The following is an excerpt from a column by Vickie Cook, UIS executive director of online, professional and engaged learning. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 6, 2020.
The University of Illinois Springfield has worked with students and their families to help them find ways to connect to the internet since the pandemic began disrupting education in March. The issue of inequitable access for our students and their families became significantly apparent as students returned to their homes in urban, suburban and rural areas both in Illinois and beyond our state borders.
To promote equity across Illinois, UIS is committed to continue our support of digital inclusion. Digital inclusion is the ability of all individuals to access and use digital information regardless of geographical location or annual income. In 2019 about 63% of rural families reported access to broadband internet services, which was up from only 35% in 2007.
Unfortunately, too many digital deserts still exist in the United States. In 2017, it was predicted 260 million devices would be connected to the internet in our country by 2020. We know that the pandemic has created the necessity of many more devices to have reliable internet connectivity.
Income disparity also significantly impacts the access to and use of digital technologies. Adults who earned less than $30,000 per year reported that only a third owned smartphones in 2019 and more than 40% reported not having broadband access. School districts around the state — including those in Sangamon County — have provided hotspots and as much help as possible to Pre-K through 12th-grade students.
University of Illinois Springfield has supported students with finding ways to connect, checking out devices, and helping access connections through community support. Schools, churches and local community groups have stepped up to help meet the needs of students trying to study from home by allowing WiFi access from their parking lots.
Low-income students enrolled in higher education may also be unable to keep up with their counterparts in various geographical or higher salary demographics, putting their college opportunities and future career aspirations at risk. UIS has committed to providing as much support as possible to our students. The UIS Information Technology Services staff provide troubleshooting and help desk support, loan out devices, and provide connections to resources that may help students find better connectivity in their areas.
Read the entire column online.
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Thursday, February 13, 2020
State releases $500M for statewide technology innovation network, about $15M for UIS innovation center
Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday touted statewide benefits he said will result from a $500 million state investment in 15 hubs of a University of Illinois-led research institute network.
Officials at the University of Illinois Springfield said the announcement was “great news” that gets the Springfield campus “one step closer to realizing our vision for a downtown innovation center.”
The Springfield campus is slated to receive about $15 million from that $500 million for construction of the center, which will include an expanded Innovate Springfield, a social innovation and business incubator.
“We look forward to the release of a portion of those funds relatively soon so we can move forward on the design phase of our plan in Springfield,” said UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp.
The university will also seek additional funds from the state capital construction program as part of a larger downtown innovation district that is expected to be shared with Southern Illinois University.
Pritzker, a Democrat, announced at a Chicago news conference on the site of one of the future developments that the state would release the funding, which was originally approved under former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and reauthorized in last year’s state operating budget.
“Today’s announcement is so exciting. It will fast-track construction planning and we hope to break ground for DPI in a few months,” said UI President Timothy Killeen.
The IIN is a network of DPI and another 14 regional hubs which will receive portions of the other $270 million in state funding. Those hubs include partnerships with all of the state’s public universities, which will each create specific programs and facilities that fall in line with the IIN’s and DPI’s innovation, workforce development and economic growth goals. The stated goal of the program is to train the state’s workforce for in-demand technology jobs.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 12, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Officials at the University of Illinois Springfield said the announcement was “great news” that gets the Springfield campus “one step closer to realizing our vision for a downtown innovation center.”
The Springfield campus is slated to receive about $15 million from that $500 million for construction of the center, which will include an expanded Innovate Springfield, a social innovation and business incubator.
“We look forward to the release of a portion of those funds relatively soon so we can move forward on the design phase of our plan in Springfield,” said UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp.
The university will also seek additional funds from the state capital construction program as part of a larger downtown innovation district that is expected to be shared with Southern Illinois University.
Pritzker, a Democrat, announced at a Chicago news conference on the site of one of the future developments that the state would release the funding, which was originally approved under former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and reauthorized in last year’s state operating budget.
“Today’s announcement is so exciting. It will fast-track construction planning and we hope to break ground for DPI in a few months,” said UI President Timothy Killeen.
