IT Services will offer two days of no-charge seminars to faculty on technology topics on May 7 and 8. These workshops are also open to graduate assistants.

The workshops are designed to support faculty, academic staff, and graduate assistants in their teaching and research roles by providing seminars for online learning and instruction in the use of a variety of software tools.

Choose from one to four sessions over two days. Free lunches are offered for participants in the Union Ballroom on both days featuring MSU faculty and staff reporting on uses of research and instructional technology.

Seminars provide online learning with hands-on instruction using computer hardware, software, and MSU’s technology classrooms. Morning sessions run from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. each day. Afternoon sessions run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. each day. Choose from one to four sessions over the two-day period. There will be a full group luncheon with speakers both days. All sessions will start promptly at their scheduled times.

Class Descriptions

Access Database Fundamentals
Aacquire the tools needed to design a database that allows for easy data entry, maintenance, and retrieval.

Access 2007
You will be introduced to the four main objects (tables, queries, forms, and reports) of a Microsoft Access database. The course emphasizes creating structurally-sound tables that promote data integrity. Access Database Fundamentals or equivalent knowledge is a prerequisite.

Adobe Presenter & Connect
Adobe Presenter will help you enhance your PowerPoint presentations and make them more interactive by incorporating audio, video, and Flash movies. In addition, learn how to conduct online meetings and lectures with Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro. Collaborate with whiteboards, share files, and more.

Advanced Topics in HPCC: Making Your Research Go Faster
During this workshop, participants already familiar with using the High Performance Computing Center (HPCC) systems will be shown advanced techniques on how to use the system more effectively.  Topics include: techniques for effective scheduling of pleasantly parallel jobs; shared memory jobs and shared network jobs; running jobs longer than a week; and making jobs fault tolerant.

This is an interactive workshop held in a computer lab, although participants are encouraged to bring their research laptops if applicable. Multiple instructors will be available to help get you started and diagnose problems.

Camtasia & Audacity Recording in MSU Classrooms
Basic instruction on using Audacity and Camtasia for recording lectures and presentations in the classroom. Participants will gain knowledge of the hardware and recording software incorporated into the MSU technology classrooms and how to use it.

Camtasia Studio 8
Learn how to use this popular video creation and recording tool from TechSmith. This introduction to Camtasia will allow you to create, edit, and post video recordings, including PowerPoint slide shows with audio and video for your courses.

Creating Accessible Documents
Accessible documents make it easier for everyone to access your information. Learn how to design flexible and accessible content in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat.

Data Management for Research
Learn about practical, MSU-specific support and infrastructure for managing, archiving, and sharing research data. Understand the changing research landscape and the shift to data-intensive and highly-collaborative research projects. Learn how to comply with the National Science Foundation (NSF) policies regarding the submission of a Data Management Plan.

Desire2Learn Assessments
This course will include quizzes, self-assessments, surveys, and dropboxes. It will cover how to create these items, access submission and statistical information for these items, and how to grade these items when applicable.

Desire2Learn Communication and Customization
The Communication portion of this course will include how to use email, the pager, discussions, groups, and chat. The Customization portion will explain how to customize your D2L course space by choosing or creating a new course navigation bar, choosing or creating a different course theme, changing the layout of a course homepage, and creating or choosing course widgets.

Desire2Learn Gradebook
This course will include using the gradebook setup wizard; managing grades and creating new grade items; entering grades; and using grading schemes. It will also include information on grading rubrics.

Desire2Learn Introduction
This course will provide attendees with an overview of the key features and components of the Desire2Learn Learning Environment. Included will be instruction on activating courses, creating and managing modules and topics, dropboxes, discussion forums, quizzes/surveys, managing classlists, and using some course tools.

Dreamweaver
Learn to create web pages with the most versatile website management tool available. This class will cover the basic Dreamweaver interface including the document and code windows, setting up a new website, creating and formatting simple HTML pages, and working with images and links.

Excel Level 1 and 2
Learn to use Excel spreadsheets to post and manipulate data, create charts and graphs, and use formulas. The afternoon session will provide additional tips and consulting.

Fundamentals of Online Teaching
This class explores techniques for teaching in a fully online environment. We will view examples and best practices from award-winning courses and experiment with online presentation and interaction tools. Participants must bring their own laptops. Enrollment in this day’s session automatically enrolls you in the second session on Wednesday.

Google Apps at MSU: Calendar and Sites
MSU offers an Education Edition of Google Calendar and Sites for MSU faculty, staff, and students. In this session, participants will use Google Sites to build, share, and collaborate on websites. Participants will also explore the features of Google Calendar to set appointments and create shared calendars for seminars and conference rooms. There will also be an opportunity to learn how to integrate Google Docs and Google Calendars in a Google Site.

Google Apps at MSU: Drive and Docs
MSU offers an Education Edition of Google Docs for MSU faculty, staff, and students. In this session, participants will learn to build, share, and collaborate on documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and forms with Google Docs, part of Google Drive on the web. Learn how to apply the collaborative features with both students and colleagues. Participants will also learn about the appropriate use of cloud computing services like Google Apps.

