CIT Monthly News and Events

This fall, CIT offers several faculty funding options to support innovative projects using instructional technologies.

Our Strategic Initiative Grant program seeks applicants with high-impact project ideas which directly support Duke’s strategic goals, and have school or departmental support. Proposed projects should be feasible to accomplish in one to two years, involve multiple courses or faculty members, and support such strategic goals as interdisciplinarity, internationalization and knowledge in the service of society. See the full program description on our website; initial applications are due Monday September 28, 2009.

Faculty with smaller-scale ideas for pilot or “proof-of-concept” projects are welcome to apply for a Jump Start Grant. These grants may be awarded for projects focused on one course, particularly if the project has potential to be expanded to other courses or faculty if successful, or if the project could be used as a model for others. More information and examples of previously funded projects are on our website. Applications for Jump Starts are accepted on a rolling basis.

Other funding options include Invited Speaker Grants and Instructional Technology Faculty Fellowships. More information about both is on the CIT website at the pages linked above, or email cit@duke.edu.

Since its inception in 2004, the Duke Digital Initiative (DDI) has explored the application of a range of new and emerging technologies, including iPods and tablet PCs, in teaching and learning. Funded by the Provost’s Office, the program provides training and support to help faculty and students use the tools effectively.

This year’s DDI programs explore new ways to connect and collaborate using digital media, mobile devices and social networking tools.  Programs for 2009-10 are described on the DDI website and include:

• exploring web-based virtual collaboration such as online office hours, virtual guest speakers, web conferencing and more
• providing flexible web publishing for courses using WordPress MU
• investigating how Twitter could be used to support teaching and other academic work
• several options for learning about and using mobile devices students already have, in and outside the classroom
• creating new and flexible teaching spaces with micro-projectors so small they can fit in your pocket
• continuing to use the VoiceThread online media annotation tool to provide easy ways for students to share and comment on media from their instructors and classmates.

Undergraduate faculty interested in learning more or joining one of these explorations should visit the DDI website to apply, or contact cit@duke.edu.

Faculty and students interested in digital video can still check out a variety of equipment – including high-definition Flip video cameras, video camera kits and web cameras – available for loan at the Link in Perkins Library. No application process is necessary, but see the DDI website for specifics of availability.

To learn more, visit the DDI site: http://dukedigitalinitiative.duke.edu/

Librarians hold the keys to a wealth of resources and techniques that can help faculty with teaching and research, and they’re sharing their knowledge in several workshops in a series titled “Beyond the Stacks.” Faculty are invited to learn more about Refworks (8/26) and Endnote (9/2), data and GIS resources at the Library (9/3), finding images and securing copyright (9/10) and making use of digitized and physical primary sources (9/14). All sessions are held in Bostock Library 023, and registration is requested.

Guest post by Emily Daly, Instruction and Outreach Librarian

If you use Blackboard at Duke, you may have noticed an addition to your course site’s menu this past spring. The new Library Guides button automatically directs you and your students to a page of research tips and resources developed, in many cases, by a librarian who specializes in a subject area related to your course.

See a general research guide or a page that doesn’t accurately reflect the goals of your course? Feel free to contact your subject specialist, who will replace the Library Guides link with a more appropriate page or work with you to design a guide specific to your objectives and assignments like the one below, which was created for a Writing 20 course:

Librarians are also available to lead course-specific instruction sessions for your students as they begin research papers or projects – again, contact your subject specialist for more information and to schedule a session in Perkins/Bostock, Lilly or even your classroom.

Still have questions about this CIT/Libraries collaboration? Feel free to email Emily Daly, or check out Blackboard support for more info.

Now that many students carry a single device that can make phone calls, take pictures, record audio and video, store data, music, and movies, and interact with the Internet, how can we use this in teaching?  This fall, meet with other faculty to discuss and test ideas and software for using cell phones or other small devices in teaching.  We’ll meet once a month, for demonstrations and discussions.  Come and share your ideas and learn.

On Tuesday, September 8th at 10 am, we’ll discuss topics and ideas for this semester.  In addition, Owen Astrachan will talk about his plans for using Poll Everywhere, a simple polling system that uses student cell phones as “clickers” to gather student responses.  We’ll try it out.  Sign up to join us!

Read more from the Duke Digital Initiative.

Get more ideas and share the future of education.

It’s hard to go anywhere or listen to anything without hearing something about Twitter these days, but how does it apply in an academic setting? Can the same technology that was used to communicate during Iranian political protests, following their presidential election, be used to help students learn?

You and several other faculty members can explore that topic during monthly brown bag lunch sessions. We’ll talk about ideas of how Twitter can be used in your course and look at tools that can make using Twitter for teaching easier. The first one will be on September 10th at 12pm. Sign up to join us!

Read more about this year’s Duke Digital Initiative programs.