Building a Virtual Toolbox for College Education

A fully interactive lecture experience free from commute, cross-campus treks uphill, and classroom distractions is now fully possible. Suggesting that to students and professors 20 years ago would likely have evoked scoffs and Star Wars jokes. However, CSULB's exploration of high-tech teaching materials has manifested itself as a series of useful, accessible programs designed to reach students in a large variety of ways.
John Ferretti, Director of Instructional Technology, helps students work with these tools every day.
"We implement new programs as often as we find one that serves our purpose and is practical for the campus to adopt. There's always a need for those resources," he said.
Simulated classrooms often involve a real-time chat board for interactive learning, visual presentation (sometimes live video feeds of the professor lecturing), and a moderating function to allow the instructor control over the course of the lesson.
CSULB uses the program Elluminate Live! for virtual lecture sessions. Professors can use the program for distance education or as a supplement to their regular classes. The program was chosen over several other brands of web conferencing software, including
GoToMeeting, e-Lecta, and Vmukti.
"The financial aspect is a big one… some of the programs we use aren't perhaps the newest on the market [but] the school always has the cost to students in mind," Ferretti said.
Also in CSULB’s arsenal of technological teaching tools is the virtual world program Second Life, developed and released by Linden Lab. Features of the Second Life “Beach World” include a virtual version of the Walter Pyramid where students can play beach volleyball or basketball well as an Espresso Lounge and Beach Shops that link to an actual online store.
“Second Life is a unique teaching tool,” said Walter Gajewski, Coordinator of Multimedia Services for the Office of Instructional Technology, “Universities can host their own private ‘island’ with realistic territories.”
Many aspects of the “Beach World” are true to life except that there, students and teachers can fly to class and teleport with a click to anywhere on the “Grid” (the in-game term for the Second Life virtual world).
Amey Tawde, formerly a project manager for the Calif. State University system,
coordinated the nearly system-wide adoption of Second Life virtual campuses for both educational and recreational purposes.
“With this program, we can bring in guest speakers without any constraints on travel cost or space,” Tawde said. “Young people are dealing in a wide range of virtual realities right now with games and social tools and this is an approach that we thought would make them feel more comfortable and engaged in their college experience.”
Students can even take a virtual tour of the campus before signing up for their classes.
Karena Chichester, Anthropology major, feels that this is a realistic step for CSULB to take.
“I had no idea [CSULB] was on Second Life!” she said with a smile. “I’ll have to check that out. It makes sense; I know a few people who are really into that game.”
With our ever-advancing technologies and consequently shifting worldview, CSULB will continue to build upon its experience with the innovative application of educational programs.
As Stephen Adams, Associate Professor of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling puts it, “We should be directing our research efforts toward things like environmental education.”
A proponent of technological learning tools in the sciences, Adams would like to see these tools used for “global issues, social and ecological alike.”
As a constantly forward-thinking institution, CSULB cannot help but benefit from the input of many brilliant and dedicated minds, both on staff and enrolled in its classes. Those who are dedicated to using the technology that is constantly around us will continue to contribute to our virtual toolbox, helping to craft inventive new sources of engaging and informative education for the benefit of all.

On this page is a video introduction to CSULB on Second Life.

Elluminate Live!

Techne meets Technique in CSULB's Dance Department

In its 40 years at CSULB, the dance program has developed a prestigious and enriched curriculum featuring world-class talent on the part of both instructors and student performers. It also showcases some of the finest stage technologies available.
The Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater is the crown jewel of dance technology at CSULB. The stage is covered with a woven multi-layer vinyl blend (a step up from the regular flooring used in many performance spaces, called “marley”.
“Also, the full banks of axial and border lights and huge range of diffusers make this one of the most challenging and fun stages I’ve ever worked on,” said Andrew N. Milhan, Technical Director and Lighting Designer.
“Lighting really makes the piece. It’s the other half of the equation when it comes to creating a full-range artistic production.”
Stadium style seating for 280 people and a massive stage (approximately 40 feet deep and 48 feet wide) bring the performance “right in your face,” According to Kamini S., undecided major at CSULB.
“Every seat is a good seat,” she said.
In addition to an exceptional performing space, CSULB’s dance program boasts plenty of practice rooms. There are seven dance studios in all, ranging from 40 feet by 38 feet to 68 feet by 47 feet, one of which even serves as a video recording stage. There is even a faculty-only warm-up studio.
Classes are held every semester in the unique, colorful dance buildings. Pilates, Hip Hop, Ballet, Jazz, and Modern dance all have a home here in this beautifully-appointed and technologically cutting-edge dance facility.

