New Faculty

What you need to know to get started

OCTET staff is here to help you with using technology, creating content and even exploring new pedagogical uses of different technologies. We can also be the resource for other related activities i.e. if you have questions about anything related to teaching call here and we'll point you in the right direction.

The first place you'll probably come in contact with us is with respect to our course management system, Blackboard. This system can be used to

• email students,
• post copyrighted documents/images/small videos and
• post PowerPoint
• create discussion boards
• deliver on-line quizzes
• keep a student accessible record of grades
• much more.

Many find this program indispensable and students are rather facile with it!

How do I make material available to students outside of class?

To place books on regular reserve, you will need to work with the reserve staff. Please email dreserve@oberlin.edu for more information. To check on whether we own books in our library, go to www.oberlin.edu/library. Under "Find" select "Books" and then check in OBIS. The library website is also where you can electronically make a request for the library to purchase books you are using in a course.

Making book chapters, journal articles, and other non-whole books readings available to students over the network can be done in two ways. You can prepare two clean copies of each document and send them to to the reserve desk by campus mail or drop them off in person (first floor Mudd building). They will scan them and put them in ERes ( http://www.oberlin.edu/eres ). The other alternative is to scan the documents yourself and upload them directly to your Blackboard course. Your administrative assistant or OCTET may be able to help you with the scanning.

Please order books from the Oberlin Bookstore as soon as possible, 440 775-6358.

What do I need to do before coming on campus?

1. Make sure your computer needs (hardware and software) are recognized and that a machine has been ordered for you.
2. The contact person for this is Associate Dean Lynne Bianchi ( Lynne.Bianchi@oberlin.edu).. You can follow up with her by email if you have questions about your office equipment.
3. If s oftware needs to be in the computer labs for teaching purposes please contact Cindy Murnan, Director of client Services (cynthia.murnan@oberlin.edu) as soon as possible.
   

I'm on campus, what should I do now?

1. Be sure you have a valid ID. This will get the ball rolling for everything else that you will need.
2. Once you get this ID, be sure you have an email address. This can be done by visiting the CIT help desk in the basement (A level) of Mudd.
   

Where's my computer?

• The Dean's office works with CIT to figure out what you need. CIT then orders, sets up and delivers the machine to your office. If you have any problems with your equipment or office try either the CIT help desk (x58197) or the Dean's office (x58410).
• Lynne Bianchi ( Lynne.Bianchi@oberlin.edu) is point person on office technology requests and you should follow up with her by email (unless she already told you something) if you have questions about your office equipment.
  

What's available in the classroom I was assigned?

• To schedule a room, after you and your department have determined time/days, email Sheila Harley (sheila.harley@oberlin.edu). In some departments the administrative assistant (AA) can take care of this for you. We have a number of "smart" classrooms. These usually have DVD and VCR players as well as a document camera and data projector(s). At Oberlin we use a laptop model and therefore most rooms do not have a computer in them. i.e. you bring your laptop to class with you, plug it in and display what's on your screen. Smart classrooms are usually in high demand, but probably not if you choose lower-demand time slots (outside of the 10-1:30 slots). If you happen not to get a 'smart' classroom but would like to still use technology, A/V can provide the equipment. Call or email them to reserve the appropriate equipment (775-8757). If you need help in using the classrooms or would like a quick tutorial contact Fred Zwegat, head of A/V (fred.zwegat@oberlin.edu).

Something is wrong with my office equipment! HELP!

• This is an easy one. Call the CIT help desk (x58197). Due to the traffic generated it will probably be necessary to leave a message be prepared to leave all the particulars. If this doesn't work, call OCTET (x58345) . Another option is to send an email to cit@oberlin.edu.

How can I find out who is in my class?

• This is done through PRESTO. You will need a separate username and password to access this information. The username is your T # which can be found on your ID. Your password should have been given to you when you checked in but if it wasn't call the registrar (x58140).

How can I print?

• Your office machine should be set up to print to your departmental printer. If this is not the case, then call the CIT help desk (x58345) or email cit@oberlin.edu
• If you are trying to print from a personal laptop or a device other then your CIT configured laptop you'll need to call the CIT help desk or OCTET.

What software is available?

