Information technology, Georgia. University System of Georgia. Board of Regents. Office of Information and Instructional Technology

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June - July 1996: Volume 9, Number 1
Contents
z From the Vice Chancellor z Model Classroom Initiative to Enhance Instruction z GALILEO Status as of 1996 z Model DL Course Proposals Selected z Computing Conference to Celebrate 25th Anniversary z OIIT to Open New Training Facility in Macon z Training Available z Publishing Information
From the Vice Chancellor
*** Work continues on the Business Systems project to develop an RFP to procure new Human Resource, Payroll, Budget, and Accounting software. A final draft of the RFP document is being reviewed by involved OIIT staff and DOAS-Procurement. Release of the RFP to prospective respondents is expected soon.
***The installation of the PeachNet/MCI dial-in system is near completion. As each site becomes operational, the telephone numbers, trouble-reporting procedures, and other information will be posted to the web page at http://www.peachnet.edu/oiit/pn/dial/. A special thanks goes to the personnel at each site for helping to solve the inevitable installation problems quickly and efficiently. Everyone's cooperation and help have been greatly appreciated.
***The July 9 meeting of the Georgia Board of Regents, with members participating from four separate locations, was conducted via the Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical Systems (GSAMS). The electronic meeting replaced the usual two-day gathering and marked the first time that the Board of Regents has used the two-way video network to conduct business. GSAMS links 220 schools and hospitals for classes, distance learning, and medical consultations.
***The divisions of Administration and Academic Administration Systems welcome Ms. Annette Barfield as Buyer I and Ms. Margy Moremen as Information Analyst I, respectively. The Division of Academic Services and Distance Learning announces three new employees: Mr. Myk Garn has been selected to fill the position of Director; Dr. Jessica Somers has been selected to fill the new position of Associate Director; and Ms. An'Gel Potter replaces Ms. Susan Pledger as secretary.
J.B. Mathews, Vice Chancellor
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Model Classroom Initiative to Enhance Instruction
By Kris Biesinger, OIIT
The Model Classroom Initiative has provided each two-year, four-year, and regional institution with $100,000 in lottery funds to develop at least one basic multimedia classroom to be used for instruction or to upgrade an existing facility. This facility should be different from computer labs and should serve for class instruction rather than for independent use. The classrooms will be equipped with electronic and scientific equipment for interactive instruction and state-of-the-art instructional software, especially that which is multimedia and interactive.
Institutions already having at least one such installation may use the funds to provide an alternative classroom configuration. Institutions have been asked to take before and after pictures to document the changes that take place through this special funding opportunity.
The model classroom initiative aims to leverage Georgia's potential for economic growth and to enhance instruction by
z creating "twenty-first century" classrooms for Georgians seeking degrees at the state's regional universities, four-year institutions, and two-year colleges;
z involving students, faculty, and staff in the discussions to make certain that the needed features are included in the design;
z promoting instruction that uses the integrated media of text, graphics, audio, and motion to captivate and enlarge the desire for knowledge;
z expanding technological expertise in the growing number of fields of study where such expertise is expected in the workforce;
z providing the 30 institutions access to advanced instructional and laboratory technology; z creating additional efficiencies in the instructional process; and z maximizing the educational return of the Equipment, Technology, and Construction Trust Fund.
While assistance from the Equipment, Technology, and Construction Trust Fund has enabled schools to purchase equipment, the cost of focusing advanced technology on large numbers of students through state-of-the-art electronic classroom and laboratories is generally prohibitive. Studies show that interactive, multimedia classrooms and laboratories captivate the imaginations of students while also promoting group participation. They allow instructors to concentrate more of their time and talent on individual students and less on repetitive activities that are better accomplished by information technology. Virtually all fields of instruction and all students can benefit from the technology of multimedia classrooms.
A large percentage of Georgia's professionals and business leaders are educated at the regional universities, fouryear units, and two-year colleges. These institutions are also important agencies of advancement for many already in the work force, but who need further education for professional growth.
After the program has been operational for a time, the initiative will be assessed using a number of criteria, such as the number of students accessing the model classrooms, the fields of study involved, and instructional innovations resulting from the availability of such classrooms.
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GALILEO Status as of 1996
As GALILEO approaches its second year of operation, most of its objectives have been met. The following report outlines GALILEO's status as of June 1996.
FY97 Funding
The Legislature appropriated $1.6 million in lottery funds and $822,000 in general funds for the University System for FY97. Public Library Services has received funding to continue the current level of access for the fifty-five regional libraries. The University Center in Georgia (UCG), a consortium of private institutions, has received a $1.6 million grant from the Woodruff Foundation for GALILEO access. The grant also provides access to non-UCG

institutions. As a result, Georgia Private Academic Libraries-or GPALS-a group of private post secondary institutional libraries, recently formed a consortium to access GALILEO databases.
