Workshops

• 2004 Post-Graduate Research Symposium
• Software Development Impact Statements SoDIS Symposium and SoDIS Beta Workshop
• Tips and Tricks when using a Managed Learning Environment (MLE)
• International Students in the Mainstream: Issues and Strategies
• NACCQ EndNote Workshop
• Curriculum & Quality Workshop NZ Qualifications in ICT Curriculum Review
• Using Virtual Computers in the Classroom
• Using VMware for Scenario-Based Project Work

2004 Post-Graduate Research Symposium

Full Day Session

Purposes:

This is a helps seminar for people involved in post-graduate research and an opportunity to grow knowledge resources. All participants are invited to contribute formally or informally to the discussion sessions, and to share their stories of experience, methods, and theories in computing research fields. As in previous years there will be a range of invited Keynote addresses and research in progress presentations. Papers are to focus on methods and reflections from research action, and the ways people go about researching in our field. It is expected a full range of approaches will be represented and ample time will be available for feedback in discussions. Formal blind review is available for all papers and as in 2003 reviewed papers will be published as a chapter in an ISBN numbered proceedings.

Invitation

Invitation Presentations are invited in three categories (by 30 May 2004 in MSWORD):

• Lead papers from established researchers who wish to contribute succinct reviews of specific problems, methods, or projects. The emphasis is on applying research methods in our computing field. (Maximum 30 minutes and 3000 words).
• Reports of work in progress or recently completed work from candidates currently involved in post-graduate research. Again the emphasis is on elaborating and discussing the way research is undertaken. (Maximum 20 minutes and 2000 words).
• Ideas Bin posters for those wanting to get started. This is a chance to float ideas and to receive helpful feedback. (Maximum 15 minutes and 1000 words).

Action

Contact Dr Brian Cusack (brian.cusack@aut.ac.nz) with your proposal, further information, or assistance in developing a presentation. 2003 Proceedings are also available for the cost of print & post.

Proposed Time-Table

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NACCQ 2004 Workshops Proposal
Software Development Impact Statements SoDIS Symposium and SoDIS Beta Workshop

Full day or two half day sessions

Purpose - SoDIS Symposium

The SoDIS symposium will enable current and prospective participants in this CITRUS sponsored collaborative research programme to meet and share experiences, materials, practices and plans. Industry members, educators from polytechnic and university sectors, local and overseas, and students have all participated in previous symposia. This symposium will demonstrate the latest developments in the SoDIS process and software and is an opportunity for existing members to showcase their work, discuss achievements and projects in progress, and for intending participants to attend and to acquaint themselves with the software, the process and to join in the current projects including research grant funding applications.

This session will run in the morning

Purpose - SoDIS Beta Workshop

The SoDIS Beta workshop is particularly intended for those unfamiliar with the SoDIS process, who may be interested in learning about it or using it in their teaching. Also, for those symposium attendees already involved in using SoDIS, the workshop will provide an opportunity to trial the new commercial Beta version of the SoDIS CASE tool. This hands-on workshop will enable participants to acquaint themselves with the SoDIS process. The SODIS Concept will be briefly introduced, followed by an introduction to the tool, which embodies the concept. In a guided process participants will then work through a particular example that they may use in class. Copies of the software will be provided to participants for their own further evaluation and use.

This session will run in the afternoon.

Resources Required

For the morning symposium - dependent upon wishes of contributors, but expected at this stage to be limited to whiteboard, OHP, datashow and computer connection with CD or diskette drive, to enable projection of presentation slides.

For the afternoon workshop a computer lab will be required in addition to the above facilities..

Convenors

Don Gotterbarn, Roger McHaney and Tony Clear

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Tips and Tricks when using a Managed Learning Environment (MLE)

Objectives:

To share strategies which minimise tutor workload to ensure the success of an online course. To invite participants to try out a range of strategies that participants will find useful for the following:

1. Encouraging Student visits to the website
2. Increasing student learning
3. Minimising student errors when using the website
4. Increasing the usability of the website

Format:

Half day 'hands on' workshop.

Resources provided: Instructor access to a Blackboard course to practise implementing the tips. The course also contains code examples to copy and useful tools.

Intended audience:

This workshop is suitable for any tertiary educator using or wishing to use an MLE. This workshop will be especially useful to users of Blackboard. Requires basic knowledge and understanding of MLE administrative interfaces. Ideally the participants will have their own Blackboard course and have grown frustrated with the limitations of the software.