The IIN is a network of DPI and another 14 regional hubs which will receive portions of the other $270 million in state funding. Those hubs include partnerships with all of the state’s public universities, which will each create specific programs and facilities that fall in line with the IIN’s and DPI’s innovation, workforce development and economic growth goals. The stated goal of the program is to train the state’s workforce for in-demand technology jobs.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 12, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
UIS receives $100,000 STEM grant
The University of Illinois Springfield will receive a five-year $100,000 National Science Foundation grant aimed at developing and implementing evidence-based programs that will support the academic success of underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
One of the goals of the grant is to increase the participation of minority students in research through the establishment of faculty-student mentoring teams. The end goal is to provide a variety of resources to ensure student academic success and to prepare the next generation of scientists.
Lucía Vázquez, associate dean of the UIS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will serve as one of the principal investigators on the project.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 14, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
One of the goals of the grant is to increase the participation of minority students in research through the establishment of faculty-student mentoring teams. The end goal is to provide a variety of resources to ensure student academic success and to prepare the next generation of scientists.
Lucía Vázquez, associate dean of the UIS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will serve as one of the principal investigators on the project.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 14, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Donation to upgrade virtual servers at UIS
A college computer science program has claimed a new donation.
The University of Illinois Springfield plans to use a gift of over $26,000 from State Farm Insurance to upgrade its virtual server farm.
The Department of Computer Science took in a check on Monday. One educator said the money provides a boost the university needs.
“We offer 80 percent of our classes using (the) virtual service,” said Svet Braynov, computer science associate professor at UIS. “This fall we’re experiencing deadlocks and problems with the virtual server. That’s because they are running out of capacity.”
The UIS virtual server farm helps about 1,200 students throughout the academic year and involves more than 2,200 machines.
“Without this help, we would not be able to offer what we offer today to our students,” Braynov said.
This story appeared on WAND TV on October 23, 2017.
Watch the story online.
The University of Illinois Springfield plans to use a gift of over $26,000 from State Farm Insurance to upgrade its virtual server farm.
The Department of Computer Science took in a check on Monday. One educator said the money provides a boost the university needs.
“We offer 80 percent of our classes using (the) virtual service,” said Svet Braynov, computer science associate professor at UIS. “This fall we’re experiencing deadlocks and problems with the virtual server. That’s because they are running out of capacity.”
The UIS virtual server farm helps about 1,200 students throughout the academic year and involves more than 2,200 machines.
“Without this help, we would not be able to offer what we offer today to our students,” Braynov said.
This story appeared on WAND TV on October 23, 2017.
Watch the story online.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
How 21-year-old Springfield twins are making serious cash building video games
A part-time job in college can go a long way towards paying off loans and having some cash on the weekend. For two University of Illinois at Springfield twins, their part-time jobs means developing video games. And it pays a whole lot better than bar tending.
Matthew and Nathan Dean, 21-year-old brothers from Springfield, are creating games on an interactive gaming platform called Roblox, which help kids and teens learn the art of coding and game development.
The two first started playing games on Roblox in 2009, but quickly began building games on their own. They've created a game called Trade Hangout, where people in Roblox can socialize online and haggle over virtual items than can be bought with Roblox currency called Robux.
Matthew and Nathan performed so well on the site that Roblox offered them internships at its San Mateo, CA headquarters, where the twins have worked the past two summers.
"Roblox is not only a great place to make games, but to learn to program in general," Nathan said. "A lot of kids have gone on from Roblox to pursue computer science in high school and study it in college, and have a career in software development. It's a place to have fun, but you’re also learning skills that are really valuable in the future."
This story appeared online on ChicagoInno.com on July 13, 2015.
Read the entire article online.
Matthew and Nathan Dean, 21-year-old brothers from Springfield, are creating games on an interactive gaming platform called Roblox, which help kids and teens learn the art of coding and game development.
The two first started playing games on Roblox in 2009, but quickly began building games on their own. They've created a game called Trade Hangout, where people in Roblox can socialize online and haggle over virtual items than can be bought with Roblox currency called Robux.
Matthew and Nathan performed so well on the site that Roblox offered them internships at its San Mateo, CA headquarters, where the twins have worked the past two summers.
"Roblox is not only a great place to make games, but to learn to program in general," Nathan said. "A lot of kids have gone on from Roblox to pursue computer science in high school and study it in college, and have a career in software development. It's a place to have fun, but you’re also learning skills that are really valuable in the future."
This story appeared online on ChicagoInno.com on July 13, 2015.
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Cyber Security Awareness Month
Cyber Security Awareness Month is a time all of us who rely on electronics, who also need to keep them safe from hackers, leaks, and malware.
