In Fall of 2022, the IDEAS team conducted a needs assessment with the goal of better understanding instructor needs and preferences related to technology training at UMass Amherst. One aspect of the needs assessment was a survey for instructors and teaching assistants, which was included in the IDEAS newsletter in November and December of 2022.
On February 9 — 11, you are invited to join members of the IT group at ELI Virtual Annual Meeting 2015. This conference is arranged by EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. We’ll be projecting the virtual meeting sessions in our 40-seat conference room in…
Advancing technology and changing pedagogy have flipped our classrooms, changed the way we lecture, and put lectures, homework and assignments online. Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology David Gross has embraced these changes and uses his tablet as the lynch-pin to hold it all together. Here’s a look at how he’s integrated a ton of…
Can’t get to Florida? Join us in Lederle Graduate Research Center where we’ll be projecting the EDUCAUSE online Virtual Conference in our 40-seat conference room. When: Monday, September 29 (12-4 p.m.) and Tuesday, September 30th through Thursday, October 2nd, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Where: LGRC A215. For program and session details, visit http://www.educause.edu/annual-conference/agenda-and-program/virtual-conference-agenda This…
For Fall 2014, UMass Amherst is offering iPeer, a web-based tool that allows students to evaluate their peers as part of team-based work assignments. About iPeer Peer evaluation is particularly useful in courses where teams or groups are utilized for collaborative work. iPeer provides a number of different peer evaluation tools, including: Simple: students evaluate…
Beloit has published their Class of 2018 “Mindset List” to help inform instructors about the cultural references that will (or will not) make sense to the incoming class of students. While this list can be amusing, and may offer some useful information on what obscure sitcom lines may no longer make sense to 18-year-olds, it is…
“Taking Notes by Hand Benefits Recall, Researchers Find” by Dana Perez-Hernandez, Wired Campus Why this matters: Laptops can be a distraction in the classroom, but some students insist on the devices for note taking. While tech can facilitate speedy lecture transcription for fast typists, a pencil and paper may actually provide stronger learning outcomes according…
50 years ago, Isaac Asimov predicted that “Robots will neither be common nor very good in 2014, but they will be in existence.” Well, robots are acting as housekeepers (think of the Jetson’s housekeeper, Rosie,) but they are capable of performing tasks and even communicating with humans and one another. Take a look at…
Suzanne Surina Baur, a Technology Resource Teacher from Southeastern Cooperative Educational Program in Norfolk, Virginia, suggests ways to have students drive their learning in class. She notes that being lectured to or talked at makes it hard for students to be engage with the material and take ownership of their learning. Read her suggestions at…
This week, we would like to share a few interesting technology products that may not necessarily have a direct impact on teaching and learning. However, they could spark conversations and potentially ideas that indirectly influence teaching. Besides, some of these innovations are really cool. You need to hear about them if you have not already.
Smartphones and tablets are important tool for students and faculty. A number of applications for these devices help keep one organized, support efficiency, conserve resources and assist with production of materials.
Can Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and the likes support learning? They most certainly can. Social media engages students with you, their classmates, current affairs and online resources. Below are a few links to resources with suggestions for using social media in any classroom setting. Guide to Social Media in the Classroom http://www.edutopia.org/blog/guidebook-social-media-in-classroom-vicki-davis That’s Pinteresting! How educators…