Teach for 'Murica
From kickoff to blackout
Students learn how to use their post-college years to make a difference
Sports brings you the 2013 Super Bowl drinking game to spice up your Sunday
PIPE DREAM Friday, February 1, 2013 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXIII, Issue 2
BLANK CANVAS? Binghamton University is piloting an alternative to Blackboard, using it in nine classes this semester before deciding whether to implement it campus-wide. The system, Canvas, includes mobile apps and a collaborative editor — which provides integration with Google Docs — in its student services package. Two students using Canvas in their German class said they already prefer it to Blackboard. “I just transferred to Binghamton last semester, coming from a school that didn’t use Blackboard I found Blackboard to be very confusing causing me to miss assignments that needed to be electronically submitted,” John Brenner, a junior double-majoring in German and political science, wrote in an email to Pipe Dream. “I feel very comfortable with Canvas just in two days of using it.”
Joe Mutarelli, a sophomore majoring in German, said Canvas is more straightforward and intuitive than Blackboard. “I’ve had issues in the past with Blackboard,” Mutarelli said. “The beauty of Canvas is in its simplicity.” Canvas also allows users to receive notifications through Facebook, Twitter, email and text message. “Philosophically, we think that Canvas should be a platform that connects to the other technologies you’re already using on the web,” said Devin Knigheon, director of public relations at Canvas. “It shouldn’t be this walled garden that requires you to log in and do everything inside of Canvas.” Canvas is a Cloud-based software system, which allows software developers to implement updates and upgrades remotely — similar to Gmail updates — while Blackboard requires updates to be installed through the BU Information
Technology Services department, making Canvas less susceptible to downtime than Blackboard. “With [Cloud] software, if the vender wants to make a change, it’s typically pretty seamless,” said Donald Loewen, vice provost for undergraduate education. Several professors said it is too early in the pilot for them to recommend fully implementing the system, but Shannon Hilliker, a lecturer in the writing initiative department, said Canvas seems to be faster than Blackboard. There are no immediate plans to switch to Canvas, but if the pilot is successful, Loewen said the University will consider further testing and expanding the pilot. “We realize this is the most heavily
used computer system on campus and we really want to make sure we do our homework before we do any changes,” he said. Loewen does not know what the difference in cost between Blackboard and Canvas will be, but he said cost will be a factor in the decision.
“If you have a quantum leap in quality then you might be willing to pay more for it,” he said. “On the other hand, if the advantages are really negligible, then the cost issues might become significant.” The Canvas pilot program cost the University around $3,000, according to Loewen.
Black Board Mobile App
Long-distance learning Valerie Ann Lewis, a doctoral candidate who was about to begin her graduate studies in English at Binghamton University, passed away Thursday, Jan. 24, at the age of 35. Lewis was born in Carmel, N.Y., and lived in the Hudson Valley for most of her life. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from NYU and her MFA in creative writing from Goddard College in Vermont. Lewis taught at several
colleges and most recently was an adjunct of online courses at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. She also worked extensively at the Learning Center, which provides writing tutoring for students who need help with written assignments, grammar, oral presentations and other communication skills. Dr. Frances Biscoglio, the program director for the bachelor’s degree in English at Mercy College, interviewed Lewis for her position and remembers her dedication and intelligence. “She accepted the courses we gave her eagerly, and I know she
cared deeply about her students,” Biscoglio wrote in an email to Pipe Dream. “She struck me as highly intelligent, extremely pleasant and bright and caring.” Lewis’ boyfriend, Craig Roadmap Spotlight Sanders, said Lewis went above and beyond for the students she taught. “She was about as warm and giving a person could be,” Sanders wrote in an email. “She cared very deeply about her students and would always go the extra mile for
Joshua Kortze passes Joshua Kortze, a graduate student studying political science with a passion for travel and teaching, died on Sunday, Jan. 27 in a single-vehicle car accident in Bethlehem, Pa. He was 24. Kortze was born Feb. 20, 1988 in Allentown, Pa., and lived in Bushkill Township, Pa. Kortze earned his bachelor’s
degree in political science from Kutztown University in 2010, and received his master’s degree in political science from Lehigh University in 2011. Kortze aspired to become a professor. He taught in China for a year and had an interest in Chinese politics, as well as liberal and socialist movements. “He was nicknamed by the faculty here – Chairman
Mao – since he was our last communist student,” Kristen Bremer, chair of the political science department at Kutztown University, wrote in an email. John Riley, an associate professor of political science at Kutztown University, said that Kortze was an active member of the university’s Model UN
Roadmap Spotlight
The Road Map Steering committee adopted a proposal to expand distance learning at Binghamton University — one of several proposals that will expand the role of technology in teaching. The proposal suggests installing video equipment in classrooms, to allow students to view full video lectures via Blackboard. It also calls for new equipment in classrooms and increased network capacity to support “the burden of video bandwidth.” Low bandwidth would result in choppy, lowquality videos, while higher bandwidth would allow for smoother video playback. To implement distance learning, professors teaching distance learning classes will
be sent recordings of their lectures, which they will then be able to share with their students through Blackboard. Certain classes are already equipped with distance learning capabilities. “The Educational Communications Center has helped record over 2,000 individual recordings on our Echo360 DL capture system,” said Andrew Tucci, director for educational communications. “It totals nearly 5,000 hours of material and has been viewed online over 115,000 times.” A sample distance learning lecture provided by Tucci showed a video of him lecturing in one window while the lecture slides he was showing appeared simultaneously in another. The class that holds the all-time viewing record is “Statistical Analysis and Design,” with 10,656 views. It is followed closely by “Exploring Engineering II” with 9,936 views. If passed, the proposal would take at least five years to complete, but Tucci believes that it will still be able to have an important impact on current students. “What I think current students will begin to see is more materials and learning
experiences being made available to them … and in formats that they didn’t have before,” Tucci said. “Students studying for finals might now have the option to rewatch entire lectures that were captured that semester in one of the eight rooms on campus that currently has the [distance learning] capture systems in it.”
— Andrew Tucci Director for educational communications
Tucci said distance learning can also give students a convenient way to review or participate in online office hours with a professor. There is still a long road ahead, but Tucci is optimistic. “The potential is exciting,” he said.