Governance
A new GALILEO governance structure has been reviewed by the existing steering committee and has been forwarded to the Chancellor for approval. It is proposed that the current steering committee and library services and technical services workgroups be replaced by an advisory council and a new steering committee. The thirteen member advisory council will consult on strategic direction and budget review and will advise on external procedures for the project. A fourteen member steering committee will manage the project.
PeachNet access to University System and off-campus center libraries
PeachNet connections are in place at all University System and off-campus resident center libraries.
Electronic full-text of core academic journals
Database vendors include UMI, Encyclopedia Britannica, Institute for Scientific Information, Gale, Academic Press, and Cambridge Scientific. A list of databases currently available can be found at http://www.galileo.peachnet.edu under "About GALILEO." Additional databases are available through the OCLC-Online Computer Library Center, Inc.-FirstSearch Gateway.
Card catalog conversion to computer format
The University System contracted with OCLC to convert paper cataloging records for seventeen System institutions to computer format. As of June 28, 1996, 471,550 records have been processed. Conversion is complete except for selected records at the University of Georgia Law Library, University of Georgia Special Collections, Georgia State University, and Dalton College.
Complete automation for all thirty-four System libraries
Seven System libraries, which have no automation services, will be automated. Georgia State University and DeKalb College offer shared automation services: four libraries selected Georgia State as automation vendor, and three libraries selected DeKalb. Automation services for these seven libraries will be activated by fall 1996. System library catalogs will be available via GALILEO as libraries go online.
Universal borrowing
Production is set for fall 1996 for a prototype universal borrowers database. Decisions related to policy issues have been agreed upon. The program which supports the database has been written, but further debugging must be accomplished before the system is fully operational. All fax machines have been installed and are operational, and UPS, the selected courier service, is now transporting materials for libraries within the University System.
Sharing of research journals
Current Contents, published by the Institute for Scientific Information, was selected for this component. The databases have been loaded and have been prepared for searching at the University of Georgia.
Access to state census data
Census data has been prepared for electronic access and became available via GALILEO in January 1996.
Electronic distribution of state publications
State publications have been scanned and prepared for inclusion in the GALILEO database structure. Beginning with 1996 publications, documents became available electronically in January 1996.
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Model DL Course Proposals Selected
An objective of the initiative Connecting Teachers and Technology is the funding and creation of courses that integrate instructional technologies into course design. The following exemplary proposals were awarded in the first round of funding and offer a sample of the range of disciplines and the application of several technologies employed. Other awarded proposals will be highlighted in the next newsletter.
Dr. Kenneth D. Hughes of Georgia Tech and Dr. John Pratte of Clayton State College received an award for their submission, "Scientific Systems for Asynchronous Interactive Learning."
In 1992, the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech designed and built a 350 gallon marine ecosystem to aid in the instruction of undergraduate chemistry courses. The project will connect the ecosystem and a new 1.2 m3 terrarium to the World Wide Web, which will provide a unique set of science educational tools accessible by all institutions across Georgia. Students and teachers at remote locations will be able to investigate and interact in real-time with the ecosystems via the Internet. They will control the placement of chemical probes, allowing them to make real-time measurements of dissolved oxygen, pH, and salinity in the marine ecosystem and humidity and temperature in the terrarium. In addition, an underwater camera in the marine ecosystem will provide a unique vantage point for observation of tank conditions and its varied inhabitants.
Placing these ecosystems and instruments online will provide a cost effective means for the University System to utilize previously inaccessible teaching resources. In addition, the online ecosystems will allow each institution to set its own time frame for performing laboratory work. Students will eventually be able to download data and do laboratory experiments from home, as well as from school.
The proposal submitted by Ms. Cindy Gonzalez and Ms. Susan McKinnon of the Department of Mathematics/Computer Science at Georgia Southern University will offer introductory calculus, MAT 166, as a post secondary options/joint enrollment course to high schools in southeast Georgia via GSAMS from Georgia Southern. Small, rural high schools of southeast Georgia, with math departments often comprising just one or two teachers, are limited in advanced course offerings, and students are often less prepared than students from larger schools. Even many larger schools in the area do not offer advanced placement calculus, and students have no college credit course available to them during their senior year.
In order to enhance student learning and involvement, the course will include daily use of the new TI-92 computer/calculator in conjunction with frequent use of a CBL (computer-based laboratory). The CBL is a probe that senses and collects real-world data, such as temperature, sound waves, motion, and can transmit this information to the TI-92 in the form of a mathematical function. Because Texas Instruments has had the TI-92 on the market for only a few months, course materials for teaching calculus using this technology are not yet available; developing course materials using the TI-92 will be a large part of this project.
The feature that makes the TI-92 uniquely suited for use in the GSAMS environment is the design of its view screen, which projects the contents of the calculator's screen onto the television screen. The view screen can be connected to any calculator, which would enable students to transmit the information on their screen to any site being used at the session, increasing interaction between sites. By using the calculator, the CBL, and the view screen, students from one site will have the ability to demonstrate their findings to other sites. Course materials will be developed so that any instructor of college-level introductory calculus can duplicate the method.
