Elon IT Decoded: Meet Cassie Lott
There’s a good chance you haven’t met Systems Administrator Cassie Lott, but odds are, she’s helped you somewhere along the way. One-fifth of Information Technology’s (IT) Systems Administration team and an Acorn Accolade honoree, Cassie spends her days at Elon managing a number of tasks behind the scenes – from email accounts and access, to Office 365 and security. Check out the video below to learn more about Cassie, her role at Elon and the top tech tip she wants to share with the Elon community. Follow up with this E-net feature to learn more about the launch of the Elon IT Decoded series. TOP TECH TIP My number one tip…be diligent about phishing and spam emails, and scams like that. Be diligent with your security. Make sure you don’t have passwords laying around and you’re choosing secure passwords – long phrases, using special characters. We have an application called LastPass, and I highly recommend…
Read MoreMoodle Support: Missing a course on your list? Here’s what may be happening
It’s the first day of spring semester and you’ve logged into Moodle, only to find that one of your courses is missing. Whether you’re a student or an instructor, this can be a little unsettling. But don’t panic. Here’s what may be happening. Are you a student? If you are a student and cannot see your Moodle course, first consider when you enrolled in the course. If it has been a while, your instructor most likely has not yet made your course available to students. Once your professor makes the course available, it will appear in Moodle under your course list. There also is a chance that courses will not be available to students until the first day of classes. If you enrolled in the course more recently, for example earlier today, then you will be included in the next enrollment update. This means that you will have to wait…
Read MoreRecognizing Data Privacy Day
How many times have you started an online account and took the time to read through the privacy settings? If not, do you really know how your personal information is used, collected or shared through your favorite apps and online platforms? Data Privacy Day aims to change how all users think about privacy and protection. Observed internationally on January 28, Data Privacy Day began in the United States in 2008 to increase awareness of privacy and data protection best practices for individuals and companies. An extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe, the annual observation commemorates the Jan. 28, 1981 signing of Convention 108 – the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection, according to the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), which leads the U.S. campaign. Among its efforts to encourage cybersecurity, the NCSA offers Stay Safe Online to educate users about the importance…
Read MoreSharePoint, OneDrive: Best practices for online storage, file sharing
Whether you realize it or not, most of us utilize some type of cloud computing on a daily basis. The technology offers a number of services and solutions, from email to social media and beyond, with growth expected to continue. When it comes to file storage and file sharing, cloud-based platforms provide users with convenient access, mobility and enhanced security, among other advantages. At Elon, faculty and staff can take advantage of SharePoint and OneDrive to store files and collaborate online – both free of charge. Teaching and Learning Technologies recently hosted a lunch and learn session to provide an overview of the primary options for file storage and share best practices for ensuring your files are safe, secure and accessible to the right people. Director of Enterprise Solutions Laura Kappert and Systems Administrator Cassie Lott, who led the session, shared the following tips. What is SharePoint? SharePoint is a…
Read MoreTips for designing and delivering quizzes in Moodle
Last spring, Moodle quizzes were created in almost 200 courses across the University; many faculty have turned to the Moodle Quiz tool as an alternative to traditional Scantron bubble sheets. Whether you were one of the many who utilized this tool for administering quizzes, or you are new to this feature-rich tool, here are some features to consider when designing and delivering your online quizzes in Moodle: Question types – Use a variety of available question types including short answer, essay, and video/audio response Shuffle questions - Randomize the order in which the quiz questions appear Time limits - Set customizable time limits for all or specific students Quiz navigation – Choose sequential navigation to force students to progress through the questions in order and not go back to a previous question or skip to a later one Synchronous activity in WebEx - Use WebEx to meet virtually if your quiz contains a presentation or group project component To learn more about this tool, check out Moodle’s Quiz quick guide. What about cheating? While there is no way to completely prevent…
Read MoreOnline alternatives to cancelling class
As an Elon faculty member, we know that inclement weather, illness, or travel can sometimes prevent you from being on campus. When this occurs, consider using online alternatives instead of cancelling class. Here are a few technology tips to consider: Use Moodle as a central location to update course information, lead and facilitate discussions, and post assignments. You can also live chat with your students using Moodle’s text-based chat. Design and deliver quizzes or exams using Moodle’s feature-rich Quiz tool (be sure to read our blog post on “Tips for designing and developing quizzes in Moodle“). Introduce a topic/concept using video. Record a quick introduction using your web cam or record your screen with Kaltura and then upload the video to your course in Moodle. Use web conferencing tools like WebEx to hold class remotely and synchronously. Add audio to PowerPoint slides, and then upload your file to Moodle. Link to existing video resources like…
Read MoreWhat to expect with this week’s Moodle upgrade
This Friday, from 6 a.m.-10 a.m., Elon will upgrade to Moodle version 3.5. During this time Moodle will be unavailable to all users. All existing Moodle course data will be backed up and restored during the upgrade. This mandatory vendor upgrade will update existing features, introduce minor look and feel changes, and provide users with a few new features. Explore more about each new addition in the videos linked below. If you have any questions or concerns, or experience problems after the upgrade, please contact the Technology Service Desk at 336-278-5200 or servicedesk@elon.edu. New Features Ability to specify which file types you would like to accept by checking a box Ability to record audio and video directly into a textbox Question bank question tagging for easier searching FollowShare on Tumblr
Read MoreHoliday online shopping tips
The holiday shopping season has officially arrived, and you have made the decision to do some or all your shopping online this year. Maybe the free shipping offers attracted you or maybe the items you are looking for are not available in brick-and-mortar stores. We all know online threats exist but here are some tips to help minimize your risk of becoming a victim of an online scam. Tip #1 – Set up alerts Before you begin your online shopping consider setting up some alerts on your financial accounts. Many credit card companies and banks allow you to set up alerts on your accounts through their online websites. These alerts range from sending you an email or text each time a transaction happens on your account to alerts when transactions meet the minimum or maximum amount thresholds you set. Alerts make you aware of what’s going on with your…
Read MoreWhat makes us vulnerable to data breaches? Cathy Hubbs tells all
Cathy Hubbs, the Chief Information Security Officer at American University, holds an intricate job which entails identifying digital risks, as well as maintaining the University’s information security program. This is imperative to protect technologies and services faculty, staff, and students use on American’s campus every day. As a part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Hubbs visited Elon to give a talk on the human behavior side of cyber security data breaches. What makes us vulnerable? How do hackers use the art of persuasion to manipulate us, and gain access to our networks? See key insights from Hubbs’ early October talk below. The behavioral aspects of hacking Hackers are masters of the art of persuasion; they know how to exploit natural human tendencies in order to gain access to computers and networks. Be aware if you are engaging in the following processes or behaviors on the web – you may…
Read MoreDo-It-Yourself Video: The Top 10 Takeaways
Video and education have gone hand and hand for many years, supporting professors who teach flipped, blended or online courses. Knowing this, Teaching and Learning Technology held a workshop for professors interested in incorporating video components to their courses. Participants learned the value of including instructional videos, the process for creating video, and tips and tricks for implementation. Todd Lee, Professor of Mathematics and Faculty Fellow of Technology, Ted Moree, with TLT, and Tiffany Foster, an instructional technologist, facilitated the session. Whether you’re an attendee looking to brush up on the workshop, or a professor who missed it but is still looking to better use video elements in the classroom, here’s a quick top ten from this session. 1. Know what you’re trying to accomplish with your video. Before you setup your camera and start rolling, think about what you will be trying to accomplish with your video content….
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