The IT department at the University of Illinois Springfield is educating students on how to keep cell phones and computers safe. This month on campus, they're checking out student's devices from computers to phones to make sure they're virus free.
The devices can also receive a special piece of software to protect them.
"It's everybody's job to make sure their systems are as secure as can be, because what you don't know can hurt you in this sort of environment. Anywhere from malware being propagated to from not only the internet but now from your machine, so making sure that your systems are as clean as can be," said Clayton Bellot, Security Analyst at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Analysts suggest checking the security settings on your computer, and regularly updating for virus software you might have because new threats are always coming out.
The story was reported by WICS-TV 20 on October 14, 2014.
Watch the story online
The IT department at the University of Illinois Springfield is educating students on how to keep cell phones and computers safe. This month on campus, they're checking out student's devices from computers to phones to make sure they're virus free.
The devices can also receive a special piece of software to protect them.
"It's everybody's job to make sure their systems are as secure as can be, because what you don't know can hurt you in this sort of environment. Anywhere from malware being propagated to from not only the internet but now from your machine, so making sure that your systems are as clean as can be," said Clayton Bellot, Security Analyst at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Analysts suggest checking the security settings on your computer, and regularly updating for virus software you might have because new threats are always coming out.
The story was reported by WICS-TV 20 on October 14, 2014.
Watch the story online
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Colleges take steps to keep student information safe
"People are more knowledgeable about tools and tricks," said Clayton Bellot, a Security Analyst at University of Illinois - Springfield.
Like at Lincoln Land, student's financial information at UIS is held at an off-site location. With more than 1,200 staff members using computers everyday, hackers are still out there trying to get in.
"Multiple times in different vectors. Whether it's email or people downloading malicious software," said Bellot.
Both UIS and Lincoln Land Community College say hackers have never been able to get information from their servers.
The story was reported by Fox Illinois on July 23, 2014.
Watch the story online
Like at Lincoln Land, student's financial information at UIS is held at an off-site location. With more than 1,200 staff members using computers everyday, hackers are still out there trying to get in.
"Multiple times in different vectors. Whether it's email or people downloading malicious software," said Bellot.
Both UIS and Lincoln Land Community College say hackers have never been able to get information from their servers.
The story was reported by Fox Illinois on July 23, 2014.
Watch the story online
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Susan Koch: UIS students to arrive on campus with smartphones in hand
The following is part of a guest column written by UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch. It was published in the August 12, 2013 edition of The State Journal-Register.
"Students soon will arrive for the fall semester on the University of Illinois Springfield campus, and the image of this annual rite of passage is often one of students (with the help of their parents) hauling all manner of “essentials” into campus housing.
That image will most certainly be part of the scene when our residence halls open on August 21, but for increasing numbers of students, whether residential or commuter, undergraduate or graduate, the most important item they bring to college this year may be one that weighs only a few ounces and fits handily into their pockets—their mobile devices—their smartphones.
The fact is, mobile device usage influences the college experience even before students arrive on campus, playing a significant role in the college decision process."
Read the full column online
"Students soon will arrive for the fall semester on the University of Illinois Springfield campus, and the image of this annual rite of passage is often one of students (with the help of their parents) hauling all manner of “essentials” into campus housing.
That image will most certainly be part of the scene when our residence halls open on August 21, but for increasing numbers of students, whether residential or commuter, undergraduate or graduate, the most important item they bring to college this year may be one that weighs only a few ounces and fits handily into their pockets—their mobile devices—their smartphones.
The fact is, mobile device usage influences the college experience even before students arrive on campus, playing a significant role in the college decision process."
Read the full column online
Monday, June 27, 2011
UIS online course draws big response
There are no grades to be earned in a new online course offered by the University of Illinois Springfield. No credit is given. And participants can begin in the middle of the course or wherever they please.
But after four days of registration, more than 2,000 people from more than 50 countries had signed up for the “MOOC” — Massive Open Online Course — that will focus on the topic “Online Learning Today … and Tomorrow.”
So — other than the fact the course is free — what’s the attraction?
“It allows people to dig deeply into one part or learn broadly across a topic,” said Ray Schroeder, director of the UIS Center for Online Learning, Research and Service, or COLRS. “It will build a network of people interested in this topic, or part of it.”
The MOOC was featured in an June 25, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.