Abstract:

The growth of the use of online learning courses using MLEs has highlighted the time-consuming nature of the administrative and pedagogical tasks involved. We need to encourage students to become active members and contribute to the class, and keep to a weekly structure for study. At the same time we need to minimise our workload by using the automation available to us in the MLEs and to recognise limitations of the MLEs and be aware of opportunities for tips and tricks that can speed up their use.

The tips and tricks to be covered include:

• Improving the visual design of the course by:
  1. creating a familiar weekly structure
  2. adding background colours and borders
  3. including inline images
• Creating and recycling automatic scheduled announcements
• Adding deep-links to announcements
• Creating quizzes quickly
• Creating and managing reflective diaries using “groups of one”
• Ideas for motivational material

Presenter details

Dr Stuart Young has been instrumental in designing and teaching online courses since 1997. At the University of Edinburgh and Unitec New Zealand. This involves contributions to various aspects of teaching on undergraduate and graduate courses and research on various aspects of online learning. He also undertakes a range of consultancy in Web development. Stuart is currently the webmaster for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Mae McSporran is a senior lecturer in the School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIT) at Unitec New Zealand. Mae 's recent research addresses the implementation of e-learning in various institutions. She has a responsibility within SCIT for online learning.

International Students in the Mainstream: Issues and Strategies

Format:

½ Day. (3 ½ hours with a i/2 hour refreshment break). This is an interactive (structured interaction) and sharing workshop. There will be a workbook supplied.

Description:

International – Non-English speaking students (I-NESB) are now a part of our mainstream classrooms. The purpose of this workshop is to maximise the learning opportunities for all of our students when tutoring both domestic and international students in mainstream courses. Many issues arise that are not in the control of the person in front of the class. How do we cope with these issues? What strategies can we employ to assist?

Who will benefit? Intended audience:

Everyone who has significant numbers of I-NESB in a mainstream class. New tutors, subject tutors and experienced tutors. In addition to a supplied workbook, there will be feedback of shared data, and the opportunity for networking.

Agenda/Objectives

Limits (25 participants)

Resources:

Whiteboard, OHP, Space to form breakout groups

Facilitators

Barbara Chamberlain teaches in the Computing Department at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT). Increasing numbers of International Students in the Degree classes has created a need to share expertise and ideas when working with a mix of International and domestic students.

Barbara has presented at National and International Conferences and last year co-authored with Beverley Hope and presented a paper on this topic at our NACCQ Conference.

Beverley Hope teaches in the School on Information Management at Victoria University of Wellington. She has received two awards for teaching excellence. Her undergraduate and honours classes include a mix of cultures including increasing numbers of international students from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Beverley has presented papers at conferences in New Zealand, Australia, USA, Europe and Asia. In 2003, she presented a co-authored paper with Barbara Chamberlain, at the Australian conference on Information Systems (ACIS) on the topic of teaching I-NESB students. Beverley has led workshop and panel sessions at ACIS and the European Conference on Information Systems.

Linda Way teaches in the Computing Department at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT). Linda is interested in sharing her experiences and ideas about tutoring a mix of international and domestic students in research skills and systems analysis and design.

Linda has presented at a recent SoDIS symposium, and last year presented a poster at our NACCQ Conference.

NACCQ EndNote Workshop

Abstract

Academic staff in tertiary institutions are under increasing pressure to undertake research and produce scholarly output. One of the chores involved in this kind of work is keeping track of reference material you have consulted and producing in-text citations and reference lists. EndNote is a software tool designed specifically for these tasks. It allows you to maintain a database of references that you can sort, search and filter. It simplifies the process of producing in-text citations and references lists in hundreds of different styles. It also contains tools for searching for appropriate reference material and downloading the bibliographic data directly into your EndNote database. More information on EndNote is available from http://www.endnote.com/.

By the end of this half-day hands on workshop participants will be able to

1. Manually enter bibliographic details into EndNote
2. Download bibliographic details from online and CD databases
3. Select and Filter references
4. Add in-text citations and reference lists to a Word document

Equipment Requirements

Maximum Number of Participants

Absolute maximum of 25. Less than 20 preferred.

John Wells
11 April 2004
john.wells@wintec.ac.nz

Curriculum & Quality Workshop NZ Qualifications in ICT Curriculum Review

Half day workshop

CIC, DipICT L5 & L6, NDBC

The qualifications documented, maintained and presented by NACCQ in the well established “Blue Book” publication remain modern, up-to-date, industry focused and academically sound. Since the late 1980s this publication has been regularly reviewed to accommodate the rapid change inherent in education for one of the world’s fastest evolving fields. This is a major achievement and remains a key responsibility for NACCQ.

