Category Archives: Spring 2013

Flipping the Medical Math Classroom

Posted on by
Reply

Hemant Tagare and Ken Panko
April 5 at CSSSI

Hemant Tagare, Associate Professor of Diagnostic Radiology, Electrical Engineering & Biomedical Engineering, will demonstrate the creative approach he is taking to address math preparedness in his graduate level math course. He will share how he identified the foundational learning objectives to address online, how he organized the content, and the learning process he personally went through in producing the learning materials.

Ken Panko, Director of the Center for Media and Instructional Innovation, will introduce the concept of the flipped classroom more generally and talk about the technology and support options ITS is working on to help instructors who are interested in this teaching practice.

Summary
Technology has solved problems in all fields from transportation to entertainment. In the educational sector, new, technology-assisted ways of teaching have begun tackling problems such as over-crowding in classrooms, limited educational reach, and efficient use of classroom time. Professor Hemant Tagare has attempted to tackle the latter problem of efficient usage of class time by creating a series of introductory lectures that covers the background behind a course. Tagare has developed this method in his graduate, biomedical engineering course called ENAS 913: Probability and Estimation Theory for Image Analysis. ENAS 913 requires a breadth of mathematical knowledge most of which is covered during the first month of class. Unfortunately, this leaves less time for the core of the course, which applies mathematical tools to biomedical engineering. Tagare approached the problem through a few different methods, including narrated slides, a guide through annotated notes, and video of actual handwriting to guide students through the material. In this LuxTalk, Tagare outlines the organic process he went through to fine tune his approach and the effects he saw after supplementing his class with multimedia.

For full coverage of this session, please click the video below

Digital Projects Poster Session

Posted on by
Reply

Apr 26 at SML

The digital projects student poster session promises to feature an exciting array of semester- and year-long academic projects by Yale undergraduates that integrate technology with various disciplines. This LuxTalk will allow attendees to glean insight into the forefront of scholarship at an undergraduate level and to engage in discussion with students about their projects.

Summary:

Every year, senior humanities majors write lengthy papers about a topic of interest. These papers generally run over 20 pages and try to form new opinions on existing ideas and topics. Unfortunately, this makes for a monotone landscape in the academic world. Using technology, however, students are beginning to present their research and ideas about the humanities in new forms. Such approach can be taken for smaller assignments, such as culminating course research projects. In this LuxTalk, we heard from Charlotte Parker ’12, Sophia Szymkowiak ’15, and Erin Maher ’14 about what they did to present their senior project and course final project in an unconventional manner.

Parker developed a WordPress website that serves as an online exhibition. Using a horizontally scrolling layout, she replicated the feel of browsing through a physical collection of objects and their accompanying descriptions. Anyone can browse through the content on Parker’s online exhibition, which draws more audience in than a lengthy paper. Consequently, she is able to gain exposure for her work. The idea of online exhibitions has tremendos room to grow, and Parker’s project

Szymkowiak and Maher worked together on a visual choose-your-own-adventure game. The purpose of the project was to recreate the experience of visiting a sexuality and gender institute called “Institut für Sexualwissenschaft” in Berlin. Run by Magnus Hirschfeld in the late 1910s and early 1920s, the institute was a haven for homosexuals and other related groups. The project allows audience to “visit” the institute through a linked collection of YouTube videos. Each video has embedded links that allows audience to go from one video to the next, where each video is a part of the paths you can take when visting as an actual patient.

Teaching with Digital Annotation

Posted on by
Reply

Stephen Dellaporta and Maria Kaliambou
Apr 19 at CSSSI

With the aid of special touch screens, stylus pens, and a variety of software applications, the uses of digital ink in the classroom for annotating documents, PowerPoint presentations, or free-hand (on an electronic whiteboard) has increasingly become more of a pedagogical tool for instructors. Join Professors Stephen Dellaporta and Maria Kaliambou as they demonstrate how digital ink has helped to improve their teaching and learning.

Summary:
Digital annotation tools have come to replace transparencies for annotation on class notes. Integral to teaching for a long time, annotating pre-made notes have allowed educators to teach more efficiently. Annotation allows the use of fine-tuned material instead of having to recall notes on the spot. Furthermore, relying on annotations allows users to go through more material quickly.

Digital annotation amplifies these benefits because annotated material can be easily disseminated via the Internet. Available software and hardware continue to improve, making digital annotation more natural and capable. For example, technology that allows handwriting software to discern intended markings versus accidental ones has dramatically improved users’ ability to write digitally. The output of digital handwriting has improved in appearance due to smoothing of paths and precision.

In this talk, Matt Regan, Stephen Dellaporta, and Maria Kaliambou talked about a variety of available software and hardware, such as Ink2Go, Skitch, and Wacom tablets, most of which can be obtained for free through Yale’s Instructional Technology Group.

Variations

Posted on by
Reply

Remi Castonguay and Dan Harrison
Apr 12 (12:30 p.m.) at SML

Professor Dan Harrison

Variations is a digital music library system, providing authenticated access to streaming audio and scanned score images. Variations also includes sophisticated analysis and annotation tools for teaching, learning, and research. With Variations, libraries, faculty, and students can work together to discover innovative scholarly ways of looking at digitized music materials. In this presentation, Remi Castonguay (Public Services Librarian at the Gilmore Music Library) will discuss Yale’s implementation of Variations and its future. Professor Daniel Harrison (Allen Forte Professor of Music Theory and Chair of the Department of Music) will demonstrate the software’s main features including the timeline application and the score annotation tools.

