry service, which has been available since Fall 2001, will be the primary method for recording grades. more...

It's Not Just Business: Teaching Business Concepts and Real-World Skills Using SAP Software Penn State's Enterprise Integration Consortium's finger is on the pulse of the global business market. The Enterprise Integration Consortium's dynamic curriculum uses SAP software to teach students the concepts of supply chain management and enterprise information system management. SAP is database driven enterprise integration software that incorporates all aspects of a working business and that is why such software is referred to as enterprise integration software. Enterprise integration facilitates communication from one department or business level to another. Increased efficiency of data flow within a company and its supply chain has a direct, positive effect on company productivity. It improves customer service and product quality, decreases product time to market, and creates more efficient inventory levels. To read the entire article please see http://css.its.psu.edu/news/nlfa02.

Don't Attach-Share Files with PASS: PASS (Penn State Access Account Storage Space) is given to all users when they are joined to Penn State e-mail service. The default allocation for a user's PASS is 100MB. This is a companion article to the information available through https://www.work.psu.edu/pass/. That Web page discusses all platforms and tells you how to access your PASS as a network drive. You can also use the Penn State Portal to access our PASS space from any Web browser.This particular article shows you how to mount your PASS space on Windows XP. Similar articles are available for other platforms. Once you have access to your PASS space through the Portal or as a networked disk, it is easy to upload files that can then be shared with other colleagues via urls imbedded in e-mail. It assumes that you also have activated your "Personal Web Space." If you have not, please go to https://www.work.psu.edu/webspace to start this process. After this has been activated, at most three working days, come back to this article. To read the entire article please see http://css.its.psu.edu/news/nlfa02.

Copy the Teaching with Technology CD for Free: Faculty and departments may request free copies of the Teaching with Technology resource CD for their graduate students at the Computer Store. The CD was distributed to all Penn State faculty in October. To order copies, call the Computer Store at 814-865-2100 or 800-251-9281 and request part number CDDIST001. Requesters may have their order delivered by campus mail or may pick it up at 12 Willard Building, University Park. This free duplication is offered courtesy of Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), who produced the CD. TLT and the Computer Store are units of Information Technology Services.

A Word About Passwords: A Penn State Access Account is a user ID and password combination that allows Penn State students, faculty, and staff to use the full range of Internet services. Your user ID is the "public" part of your Penn State Access Account. Like your name, your user ID identifies you as an individual. This is the part you should share with others so that they know where to send you e-mail. Your user ID is usually composed of your initials followed by a 1- to 4-digit number such as xyz123. It is important to remember that the letters are lowercase. Your password is the "private" part of your Penn State Access Account and, as such, should not be shared with others. Like your University ID card, it authenticates that you are who you say you are. Your password is the "key" that lets you open electronic doors. Guard your password just as you guard your bank card PIN. Don't write it down or make it easy for someone to guess. Don't share your password with others, as they would then have the opportunity to read your e-mail, see your grades, obtain your transcript, charge printing to your Bursar bill, and forge e-mail and news postings from you. It is a violation of policy AD20 to share your password. For further information please see http://css.its.psu.edu/internet/password.html.

User Support in Place for Course Management System: With many instructors and students now taking advantage of Penn State's Course Management System, A New Global Environment for Learning (ANGEL), there is an increasing demand for user support. Fortunately, a carefully designed support system backed up by a dedicated staff is now in place. Key to this system is an online help request form within ANGEL through which every question is tracked and answered in a timely manner. According to Allen Stubblefield, Course Management System user support coordinator, the new support system provides faster and more reliable service by maximizing the efficiency of the user support team. All questions are routed to a support team member and are tracked for quality assurance. In the event that a team member cannot resolve a particular problem, the system allows the expertise of the entire support team to be brought to bear. Although the online form is the most reliable and efficient way to obtain ANGEL support, other avenues for help exist as well. ANGEL users may utilize online support materials found under the "Help" link in ANGEL, or call the help desk at 814-863-2494 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For the best ANGEL user support:
1.Go to http://cms.psu.edu/ and click the "Help" link.
2.Click the "Problem Report/Enhancement Request/Question Form" link.
3.Type in the requested information including a description of your concern.
4.Click the "Submit" button.

Desktop Videoconferencing - What is desktop video?: Desktop video means that you can sit at your desk and have a videoconference with someone who is sitting at his or her desk. (Think of a videoconference as a telephone conversation where you can see as well as hear the person on the other end of the phone.) Does this mean that we're finally at the age of the Jetsons with their video phones? Not quite. While the quality of desktop video is constantly improving, we are still a long way from the Jetsons. However, current video conferencing technology is adequate for many of today's applications. more...

Penn State Anywhere, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) Service: A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a secure encrypted network connection. For example, you may want to use a VPN to connect from your third-party Internet Service Provider (ISP) cable modem to Penn State services and resources. All Internet traffic exchanged between your cable modem and Penn State is encrypted via the VPN. A VPN uses encryption and other security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users access the network and that data is secure. There are several reasons why the use of a VPN is a good idea. These include the following:

* To secure all of your traffic between Penn State and your remote connection. Please note that this does not apply to connections made from your third-party ISP to a non .psu.edu domain (for example, a connection from your third-party ISP, AOL, to abcnews.com).