Here is the home page for the CSULB Dance Program Facilities

Tech Tips from CSULB's Web Programming Guru

CSULB Coordinator of Multimedia Services for the Office of Academic Technology Walter Gajewski offers a treasure trove of free technological advice, downloadable straight from iTunes U!
The tips are offered in a series of podcasts. They cover subjects ranging from viewing, printing, and other access techniques to gaining access to the New York Times Select for free.
"I taught audio and film production here [at CSULB] for some time, and I noticed how very few of the students had even a basic grasp of the technology that's a constant part of their lives," Gajewski said.
With his podcasts, Gajewski has certainly made easy-to-access tech advice available for anyone on campus. There is even a multi-part tutorial on building your own website from the ground up.
Also among the helpful pointers are directions on accessing many free resources students may not realize they have at their fingertips.
"Yes, we have a tutorial on the free Picasa photo hosting site, free audio editing software by Audacity, and actually several ways to store and move files between computers... that people for the most part wouldn’t even think of….they just don’t look very far into the programs they use every day,” he said.
These tips offer a solid starting point for any student (or professor) looking to further their online prowess. There are 36 episodes total, each with a transcript available for viewing in PDF format. Below is an example of embedding a Google map into a web page, which is the subject of one of his podcasts.

Tech Tips from CSU Long Beach


View Larger Map

OrgSync May Simplify Things for On-Campus Organizations

With over 300 on-campus organizations at CSULB, there is a definite need for a means to coordinate events and communicate effectively to members. With the current budget situation, there is also a strong argument for spending as little as possible on the right technologies. ASI President James Ahumada has recently been pushing for the integration of OrgSync, a networking software that will bring all the activities of on-campus clubs to a single interface. The program offers individual websites to clubs and Greek groups, an extracurricular “e-portfolio” for students to showcase their out-of-class work, a group search system through which students can find groups that fit their own interests, and a PayPal-linked fee payment system as well as apps for the iPhone and direct linkage into several social networking sites.
"In terms of what is accessible to members online," Ahumada said, "we need a system that avails vital information to students. OrgSync offers features like event calendars and easy fee payment. This is the best option I've seen so far."
OrgSync would cost ASI $20,000 for the first year (with $10,000 in help from Student Life and Development) and between $14,000 and $16,000 every year thereafter.
The program has been met with some skepticism, notably from the Associated Engineering Student Body (AESB) President Daniel Hernandez, who stated in an interview with the Daily 49er that he felt the money from student fees could be better spent on other activities, such as funding events.

Although student organizations currently communicate with members through the many free networking channels such as Facebook, Google Docs, and other data services, OrgSync would integrate all club data into their platform, centralizing and standardizing operations for all.

ASI met on Dec. 1, the fourth meeting they will have had regarding the subject, and will announce their decision within the week.

Click it!

Since the 2009 standardization of the i>clicker on CSULB campus, there has been much buzz about the new classroom technology.
Leslie Kennedy, director of instructional technology support services, is optimistic about clickers' legitimacy as a teaching tool.
"Simplicity and reliability are key. The i>clicker's response system seems to help with keeping students focused on course material."
However, Shaheh Shabanian, a civil engineering major at CSULB, has his qualms with the technology.
"Every time I forget it, I lose points! I know the answers, I just hate having to rely on the thing to get credit!"
As an answer to the complaints of students like Shabanian, the i>clicker service now also offers a feature called Web>clicker, which allows students to use laptops, phones, and other wireless devices to respond under their i>clicker ID.
Many feel that this device is an efficient way to do certain in-class activities and promote attendance. Anonymity offers more accurate answers. The survey-and-answer method is good for large class sizes (100+ people in a lecture hall). It also allows both class and teacher to see how much was understood by students, according to surveys of professors at Northwestern University and Colorado University at Boulder.
Is the i>clicker an effective tool? All experimental technology has its pros and cons. Students will just have to keep their clickers at the ready to find out.
i>Clicker's site:
http://www.iclicker.com/dnn

Heat Imaging and 3D Visualization Take Mapmaking to a New Level

In the field of cartography (mapmaking) there are many options available for collecting vital information. Demographics, topography, temperature trends, and street maps are resources a cartographer may need at any time. Currently, there is a high demand for instantaneous access to quantitative information; a need for technology that offers it all. Thus, an all-inclusive mapping resources program: ArcGIS.
Doris Dialogu, Civil Engineering major at CSULB, is currently using the program in her Cartography class.
"It takes a lot of statistical understanding," said Dialogu. "You can categorize the info by boundaries and groups of people."
The program will render mapping information from the most basic of geography all the way to street-level detail. This, however, has its stipulations.
Although there is a wealth of content available through the software, its reliability is limited by the way it is presented. "There's a lot of info and it's all biased by representation," said Dialogu. "Like any representative painting of a flower or a rabbit. It's paint."

Technology on Campus test 311

Photos courtesy of Nelson Miranda and Angela Christiano

This weekend (9/25) I flew to San Francisco for a show with my bellydance company, Mandala Danceworks along with some of my favorite performers, Unmata and Linda Faoro. I have these people's posters on my wall, I couldn't believe I was actually performing with them! Unmata's motto is "Bellydance gone Strong", and they certainly lived up to it! Faoro is here for the first time from Paris and taught a phenomenal workshop. My boyfriend drove up the night before, transporting some of our dance props. He and I met up and spent the night with some good friends that night. The next morning, we grabbed some breakfast and hit the Folsom Street Fair before driving back home.