TechXploration will be Thursday, April 4, from noon to 3 p.m. in room 401 of the Benson University Center. Beverages and snacks will be catered by Aramark, and you can register to win a donated Lenovo Android Tablet.

TechXploration is designed to showcase faculty use of technology and bring together faculty and staff who want to share their experiences with current technology efforts. Faculty, staff and students will be able to see how technologies are being leveraged in teaching, learning, research, engagement, and creative endeavors at Wake Forest.

Presentations will be in poster session format, so join us for any portion of the event. Presentations will include:

• using multimedia tools for language instruction
• using TelePresence, WebEx, and social tools with law students
• the abilities of Qualtrics – a university survey tool
• new versions of WIN and Mobile WIN
• publishing your own e-books
• online assessments in the OPCD for use in advising students
• ZSRx: a mini-MOOC
• virtual epidemics to study human behavior
• video and social media to connect with your audience
• and many more!

Message from Rick Matthews, associate provost for technology and information systems: Welcome to the spring 2012 newsletter highlighting things happening on campus with technology and Information Systems. Following are headlines with links to more information.

Next Steps in Academic Technology - With the significant changes in technology and opportunities available and the upcoming expiration of the Lenovo contract in Fall 2012, it is time to begin discussions on the next stage of technology on the Reynolda campus. Watch for more from the IT Executive Committee, the Committee on Information Technology and the IT Partners Council.

Call for Proposals: Summer Technology Exploration Grants - Help the university discover how technology can enhance teaching, learning, research, and creative activity. Proposals are due March 7th.

Collaborative Technologies -This year marks the first time that all Wake Forest University students, faculty and staff have access to Google Apps and WebEx.  These collaborative tools make communicating easier than ever, minimizing the constraints of busy schedules, distance and even time zones!

Business Intelligence – Over the past 6 months, we have been formalizing a new Business Intelligence (BI) team in Information Systems.  This team’s focus is transforming the raw data captured through the various systems at Wake Forest University into information that can be used to support more effective and informed decision making.

technology.wfu.edu - We are building a site to share stories of faculty innovations and inventions. Are you making effective use of technology in your teaching, research, or creative activity?  Have you created new technology?  Drop me a note. We want your stories. Please help us make this a showcase for the great work you are doing.

Use ResolveIT to get the help you need from Information Systems – ResolveIT is our online, self-service express lane for submitting requests for your Information Systems service needs.  ResolveIT has been improved to better serve you.

Want to learn more about what is at your fingertips?

• Gain valuable insight into the tools that allow you to ‘Click. Connect. Collaborate.’
• Learn how to incorporate collaborative tools into school work, teaching, learning and more. Sign up for a helpful class or workshop through the Professional Development Center (PDC). The PDC is currently offering classes and “Lunch and Learn” sessions on topics such as Google, Google+, ResolveIT, WebEx Meeting Center and more. Enroll now!
• If you are interested in a one-on-one collaborative tools learning opportunity, contact Sarah Wojcik-Gross at wojciksg@wfu.edu to arrange a time to meet and learn.

Thanks to all the students, faculty and staff who took the opportunity during back-to-school to learn how collaborative tools can help them. Participants had the opportunity to win Visa gift cards! The two lucky winners were Brooks Jung and Robert Gmeiner.

Nancy Crouch, the Deputy CIO at Wake Forest, was published in the Winter issue of EdTech Magazine. She wrote about the profound changes video-based web conferencing is having on campus, allowing both professors and students to collaborate in ways that never existed previously.

Read the article »

Information Systems is excited to share that you now have a number of collaborative tools at your fingertips! WebEx Connect, WebEx Centers and WFU Google Apps can make communicating easier, minimizing the constraints of busy schedules, distance and even time zones.

Use the following links to learn more about these collaborative tools:

• For WebEx news, alerts, tips and tricks, bookmark http://help.wfu.edu/webex.
• To learn more about Google, bookmark http://help.wfu.edu/google.

Enroll in a class through the Professional Development Center and learn more about collaborative tools.

Drop by the Benson University Center information tables between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, or Monday, Jan. 30 and talk to staff about collaborative tools. The information tables are located on level two of the Benson Center.

WebEx will be upgraded on Saturday, Oct. 29 without service interruptions. The upgrade will bring new features. Feature highlights include a greater High Definition video experience, expanded full screen mode and an enhanced WebEx Support Center for improved customer service support. Read more about the WebEx upgrade at http://help.wfu.edu/webex.