Read the article online
But after four days of registration, more than 2,000 people from more than 50 countries had signed up for the “MOOC” — Massive Open Online Course — that will focus on the topic “Online Learning Today … and Tomorrow.”
So — other than the fact the course is free — what’s the attraction?
“It allows people to dig deeply into one part or learn broadly across a topic,” said Ray Schroeder, director of the UIS Center for Online Learning, Research and Service, or COLRS. “It will build a network of people interested in this topic, or part of it.”
The MOOC was featured in an June 25, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.
Read the article online
Monday, December 6, 2010
More college students taking degree programs online
Danny Ashcom reports for class in the living room of his Uptown one-bedroom apartment.
The 32-year-old counselor is earning an online master's degree in computer science through the University of Illinois at Springfield. He started the program in August, the same month he graduated with a traditional bricks-and-mortar master's degree in psychology from a different school.
"Doing psychology I wouldn't have thought about an online degree because you need to be face-to-face with people," he said. "In computer science, there is no real price to pay for doing it on your own. You can do it quickly and efficiently."
Ray Schroeder has taught at the U. of I.'s Urbana-Champaign campus and then its Springfield campus every semester since 1971. He now leads online programs at the Springfield campus, which offer more online courses than the other two U. of I. campuses combined.
"What drives many of us in this field is serving the student who cannot come to campus," he said.
Students include those with disabilities, military students or others working full time and parents who can't make it to class at a specific time and place. Almost all of them are paying for their own education.
Schroeder said more than half of the school's students are enrolled in at least one online class during the fall semester. For students seeking degrees totally online, the average age of an undergraduate is 34, the average master's is 35, he said.
Online programs at UIS were featured in a December 6, 2010, article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Download a PDF of the article
The 32-year-old counselor is earning an online master's degree in computer science through the University of Illinois at Springfield. He started the program in August, the same month he graduated with a traditional bricks-and-mortar master's degree in psychology from a different school.
"Doing psychology I wouldn't have thought about an online degree because you need to be face-to-face with people," he said. "In computer science, there is no real price to pay for doing it on your own. You can do it quickly and efficiently."
Ray Schroeder has taught at the U. of I.'s Urbana-Champaign campus and then its Springfield campus every semester since 1971. He now leads online programs at the Springfield campus, which offer more online courses than the other two U. of I. campuses combined.
"What drives many of us in this field is serving the student who cannot come to campus," he said.
Students include those with disabilities, military students or others working full time and parents who can't make it to class at a specific time and place. Almost all of them are paying for their own education.
Schroeder said more than half of the school's students are enrolled in at least one online class during the fall semester. For students seeking degrees totally online, the average age of an undergraduate is 34, the average master's is 35, he said.
Online programs at UIS were featured in a December 6, 2010, article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Download a PDF of the article
Friday, December 3, 2010
Professor's Beatles podcast reaches second on iTunesU
Students at the University of Illinois Springfield are learning about The Beatles timeless tunes and impact on society in a unique way.
Professor Michael Cheney has created podcasts, which are now the second most downloaded on iTunes U.
According to Entrepreneur.com a podcast is, " A pre-recorded audio program that's posted to a website and is made available for download so people can listen to them on personal computers or mobile devices."
Cheney is a communications professor at the Univerisity of Illinois Springfield and teaches online the online Liberal Studies class classes "The Beatles: Popular Music and Society".
The UIS professor has taught the class since 1999, but the started using the Podcast in 2005.
Cheney was featured in a December 2, 2010, report by WCIA-TV Channel 3.
Download a PDF of the text article
Watch the story on WCIA's website
Professor Michael Cheney has created podcasts, which are now the second most downloaded on iTunes U.
According to Entrepreneur.com a podcast is, " A pre-recorded audio program that's posted to a website and is made available for download so people can listen to them on personal computers or mobile devices."
Cheney is a communications professor at the Univerisity of Illinois Springfield and teaches online the online Liberal Studies class classes "The Beatles: Popular Music and Society".
The UIS professor has taught the class since 1999, but the started using the Podcast in 2005.
Cheney was featured in a December 2, 2010, report by WCIA-TV Channel 3.
Download a PDF of the text article
Watch the story on WCIA's website
UIS Beatles Podcast
iTunes is not longer just for music. College students can now get an education through iTunes U.
The site offers more than 350,000 lectures from professors at universities around the world. Out of all of those, the second most popular podcast on all of iTunes U is from a professor at UIS.
