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Welcome to the summer semester at the University of St. Francis!
As the weather gets warmer, many people dream of a long relaxing vacation, but here at the Center for Instructional Delivery we are working harder than ever to bring quality service to your online experience, all summer long.
By now you've had a chance to experience the online class venue. We trust everything is going well for you this semester. If you should need any assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at 815-740-5080 or toll free 1-866-337-1497.
 NewsFlash  Beginning with the upcoming Fall, '06 Semester, online students will be logging into a new portal with their user name and pin number received from the Registrar's Office. We will no longer be using the first five digits of a social security number as a password.
Look for more information about this in the upcoming months on the USF Online website. [www.stfrancis.edu/online] |
Meet the CID Staff
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Jane Siron
Instructional Designer |
Jane Siron, Instructional Designer with the Center for Instructional Delivery, began working the University of St . Francis in July of 2000. Prior to that, Jane worked in the Joliet (IL) Township High Schools as the district's Instructional Technology Coordinator for five years. She received her BA from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA with a concentration in Business Administration and Computer Programming, and her MA in Educational Technology from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Jane has traveled a varied path to get where she is, having worked professionally as a piano accompanist, typesetter, graphic designer (where she first discovered personal computers!), high school instructor, and finally, here at USF, an Instructional Designer. Jane's duties include:
- Planning, preparation and presentation of workshops on software applications, instructional design, WebCT and other technology topics of interest to faculty.
- Assisting and supporting faculty in the development of appropriate teaching and learning strategies and applications utilizing instructional technologies.
- Providing consultation on course design for both distance learning and traditional teaching.
- Assisting students and faculty with support in the use of the Online Program.
- Creating web pages for the academic area of the University.
Jane lives locally with her two dogs Basha and Scout. In her spare time, Jane enjoys good restaurants, the outdoors and tooling around in her Jeep.
Technical Tidbits
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Time to Surf the Net With WiFi |
As you vacation in a far off city this summer, being an online student, you will probably have your trusty computer at your side. Finding easily accessible internet access may not be difficult if you make use of the "hotspots", or Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) invisibly available around you.
A hotspot is any public area where computers, fitted with wireless network technology, can gain access to the Internet. In cities all around the world, different private businesses have setup hotspots to allow their customers access such as cafes, libraries and airports.
Presently, there are 100,355 hotspots worldwide and growing. Now many cities across the United States are setting up their own wireless networks which can be accessed anywhere within their boundaries. One such city, Chaska, MN has gone completely wireless at a monthly cost of only $16.00 per household . Philadelphia, PA is in the process of spending $10 million dollars to wirelessly network its 135 square miles, and in St. Cloud, FL residents and visitors can surf the Web for free using a Wi-Fi network created by the city.
Even if your destination isn't completely wireless, chances are you will find some hotspots wherever you go. Depending upon the hotel where you will be staying, there may be wireless access for the guests. Some websites have been created to steer you to local hotspots.
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Scrolling in Your Favorite Browser |
Hate scrolling through long web pages that go on forever? Does your hand and finger get tired from clicking the left mouse button on the lower scrolling button in Netscape or Internet Explorer? Well this tip is short, simple and you'll love it while you are out surfing the web. This tip works with both Netscape and Internet Explorer, but does not work in other software programs like Word.
To scroll down one screen worth of information on your web browser, simply press the space bar. Yes, you read it correctly. In either browser, pressing the space bar will cause the web page you are viewing to scroll down one screen page. This makes reading and scanning web pages faster and much simpler. Give it a try and I'm sure you will love this feature.
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WebCT Assignment Uploads |
If you've had difficulty posting assignments in the Assessment Room and receive error messages when trying to upload your Word document, here is the tip for you.
WebCT does not allow certain characters in the filename of an assignment file that is being uploaded. You will receive an error message if your filename contains any of these characters: spaces, tabs, line feeds, carriage returns, ~ [ ] ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) + ` } } | \ <>, ? / ; : ' "
The process for uploading an assignment into WebCT is a simple one; just follow the steps below.
- Complete your assignment within a word processing program (preferably Microsoft Word) and save it to your hard drive. Be sure that the filename of your saved document does not include any of the special characters listed above, in blue.
- Click Student files..., click Upload, then click Browse.
- Change the "files of type" by clicking the black triangle next to the word HTML files. Choose "All Files".
- Locate your saved assignment file by browsing the files.
- Click Open, click Continue, and finally, click Submit Assignment.
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Tips for the Online Student |
as taken from "100 Things Every Online Student Ought to Know" by Frank L. Christ and Loy R. Ganey Jr., PhD.
Copyright 2003 The Cambridge Stratford Study Skills Institute |
Online Students Ought to Know:
that an email and discussion messaging is different from face-to-face communication.
Email communication is the primary communication between online students and their course instructor and student peers. You need to learn and master some basics in email etiquette and protocol since effective communication is critical in any endeavor or enterprise. Effective email communication is an art and takes some discipline. Emailing others is not a time to be lazy or sloppy in your writing. Bottom Line: Be Professional.
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