Category Archives: Educational Tools

Box at Penn State

Box at Penn State Logo

Description

Box is an online file sharing and Cloud content management service. Box is based on sharing, collaborating, and working with files that are uploaded to Box. Box at Penn State is a secure implementation of Box for all Penn State faculty, staff, and students.

Features

  • Share a file or folder of content with direct web links to one or more people
  • Jointly edit files with others
  • Manage variable user permissions, from view-only to edit
  • Sync desktop files to Box
  • Instantly view files without leaving your browser, from Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint to Adobe Photoshop and Flash video content Continue reading →

Google Docs

Google Drive Logo

Description

Google Docs (also called Google Drive) is a free web-based suite of tools offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, form, and drawing documents online while collaborating with other users live.

Features

  • Online creation
  • Live collaboration, sharing, and simultaneous editing
  • Uploading of documents from a variety of formats for continuing editing
  • Downloading of a completed document in a variety of formats Continue reading →

Web Conferencing via Adobe Connect

Metting at Penn State logo

Description

Meeting@PennState, powered by the Adobe Connect Meeting module, is an enterprise web conferencing solution for online meetings, e-Learning, and webinars.

Features

  • Individuals can create their own meeting space
  • Meeting space includes:
  1. Open or closed participation
  2. Multiple levels of participation from view-only to full control
  3. Breakout rooms to temporarily divide a large audience into smaller groups
  4. Recording option
  5. Upload a PPT for presentation
  6. Upload files to share
  7. Voice over IP (VOIP) or (for fee) telephone audio
  8. Webcams for individuals
  9. Whiteboards
  10. Notes
  11. Text chat
  12. Question and answer polling
  13. Open response polling Continue reading →

Clickers

Clickers at Penn State Logo

Description

Clickers, or Student Response Systems, are hand-held electronic devices designed for in-class polling.

Features

  • Penn State uses the iClicker system.
  • The student clicker resembles a TV remote with an on/off button and five response buttons.
  • The response button can be use to answer multiple-choice questions.
  • The instructor remote has a similar appearance but is a different color.
  • The receiver or base unit is attached to a computer.
  • As responses to a question are received, the instructor can display response frequency in a variety of formats.
  • The instructor can also capture and store student responses for later use, including grading. Continue reading →

WikiSpaces

Wikispaces at Penn State Logo

Description

WikiSpaces is intended to support Penn State-associated collaboration. Spaces must be created and sponsored by Penn State faculty or staff. The sponsor may authorize access to a space for collaborators other than Penn State faculty and staff based on individual user IDs or LDAP groups when appropriate for the purpose of that space.

Features

  • A Wiki is a web page or series of web pages that may be jointly owned and edited. A Wikispace is best used for collaborative purposes. Features include the creation of web pages that contain:
    • Text
    • Lists
    • Tables
    • Hyperlinks

ANGEL Instructor Tools

ANGEL Logo

Description

ANGEL can be used to help administer the class by using the following tools:

  • Gradebook: Allows course editors to track and display grades for ANGEL lesson content items (assessments, drop boxes, etc.) and for assignments handed in outside of the ANGEL environment (presentations, speeches, etc.). Assignments are organized by categories that can be weighted to calculate an overall grade for each student.
  • Attendance Manager: Allows an instructor or course editor to take attendance and review attendance information. This feature could be used by students participating in a class.
  • Reports Console: Allows you to view a full range of reports related to your course and your students. You can configure various parameters to generate particular reports:
  1. Learner Profile reports can compile all of an individual’s course activities to provide a complete picture of his/her performance.
  2. WhoDunIt reports can identify students’ use based on their progress and activity in the course.
  3. Class reports can give you insight into the overall performance of your class. You may notice trends that cause you to change the course’s direction.
  4. Content reports analyze which items are most used by students, including the number of visits and specific times when content was accessed.

Features

  • Gradebook: Track student progress digitally so that students can also see their results and the class average if available
  • Attendance Manager: Track student attendance and/or participation digitally so that students can also see their results.
  • Reports Console: Conduct reports and analysis of student progression and participation utilizing a wide variety of options. Continue reading →

ANGEL Assessing Learning

ANGEL Logo

Description

ANGEL can be used to assess learning in various ways by using the following tools:

  • Drop Box: Provides an area for students to submit assignments electronically. Instructor can have a grading rubric attached to the assignment. Student submissions can be reviewed and graded within one central area and can be tied to the gradebook.
  • Game: Ability to create a crossword puzzle or quiz show game to challenge students’ learning.
  • Assessment: Ability to assess the progress of student learning in an online environment and outside of class time. Contains several different questions types including fill-in-the-blank, matching, multiple choice, multiple select, short answer, true/false, algorithmic (variety in numerical questions), and essay. Ability to set settings/advanced features to align questions to objectives, use a pool of questions, etc.
  • Survey: Ability to survey the student using the mechanisms similar to an assessment. Surveys are anonymous in the current version of ANGEL.

Features

  • Drop Box: Collect assignments digitally and option to integrate a grading rubric directly tied to the same item via the Drop Box feature.
  • Game: Assess student learning in a game format via crossword puzzles or quiz show game via Game feature.
  • Assessment and Survey: Collect formative and summative assessments via Surveys and Assessments. Continue reading →

ANGEL Information Dissemination

ANGEL Logo

Description

ANGEL can be used to disseminate information using the following tools:

  • The calendar is used to schedule events for yourself, for select students, for a team, and/or for your entire class.
  • Links create a URL to link to a Web page outside of ANGEL.
  • A file is used to upload any type of electronic file to your ANGEL course to share with your students.
  • A page is a content item where you can add and distribute information directly within ANGEL instead of through uploading a file.
  • Folders give the ability to arrange course content located in the Lessons Tab and have it be nested within folders and possibility sub-folders.
  • Lesson Plans give you the ability to create a template-based lesson plan and then search and align all required instructor or student content resources in support of the plan.
  • Section Headings give you the ability to place a block of text or visual element on the Lessons tab and the ability to visually group several related items.

Features

  • Cohesive, centralized system to provide dissemination information in a variety of formats
  • Calendaring capability to promote topics covered, assignment due dates, and other important events Continue reading →

ANGEL Communication & Interaction

ANGEL Logo

Description

ANGEL can be used to communicate and interact with students and among groups of students in various ways, including emailing via Course Mail, distributing Announcements and/or News, using Polls to get student feedback on a particular question, holding online asynchronous discussions using a Discussion Forum, having synchronous interaction either through Live Chat or Live Office Hours, and the ability to have teams in ANGEL by utilizing the Teams tool including working spaces via Team Files.

Features

  • Asynchronous interaction to promote a sense of community between the instructor-student and student-student via Course Mail, Announcements, and Discussion Forums
  • Promotion of current related news events by posting of articles in the News feature
  • Collection of information about a particular questions/topic via Polls
  • Synchronous interaction among the entire class via Live Chat and student-instructor via Live Office Hours
  • Creation of teams including ability to send a specific team an e-mail, have course content only visible to a specific team, create team specific items in the calendar, hold team-based Live Chat sessions, and have a special Team Files area for teams to work together with one another Continue reading →

Yammer

Yammer Logo

Description

A collaborative environment for connecting with people across the University community and sharing meaningful information. Mostly text based, but sharable documents may be created.

Features

  • Share information and media
  • Groups
  • Inbox
  • Org Chart
  • Event Listing
  • Private Messages
  • Polls
  • News Feeds
  • Announcements
  • User Profiles
  • Chat – Only One-to-One Conversation Continue reading →