So what's he talking about that's got people so interested? Well it's not math or science. Professor Michael Cheney's series of lectures is all about one of the most popular musical groups of all time, The Beatles. To listen to the podcast yourself go to http://itunes.uis.edu.
Cheney was featured in a December 2, 2010, report by WICS-TV 20.
Watch the story on News Channel 20's website
The site offers more than 350,000 lectures from professors at universities around the world. Out of all of those, the second most popular podcast on all of iTunes U is from a professor at UIS.
So what's he talking about that's got people so interested? Well it's not math or science. Professor Michael Cheney's series of lectures is all about one of the most popular musical groups of all time, The Beatles. To listen to the podcast yourself go to http://itunes.uis.edu.
Cheney was featured in a December 2, 2010, report by WICS-TV 20.
Watch the story on News Channel 20's website
Monday, November 29, 2010
Multitasking, wireless printing come to iPad
Apple Inc. released new software on Nov. 22 that lets users of its iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices print wirelessly over Wi-Fi networks. The software addresses what has been a key complaint about the iPad to date—that users can’t print their documents from the tablet—and ed-tech observers say it could help spur more widespread use of the device in schools.
Ed-tech observers said the new software is a significant upgrade that could help further position the iPhone and iPad as instructional tools.
“This update is most welcome for those who have iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads,” said Ray Schroeder, professor emeritus and director of the University of Illinois at Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service. “It will make a huge difference to those of us who teach with these tools. We had been using workarounds such as dropbox.com to shift documents to other devices for printing. With so many schools and colleges providing iPads to students, these upgrades will have an immediate impact on teaching and learning.”
Schroeder said the top complaints he had heard before Apple’s announcement were the iPad’s lack of multitasking, lack of organizing folders, and inability to print documents.
Schroeder's comments were featured in a November 23, 2010, article by eSchool News.
Download a PDF of the article
Ed-tech observers said the new software is a significant upgrade that could help further position the iPhone and iPad as instructional tools.
“This update is most welcome for those who have iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads,” said Ray Schroeder, professor emeritus and director of the University of Illinois at Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service. “It will make a huge difference to those of us who teach with these tools. We had been using workarounds such as dropbox.com to shift documents to other devices for printing. With so many schools and colleges providing iPads to students, these upgrades will have an immediate impact on teaching and learning.”
Schroeder said the top complaints he had heard before Apple’s announcement were the iPad’s lack of multitasking, lack of organizing folders, and inability to print documents.
Schroeder's comments were featured in a November 23, 2010, article by eSchool News.
Download a PDF of the article
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Teachers and technology: The do's and don'ts of Facebook
Teachers and students often connect with one another online in college. Kara McElwrath teaches an online privacy class at UIS. She has an account for friends and another for students, which is solely for professional purposes.
McElwrath encourages all of her students to have two accounts once they begin their careers. One account for family and friends. The other for colleagues, and in teacher's cases, students. It should be used to share websites and educational videos. And she says, nothing else.
"As a teacher I wouldn't want my students to know whether I'm having a good or bad day," says McElwarth, "I wouldn't want to post on Facebook that I'm getting ready to go on vacation because then anybody can then see that, 'Hey I'm going to be out of town my house is going to be empty."
While students and teachers on college campuses are connecting, many K-12 school districts have strict policies prohibiting teachers from 'friending' a student online.
McElwrath was featured in a November 17, 2010, report by WCIA-TV.
Download a PDF of the text article
Watch the story on WCIA's website
McElwrath encourages all of her students to have two accounts once they begin their careers. One account for family and friends. The other for colleagues, and in teacher's cases, students. It should be used to share websites and educational videos. And she says, nothing else.
"As a teacher I wouldn't want my students to know whether I'm having a good or bad day," says McElwarth, "I wouldn't want to post on Facebook that I'm getting ready to go on vacation because then anybody can then see that, 'Hey I'm going to be out of town my house is going to be empty."
While students and teachers on college campuses are connecting, many K-12 school districts have strict policies prohibiting teachers from 'friending' a student online.
McElwrath was featured in a November 17, 2010, report by WCIA-TV.
Download a PDF of the text article
Watch the story on WCIA's website
Monday, September 27, 2010
UIS wins outstanding online award
Ten years ago the University of Illinois Springfield created an online master's program called Teacher Leadership.