Summary:
Approximately 15 to 20% of Yale students participate in music-related activities whether they are classes or extracurricular pursuits. That accounts for over 1,000 students. Previously, access to music was constrained by technological and physical limitations included the quantities of CDs and lack of software that facilitates streaming of audio and interacting with it. In spring and summer of 2011, Remi Castonguay of the Gilmore Music Library spearheaded the use of software called Variations which allows students to access music more easily through the Internet and work with the music. Along with Daniel Harrison, Allen Forte Professor of Music Theory and Chair of the Department of Music, Castonguay introduced the Variations software into 10 courses by spring 2013, reaching about 150 students. Variations can import new music and score which gives the software great flexibility in making available whatever music is needed for a particular course. The software also includes robust analytical tools that allows users to annotate and delve into the technical aspects of music. Castonguay and Harrison plan to continue expansion of Variations use at Yale by integrating Variations with more courses and including support for video.

Trip Kirkpatrick

For full coverage of this session, please click the video below.

Research data sharing and preservation at Yale

Posted on by
Reply

Limor Peer and Michelle Hudson
May 3 at CSSSI

Limor will describe the ISPS Data Archive (launched in 2010 as a pilot for Yale’s Office of Digital Assets and Infrastructure) – its motivation, development, and future direction.
Michelle will present on current data management initiatives at Yale and opportunities to learn more about data management and archiving best practices.

For full coverage of this session, please click the video below
(note a slight delay upon initial playback).

HackYale

Posted on by
Reply

Adam presenting.

Adam Bray and Zack Reneau-Wedeen
Feb 1 at SML

The past two years have seen an explosion of student interest in developing software. Adam Bray and Zack Reneau-Wedeen will discuss their two initiatives in this area. Adam will present on the Student Developer Program, which is hiring and training students to work on projects for the university. Zack will talk about how students with HackYale are teaching and enabling their peers to develop great apps.

 

 

Zack presenting.

Talk Recap:

Since the early 2000’s student techs have been building web apps that integrate with Yale to solve issues such as shift scheduling, pay forms, and mailing lists. By 2007, it became clear that a more structured, sustainable way was needed to manage and grow all of these apps. Furthermore, the rising interest in entrepreneurship and web development called for vocational training in web programming. Hence, in 2008, Adam Bray of the Yale Student Technology Collaborative began a summer program that hires and trains 6-10 students to work full-time developing apps for Yale. More recently, HackYale, founded by Will Gaybrick, YLS ’12, and Bay Gross, YC ’13, began offering a variety of web development courses to undergraduates in 2011.

Bray’s summer program recently extended into the academic school year, allowing students to learn the Ruby language and Ruby On Rails (RoR), a development framework, through a non-credit course taught by Bray. In fall 2012, the course’s inaugural running, over 100 students registered. Similarly, HackYale’s course garnered over 500 applicants in its first semester during fall 2011.

The interest in learning how to code and to develop websites has spawned a number of initiatives from students and Yale employees alike. Organizations such as HackYale, Yale Boot Up, and the STC are pushing for a more cohesive coding community at Yale. Furthermore, the groups are trying to teach as many students as possible, though the inability to meet demand remains a key issue for HackYale.

Nonetheless, the coding culture at Yale is undoubtedly improving. There is more visibility and activity. For example, in 2011, Jared Shenson and Charlie Croom, YC ’12, developed an online Yale BlueBook app, which was acquired by the University after it burgeoned in popularity. The big remaining questions are whether or not these initiatives will be able to keep pace with growing interest and work together to create a more cohesive web development community at Yale.

– Earl Lee

For full coverage of this session, please click the video below
(note a slight delay upon initial playback):

The Stalin Digital Archive at Yale

Posted on by
Reply

Sara Sapire and John Carlson
Feb 22 at SML

The Stalin Digital Archive (SDA) was developed by the Yale University Press as a platform for providing online access to primary source materials from Stalin’s personal papers and monographs on communism. From advanced search and browse functionality to personalized workspaces, the SDA uses technology to enhance the process and impact of scholarship. Come see how this unique platform seeks to advance research and teaching by introducing new ways for scholars and students to both interact with the archive materials and collaborate with students and peers.

Summary:

To support scholarly research and shed light into one of the most fascinating lives in history, John Carlson and Sara Sapire of the Yale University Press have been part of a team working on making available over 28,000 documents or 404,000 pages of text from the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History (RGASPI). Known as the Stalin Digital Archive, it is possibly one of the most ambitious digitizations of printed and written content in history. The SDA also provides extensive insight into the life of Joseph Stalin. Developed open source, the project aims to stimulate public debate, educate, and break ground in the way library patrons and academia conduct research. Built on top of the Drupal content management system, the SDA website consists of multiple tools, include search, document viewing, personalization, and collaboration. These features allow for elaborate collaboration on documents through annotations, tags, and discussion forums. They also make database access simple and versatile. Powered by Ruby, SQL, and XML, the SDA backend processes content provided by RGASPI using a multi-step approach, all ending with dissemination, social scholarship, and publishing. Initially funded by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon foundation in 2007, the SDA has tremendous potential to serve of use for world-class research.

Broadcasting Your Work: Publication Trajectories in the Google Scholar age

Posted on by
Reply

Nikolay Marinov
Mar 8 at CSSSI

Digital publishing, citation metrics and other online tools are changing fast how academic work catches on and is evaluated by peers. In this talk, we will cover some simple things scholars can do to augment the impact of their work. Uploading to SSRN, building an Academia.edu network, getting noticed by blogs and creating Google alerts will be among the themes covered.

For full coverage of this session, please click the video below