The E-Merging Report

from the Office of Information Technology Services

Clickers in the Classroom

Central Michigan University Professor Michael Garver originally had some reservations about the use of clickers in the classroom, but it was the positive response from students that persuaded him to incorporate the devices into his curriculum.

Garver, who took part in a panel discussion with Fisher faculty members on December 1, said his students enjoyed the interaction with the hand-held devices. The clickers allowed students to become more engaged in classroom lectures.

Clickers allow instructors to easily ask questions, receive student answers and display survey results in the classroom in real-time. Fisher faculty members have used the remote control devices in a variety of courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level.

Thirty nine percent of Fisher undergraduate students indicated they had used clickers in at least one course according to a recent informal poll. Their reaction to the devices was overall positive, with 84 percent answering they felt the clickers enhanced the learning environment.

This quarter students are purchasing clickers to use in several classes at Fisher. Instructors plan to use the devices to encourage interaction and check students' comprehension of material.

Faculty members interested in integrating clicker technology into the classroom can contact the ITS Helpdesk for a consultation.

Microsoft products available for
research, instructional activities

Fisher retains an annual membership in the MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDNAA). As a member, the college receives access to download a variety of Microsoft products at no cost.

The MSDNAA program is available to all current Fisher students, as well as all Fisher faculty and staff members who perform research or instructional activities for the college.

Some of the available software programs include Microsoft Project, Visio, OneNote, Visual Studio and Windows 7. This program does not cover Microsoft Office applications, however this software can be purchased at a discounted price through WiredOut.

Microsoft software available through the MSDNAA is intended for educational use only and is subject to the program's licensing terms and usage guidelines. To login into the MSDNAA site, you must have a valid Fisher user account (last name_#). More information and access to download software can be found at fisher.osu.edu/msdnaa.

If you are unable access to the site or have questions regarding the MSDNAA program, please contact the ITS Helpdesk.

Update on security breach credit protection

As a result of the university security breach in the fall, Ohio State has contracted with Experian to provide credit protection service to those impacted individuals.

As you may be aware, incorrect activation codes were initially sent with some notification letters.

If you received one of these codes, they are now valid and can be used to register for the credit protection services online at
partner.consumerinfo.com/osu.

For more information regarding the security breach or credit protection service, please visit www.osu.edu/creditsafety.

Carmen update removes withdrawn students

A recent update to Carmen will automatically remove students who have dropped a particular course following the start of an academic term.

Students who drop or are dropped from a course after the third Friday of the quarter will remain on the SIS roster despite the change to Carmen. These students will receive a final grade of "W" for the course.

When transferring final grades from Carmen, instructors will see any withdrawn students listed on the Grade Roster in the Faculty Center. However, these students will already have been assigned the final grade of "W" which cannot be overwritten or otherwise changed.

The change to Carmen was made after consulting with Registrar's office about the official status of withdrawn students.

If you have any questions regarding this change to Carmen, please contact the ITS Helpdesk.

Winter 2011

Preparing systems for semester conversion

ITS is in the process of documenting and evaluating the college's systems that may be affected by the quarter-to-semester conversion.

ITS will be meeting with individual departments to determine how they may be affected to ensure a seamless transition.

Please contact the ITS Helpdesk if you have any questions.

Fisher is on Facebook

ITS, in collaboration with the Office of Marketing and Communications, recently launched a Facebook page to engage, communicate and tell Fisher's story with current and future faculty, students, alumni and fans.

The goal of this new fan page will is to share the experiences of Fisher students, alumni, faculty and staff through varying text, photos, video and audio content.

We invite you to "Like" Fisher's new official Facebook Fan Page.

Technology in the classroom

Fisher ITS is looking for faculty members who are using technology to enhance the learning environment. We are exploring the creative and innovative use of technology for a potential profile story.

If you are engaging technology as a way to help your students explore and master course content here at Fisher, please contact Eva Bradshaw.

Contact ITS

E-mail
helpdesk@fisher.osu.edu

Phone
614-292-8976

Walk-in
For technology related assistance, please visit our Helpdesk team at 320 Mason Hall between the hours of
8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The E-Merging Report is published quarterly by the Office of Information Technology Services.

You have received this e-mail because you are a faculty or staff member of Fisher College of Business.

The Ohio State University
Max M. Fisher
College of Business