Program Sessions and Tracks
Poster Session
PST1: HighEdWeb: Who We Are III
Steven B. Lewis, SUNY Brockport
This annual poster is quickly becoming a tradition. Based on a survey of conference attendees, what can we determine about ourselves? Compared to our peers, does our college pay us well, given our experience, responsibilities, education, institution type, student population, site size, and other factors? What type of technologies do we generally use? How does our staffing differ from other institutions? How has this picture changed over the last three years?
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST2: WeBWorK—Mathematics Homework System
Michael E. Gage, University of Rochester
Prof. Arnold Pizer, University of Rochester
Dean Vicki Roth, University of Rochester
WeBWorK delivers and evaluates mathematics homework online. It is used for most lower-level mathematics courses at the University of Rochester and is also used at over 100 institutions across the country. It is open-source software. We'll give a brief overview of its capabilities and provide information about how it can be obtained, installed, and used.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST3: Integrating an Open-Source Content Management System with Existing Campus Architectures
Rodney S. Tosten, Gettysburg College
Bill Wilson, Gettysburg College
In the fall of 2004, Gettysburg College was faced with a major decision to select a content management system (CMS) to integrate with our campus system architectures. After investigating several vendor-based systems, we selected an open-source CMS. The open-source solution gave us the initial advantage to incorporate the best of breed functionality from the other vendor-based systems. Our poster will outline how we integrated an open-source CMS with our home-grown portal (CNAV), our ERP system (Peoplesoft), and event system (R25). Our success also placed our campus in a position to leverage these systems into a future customer relationship management system.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST4: Your DOCTYPE Is Showing: Where Do We Stand in the Battle for Web Standards?
Lori Packer, University of Rochester
The Web Standards Project began in 1998 with the lofty but noble goal of "promoting core Web standards and encouraging browser makers to do the same, thereby ensuring simple, affordable access for all." Eight years later, where does higher ed stand when it comes to adopting and adhering to Web standards? And are we better or worse on this front than the corporate world? This poster session will present the results of a study that will compare Educause member homepages and Fortune 500 company homepages and ask 1.) does the site declare a DOCTYPE? and 2.) does the homepage then validate to that standard? The poster will also present practical examples of the benefits of designing to Web standards.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST5: Before You Ride the Rails
Daniel Reedy, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
If you are looking around the Web for new trends you cannot help but be bombarded with "Ruby on Rails." Ruby on Rails is a Web application framework that allows you to create dynamic Web sites quickly and easily. But does Ruby on Rails live up to the hype? This presentation will attempt to explain the thoughts and concepts that make up Rails and to answer some of the common questions brought up by those curious as to where Rails is going and if they should get on board.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST6: Web Colors and Design
Jeannine Papelino, University of Rochester
Have you ever stumbled over what Web colors to use? Or discovered that certain color combinations may not look as good as you initially thought? Consider this: many companies hire color consultants and graphic designers for their identity but what exactly are the criteria that make choosing color so important? A main reason for color selection is outlined by a project's objectives. A color palette provides the basis for design, but using contrasting colors can add depth and perception. Using seasonal colors can capitalize on trends in the industry, and without careful consideration given to the psychology of color, it can have some cultural differences that can lead to unexpected results. Whether using color for graphic identity, or creating an impression using layered or transparent values, color is the added benefit that compliments the message, adds to the design, and supports the original intention—creating a useful Web site.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST7: Student Group Success
Shaun Callighan, Augustana Web Guild
Tim Shearouse, Augustana Web Guild
Learn how a student group successfully serves the community as well as provides fun and experience for the students. The Augustana Web Guild is a student organization that provides nonprofit organizations and small businesses with a chance to obtain a Web presense at an affordable cost. Since 1998, they have developed over 100 client sites. Being part of the Web Guild gives students an opportunity to learn more than Web design as they also directly work with the clients building project management skills, as well as communication skills. Many clients come to the guild from referrals, which shows the satisfaction our clients experience. The Web Guild provides service to the campus by hosting a Web training seminar each term, covering Content & Design, Intro to HTML, Using Photoshop 7.0, and Producing a Website in FrontPage.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST8: Web Standards Project Education Task Force: Promoting Web Standards in Higher Education
Rob Dickerson, The Pennsylvania State University
