Survey Tools: New Options

Researchers at UF often need to survey large populations, utilize advanced survey distribution strategies, and implement specialized survey question types. For these complex needs, UFIT recommends using Qualtrics, available campus-wide. But sometimes faculty and staff need a lighter tool for quick surveys or to create administrative forms. UFIT created a new training–Survey Tools for Non-Research Use–to introduce Google Forms and Microsoft Forms, two easy-to-use applications for creating and distributing surveys and forms. UFIT’s next 1-hour Survey Tools for Non-Research Use training will be held on:

Wednesday, August 30
10:00-11:00 a.m.

Register here

This class will be taught monthly over Zoom. Visit the class homepage for more details, and check out UFIT’s Survey Tools webpage for a comparison of Microsoft Forms, Google Forms, and Qualtrics. Anyone with questions about this class or other IT training offered is welcome to email the UFIT Training team.

Work Safely with Restricted Data

Restricted data refers to data collected, maintained, or managed by the university or through any university activities that are restricted by special protections from federal or state laws, regulatory mandates, or contractual obligations. Improperly working with, storing of, or transmitting restricted data could result in the revocation of research certifications, university business partnerships, and federal and state grants. In addition to the legal liabilities and financial obligations placed on individual employees and the university, a breach or misuse of restricted data would negatively impact UF’s reputation.

Types of restricted data are listed here. They include, but are not limited to, student records (FERPA), protected health information (HIPAA), Social Security numbers and credit card information, and export controlled data (ITAR).

All faculty and staff are required to annually complete the Information Security Awareness training, which includes a section on working with restricted data. UF’s Mobile Computing and Storage Devices Policy explains security and encryption standards required for devices operating with restricted data. UFIT’s Integrated Risk Management team is available to help clarify data classifications and the technologies and tools cleared for use with restricted data. Anyone in the UF community with questions is welcome to email irm-uf@ufl.edu.

Spring 2023 HiPerGator Training

UFIT Research Computing is hosting a variety of trainings and workshops throughout the Spring 2023 semester. The options include HiPerGator user training, panel events, in-person training, and networking opportunities for UF’s research community.

The robust schedule features multiple virtual NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute (DLI) workshops on the fundamentals for deep learning and for accelerated computing with CUDA Python. The always popular Birds-of-a-Feather sessions (BOF), facilitated by Research Computing staff, are for current and potential HiPerGator users to introduce high performance computing and AI resources and services available, such as accelerated genomics and MLFlow. There are also two AI panels scheduled. The first panel is for promoting women in HPC&AI, and the second will discuss the use of AI in arts and humanities research.

All UFIT Research Computing training, panels, and BOF sessions are free. To register for any of the offerings, visit https://rc.ufl.edu/calendar/. Faculty and staff can also request group, department, or 1-on-1 training consultations. For assistance with custom training needs, please contact UFIT’s Training and Biocomputing Specialist, Dr. Matt Gitzendanner.

SPSS Training Offered This Spring

UFIT is offering its SPSS Statistics & Sample Power 3 this spring.  The online course begins January 9, and ends on March 10, 2023.  This free certificate earning, self-paced course includes seven modules that focus on the latest statistical procedures.  All modules must be completed by March 10 for the participant to earn the certificate.

This course has been designed for faculty, TAs, graduate students, postdoctoral candidates, and staff.  Potential participants can review the course syllabus prior to registering.

Participants must have completed a graduate course in statistics and the “SPSS Statistics Essential Training” in LinkedIn Learning prior to January 9.  To register, visit https://training.it.ufl.edu/training and use the keyword: SPSS. Anyone with questions about UFIT’s SPSS certificate program is welcome to contact instructor Dr. Jose Silva-Lugo.

Learn to Use the Campus-Wide Calendar

UF’s Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing (SCM) manages the campus-wide calendar. The URL is https://calendar.ufl.edu/ and available as a direct-link on the UF homepage. The calendar is a great promotional option available for departments and organizations to broadly advertise events.

Free training is being offered so faculty and staff can learn to manage event submissions, request a departmental calendar, and leverage all the features of the calendaring tool. The live, instructor-led webinar training will be held on:

Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Course Number: UF_ITT369_ILT

Register here

The university’s calendar provides a central system where events can be submitted for inclusion to maximize exposure. (Events will be reviewed for approval every one to two weeks by SCM.) Visit https://ufl.lwcal.com/submit/ to request an event be added. For questions about this training, please contact the UFIT Training team.

