Chronicle Special Report -- The Digital Campus 2011

Now available in print and digital formats: The Digital Campus 2011

The Chronicle of Higher Education asks, "Does all this new technology make a difference?" Then, rather conveniently, the aforementioned Chronicle "looks at the realities behind the hype" and responds with a witty and inquisitive statement of inquiry:

With the proliferation of cloud computing, Twitter, adaptive-learning software, smartphone apps, digital archives, and many other tools and programs on campuses today, it’s fair to ask if any of it is making a difference.

With stories ranging form "one tech-savvy university’s bumpy road to becoming a mobile-friendly campus" to reports that detail the "experiences of academics switching to paperless teaching, using blogs and Twitter to give their students a public platform, and updating the campus library for a new generation," this special edition publication offers quality reporting for technophiles and technophobes alike. "Whether you’re just starting to explore new information technologies or are already working in a cloud, The Digital Campus will be of interest to you."

Access the entire publication (even subscriber only Premium Content) using VT Libraries Off-Campus Sign In.

Be sure to check out some other, recently published (by The Chronicle, but not included in the special report) materials about technology, pedagogy, and the academic lifestyle:

• Scrible: A New Tool for Web Annotation
• Episode 83: Teaching Students to Be Smartphone-Literate
• Taking Notes with the Moleskine App
• Color-Coding Comes to Google Calendar
• A New Notion in Europe: the Liberal-Arts College
• Video-Game Rooms Become the Newest Library Space Invaders

EndNote vs Zotero -- Battle Royale, ProfHacker Style

Here's a really nice head-to-head synthesis of the two most popular ebiblio platforms in academe. Per usual, the folks at ProfHacker (specifically Brian Croxall) have provided a witty, thoughtful, relatively thorough, yet surprising concise exploration of the topic at hand (complete with tangentially relevant photograph).   While the entire article is useful, for me the most powerful section arrives at the end of the second paragraph. Upon explaining his dissonant roles as Zotero evangelist, but EndNote user, Croxall explains, "So when it came time to write my dissertation, EndNote was already well integrated into my workflow. I began experimenting with Zotero in the fall of 2007 (a year after its first release) and while I very much appreciated what it did, it wasn’t enough to make me a convert." Extrapolating a bit, I think we can reframe this as applicable to all new (and potentially wonderful, time-saving, and generally mind-blowing) technologies. Rewritten as:

So when it came time to ___________________ (insert name of project/paper/task/etc.), ___________________ (insert name of familiar technology/process/etc.) was already well integrated into my workflow. I began experimenting with ___________________ (insert name of newfangled technology/process/gadgetry/etc.) in ___________________ (insert time of discovery) and while I very much appreciated what it did, it wasn't enough to make me a convert.

These subtle tweaks reiterate the sort of cost-benefit analysis (or perhaps it is more analogous to return on investment) for pedagogical and intellectual approaches to technologies (writ large) that I hope we emphasized during GEDI this semester. There are numerous technologies/approaches/processes/etc. for each and every project/paper/task/etc. that we are charged with accomplishing. In all likelihood, they all have some wonderful, time-saving, project-improving benefits. That said, each technology/approach/process comes with a learning curve. Some are steep and quick, while others are gradual and require greater time resources. So, in short, figure out what works best for you and your given situation. It probably isn't a great idea to "start...playing around with [insert technology/process/etc/]...(as a way to procrastinate rather than actually writing papers)" while writing the final chapter of your dissertation (or other major project). Remember, know thy self. Figure out what works best for you when approaching particular endeavor. And don't forget that these are variables that can (and will) change over time or with different projects. It is a never-ending process of adaptation that exists on a fluid continuum.

What about Mendeley, Sente, Bookends, and the multitude of other ebibliography platforms available? Does anyone have comments, questions, curiosities, lived experiences to share?

By Popular Demand -- The GEDI Assignments Overview

GEDI Assignments Matrix
Click image to enlarge or visit Scholar to download.

As we inch ever nearer to the end of the term and deadlines begin to loom on the not too distant horizon, many of you have sent emails seeking confirmation of course requirements and suggesting a comprehensive overview of assignments and deadlines. Definitely a timely and wise request. Although each individual assignment description includes due dates, this requires a somewhat laborious navigational effort -- the digital exploration of the Resources section of Scholar to locate appropriate folders (and often subfolders). And without a doubt, clarifying due dates, submission methods, and assignment expectations is a critical pedagogical endeavor. In fact, this is something Shelli and I have discussed at length -- how to best create a flexible, yet clear and comprehensive course calendar, without becoming opaquely complex. We're exploring different options and incorporating a lot of your recent feedback to develop a better method for next semester. While it might be a bit late in the term (but not really since 2 May 2011 is a big GEDI due date), we now present the 2011 GEDI Assignments Matrix! You can review the matrix by clicking on the image above or download a copy in the new "Assignments" section of the GRAD 5114 Scholar site (see image below for navigational assistance).

Thanks for the constructive and useful feedback. Please keep the suggestions coming!

The GEDI Assignments Matrix can now be found in the
"Assignments" section of Scholar. Click image to enlarge.

Last Class -- Laptops and Tomorrow's Prof

First things first -- laptops. If convenient, please bring your laptop to Wednesday's final GEDI class session. A portion of class will include an internet-based activity during class, so a laptop will come in handy. 

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Access the full document here.

Moving right along, here's a recent posting from the Tomorrow's Professor Listserv (a rather appropriate source as we round out GRAD 5114 and send all you new GEDIs into academe prepared to be "faculty of and for the 21st century") that calls into question traditional lecture-based instructional styles. Since Shelli has mentioned Dr. Eric Mazur on a few occasions (namely in reference to peer instruction and his “it’s the pedagogy that matters, not the technology” maxim), this post (a repost from ASEE's PRISM) is both timely and pertinent. Access the full post here or download a copy from Scholar (Resources > Week 15 > Optional Reading Materials). Want to learn more about Mazur's pedagogy and research? Check out his faculty profile, research group, and Wikipedia entry. For more information about Rick Reis and Tomorrow's Professor read this news release from Stanford and peruse the Tomorrow's Prof website to review previous entries and subscribe to the email digest.

As always, please feel free to ask questions, offer comments, or make tangential suggestions.