March Brownbag Lunch

This month's brown bag lunch discussion adressed using podcasting in the classroom. While some students listen to lectures on their ipods, most still access podcasts from their computers. Greg Priebe uses a podcast in his Survey of English Lit. Listen to a sample from his course .
Wisc-Online has created a great collection of learning objects, many of them simulations. It is now possible to purchase the source code or a CD copy of some of the learning objects, but you can still link to them for free in your courses. They are especially strong in the sciences and business. Take a look ; you will need to register, but there is no charge. Another site is Merlot . Merlot posts links to online learning materials along with annotations such as peer reviews and assignments. The collection is extensive and covers all disciplines.
Hope to see you at the April brown bag lunch...Ideas for discussion topics are welcome.

Creating podcasts with Audacity

Newsforge has a very good article on using the freeware program Audacity to create podcasts. It covers the basics as well as some advanced techniques for maximizing audio quality and file size.

Article Link

Addressing the Needs of Adult Learners

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities recently published the article, "Addressing the Needs of the Adult Learner in the February 2006 Policy Matters section of the journal. According to the article, one-third of the current student population is 25 years or older. The author examines the "distinct set of goals, views and needs" of the adult learner in post-secondary education and provides valuable resources for adult learners and educators.

iPods on Campus

You probably already noticed how many of your students are using iPods; is it time to incorporate them in your classes?? I came across an interesting article in Campus Technology about the use of iPods in academic institutions. Is it iTime Yet? . Also interesting is Rural Georgia college pushes for iPod ingenuity.
Maybe this could be a discussion topic for brown bag lunches.

Blackboard and WebCT Complete Merger

http://www.blackboard.com/webct

According to the Press Release:

• Company will remain under the Blackboard brand.
• Both Blackboard and WebCT product lines will remain intact and supported.
• Over time, Blackboard will incorporate the best features and usability characteristics from the two product lines into a new standards-based product set.