Introduction to Data Analysis and Graphics

UF Information Technology is again offering its extremely popular R Programming course this fall. This online, self-paced training is offered free for faculty, postdocs, staff, and graduate students.

The fall 2022 course dates are August 29 to October 29. To register, visit UFIT Training’s R Programming page. Pre-registration is required by August 26.

The eight modules in the course are: Introduction to R, Data Preparation, Exploratory Data Analysis, Mean and Median Comparison, ANOVA, Correlation, and Linear Regression, Multiple Linear Regression, Proportion Comparison, and Logistic Regression. A detailed syllabus is available on the R Programming page. Enrollees must have successfully completed at least one graduate-level course in statistics prior to the start of the training.

Anyone with questions about UFIT’s R Programming training is welcome to reach out to instructor Dr. Jose Silva-Lugo.

Training on iClicker Cloud Offered

An iClicker Cloud training representative will be on-site to train UF’s novice and experienced users on this platform. Two training dates (three overall options) and modalities are available:

Friday, July 22: 9:00-10:30 a.m.
(via Zoom)
Wednesday, August 17: 9:00-10:30 a.m. (Face-to-face in CSE E507)
Wednesday, August 17: 12:00-1:30 p.m. (Face-to-face in CSE E507)

To register for any of the three trainings, navigate to the myTraining link. There will also be presenter-led open office hours on Wednesday, August 17, from 10:30-12:00 p.m. in CSE E507.

iClicker Cloud is a mobile-optimized engagement platform that facilitates student and instructor collaboration. The University of Florida has an institutional site license covering all costs. iClicker Cloud includes both synchronous and asynchronous options like polling, quizzing, and assignments, and integrates with Canvas. Whether you are planning to use iClicker for the first time or if you just need a refresher, this training will get you ready for the new school year. There will be time for questions in each iClicker Cloud training.

Instructors with questions about this training or other academic technology trainings available are welcome to contact the UFIT training team.

Learn the UF Risk Assessment Process

UFIT is now offering integrated risk management (IRM) system training. The course focuses on the IRM process and responsibilities of system submitters, project owners, and the information security manager or technical contact listed on the assessment request. Log into myTraining and search for UF_ITT104_OLT to take the training.

Development of this training is in response to requests from information security managers and department staff who work with UFIT on risk assessments. The IRM training takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour to complete. Note that completing UF_ITT104_OLT will soon become mandatory in order to maintain either the UF_SEC_TECHCONTACT or UF_SEC_ISM security roles.

UFIT recommends all IT staff involved in university risk assessments take the training. For more information visit https://irm.ufl.edu/. Anyone with questions about the integrated risk management process may email the IRM team at irm-uf@ufl.edu.

Accessibility Tools and Training for Campus

UFIT provides numerous services to enable compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as all other applicable federal and state regulations. Among the available services are
Site Improve access, which checks current website content for accessibility issues, and the SensusAccess document conversion tool. UFIT also has two web and content accessibility training opportunities:

Accessibility Basics, an easy to follow, free, online self-paced video course is designed for staff. The Accessibility Basics training takes approximately two hours and provides instruction on how to create accessible documents (e.g., Word, images, .PDFs) and website content.

Accessibility Fundamentals, created for an instructor audience, is also a free, self-paced online training. Accessibility Fundamentals shows how to design accessible online course materials. The course covers different types of accessibility needs and suggestions for making an online course more accessible.

UFIT is here to help instructors and staff who post online content!  Visit UFIT’s digital standards and website recommendations page for additional compliance tips and resources.

Free Self-Paced Statistical Software Training

Two FREE, fully online trainings on statistics software will be offered during the fall term. Faculty, staff, postdocs, TAs, and graduate students can learn how to perform statistical analyses on research data while earning a certificate in SPSS and SamplePower 3 or the R programming language. In these self-paced trainings, participants will use the software through practical application and hands-on exercises. The training series introduces data analysis and visualization features that can help further research. Pre-registration is required. Use the links below to view the course flyer and to register:

SPSS and SamplePower 3
Aug. 23 – Oct. 7, 2021 | Register

R Programming Training: An Introduction for Data Analysis and Graphics
Oct. 4 – Dec. 3, 2021 | Register

Anyone with questions about either training may email the instructor, Senior IT Training Specialist Jose Silva-Lugo.