Tidbits, Resources, and Discussion for ELI Faculty

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Faculty meeting follow-up

Please post your comments, questions, etc. from the faculty meeting here--especially whatever ideas and thoughts you want to share on the issue of session timing. Thanks!

9 comments:

Don Goral said...

Jennifer, I wanted to clarify some remote access issues.

I routinely connect to the H: drive on the remote server from my tablet PC, both from home and on campus.

First, I had to download and install CISCO VPN for Annandale (my campus) on my tablet PC.

Here is the link to the information and instructions for CISCO VPN.

http://www.nvcc.edu/ithd/faculty/working-remotely/

Second, I used map network drive, following the same procedure as for campus desktop computers.

Here is the link for that.

http://www.nvcc.edu/ithd/faculty/working-remotely/mapping/

I do not turn on or work through my campus office computer, so this is secure and reliable, as long as the server is running and the Internet is accessible.

Whenever, I want to access my H: drive, I do the following.

1) launch VPN
2) a VPN window opens and I enter my user ID and password, the same as for email.
3) a window opens to ask if I agree to the rules.
4) click OK.
5) A closed VPN padlock icon appears on my taskbar,with the tooltip message "Connected."
6) In Computer, I click on the H:drive folder.
7) Another window opens, in which I enter again my user ID and password, again the same as for email.
8) Although it may give an error message here, all my H: drive folders become visible
9) I can now move items in and out of my H: drive folders as if they were on my local hard drive.

So far, after a couple of semesters, this has been reliable and relatively quick.

On my remote H: drive, I store and manage my ELI grades on my personalized, custom-designed Microsoft Access database. Thus, I have all the features from previous eLOG wish lists, and I avoid the Blackboard Grade Center.

Don Goral

Laura said...

regarding reinstating a W: I suggest we do NOT just do this because the student requests it. I suggest the instructor first require the student to submit missing work ASAP (via e-mail if you've already made the course unavailable to them). This would be their "ticket" back into the course - evidence that they really do intend to do the course work. I had such a request this past summer and asked the student to submit the missing/late work that resulted in my giving her a W. She gave me one story after another as to why she could not submit the work (she was on a friend's computer and her work was on her computer which had been in for repair). She said she'd submit her work when she got home but could she please be reinstated. I said I'd reinstate her if and when I got the work. That was a couple of weeks ago now and I've not yet heard back from her. She still has the W.

Nancy Hoagland said...

I agree with Patty Fleck's comment during the faculty meeting that it would be a good idea to offer a 12-week ENG 111 beginning the fourth week of the semester. It might be possible to offer a second 12-week course three weeks later that would finish in January.

Bobbie Gershman said...

Jennifer, as you know, I am in favor of starting the second session of fall classes 3 weeks after the first session just as it is done in the Spring. I looked on Blackboard faculty lounge and did not see a forum for discussing this issue.
Thanks!
Bobbie

Ed Banas said...

I find the 2nd session end date problematic. Students are unable to take Exams in the Testing Centers from 12/24-1/3. This causes concern with many of them when they realize that their end date is the first day the College and the Testing Centers are open in 11 days--almost their last two full weeks of the semester.

Jim Tschen Emmons said...

Like Bobbie, I too think a three rather than two week interval between courses might be a good idea. I'll check to see if there is a discussion forum for this topic in Bb, but if not, where might the conversation continue?

Jennifer Lerner said...

Thank you all for your comments so far. Keep them coming!

I intended for the discussion to happen here. However, if you want to start a discussion in the Faculty Lounge under the Policies and Procedures thread, go for it!

Don, thanks for the extra info. For most people, VPN is not necessary. You can access your shared drives by mapping to them from the remote server. So, although this works for Don and he's not violating college policy on accessing his desktop remotely since he is only using VPN to access drives, for most of you, that's just not necessary. Just go with the remote server!

Kevin Chouinard said...

I agree with Bobbie and Ed on the 2nd session dates.

Aggie said...

I solve the W problem by taking advantage of the fact that ELI lets us submit Ws up to a week after the official W date.

The day after the official W date I email the affected students and tell them I am withdrawing them; I cut off their access to the Blackboard at the same time; I wait 48-72 hours; if I hear from the student in that time, I just reinstate him in the Blackboard; if I don't, I send the email to the ELI course specialists to request the W; if a student contacts me after I have submitted the W, I tell the student that the W stands.