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Computing Conference to Celebrate 25th Anniversary
by Andrea Wilson, OIIT
The University System Annual Computing Conference will celebrate its 25th anniversary, October 23-25, at Rock Eagle 4-H Camp in Eatonton.
The Rock Eagle experience began as an informal meeting of personnel from the computer centers of larger institutions in a staff retreat-type format. Dr. Lu Penn, who was on the computer center staff at the University of Georgia, coordinated the first conference. Dr. Penn noted that "as technology and the capability of networking emerged, there became a need to bring campuses together." Thus, the first Rock Eagle conference emerged to provide a forum for discussion of issues and common concerns.

An outgrowth of that first conference, the University System Computer Network was formed. Over the next few years, the conference began to grow, with representatives from the then thirty-two schools in the computer network attending the meeting. The conference continues to grow every year from the early conferences of fewer than 50 attendees to an anticipated 800 this year.
Mr. Ken Williams, Director of Computer Services at Georgia Southern University, says that the retreat-type format of the meeting changed in the fall of 1986. "That was the year when we began the current format with a call for papers and presentations from System faculty and staff."
Approximately 100 presentations will be offered with topics ranging from administrative computing, academic computing, general technology, to library computing. Attendees will have the opportunity for hands-on computer demonstrations, information on the latest advancements in computing hardware and software, and a glimpse into the future of computing during the vendor displays. New this year, we will offer a vendor track, which will give vendors the opportunity to showcase their products in a presentation-style format.
Along with the high quality presentations and vendor displays, the conference provides attendees with a mix of funfilled activities which include the annual miniature golf tournament, nightly entertainment, door prizes, and plenty of time with friends. Conference registrants will be eligible to participate in all activities.
Registration brochures will be mailed in late August. If you have any questions regarding the conference, contact Andrea Wilson, Conference Facilitator, by e-mail at andrea_wilson@oit.peachnet.edu or by phone at 706/369-5678.
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OIIT to Open New Training Facility in Macon
Kim Braxton, OIIT
The Office of Information and Instructional Technology is opening a new Training Center October 1 at Georgia College Macon Campus.
Over the past year, the number of training courses offered at the Athens OIIT Training Center has grown to unparalled numbers. When requests for courses started to exceed the number of days in the year, it became apparent that an additional facility was needed. Macon seemed the perfect spot with its central location and easy access.
The OIIT will be renting the Macon space from Georgia College and will upgrade existing data lines to T-1 to accommodate the expected increase in usage. Twelve student computer stations and one instructor station will be set up with Macintosh Power PCs equipped with Pentium cards, allowing up to 24 students per class. This novel setup will facilitate training of all students on either a Mac or PC platform and will make dual platform training possible with rapid switching of operating systems and software applications. A high lumen projection system will also be installed to ensure a full, clear display of the instructor's computer screens.
Georgia College and the OIIT will collaborate on the use of the room. Georgia College will have access to the facility when no OIIT training classes are held, and a new instructional technology support specialist is being hired jointly to help maintain the facility for both parties.
The new training center will allow the OIIT to continue offering the kind of technical training courses that System faculty and staff request, such as the popular Internet classes, multimedia courses, Authorware, Novell, Oracle, and BANNER training. With the latest computer technology, Internet connectivity, and full display capabilities installed, the new OIIT Training Center will continue to make technology training an enriching experience for the University System community.
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Training Available - Athens Location
Each quarter, the OIIT offers training to University System of Georgia (USG) faculty and staff, non-USG PeachNet

customers, and other educational affiliations. Class topics include Internet basics, Web page creation, multimedia, and local area networking. An Oracle class sequence, which begins in September, is open to USG faculty and staff.
All OIIT training announcements are posted to the electronic mailing list GA-INFO, and if you subscribe to GA-INFO, you will automatically receive all training announcements. To subscribe to GA-INFO, simply send an e-mail message using the following information:
send to: listserv@uga.cc.uga.edu subject: (leave blank) message text: subscribe ga-info Firstname Lastname
Training information is also available on the OIIT WWW server at URL http://www.peachnet.edu/oiit/. Look under the "Training" section of that page for class descriptions, dates, appropriate audiences, registration information, and class fees.
For more information about OIIT training, contact Andrea Wilson by e-mail at andrea_wilson@oit.peachnet.edu or by phone at (706)369-6422.
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Publishing Information
Information Technology, The Office of Information and Instructional Technology (OIIT) News Bulletin, is published by the Board of Regents, Office of Information and Instructional Technology, 244 Washington St. SW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30334. Suggestions and contributions are solicited. Unless otherwise stated, permission to reprint articles in whole or in part is granted provided appropriate credit is given.
z Editor: Jayne Williams z Office: Georgia Southern University z E-mail: jayne_williams@oit.peachnet.edu
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