Now the MTL program is being nationally recognized with the 2010 Outstanding Online Program Award. The honor comes from the Sloan Consortium, which is comprised of 1,200 institutions of online higher eduction.
The group praises UIS saying it "provides a high quality program to teachers in rural sections of Illinois who would not otherwise have the opportunity to complete a graduate degree."
But online programs at UIS go far beyond Illinois' borders.
"Here at UIS more than one quarter of our students are online majors, who reside in 47 states and a dozen foreign countries," said Ray Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service (COLRS) at UIS.
The story was featured by WICS-TV 20 in a September 26, 2010, report.
Watch the story on News Channel 20's website
Now the MTL program is being nationally recognized with the 2010 Outstanding Online Program Award. The honor comes from the Sloan Consortium, which is comprised of 1,200 institutions of online higher eduction.
The group praises UIS saying it "provides a high quality program to teachers in rural sections of Illinois who would not otherwise have the opportunity to complete a graduate degree."
But online programs at UIS go far beyond Illinois' borders.
"Here at UIS more than one quarter of our students are online majors, who reside in 47 states and a dozen foreign countries," said Ray Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service (COLRS) at UIS.
The story was featured by WICS-TV 20 in a September 26, 2010, report.
Watch the story on News Channel 20's website
Cyber Attack Exercise held at UIS
College students from all around the state are at UIS in Springfield hacking into computer networks. The university is hosting a Cyber Attack Exercise that allows these students to learn different ways hackers might exploit a machine.
It's a big city's idea of a really bad day. A power plant is compromised. Someone has attacked a power grid and wiped out the control systems. This attack sends the city into a black-out. This is just one incident confronting students in a mock cyber attack.
The Cyber Attack Exercise was featured by WICS-TV 20 in a September 24, 2010 report.
Watch the story on News Channel 20's website
It's a big city's idea of a really bad day. A power plant is compromised. Someone has attacked a power grid and wiped out the control systems. This attack sends the city into a black-out. This is just one incident confronting students in a mock cyber attack.
The Cyber Attack Exercise was featured by WICS-TV 20 in a September 24, 2010 report.
Watch the story on News Channel 20's website
Friday, August 6, 2010
Google Wave washed up
Google Wave was supposed to make class discussions richer and more coherent. It was supposed to make research collaborations easier. It was supposed to break down walls between offices, disciplines, countries. It was even supposed to give learning-management systems such as Blackboard a run for their money.
Instead, it is kaput. Just over a year after being rolled out, the much-hyped Wave has crashed on the shores of indifference and is now set to recede into obscurity. Google said Thursday that it will stop selling Wave as a product and close the host website by the end of the year, citing a dearth of users.
A number of professors experimented with Wave. Raymond Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield, used Wave to bring together students from two of his classes — one on the cultural impact of the Internet and another on energy studies — to discuss how the prevalence of the Internet ties into perceptions of energy sustainability.
Schroeder was featured in a August 5, 2010, article by Inside Higher Ed.
Download a PDF of the article
Instead, it is kaput. Just over a year after being rolled out, the much-hyped Wave has crashed on the shores of indifference and is now set to recede into obscurity. Google said Thursday that it will stop selling Wave as a product and close the host website by the end of the year, citing a dearth of users.
A number of professors experimented with Wave. Raymond Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield, used Wave to bring together students from two of his classes — one on the cultural impact of the Internet and another on energy studies — to discuss how the prevalence of the Internet ties into perceptions of energy sustainability.
Schroeder was featured in a August 5, 2010, article by Inside Higher Ed.
Download a PDF of the article
Google Wave, embraced by many on campuses, to get wiped out
Google Wave may have had more fans on campuses than it did anywhere else, but those academic enthusiasts weren't enough to keep the free service afloat. Google announced yesterday that it will stop development of Wave, its experimental next-generation e-mail system that blended instant messaging, video chat, document sharing, and other tools in one platform.
Several college professors had been trying out Google Wave with their courses, and some saw it as a possible replacement for learning-management systems like Blackboard. At first the service was only open to those who snagged an invitation from an existing user, and last year at the annual conference of Educause, professors stood in line at a packed Google presentation to get their free invites. Google only officially opened the service to all comers in May.
"The Wave announcement is disappointing to those of us who use it daily in our classes and other collaborations," said Raymond Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield, in an e-mail interview today. "It crossed institutional boundaries unlike the LMS," he said, referring to learning-management systems. Mr. Schroeder had used Wave in a course, and he has presented it on its use at several conferences.