The tenth edition of the New Zealand Qualifications in Information and Communications Technology (Blue Book) is due for release in November 2004. This will incorporate new prescriptions and changes and updates to the regulations and to existing prescriptions for all the qualifications. Renaming of two of the original Blue Book qualifications to Diploma in Information and Communications Technology Level 5 and Level 6 respectively was implemented in the current (nineth) edition as was inclusion of the Certificate in Computing. The contents of this edition, available on the NACCQ web site (www.naccq.ac.nz/bb_view/bb.html), reflect the needs of the three stakeholders: industry, students and academic staff.

The workshop provides an opportunity to discuss new ideas, review course content and to ensure the integrity of these qualifications is continued. Members of the C&Q; working group will lead discussion in the major subject areas.

Participants

Any members from the group of stakeholders are welcome.

Convenor

Janne Ross Chairperson,
C&Q; working group

Resources

Whiteboard, Data Show, OHP, Space to form break-out groups

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Using Virtual Computers in the Classroom

1/2 Day - morning
Structured, Interactive

Description

A virtual computer behaves almost the same as a real PC, so much so that once students have mastered this environment, they need not pay attention to the distinction between virtual and real machines. In fact virtualisation provides one practical way to reduce costs, while offering greater freedom to experiment and learn about such technical subjects as operating systems, networking, programming, the Internet, and even databases.

This workshop will introduce participants to the benefits of virtualisation, by providing an overview of VMware, its functionality and its application in the teaching of various computing courses.

Who will benefit/ Intended Audience?

The workshop is targeted at people who teach operating systems, networking and programming. They may have heard of VMware but do not know how it works, how it can benefit them in their own environment and how it can serve their own specific needs. If you are new to VMware, this session is a pre-requisite for the afternoon session.

Objectives

To introduce virtual computer technology through the use of VMware and provide a better practical understanding of this technology, its uses, benefits and limitations.

Convenors

Ricky Watson (Senior Academic Staff Member, CPIT), Eddie Correia (Senior Academic Staff Member, CPIT), and Mark Lyons (Academic Staff Member, CPIT) make use of VMware daily to teach a range of operating systems and networking courses. In fact Ricky first started using virtual computer technology in 1987 with Mac/PC emulation on the Amiga and then moved on to VMware in 1999 (initially under Linux), finally introducing it into a specialist computer laboratory at the School of Computing at CPIT. Eddie and Mark have enthusiastically embraced virtualisation as a useful tool in their own courses because of the power and flexibility it offers, and applied it in different ways.

Limits (Number of participants)

Maximum of 20 people

Resources

S169 and S265/S267

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Using VMware for Scenario-Based Project Work

1/2 Day - afternoon
Structured, Interactive

Description

Used properly virtualisation software can overcome many of the challenges of having to provide various dedicated environments for computing courses, especially as it averts the need to work within the confines of a single configuration at any one time. VMware for example allows one to run multiple virtual systems simultaneously on one physical machine as well as distribute these systems across multiple computers, giving students the opportunity to implement networking solutions such as firewalls, DNS, IPSec, Active Directory, or even PXE boot functionality. Moreover, because these virtual systems are really simply only files on a physical computer, it is possible to protect both tutors’ host operating systems and infrastructure, as well as students’ work in their guest virtual machines

This workshop explores the networking capabilities of VMware through the use of specific scenario-based student projects that form an integral part of various courses offered at CPIT. The participants will be introduced to the projects themselves, how they are deployed and how VMware can be used not only to enhance student learning generally but also produce specific learning outcomes

Who will benefit/ Intended Audience?

The target audience are people who teach level 5, 6 or 7 operating systems or networking. They may have heard of or even used virtualisation technology and are interested to see how this tool can be employed for practical student projects. Attendance at the preceding morning session will provide essential background for newcomers to VMware.

Objectives

To provide participants with some experience of VMware through the use of specific student projects, so they can gain a better practical understanding of its potential role in the teaching of polytechnic computing courses.

Convenors

Ricky Watson (Senior Academic Staff Member, CPIT), Eddie Correia (Senior Academic Staff Member, CPIT), and Mark Lyons (Academic Staff Member, CPIT) make use of VMware daily to teach a range of operating systems and networking courses. In fact Ricky first started using virtual computer technology in 1987 with Mac/PC emulation on the Amiga and then moved on to VMware in 1999 (initially under Linux), finally introducing it into a specialist computer laboratory at the School of Computing at CPIT. Eddie and Mark have enthusiastically embraced virtualisation as a useful tool in their own courses because of the power and flexibility it offers, and applied it in different ways.

Limits (Number of participants)

Maximum of 20 people

Resources

S169 and S265/S267

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