Tag: Academic Technology

Get Familiar with Classroom Technologies

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UFIT is hosting two in-person sessions focused on using installed technologies in campus classrooms. The Tech Byte events will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 15 and Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Turlington Hall – Rm. 2319. All faculty are welcome.

The Tech Byte open house events are a great way for new and returning instructional faculty to become familiar with installed technologies in UF classrooms. At each drop-in session, instructional technology experts will explain the flexibility and capabilities installed in UF classrooms to enhance teaching and learning. Attendees will have the opportunity to try out available technology and resources including lecture recording options, cameras for Zoom/Teams sessions, microphones, pre-installed software, and digital annotation tools. Staff can also provide guidance on incorporating LinkedIn Learning and UFApps into your courses, and help connect you with any other technical assistance needed from UFIT. Faculty and staff can pre-register to attend either session. Or…just drop in!

Have questions about classroom technologies? Please do not hesitate to contact UFIT anytime before or during the semester, at classrooms@ufl.edu.

Tech Equipment Rentals in Smathers Libraries

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A variety of tech equipment is available for checkout in Smathers Libraries. Before buying something new, see if what you need is available through Marston, Education, Library West, Architecture, or the Health Science Center libraries. Items are first come, first serve and can be rented for two hours to a month, depending on the device. After checking availability online, simply present your Gator1 ID at a library front desk and pick up your item.

Forgot your laptop charger? The libraries have you covered. Essential items like device chargers and headphones are regularly loaned to students for a few hours at a time. Several iPads are available to rent for up to a month and can be borrowed from several libraries on campus. Other rentable items include podcasting kits and sewing machines. Virtual and augmented reality headsets, portable 3D scanners and 3D printers, and even a handheld voice translator that supports 70 languages are all available in our campus library system.

For a complete list of rental items, rental procedures, and availability, visit the George A. Smathers Take-Home Equipment page.

Tech Byte Event: Learning Analytics

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Instructors are invited to attend Tech Bytes, a Teaching TechXploration online event. This installment of Tech Bytes is focused on how learning analytics is transforming teaching and learning:

NEW DATE: September 1
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Registration Link

This one-hour event features presentations on two new UF initiatives that can make data more valuable for instructors and students. The first presenter will be Instructional Designer Heather Maness of UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training. Dr. Maness will discuss a pilot of the My Learning Analytics tool that enables students to improve their academic outcomes by better understanding their online course performance and progress. The second presenter will be by Instructional Assessment Coordinator John Jordi from UF’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Jordi will share how he is engaging with learning analytics through structured conversations with faculty. Attendees will have an opportunity to get involved with both initiatives.

Register now for this virtual Tech Bytes event, part of a series that covers the intersections of technology and teaching in bite-sized pieces. Instructional faculty with questions about either presentation are welcome to contact Heather Maness or John Jordi.

Anti-Plagiarism Service Available for Faculty and Graduate Students

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Combing through thousands of thesis pages takes time and effort, but iThenticate can detect plagiarism in less than a minute.

The iThenticate anti-plagiarism service is available free for faculty and graduate students through UFIT’s campus-wide contract. Ithenticate scans documents word by word, cross-checking them with a database of more than 34 billion archived Web pages, 92 million published works, and 36 million scholarly articles. Many government organizations use Ithenticate to review funding proposals and documents, including the NIH, NSF, and the EPA.

Since the iThenticate service “went live” at UF in 2011, nearly 2,000 documents totaling 17,679 pages have been submitted for evaluation. To use, go to the LSS website, open Research Tools, click on iThenticate, and click on Request an Account. After the completed form is submitted, a member of the e-Learning staff will set up an account and notify the requester, typically within 24 hours of the request.

Turnitin, an anti-plagiarism service for undergraduate coursework review, is also available. Email UFIT’s e-Learning Support Services team with your questions about iThenticate or any other online learning support need.