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Printer-Friendly ModeTech forum focuses on VSpace implementation
November 13, 2006 —
Students were given the opportunity to express concerns directly to Information Technology services Thursday at the second SA-sponsored student technology forum.
Fielding questions were Executive Director Ken Schindler, Support Center Manager Mike Holliday, and On-Line Teaching and Learning Coordinator Dan Tyger, among other ITS staff members.
Dominating the afternoon's discussion was the University's decision to adopt the Sakai open-source learning and collaboration environment, known as VSpace on campus.
Tyger, ITS' Blackboard/VSpace expert, spoke on the transition.
"There are 84 faculty members using VSpace right now," he said. With the transition in mind, he urged instructors to make adoption as painless as possible.
"We really encourage the faculty to put what learning system they'll be using on their syllabi," Tyger said.
He said that VSpace will be phased in college-by-college, beginning with the College of Engineering, Science and Technology in the winter.
Schindler mentioned a number of upgrades and changes that ITS is working on, including a possible bandwidth upgrade for heavy-users willing to pay extra.
"We may offer a ResNet 'premium,'" he said. He made sure that everyone was aware that the plan was contingent on a number of factors. "It's not formal - there's nothing I can tell you for sure."
The service, if implemented, would allow the heaviest bandwidth users the opportunity to purchase extra bandwidth.
Schindler also commented on the results of an ITS survey. The survey revealed, much to Schindler's surprise, that over half of residents polled used laptops.
"Sixty-eight percent of students living (on-campus) use laptops," he said. "We knew it was growing, but I just didn't know it had slid past 50 percent." Schindler also mentioned that students, faculty, and staff are going to be required to change and synchronize their password three times a year, starting next year.
Computer science senior Ed Quicksall posed a number of questions to Schindler, most of them concerned the wireless hotspots around campus.
Quicksall argued that ITS and the University in general were not advertising the hotspots adequately, saying that the signage around campus was insufficient.
"People aren't going to know unless there are signs," he said. He proceeded to offer to help advertise the hotspots personally. "I'll volunteer the Association of Computing Machinery's services to put the signs up."
Schindler took him up on his offer.
"You come up with the design, " he said, "and I'll cover the printing charges.”