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Features
Mobility
11/29/2005
The value of a partnership
As reported in June 2005, in an effort to extend the vision of content collaboration on campus, Agilix Labs Inc., the mobile learning application provider, has entered into a partnership with Blackboard, to deliver offline mobile learning solutions for students, instructors, and system administrators. The partnership will enable users to synchronize educational resources and keep information current on students' or instructors' PCs, even when campus networks are unavailable. Read the article
The classics on the iPod
Podcasting has enabled a new generation of mobile learning and listening. As colleges and universities recognize the potential to make learning more dynamic through sound and sight, students are expecting these technologies to become available at their schools. To bring classic literature into the classroom. SparkNotes, an electronic study guide provider, and iPREPpress, a downloadable educational study provider, have developed a study-guide like solution to enhance learning via the new video-enabled iPod. Using their iPods, students can access SparkNotes guides and get the context, plot overview, summary and analysis, theme, motives, and key facts and quizzes for such classics as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, Hamlet, and others.
Pocket portal
As detailed by John Savarese in April 2005 CT, PDAs have evolved to connect students, faculty, and staff to their schools in more ways than one. Drexel University (PA) has developed DrexelOne Mobile, an extension of the university's DrexelOne portal built on SunGard SCT Luminis and SCT Banner , and the campus's Dragonfly wireless network. Using any device with Internet access— desktops, PDAs, and other handhelds—students can check grades and class schedules, record holds, or other significant events. The next step: eCommerce. "I see a student lining up for his graduation cap and gown, only to be told that he has an outstanding fine at the library and is on financial aid hold. While still in line, that student would be able to use his PDA or cell phone to pay the fine and get the hold removed," says Kenneth Blackney, associate VP for Core Technology in the Office of Information Resources & Technology at Drexel. Read the article
POS in the palm of your hand
Not long ago, Duke University (NC) began using wireless Palm units for textbook buy-backs at remote locations. Today, wireless handhelds enable Duke's bookstore to handle buy-backs in the main student union where most of the student traffic flow exists. Duke's campus store has also started using Palms instore and for wireless receiving in the warehouse. Employees now call up orders via the devices and receive items all at once, versus searching through files for individual purchase orders that must then be received individually.
Recommended Reading
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- Data Breach Strikes U North Dakota Alumni Association
The alumni association for the University of North Dakota has gone public with a data breach that occurred when a laptop belonging to a software vendor was stolen from a vehicle. The computer contained the names of 84,000 university alumni, donors, and others, according to coverage by the Grand Forks Herald.
- Tips for Selecting a Campus CRM tool
As competition for students increases, colleges and universities are looking more and more to customer (or constituent) relationship management software for help in remaining competitive.
- Intercast Networks Goes into Beta with Kazam Video Service at Internet2 Universities
Intercast Networks has redesigned Kazam, its student Internet TV and video service based on the company's VideoXpress platform. Following a spring semester alpha trial at Columbia and Purdue University, the company redesigned Kazam's interface based on student feedback and added additional content that caters to a student audience.
- Michigan State Managing MRI Images from Africa with Acuo Tech DICOM Services Grid
Doctors at Michigan State University have begun using the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Services Grid from Acuo Technologies to transport and manage magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results from a hospital in Malawi, Africa in order to monitor the impact of malaria on children.
- IIT Delhi Delivers Services with Ingres Open Source
Administrators at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) have gone public with their installation of open source database management software from Ingres. IIT Delhi, one of seven leading institutes of technology in India, adopted Ingres Database to support administration functions such as grading, finance, human resources, procurement, and hospital administration.
