As promised, here is another perspective on the conference.
Alisha’s notes on the conference: Throughout the WV Higher Education Technology Conference at Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa I attended presentations, vendor booths, and poster sessions that revolved around the conference’s captivating anchor, Mark Greenfield. He discussed the changes that are occurring in technology including web trends (which you can find on Mark’s del.icio.us bookmarks). Presenters and vendors publicized new technology topics and disseminated their information.
Every session that I attended related to my background and present-day work. It was very beneficial to hear the presenters’ points-of-view on all of these topics about the unfolding and improving web technology for the Digital Millennials such as social networking, multimedia, (text) design for on-line courses, and digital imaging for instructional techniques.
I appreciated that Ann Rose presented a very useful tool during her session, “Using Web 2.0 Tools to Support Program Accreditations.” We experienced the magic of recording audio while writing. You are able to simultaneously take notes and record what you have to say. The notes are taken with a smartpen and written on “dot paper.” You can transfer the notes to your PC. The student teachers at West Liberty utilize this tool while they observe cooperating teachers. It is helpful for the student teachers in the Education Program to share these digitized notes and recordings with fellow classmates and instructors.
Bruce Palmer was the presenter for “Histology On-Line: Learning the Very Small Calls for Giant Innovations.” He has taken on a fascinating large project digitizing microscopic anatomy. The project will enable students to interact with the media for their individual learning styles. It will be helpful for WVU’s large Histology classes. Students will be able to view the slides in advanced. Then, the students can take their questions about the anatomy to the class professor. This will result in on-line courses because of the image copyright. This is a very large project so I’m not sure when it will be completed.
Lydia Mong presented the “So, You Expect Them to Read That? Designing Text that Begs to be Read” session. She explained that viewers read a computer screen differently than a book. The ideal width of a line is 2 alphabet widths for a screen. She also touched base with us on the importance of white space. It is unnecessary to cram all of the text together. Text needs “space to breathe.” Here is the outline on her “Tips for Increasing Readability”:
• Avoid cluttered displays
• Place important items consistently
• Don’t use too many fonts
• Use a readable font size
• Use upper and lower case letters
• Reserve Bold, italic, and brighter colors for emphasis
• Reserve underlining for links only
• Use contrasting text and background colors
• “Chunk” your content
• Tips for increasing retention of information
o Use text for presenting facts
o Use multi-media graphic formats for new, unfamiliar, and conceptual information
o Use both animation and text to explain processes or procedures
These are great preparation tips for satisfying viewers so they will commit to remembering the information.
Monica Brooks explained how they are changing their ways to better engage students using Web 2.0. Her session, “Embedded in the Hills: Faculty-Librarian Collaboration in WV,” explained the use of a widget for students and librarians to communicate. The students were able to send a question to any of the university’s available librarians. The library also created a blog using Blogger for students’ research. This is a great way for participating with questions and answers. Monica explained the importance of providing the university with tips on plagiarism and biased resources by sharing a video. The library will soon be gathering data to understand the levels of students’ problem solving skills using technology.
What did you think of the conference?
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