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Resources for Teaching with Technology @ DePaul

In First Year Writing at DePaul, we explore a range of communication and design technologies in the service of our learning outcomes. It’s a good fit. For example, any number of technology interfaces can help us engage students in developing relationships with readers, evaluating texts in multiple genres and media, and developing flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading.

In these and other cases, we think that technology can be integrated in the First Year Writing curriculum critically and mindfully while still allowing teachers to teach from their own strengths; we think that good writing pedagogy should lead technology, not the other way around.

There are many forms of support and collegial interaction for these efforts:

Priority Checklist for New Faculty:

Review “Teaching with Technology Guidelines” in FYW Handbook
Review “Essential services for all new faculty”
Schedule D2L training workshop — see “Upcoming Workshops”
Visit First-Year Writing Teaching Resources and D-WRD web sites
.

Resources for Teaching with Technology

Computer classrooms

WRD computer classrooms

The department maintains one computer classroom — 143 McGaw Hall. Before each academic quarter, the Associate Director of FYW sends out an invitation to those wishing to teach in this computer classroom. Contact either Eileen Seifert (scheduling) or Michael Moore (pedagogy and “how-to”) for more information.

If you ever have a technical problem in 143, visit wrd.depaul.edu/help and fill out the form. Do not contact “The Help Desk” or anyone outside the department about 143 or 202 McGaw — a WRD computer lab — as these teaching and learning spaces are not supported by other university units.

University computer classrooms

The university maintains several PC classrooms in Lincoln Park, the Loop, and at suburban campuses. With sufficient prior planning, you can reserve a PC classroom for an entire academic term — usually limited to one day per week — or for intermittent use.  For example, you might want to plan ahead to work with students on Digication, our digital-portfolio platform. If you ever have trouble in one of the computer labs or classrooms, contact the Technology Support Center (TSC) at x2-8765 if it is not a classroom emergency, or x2-5900 if it is a classroom emergency. PC classrooms locations and reservations.

University Technology Platforms

D2L (short for “Desire2Learn”): DePaul’s Learning Management System beginning in 2011, where you can post a syllabus, course materials, manage discussion forums, assign and collect assignments, and manage media such as web sites, video, and audio files. The platform also comes with a chat function, surveys, and rubrics.

Digication: Depaul’s digital portfolio platform, which supports a conventional select-design-reflect-present format for student work.

Resources & People

D-WRD: Digital WRD is a professional-development working group that meets twice a month, 1st and 3rd Fridays, to discuss — and to develop a culture of mutual support for — teaching with technology. Everyone is welcome.

Media Production and Training (MPT): software and technology training for faculty, students, and staff.

Information Services: we usually interact with IS when we’re having a problem: log-ins, password problems, Campus Connect, etc. Luckily, they are a well prepared unit:

DePaul Faculty Instructional Technology Services (FITS): instructional design and development, faculty technology training and support.

Teaching Commons: workshops, conferences, resources, course design, research on teaching, D2L and Digication resources

  • Teaching Commons Contact: Rana Husseini, Assistant Director for Teaching Support in the Office for Teaching, Learning & Assessment — rhussein@depaul.edu.