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
This workshop is designed as an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), with an emphasis on free online software and tools that are accessible to all campus researchers. Profiled in the class will be ArcGIS Online, a cloud-based GIS content management system that provides the infrastructure to create maps, design applications, and share information. At the end of this workshop, attendees will have a basic understanding of how GIS works and how to transfer, discover, and create geographic data.

Introduction to the HPCC: A Hands-On Introduction to High Performance Computing at MSU
During this workshop, participants will learn through hands-on examples how to get started with the MSU High Performance Computing Center (HPCC). Topics include: connecting to the HPCC; copying files to your home directories; navigating the command line interface; accessing available software; testing and running programs interactively; editing files; writing job scripts; submitting jobs to the queue; and monitoring jobs running on the system.

This is an interactive workshop held in a computer lab, although participants are encouraged to bring their research laptops if applicable. Multiple instructors will be available to help you get started and diagnose problems.

Introduction to MATLAB
This workshop will introduce you to MATLAB as a tool for doing scientific research. The MATLAB programming language is particularly well suited for use a research tool. MATLAB can be used in all aspects of the research process, including: data gathering, data organization, data analysis, model simulation, and visualization of results. This hands-on workshop is appropriate for researchers who are new to programming and/or are not familiar with MATLAB.

LaTeX
LaTeX is a versatile alternative to word processing. This session will provide an overview of the LaTeX document preparation system, including how it works and how it compares to word processing software. Participants will learn about the use of LaTeX documents and how to use it to produce documents of their own.

Learning Simple Video Capture and Sharing through MediaSpace
In this course participants will learn simple video capturing techniques and editing tips utilizing a phone, tablet, or webcam. Participants will also learn how to optimize their video experience by uploading or sharing with MediaSpace. MediaSpace is a cloud-based web service developed by Kaltura which facilitates the conversion and distribution of various audio and video media formats. MSU faculty, staff, and students can take advantage of this no-cost service that will help to enrich their teaching and learning experience. Participants must bring a cell phone or tablet with video recording capabilities; editing techniques will be shown using iMovie.

Library Tools & Services for Faculty
Learn how you can effectively take advantage of the MSU Libraries’ extensive online resources and special faculty services to support teaching, research, and outreach. This is especially recommended for new faculty and those interested in a short refresher course.

LON-CAPA Content Creation
Hands-on workshop on how to author materials including homework problems in LON-CAPA. Prerequisite of LON-CAPA Introduction or being a current LON-CAPA user.

LON-CAPA Introduction
Overview of the MSU-developed learning content and course management system with hands-on training on the essential skills needed to run your course on LON-CAPA.

Photoshop This workshop includes an overview of the many features and tools in PhotoShop including the workspace, image modes and file format, selection tools, and raster and vector shape tools. Class activities will cover the creation of composite images and special effects using layers, text, filters, and painting and drawing tools.

PowerPoint Level 1 & 2
Instruction in the popular presentation software from Microsoft. Level 1 includes creating and posting simple slide shows. Level 2 covers more advanced features such as animations, videos, and audio.

Python I: Introduction
The Python programming language has gained popularity among scientists and academics over the past decade. Python is used for a wide variety of tasks from running websites to analyzing large amounts of data to plotting figures. This session will focus on learning the language and its standard library via hands-on exercises. Installation of Python and ways to get help with it will also be discussed. Common pitfalls and useful programming idioms will also be featured. Some previous programming experience is recommended.

Python II: Data Analysis and Visualization for Researchers
Python is popular in the scientific community; this is mainly due to a core set of very popular software packages, such as NumPy, SciPy, pandas, and matplotlib. Installing these packages initially will be discussed. Most of the seminar will be spent learning them via hands-on exercises in the powerful IPython environment. Some other useful packages will be mentioned at the end. Python I or familiarity with Python is required.

Research & Information Management Tools
Discover emerging technologies and unique features of library resources that can help you organize and manage your research and information gathering more effectively, as well as help your students develop research strategies.

Turnitin
Turnitin is a cloud-based learning environment for writing skills development and assessment. There are five main components:

• Originality Check – used to help students understand how and when to appropriately attribute work to others
• GradeMark – web-based review and markup of documents and rubrics
• PeerMark – peer-review via web-based reader
• ETS E-Rater – computer assisted assessment of written work
• iThenticate – originality checking for scholarly publications

The primary use of any plagiarism prevention software ought to be educational. Anti-plagiarism technology can not provide plagiarism or acquit an author suspected of plagiarizing. Only the individual assessment of the instructor can make such a judgement.

This course will help instructors learn how to use Turnitin so they can help others use it effectively, and will include both the instructor and student views.

Zotero: Citation Management 2.0
This session will provide a comprehensive introduction to Zotero, a free citation management tool. Learn how to: import and manage references from Library e-resources and the web; share resources with others; and format references and use them with Microsoft Word. This class will teach the Zotero Firefox browser-based tool. Participants must bring their own laptops with the latest version of Firefox installed. Previous experience searching article databases available from the MSU Libraries is recommended.