1. Microsoft Office is the defacto standard on campus. All public machines have Office as do most admistrative offices. Your office machine should also have this program on it. If students don't have it on their machines, they can read these documents in the public labs.
2. VirusScan (windows) and is installed on all office machines. It is set to automatically update. Please keep this updated. This software is also available for your personal machines. We highly encourage that you install it on those machines.
3. Our Microsoft license allows for you to purchase and install the latest version of Office and the operating system on your personal machines for $15. To do so please go to the CIT help desk in the basement of Mudd (A-level).
4. Additional software can be downloaded for free from
   http://www.oberlin.edu/cit/downloads/default.html
5. Other software that is available for networked, on-campus machines but is not initially installed includes:
   • Photoshop - used to create modify images.
   • Dreamweaver - used to create and manage websites
   • FileMaker Pro - used to create/maintain databases
   • Acrobat - used to create pdf files (recommended that you only place pdf files saved in Version 4 on the web

This software will only work if you are on-campus and connected to the nework. To get this software call the CIT help desk (X58345) or email cit@oberlin.edu. Be sure to include your name, office number, operating system (Win or Mac) and your phone number.

Does Oberlin use any College wide on-line system for students to access materials for their courses?

• There are a number of mechanisms for getting material line e.g. Blackboard, course network folders (LOCKER), Web pages and eRes. Regardless of the mechanism you use to make material available we recommend that you use Blackboard as a mechanism for pointing students to those resources. Since Blackboard is used by many professors and is also used by various committees and student orgainzations, it is likely that your students are familiar with it. Also, since only one password is needed to gain access to the material from ALL their courses, you will be doing them a favor by using Blackboard. For more information on Blackboard click here.

How do I make articles/book chapters available to my students?

1. Get your materials or at least a list of your materials to the Reserve desk in the library (first floor Mudd building). The library will put one copy in the reserve desk and will make an electronic version available through ERes ( http://eres.cc.oberlin.edu ). Please give the library sufficient notice.
2. Bring the material to OCTET (King 125) and use the auto feed scanner. We can even scan it for you. Once it is scanned it can be directly uploaded to Blackboard.
3. You can do it yourself or your AA could do it. It could then be sent over to to the Eres administrator at the reserve desk (contact dreserve@oberlin.edu for more info) or uploaded into a website, Blackboard or any other distribution mechanism.
4. In any case, we have found that it is easiest if you create a good quality, xeroxed copy of the article or book chapter.

In any case, we have found that it is easiest if you create a good quality, xeroxed copy of the article or book chapter.

N.B. Copyright law does not allow us to make multiple hardcopies of an article and hand them out in class without permission from the owner/author. Electronic copies must be behind a password which will only allow students officially registered for the course to access and download those files. It is also important to impress upon the students that those documents are to be used for studying, should not be distributed to people not in the course and should be erased from any machine to which they were downloaded after the course is officially ended.

How do I make audio/video files and how do I make them available to my students?

These types of digital files can be uploaded into your Blackboard course from where students will have access. Be sure you have used the best compression available before uploading the file. Quicktime works best but other formats will also work on most public machines. OCTET staff is available to provide direction, suggestions and at times student help in creating and uploading this type of content.

Electronic copies must be behind a password which will only allow students officially registered for the course to access and download those files. It is also important to impress upon the students that those documents are to be used for studying, should not be distributed to people not in the course and should be erased from any machine to which they were downloaded after the course is officially ended.

How can I set up an on-line discussion?

This too can be done in Blackboard. Details can be found in the Blackboard section of this site.

What else can I do with/for my students?

1. Bring in outside speakers using our videoconferencing setup. Our setup works easiest and best with other Ohio 5 schools (Wooster, Kenyon, Denison and Ohio Wesleyan) but we would be happy to work with you to bring in speakers from other schools. If you are interested in pursuing this option contact Albert Borroni or Fred Zwegat.
2. OCTET has helped created many web based utilities used to collect and grade short essays, put surveys on-line, manage and display ethnographic materials being used by student, self test for invertebrate biology and tutorials for Excel, NEURON and others. If you would like to put something on the web but can't seem to figure out how to do it, email (albert.borroni@oberlin.edu) or call me (440-775-8345).