Contributed by Elisabeth Mayfield, Instructional Technology Specialist, Course Development and Web Services

Course Development & Web Services (CDWS) provides a number of different resources to faculty who wish to teach with online components at UCF:

FormManager (https://formmanager.ucf.edu) is a resource that enables UCF faculty and staff to manage and collect data from online forms:

• • Provides a user-friendly method for collecting online form and poll data
• • Outputs data in a comma separated value (csv) format that may be imported into a spreadsheet, SPSS, etc.
• • Ability to save username to improve login process

You will need to register for an account with UCF’s FormManager. Once your registration is complete, you will be able to create and manage forms and polls. To register go to: https://formmanager.ucf.edu/user/register.cfm.

eCommunity (http://ecommunity.ucf.edu) is a tool available for use in every course taught at UCF. Currently enrolled students can:

• • Enter and maintain their preferred e-mail address
• • Post and control their biographic information
• • Choose a picture to represent them (either UCF card photo or a caricature)
• • Send e-mail to any, some, or everyone listed in the course to facilitate group work and build learning communities
• • View biographies and photos of classmates

     Faculty can:

• • Merge and unmerge classes
• • Add individual students or guests (non-UCF students) to classes
• • Add TAs or other faculty to classes
• • View photos of all students in their classes through the “class photo” function

Academic Resources (https://my.ucf.edu) for Webcourses@UCF are available to faculty and students via the myUCF portal. To access these resources, log into the portal and then link to “Academic Resources” from the myUCF menu. Students can view interactive tutorials regarding:

• • Course navigation
• • Participating in online discussions
• • Completing assessments
• • Submitting assignments

Faculty can review:

• • Course management files and checklists
• • Training materials
• • Interactive tutorials

To request a WebCT or Webcourses@UCF account, please contact the Instructional Technology Group at (407) 823-0407 or itg@mail.ucf.edu.

The Libraries introduced a new catalog interface this semester and a new Library Research Tutorial, which is a great resource for online students and faculty. The new tutorial is up-to-date, attractive, and interactive! Find it online at: http://library.ucf.edu/ResearchTutorial.

In the University Writing Center (UWC), students help each other analyze the rhetorical demands of a writing task; understand the material to be written; plan, organize, revise, and edit papers; design oral presentations; overcome writer’s block; and develop critical thinking skills. The UWC can be a valuable resource for your students.

We have several suggestions for recommending the UWC. Although there are hundreds of ways to recommend that students visit the UWC, just a few are provided here.

1) Mention the UWC on your syllabus

     Make sure to include the UWC’s telephone number, Web site address, and e-mail address. Feel free to cut-and-paste our example:

Short version:

The University Writing Center (UWC) is a free resource for all UCF students. At the UWC, a trained writing consultant will work individually with students on anything they’re writing (in or out of class), at any point in the writing process from brainstorming to editing. Appointments are recommended, but not required. For more information or to make an appointment, visit the UWC Web site at www.uwc.ucf.edu, stop by MOD 608, or call (407) 823-2197.

Long Version:

The University Writing Center (UWC) is a free resource for all UCF students.

The UWC’s most popular service is the individualized writing consultation: a trained writing consultant will spend 30 minutes with students (an hour if their paper is longer than seven pages or if they are writing a paper with a group) reviewing their work and making recommendations for revision. Students can bring their work to the UWC at any point in the process—even if they haven’t started writing yet. Consultations will be most helpful if students take the time to:

• Prepare: identify specific issues on which they want feedback
• Participate: actively discuss their paper with the consultant
• Reflect: decide which of the possibilities raised during the consultation are helpful to them
• Act: revise their paper

The UWC will help with writing in any subject, including theses, dissertations and out-of-class writing such as application letters, resumes, conference papers, and journal articles. The UWC will also help students organize oral presentations. After each consultation, students will receive a Record of Consultation form which summarizes what was discussed. The UWC does not write, proofread, or grade papers.

Students can use the UWC computers to work on their writing without an appointment; available software includes Microsoft Office 2000, and specialized software (Editor, Writer’s Helper, Inspiration, EndNote, APA Helper) for brainstorming, organizing, problem-solving, proofreading, documenting, and editing. However, the UWC does not offer printing services.

While it is best to make an appointment when possible, students can also walk in anytime during UWC hours to be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information or to make an appointment, visit the UWC Web site at www.uwc.ucf.edu, stop by MOD 608, or call (407) 823-2197.

2) Mention the UWC in your comments

For example: “Your argument would have been more convincing if you had supported your points with specific examples from your reading. Next time, consider bringing your draft to the UWC to discuss strategies for supporting your claims.”

3) Discuss the Writing Center with the entire class

Introduce students to the service and distribute UWC bookmarks for their reference (you can request bookmarks online at http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/Faculty_Resources/facultymainpage.html).

4) Invite a writing consultant

Arrange for a writing consultant to give a five – ten minute in-class presentation about the UWC (you can schedule UWC presentations online at http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/Faculty_Resources/request.htm).

Please contact UWC Coordinator, Rusty Carpenter, if you have questions or would like additional information about recommending the UWC in your syllabus.

Educause 2007 Annual Conference
Seattle, WA, October 23-26, 2007
For information, visit: http://www.educause.edu/e07

eLearning Guild DevLearn 2007
San Jose, CA, November 5-8, 2007
For information, visit: http://www.elearningguild.com

Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks
Orlando, FL, November 7-9, 2007
For information, visit: http://www.sloan-c.org/conference