Chapter 1
The technology we use

This chapter will provide a brief overview of the technologies in place at Dakota Wesleyan and supported by Information Systems.

Computers
Dakota Wesleyan has standardized on the Windows operating system. Some PCs still run Windows 2000, but the campus generally has adopted Windows XP Professional as the default operating system. Macintosh computers are found only in programs in which the industry standard is the Mac, such as in the Multimedia program offered through the Art and Computers and Technology departments.

Software applications
DWU has adopted the Microsoft Office suite of office productivity software as its campus standard. Information Systems has installed Office on all university-owned computers and recommends that Office be installed on computers owned by students and employees for their use in university-related work. Office is available to members of the DWU community at the Bookstore at educational discount pricing.

The standard "loadset" of software applications installed on university computers includes:

• Electronic mail: Outlook
• Word processing: Word
• Spreadsheet: Excel
• Calendar: Outlook
• Presentation graphics: PowerPoint
• Web page authoring: FrontPage
• Web browser: Internet Explorer
• Desktop publishing: Publisher
• Relational database: Access
• Virus protection: Sophos Anti-Virus
• Digital image editing: Microsoft Photo Editor
• Digital video editing: Windows Movie Maker
• Digital media playback: Windows Media Player

Information Systems will install specialized software on employee workstations if the need is justified and funds are available for purchase. Be advised that additional software is installed in the Smith 102, Education 108, and Art Building Multimedia computer labs. These workstations are available to faculty, staff, and students at any time that the labs are not in use by classes (and sometimes during classes with the instructor's permission). See below under Computer labs in this chapter for more information about software available in the labs.

Wireless technologies
Implemented in 2000, the eConnections@DWU wireless program now covers much of the campus, including nearly all classrooms. This means that if your laptop computer has a wireless card using the IEEE 802.11b standard, you can connect to the campus network in any covered area without an Ethernet cable. (Laptops and desktops with access to the wired network should connect in that manner rather than using the wireless option, for speed and security purposes.) For more information about eConnections, including a complete list of campus areas now covered by wireless, see /it/eConnections.aspx.

Digital file storage
Digital file storage is available to university employees and departments in three different locations. Each is accessible by clicking on the My Computer icon on your desktop or in the Start menu. No separate login is necessary. Through your initial login to the network, you are automatically given access to each of the drives and folders that you are authorized to view.

University employees have a 200 MB storage limit on the three drives combined.

H-drive. The "H-drive" (indicated on your My Computer screen as "Dwu\Dfs\EmployeeHome(H)") is your personal space for digital file storage. Storage of your work-related files on the H-drive, instead of your desktop, is strongly recommended for two reasons. First, the H-drive is backed up regularly and would enable you to access your essential files even if something unthinkable happened to your office computer. Second, you can access these files by logging into any computer on campus, including those in classrooms if you wish to demonstrate a file on your H-drive during a lecture. Use the "drag and drop"method to easily copy files to the H-drive.

Note that the H-drive is not accessible via a web browser. DWU community members who wish to create personal web sites or place course materials on the web without using the Jenzabar course management system must use MyWeb. MyWeb will be described in the next section of this chapter.

G-drive. The "G-drive" (indicated on your My Computer screen as "Dwu\Dfs\DepartmentShare(G)") is your department's space for digital file storage. Essential files can be stored on the G-drive and made available to anyone in the department, as well as to others with whom the department wishes to share the files. Under normal circumstances, employees have access only to their own department's G-drive folder.

S-drive. The "S-drive"(indicated on your My Computer screen as "EmployeePublic on Dwu\Dfs(S)") provides access to information publicly available (to the campus only) but not placed on the web, such as forms, meeting minutes, and important university documents. Anyone with access to the S-drive can write to it.

Personal web sites
Information Systems has created MyWeb (http://myweb.dwu.edu/) as the online space for faculty, staff, and students to maintain their personal web pages. MyWeb is only available via a web browser, for both reading and installing files, and cannot be accessed through the My Computer folder on your desktop. It is outside the "official"DWU web space and requires knowledge of HTML or a web page authoring tool.

To set up a MyWeb account, contact the Help Desk at x2697 or helpdesk@dwu.edu. See the Help Desk web site at /ithelpdesk/my_web.htm for assistance in accessing and using MyWeb.

Online teaching and learning technologies (TigerNet)
The university has adopted the Jenzabar course management system (CMS), which we call TigerNet, as its platform that supports online learning. TigerNet offers a comprehensive suite of online learning functions, including space for the posting of course documents such as a syllabus, assignment instructions, and handouts; online discussions; online tests and quizzes; and a gradebook.

The CMS is integrated into the back-end Jenzabar administrative systems at DWU. Thus, course shells are automatically created in TigerNet for all credit courses offered by the university. TigerNet also automatically populates the course shells with students and maintains Adds and Drops. Links to courses taught by faculty and taken by students automatically appear on personal home pages when persons log into TigerNet.