"The potential uses in higher education were many," he added. "The potential uses in commerce and marketing were not clear. So, the business case was never effectively made."
Schroeder's comments were featured in a August 5, 2010, blog by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Download a PDF of the article
Several college professors had been trying out Google Wave with their courses, and some saw it as a possible replacement for learning-management systems like Blackboard. At first the service was only open to those who snagged an invitation from an existing user, and last year at the annual conference of Educause, professors stood in line at a packed Google presentation to get their free invites. Google only officially opened the service to all comers in May.
"The Wave announcement is disappointing to those of us who use it daily in our classes and other collaborations," said Raymond Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield, in an e-mail interview today. "It crossed institutional boundaries unlike the LMS," he said, referring to learning-management systems. Mr. Schroeder had used Wave in a course, and he has presented it on its use at several conferences.
"The potential uses in higher education were many," he added. "The potential uses in commerce and marketing were not clear. So, the business case was never effectively made."
Schroeder's comments were featured in a August 5, 2010, blog by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Download a PDF of the article
Friday, July 23, 2010
How social networking helps teaching (and worries some professors)
Professors crowded into conference rooms here this week to learn how to use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in their classrooms, though some attendees raised privacy issues related to the hypersocial technologies.
About 750 professors and administrators attended the conference on "Emerging Technologies for Online Learning," run jointly by the Sloan Consortium, a nonprofit group to support teaching with technology, and two other educational software and resource providers.
Some attendees stressed that there is a danger that professors would use new technologies just because they seemed cool, rather than for any specific learning goal.
"Everybody talks about using technology, but what is the effect on learning?" said Shari McCurdy Smith, associate director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield, in an interview after the Facebook session. "I think this is a great concern I hear a lot."
She said she has seen some evidence that technology is improving learning, but more research should be done.
The attendance and interest in Facebook surprised her, though. After all, just a few years ago, it seemed that most professors complained about how much time their students frittered away on the service, she said.
Smith's comments were featured in a July 23, 2010, article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Download a PDF of the article
About 750 professors and administrators attended the conference on "Emerging Technologies for Online Learning," run jointly by the Sloan Consortium, a nonprofit group to support teaching with technology, and two other educational software and resource providers.
Some attendees stressed that there is a danger that professors would use new technologies just because they seemed cool, rather than for any specific learning goal.
"Everybody talks about using technology, but what is the effect on learning?" said Shari McCurdy Smith, associate director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield, in an interview after the Facebook session. "I think this is a great concern I hear a lot."
She said she has seen some evidence that technology is improving learning, but more research should be done.
The attendance and interest in Facebook surprised her, though. After all, just a few years ago, it seemed that most professors complained about how much time their students frittered away on the service, she said.
Smith's comments were featured in a July 23, 2010, article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Download a PDF of the article
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
WUIS takes the digital leap
The following article was written by WUIS Chief Engineer Greg Charles Manfroi and published by Radio World on July 21, 2010.
"WUIS is a Class B FM public radio outlet for Springfield, Ill., and the surrounding area. The studios are on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield. Situated in the state capital, the facility also operates the Illinois Public Radio Network, serving Illinois public radio stations.
In 2006 General Manager Bill Wheelhouse had plans to move WUIS forward in all areas, including the technical setup. The CE position was open; I applied and was hired in April of that year. I’d known Bill for 10 years and knew we would have a good working relationship.
The genesis for the project was the questionable condition of the facility. When I arrived I was asked to make an evaluation of the studios and transmitter sites. The station was to receive equipment to install HD Radio at this same time."
Download a PDF of the full article
"WUIS is a Class B FM public radio outlet for Springfield, Ill., and the surrounding area. The studios are on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield. Situated in the state capital, the facility also operates the Illinois Public Radio Network, serving Illinois public radio stations.
In 2006 General Manager Bill Wheelhouse had plans to move WUIS forward in all areas, including the technical setup. The CE position was open; I applied and was hired in April of that year. I’d known Bill for 10 years and knew we would have a good working relationship.
The genesis for the project was the questionable condition of the facility. When I arrived I was asked to make an evaluation of the studios and transmitter sites. The station was to receive equipment to install HD Radio at this same time."
Download a PDF of the full article
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