Language:
SEARCH

  • Recent Posts

  • Categories

  • Archives

Academic IT

Newer Entries »

Learning Technologies: How, what and where?

Thursday, August 8th, 2019

Over the years you may have heard many terms, including computer-assisted learning, e-learning, blended learning, and technology enabled learning, to name a few. The common denominator being learning. Educational Technologies/ Learning Technologies refers to the “broad range of communication, information, and related technologies that can be used to support learning, teaching and assessment.”[1] These also include the systems, networks and databases required to support the various forms of technology that are used by lecturers and students on a daily basis.

In the Stellenbosch University context, the support and delivery of effective Learning Technology Systems requires the collaborative effort of a number of individuals who work across Faculties and Support services. We realise that as a lecturer, administrative officer or student, what you really want to know is who to contact when you need help, and what the help is that you may ask for.

This collaborative team incorporates 4 levels of support and includes a range of services, systems and platforms including, but not limited to:

  1. The Learning Management System (SUNLearn)
  2. SUNStream
  3. Project management for new system development
  4. Microsoft Teams for educational purposes
  5. SUNOnline (the short course Learning Management System)
  6. Student feedback system
  7. E-Portfolios

[1] https://www.alt.ac.uk/about-alt/what-learning-technology

Level

Groups

Support type

Contact

0

Blended learning coordinator
Computer User Area Staff
  • Advisory / hands-on training for staff
  • Direct CUA support

Contact directly via email

1

 

Centre for Learning Technologies
  • Staff and student queries for Learning technologies via a support desk
  • Staff training for specific Learning Technologies
  • Training material development
  • Instructional design support

learn@sun.ac.za
021 808-2222

Student Feedback Office
  • Student feedback system

stv@sun.ac.za
021 808 3717

2

Academic ICT: Learning Technology Systems
  • Relationship management between Faculties and ICT
  • Project advice and management for learning technology projects in Faculties
  • Management of Learning Technology Systems
  • Advisory service

ICT Partner portal:
https://servicedesk.sun.ac.za

 

Short Course Division
  • SUNOnline, Short course applications, registration and payment

shortcourse@sun.ac.za

3

ICT Operations and Institutional Software Teams
  • Architecture, development, maintenance, security, priority incident management

ICT Partner Portal
https://servicedesk.sun.ac.za
Email

Posted in Academic IT, Notices | Comments Off on Learning Technologies: How, what and where?

Gartner’s IT research and advisory service – free to all staff and students 

Monday, March 25th, 2019

For more than two decades Stellenbosch University, through the IT Division, has subscribed to Gartner’s IT research and advisory service. Since 2004 Gartner’s research notes have also been accessible to all university staff and students by simply logging on, using your SU credentials (email address and password), at www.sun.ac.za/gartner.  

For the IT Division and other institutional ICT partners, this service has proved to be invaluable. SU’s service, Core IT Research Reference for Higher Education, is an offering designed to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff, and technology professionals at SU. It provides unequalled access to real-world, practical research and advice about IT trends, markets, vendors, systems and technologies, best practices, leadership, tender processes, mapping technologies to university models, etc. conducted by Gartner’s 15000+ staff worldwide, who have unequalled access to IT vendors, leaders and enterprise clients. Gartner also has a knowledgeable set of analysts, with experience in academic and professional positions in higher education, who focus on the application of ICTs to, and digitalisation of, higher education. 

The Business School and Department of Information Science’s faculty and students have used the service to varying degrees over the years, the IT Division would like to invite more academics, students and professionals to engage with the service, given the emphasis on digitalisation of the university and its growing dependence on information systems and software solutions.  

Gartner is not just for techies; it serves leaders and professionals across all functions. It is a great way to become more “IT literate” and helps to establish a common language between laypeople and IT professionals through a rigorous glossary and taxonomy. 

So, feel free to access the service at any time (no costs are involved), simply by: 

OR 

[ARTICLE BY RALPH PINA]

Email

Tags: ,
Posted in Academic IT | Comments Off on Gartner’s IT research and advisory service – free to all staff and students 

TechSmith Relay for lecture recordings

Thursday, February 28th, 2019

TechSmith Relay has been in use within Faculties and on personal devices by lecturers for lecture capture in multiple formats for a number of years. Recently, the Academic ICT department has been informed, with minimal notice, that TechSmith Relay will no longer support this self-hosted version of the software. The information provided by TechSmith Relay indicates that they will be focusing their efforts on developing a cloud-based solution. There are, however, no timelines available for if/when this will be available in South Africa.

What does this mean to lecturers and students?

Currently, the software is still fully functional. All licenses are still valid. However, should any changes (or upgrades) take place on our operating systems, this may result in a situation where the software is no longer compatible with our devices. Recordings are still accessible and downloadable in MP4/MP3 format for safekeeping, and we recommend that this continue as per normal. The content that has already recorded will not be lost.

What is ICT doing to provide a viable solution?

Since receiving this notice from TechSmith, we have been actively testing alternatives. We have also requested that a workgroup investigate sustainable alternatives and recommend a way forward for the University. This workgroup includes members of ICT staff/ Centre for Learning Technologies and the Computer User Area Manager team. This workgroup has been requested to provide feedback and initiate testing within the next four weeks. In the interim, all effort will be made to maintain the operating systems on the computers in lecture halls to avoid any potential issues with the software.

What is the alternative?

Our recommendation is that lecturers can continue with the use of TechSmith Relay for recordings for the next two months. We will notify all academic partners should the situation change in this time. However, should you be concerned about the stability of the TechSmith relay option, the SUNStream (Adobe Connect) plugin within SUNLearn is a stable and reliable alternative. Many lecturers already use this method for lecture capture and capturing any interaction with students who may be joining the classes via streaming. Assistance with user guides and/or training on using this option within your SUNLearn module will be provided via the CLT support desk

Lecturers may direct additional questions to the CLT support desk.

Email

Posted in Academic IT, General | Comments Off on TechSmith Relay for lecture recordings

Newer Entries »
 

© 2013-2024 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author(s) and content contributor(s). The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Stellenbosch University.