The integration with Jenzabar administrative systems also means that by logging into TigerNet, students, faculty, and staff can also access online registration systems, make online payments, review advising records, and perform a wide range of other activities. Each TigerNet user is authorized to access only those records for which appropriate privileges have been granted.

Faculty who wish to place course materials on the web but prefer not to use Jenzabar may use their personal web space on MyWeb. See above for more information.

For more information about TigerNet, see elsewhere in this web site.

Supporting faculty in their development of online courses or course components, and in teaching effectively in an online environment, is one of the primary functions of the Title III Instructional Technology Specialist. Contact Mike Albright at x2638 or at mialbrig@dwu.edu for assistance. Mike can help in a wide variety of areas, including converting a course from conventional classroom to an online setting, thinking through online learning activities, helping faculty learn how to use the functions of TigerNet and figure out its mysteries.

Electronic portfolios
The campus has licensed iWebfolio as its electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) software application. Development of electronic portfolios will be a graduation requirement of all students, beginning with incoming students in Fall 2005 and all incoming students thereafter. University faculty and administrators will also use iWebfolio for the development of departmental portfolios for assessment purposes as well as for DWU's upcoming North Central Association accreditation review. Faculty may use iWebfolio to develop portfolios to accompany promotion and tenure applications.

For more information about electronic portfolios and iWebfolio, including access, see elsewhere in this web site.

Online surveys and course evaluations
As a benefit of Dakota Wesleyan's membership in the TLT Group, we have access to Flashlight Online, a versatile tool for online surveys and course evaluations. Flashlight Online may be used by students for such purposes as surveys in conjunction with course projects, and by faculty and administrators for a variety of research projects such as alumni surveys, campus opinion surveys, and collection of information from the Mitchell community and prospective students.

More information about Flashlight Online, including access, is located elsewhere in this web site.

Computer labs
Information Systems maintains six computer labs on the DWU campus:

• Smith 102
• Education 108
• McGovern Library Reference Room
• Tutor Lab in McGovern Library
• Art Building Multimedia Lab
• Rollins Campus Center lounge (the Village)

The hours each lab is open may be found on the Help Desk web site at /itcomputer_labs/lab_hours.htm. Students may also check /itcomputer_labs/cameras.htm to see if computers are available. These cameras may only be viewed from on-campus locations.

As noted above, the Smith 102, Education 108, and Art Building Multimedia Labs provide access to specialized software that is not generally available on personal workstations, in addition to the standard loadset listed above. Software by location includes the following:

Smith 102
Nursing Applications I & II
Minitab
Adobe PageMaker
Integrated Accounting
QuickBooks Pro
General Ledger Software

Education 108
Nursing Applications I & II
Minitab
Adobe PageMaker

Art Building Multimedia Lab (all-Macintosh lab)
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Premiere
Quark Express
Final Cut Pro

Technology classrooms
Instructional technology equipment has been placed in most DWU classrooms on a permanent basis. McGovern Library Media Services maintains ten classrooms as "smart classrooms"or "technology-equipped classrooms"(TECs), with computers at the faculty stations, network access, multimedia projectors, and laptop connections. These include:

• Christen Wellness Center 101 and 102
• Education 108 (computer lab)
• Nold Lecture Hall in the Hughes Science Center
• the Hughes Music classroom
• the Koka Nursing classroom, and
• Smith Hall 102 (computer lab), 120, 122, and 303.

Detailed information about technology available in these rooms may be found at /library/tecs.htm. This site also contains equipment operating instructions.

In addition, Nomad portable multimedia systems are available on the second floor of the Hughes Science Center and in the Education Bldg. The Nomads contain much the same equipment as the technology-equipped classrooms, but are on wheels and portable. Contact Rod Brown, McGovern Library Media Services technician, at x2685 or robrown@dwu.edu for information about location and access, and operating instructions for the Nomad systems.

All DWU classrooms contain overhead projectors and screens. VCRs and TV monitors are permanently installed in most classrooms that are not equipped as smart classrooms.

Technology for students
Enhancing student technology skills is a very important part of the educational mission of the university. All new students must take (or test out of) CAT 105, a course in elementary computer applications. Many other courses at DWU require students to use computer technologies. The technology environment for students includes the following.

• All incoming students are assigned user IDs and passwords, and are given network access and e-mail accounts.
• All dormitory rooms provide a separate high-speed network connection for each resident, to encourage students to bring their own computers to campus.
• Wireless technologies in classroom buildings enable students to use their laptops during class for accessing course resources and taking notes. Wireless access is also available in the Campus Center, university apartments, and in dormitory lounges.
• Computer labs, located in six different campus sites, provide student access to technology.
• Students are given space on MyWeb upon request.
• The Information Systems Help Desk provides guidelines for students and parents planning to purchase computers to be brought to campus. See /it/LaptopRequirements.aspx.
• The Title III grant will significantly increase student access to technology and, particularly, will improve the integration of technology into the curriculum.

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