* To access Penn State resources that are restricted to Penn State IP addresses. When you use a VPN, you are assigned a Penn State IP address, which allows you to connect to certain Penn State services and resources. Some Penn State services and resources, such as library services, require you to connect with a Penn State IP address. In a manner of speaking, a VPN lets you make a connection via a third-party ISP cable modem, dial-up, or DSL as if you were "on campus."

* To authenticate to/access a wireless network (via the Office of Telecommunications (OTC) Standard Wireless Connection; or, to connect to the wireless networks in the University Support Building II (USB II), the Telecommunications Building, or the Computer Building)

Security Measure Underway To Increase Password Protection For Penn State Access Account Users: In an effort to increase password protection for Penn State Access Account users, Academic Services and Emerging Technologies (ASET), a service unit of Information Technology Services (ITS), will upgrade its File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server ftp.personal.psu.edu on June 1, 2002 to provide for "secure-only" file transfers. This means that Penn State's academic computing users will no longer be able to use popular FTP software such as WS_FTP for Windows and Fetch for Macintosh, to transfer files to their respective Penn State Access Account (PASS) Storage Space; however, a variety of alternatives have been established to help Penn State faculty, staff, and students make the transition from current file transfer methods to more secure options. The increase in security measures stems from the tendency for many kinds of FTP software to present passwords "in the clear." This means that passwords are vulnerable to network eavesdropping by unscrupulous individuals in search of "userids" and passwords, giving them the ability to gain unauthorized access to servers and systems. Due to this vulnerability, students, faculty and staff should be aware that it's possible for an individual to obtain their Penn State Access Account userid and password and assume their identity. How can Penn State's community of computer users update Web pages and files without risking security compromise? Fortunately, alternatives, which are noted below, have been created to make file updates to Personal, Course, or Departmental Web pages easy and secure. For a list of alternatives and more information, please see http://css.its.psu.edu/news/alerts/ftp_announce.html.

New Tool Lets Penn State Portal Users Transfer Files: Users of the Penn State Portal (https://portal.psu.edu/) can transfer files to their PASS via the Penn State Portal's new file transfer tool, the PASS Explorer. The PASS Explorer tool lets users transfer files quickly and easily between their PASS and a local directory/folder on their machine. The tool was created to provide a similar look and feel to an FTP client but unlike an FTP client, it does not present passwords "in the clear." To access the PASS Explorer, Portal users will need to add the Penn State Access Account Storage Space channel to their selection of Portal channels. To accomplish this, they must first click on the "Content" link on the Portal header. The "Change Content" screen appears. Users can then select the "Access Account Services" category from the "Categories" pull-down menu, and then click once on the Penn State Access Account Storage Space channel to select this channel. The channel appears in the "My Channels" list. The process is completed by clicking the button, and then the button. A link to instructions for using the PASS Explorer is provided via the Penn State Access Account Storage Space channel, but users may access instructions directly at http://www.psu.edu/portalproject/passexplorer/. Comments and inquiries can be directed to portal-feedback@psu.edu.

Penn State WebMail: Penn State WebMail is a Web-based e-mail client, similar to Yahoo! Mail, that provides you with anytime, anywhere access to your Penn State e-mail via a Web browser. Authentication to and e-mail storage in WebMail are made possible via your Access Account userid and password. Your e-mail is stored in your home directory. The easy-to-use interface lets you check and send mail via a secure connection, create and organize mailboxes, access directory services, create and add personalized signatures, and change settings. New features continue to be developed and added. The client is now available to the University community for use. To use WebMail, go to https://webmail.psu.edu/ and click on the "Click To Enter" link. Authenticate with your Access Account userid and password. Instructions for use are available on-line via the WebMail interface. Inquiries can be directed to webmail@psu.edu.

Accessing E-mail While Away From Penn State: You may need to access your e-mail while away from Penn State. Perhaps you want to stay in touch with your friends over holidays or breaks or you need to check in with your office while on a business trip. more...

A Window on OS X A Windows User Looks at Apple's New Operating System: Operating systems can sometimes take on the aspects of a secular religion. They have their True Believers, their dissidents, their saints and sinners, and their apostates. And most of all, all parishoners know beyond any doubt that theirs is the best, and that all others are the work of Evil Powers. For years, Windows adherents have sneered at anything originating from Apple Computer, MacIntosh diehards have heaped obloquy upon any and all things Microsoft, and Unix zealots have scorned them both. more...

Peer-to-Peer Technologies and Collaborative Writing: Peer-to-peer technologies' recent large-scale introduction into college campuses occurred not through computer science departments or technology in the classroom initiatives, but through programs like Napster. School administrators could not ignore the peer-to-peer technologies being used by the student body: students were consuming unanticipated network resources by opening up their hard drives to other users; additionally, students were violating copyright law. Intellectual property and network resource issues are the focus of much student, administrator, and media attention surrounding peer-to-peer technologies. Information technology professionals pay attention to the architecture, security, and compatibility issues. This article examines peer-to-peer applications from an educational perspective. more...

