Saturday, November 21, 2009
IDS Home Instructional Design Services FAQ
  1. Who is Instructional Design Services (IDS)?

    IDS is an IT unit of the Chief Information Technology Office, originating from the previous Educational Technology Center (EdTech). This team offers faculty services in instructional design, distributed learning, the use of multimedia applications, and emerging technologies for in-classroom and online teaching. They also provide students and staff with a wide variety of training.

  2. How do I find out more information about IDS?
  1. What is SDSU's Course Management System (CMS)?

Desire2Learn (D2L) is SDSU's current CMS (https://d2l.sdbor.edu), with a password-protected environment for teaching and learning activities. It can be used to deliver online distance education courses or to enhance in-classroom teaching.

  1. How can D2L enhance my teaching?

D2L can be used in one of the following areas to enhance a course: student management, posting content, file exchange, synchronous communication, asynchronous communication, grade book, student roster, online community creation, and online quiz delivery.

  1. How do I request a D2L account and course?

Complete this form: http://ids.sdstate.edu/WebCT/request.cfm.

  1. How do I make a course design request?

    Please complete the Course Design Request form at http://ids.sdstate.edu/Teaching/id/form.cfm.

  2. I saw a colleague use ready-made ePack for course delivery. What's an ePack?

An e-pack is a course that is created and developed by a textbook publisher. The e-pack content can be loaded into D2L and customized. Instructors that wish to use an e-pack should contact IDS for assistance.

  1. Also, I have heard of iLRN and iMath. What are they?

These are publisher-hosted courses containing some teaching modules. IDS provides support and consultation on their selection and hosting. Please contact IDS if interested.

  1. What are Respondus and StudyMate?

Respondus is a software program which can create and manage exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to D2L. It also has the ability to import existing exams from word processor files.

StudyMate is an authoring tool which can create Flash-based activities and games based on existing Respondus files. It also can import items from word processor files or the Respondus files to create interesting, interactive activities from existing content.

Both Respondus and StudyMate may be downloaded from http://ids.sdstate.edu/WebCT/respondus.cfm.

  1. Is there a browser that can lock down an online quiz, preventing students from cheating online?

Yes, Respondus Lockdown Browser: http://ids.sdstate.edu/WebCT/rspLckdnInstr.cfm.

  1. What software can I use to create and deliver surveys?

You can use D2L to create and deliver easy and simple surveys. You also can use our professional survey application, Snap Survey. Snap Survey software allows you to design and publish your surveys, collect replies, and analyze the results to produce tables, charts and statistics. It offers fully integrated survey software with on-screen questionnaire design, data collection, and analysis for all types of surveys. Assistance on Snap Survey is available at http://ids.sdstate.edu/About/research.cfm. SONA Research Systems is for IRB approved reseach survey projects. More information on SONA Research Systems is at http://ids.sdstate.edu/About/sonasurvey.cfm.

  1. Do you provide assistance with narration on top of my PowerPoint files?

Yes, IDS provides both support and training on narration on top of PowerPoint slides.

  1. How do I compress large PowerPoint files and make them more web-friendly for my students?

Impatica is an easy-to-use desktop application that converts PowerPoint files into a compressed format that is optimized for Internet delivery, as well as for web-formats. Impatica may be downloaded from http://ids.sdstate.edu/WebCT/.

  1. I just want to post my class syllabus or some teaching materials or handouts. Is there a way to publish without using D2L?

Yes, you can use TEACH (previously LEARN) to publish directly online. Anyone who has Internet access can visit this public site. TEACH/LEARN account creation and FrontPage/DAV (Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning) training is provided directly by IDS. Please fill out this request form: http://ids.sdstate.edu/Services/request_teach.cfm.

  1. Do you provide training on video delivery methods?

IDS provides both pedagogical and technical consultation and support for video delivery of material, including MS Windows Media streaming, video hosting, and video conversion to Windows media format (*.wma, *.wmv). Please fill out this request form: http://ids.sdstate.edu/Teaching/request_instructionalmedia.cfm.

  1. Do you provide training and support for online teaching in the areas of ADA and copyright?

Yes.

  1. What teaching resources does IDS have?

SDSU is an active member of TLT (http://www.tltgroup.org/), MERLOT (http://www.merlot.org/), Sloan-C (http://www.sloan-c.org/), EDUCAUSE (http://www.educause.edu/), LERN (http://www.lern.org/), ITC (http://www.itcnetwork.org/), CCUMC (http://www.ccumc.org/), and AACE (http://www.aace.org/). They have a number of effective resources available for faculty.

  1. What kind of training do you provide?

IDS provides scheduled classes on a range of topics, as well as individual sessions. eLearning Academy is the systematic training on course design and development. Visit http://ids.sdstate.edu/Training/schedule.cfm to see what classes are currently being offered and to register.

  1. Is any IDS training provided online?

    2. Yes, D2L 201 for instructors is available online at http://ids.sdstate.edu/WebCT/d2l201/.

  2. How does IDS support laptop program initiatives?

IDS works directly with the Chief Information Technology Office (CITO) on program proposal, design, implementation, evaluation, and makes recommendations. IDS also provides support on program-related research and program evaluation.

  1. Do you offer assistance on podcasting and vodcasting (video podcasting)?

Yes, IDS helps instructors select the right podcasting application, and provides technical support for SDSU iTunes U as well: http://ids.sdstate.edu/Teaching/podcasting/

  1. Do we have a "clicker" system (student response system) on campus?

Yes, TurningPoint Student Response System: http://ids.sdstate.edu/Teaching/srs/.

  1. Does IDS provide support for Flash or other Adobe family applications, such as Secure PDF?

Yes.

  1. What application do you recommend for screen captures?

IDS recommends Camtasia Studio and Macromedia Captivate. Captivate, as well as Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Contribute, are all installed on the computer systems located in the IDS FacLab, (Pugsley Center 105). The open source CamStudio 2.0 is also recommended: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/camstudio/.

  1. I'm interested in learning more about using Tegrity, SmartBoard, or some other new technology. Can IDS help?

Yes, IDS can work with faculty on all emerging technologies to empower instructors and enhance teaching.

  1. Is a web conferencing application available?

    Yes, SDSU has a campus license for Elluminate Live!. Please go to http://ids.sdstate.edu/Teaching/webconf/ for more information.

  2. How can I videotape my course lectures?

    IDS works closely with CTS to meet your course videotaping requests. The Narration Lab housed in Pugsley Center can be used for video/audio recording. SDSU is also part of Socrates Project (CourseCast). Please contact IDS for more current information.

  3. Where can I find resources for Distance Education?

Visit http://distance.sdstate.edu.

  1. How do I obtain thumbnail images of students enrolled in my class, and how do I insert them into a D2L course?

Please go to the MIS IntraNet to get the images. You can insert them into your D2L course. IDS provides individual training on this D2L tool.