Statistics Course Uses Technology to Engage Students: A collaborative effort involving the Department of Statistics, the Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning, and Information Technology Services (ITS) is changing the way students learn Elementary Statistics at Penn State. With William Harkness, professor of Statistics, providing the impetus, the three collaborators transformed a traditional, lecture-style Statistics class into a highly-interactive learning environment which uses computer-based activities to promote increased involvement and greater learning for the students. Because STAT 200 is a required course in nearly 60 academic majors, the changes are impacting large numbers. Approximately 2,200 students at University Park, plus an additional 400 students from other University locations, participate in the class each year. more...

Are You Reaching Your Audience Online?: Access to the Web is especially critical at institutions like Penn State, where the Internet is used extensively to share academic and other important information with students, faculty, and staff. Unfortunately, part of that audience is often prevented from obtaining online information because of practices and elements in Web design that make sites inaccessible to individuals with certain disabilities. more...

Are You XPerienced? A Quick Glance at Windows XP: Okay, Microsoft XP, the follow-on to Windows 2000, is here. The bad news is, there isn't much visible difference. And the good news is, there isn't much visible difference. Windows 2000, nee Windows NT Version 5, was a major overhaul for Microsoft's flag-ship operating system, and this time around, the upgrade seems at first glance more cosmetic than cosmic for the average user. This should be good news to those weary of Windows 2000 upgrade trauma, but may leave others wondering "why bother?" We're going to take a slightly closer look at Windows XP, and let you decide for yourself. more...

Contract to Provide Norton Antivirus Software University-Wide: A contract recently signed between Penn State and Symantec has made Norton AntiVirus software available at no cost to students, faculty, and staff throughout the University. According to University experts, concern about the damage viruses can inflict is growing at Penn State, as increasingly more students acquire and use computers for a wide range of activities. Issues like these, along with the onslaught of attachment-based viruses like the "Love Bug" last year, prompted the Center for Academic Computing (CAC) to develop a cost-effective way to make the leading virus detection software, Norton AntiVirus, readily accessible to the Penn State community. Students at University Park will be able to obtain the new free anti-virus software from either 6 Willard or 215 Computer Building starting January 21, 2002. Students at other campus locations can obtain the software from the computer center in their specific areas. A two-CD Norton Antivirus set will additionally be sent to all Penn State department budget administrators at no cost. Each department must then complete a Microcomputer Order Center form to obtain the legal license for use of the software. This order form may also be used to purchase additional copies of the CDs at the cost of $2 per set. Department licenses are expected to cover both home and work systems for faculty and staff at Penn State. To learn more about Penn State's Norton Antivirus software program, see http://css.its.psu.edu/news/symantec.html.

Penn State Wireless LAN Service: The Office of Computer and Information Systems (CIS) is committed to its leadership role in exploring and implementing emerging enterprise technology solutions for Penn State University. CIS's development of high-speed wireless networking technology has created wireless network access opportunities that can be deployed at any of Penn State's campus locations. What is Wireless LAN? A wireless LAN is a flexible data communications system that can be implemented as an extension to a wired LAN within a building or on campus. Wireless LANs transmit and receive data over the air (via radio frequency technology), minimizing the need for wired connections. With wireless LANs, users can access shared information, receive electronic mail (e-mail) and access Penn State computing resources or the Internet without looking for a place to "plug in." Thus, wireless LANs combine data connectivity with user mobility. Note: Wireless LAN service should not be confused with the "wired" Mobile Computing ports offered at Penn State. Penn State's Wireless LAN service is designed for use by "wireless capable" laptop computers, such as those that have either a built-in wireless network chipset or a PC Card installed in a PCMCIA slot. These wireless LAN adapters (or radio cards) provide an interface between the client network operating system (NOS) and the airwaves via an antenna. Because the nature of the wireless LAN is transparent to a user's NOS, applications work the same as they do on wired LANs. more...

Firewalls - Not just for Fires Any More: Millions of personal computers now connect to the Internet through various means. These can include standard modems, ISDN or DSL connections, or broadband cable modems. Telecommunication costs are often low enough that users can stay connected to the Internet for hours. For cable modem, ISDN and DSL users the connection is always on -- allowing the personal computer to act as a server or to perform time-intensive tasks when the user is away. Standard modems require use of a telephone session, but second phone lines with local calling plans are inexpensive enough that many modem users have dedicated lines for their use - again allowing for very long connections. more...

Penn State Teams Use Metadata to Get Digital Resources in Order: Digital technology has taken learning resources from the static confines of the old overhead projector to easily accessible, interactive experiences that include sound and motion. But despite the dramatic evolution in the quality of learning resources, there has been little progress towards a system of classification that allows educators to efficiently identify, locate, and reuse these materials. more...