This poster session will cover my participation with the Web Standards Project Education Task Force and what the Education Task Force is doing to help raise awareness of Web standards, accessibility, and best practices among instructors, administrators, and Web development teams in higher education. The poster will also cover the objectives of the Task Force and the various outreach efforts used by the Task Force including discussion, resource development, interviews, and example institutions
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST9: Factors Influencing Internet Usage Behaviors of Undergraduate Students in Bangkok and Its Suburbs
Raweewan Kaewwit, Bangkok University
Bootsara Prakobtham, Bangkok University
The objective of this research was to study the frequency, attitude, purpose, and factors influencing the Internet usage behaviors of undergraduate students in Bangkok and the surrounding suburbs. The researchers conducted a survey to take into account the different majors, institutions, regions, academic levels, purposes, and other factors that influence Internet behaviors. This poster session will present our research methods and results.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST10: Evaluating Your Web Site for Usability and Accessibility
Sharon Trerise, Cornell University
There are many tools available for evaluating your Web pages for accessibility. We will demonstrate some of the automated testing tools on a site of your choice as well as discuss the importance of and techniques for performing manual accessibility checks as well as usability testing.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST11: Virtual Collaborative Environments as a Task Space in E-Learning
Edgar Jonatan Larios, Instituto Politecnico Nacional
Chadwick Carreto, Instituto Politecnico Nacional
The present work explains the operation and architecture of an open-source software platform for the creation of Virtual Environments for Collaboration. This technological platform includes the expected features in the basic operation of groupware tools. Its main goal is to support workgroups in the handling, interchange, and management of information, knowledge, and digital documents. This platform provides organizations and workgroups with tools for the execution of productive and research activities. The resulting memory from works and activities is stored in a repository that is organized, classified, and accessed through a customized virtual collaboration environment.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST12: How to Get Into Web Services
Paula Yandow-Reilly, University of Rochester
This poster will explain how to create Web services, what services are good candidates to make available, security concerns, and how the University of Rochester is using Web services. The poster session will have some architecture diagrams, code snippets demo-ing the SOAP protocol, and will touch on SOA, WSDLs, etc., which we are planning to move into via a messaging bus. Some best practices handouts, as well as some SOAP structure how-tos, will be provided.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST13: Webs in the Desert: Developing an Online Presence for an Arab University
Brian O'Flynn, Zayed University
Danielle Perigoe, Zayed University
Zayed University is a well-resourced government institution in the United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich, conservative Islamic society. Enrollment on its two campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai is restricted to local women, although faculty and staff hail from all over the world. The institution was an early adopter of e-learning and has always used the Internet as its primary face to the wider community. As a result, the university's Web presence and Web-based applications have grown considerably in recent years. This presentation looks at the unique challenges posed to designers and content creators. Design style, imagery, message, content, and degree of subtlety are all affected by local cultural and socio-religious values. Lessons have been learnt, many with implications for any institution catering to or hoping to attract students from the region.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST14: Using Metadata to Design for Better Findability, Syndication, and Reuse of Web Content
David DeMello, Cornell University
In addition to managed work flow, consistent design, and contributor tools for non-technical authors, most modern content management systems also supply a metadata layer that allows site architects to define common sets of terms to apply to a wide range of content elements. These metadata classification tools help define story types, target audiences, subject categorizations, and navigational metaphors that allow us to build finding aids that go beyond traditional tree-based site maps and Yahoo-style directories. In its recent site redesign and re-implementation using PaperThin's CommonSpot CMS, Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations used page and element-level metadata extensively to build navigation and other finding aids for Web pages, news stories, events, profiles, interviews, library guides, and documents. This metadata can reside in the CMS itself or in external repositories that are then imported using protocols such as RSS and OAI-PMH. This presentation will give a high-level overview of what is possible when managed metadata is available and will demonstrate navigation, RSS feeds generated from ILR Web site content, and OAI harvesting of element-level metadata from the school's institutional repository of faculty working papers and other documents.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST15: Intentional Technology—Keeping Goals and Values in Mind as We Explore New Technologies
Rick Ells, University of Washington
As new technologies force their way into our toolkits, we need to deliberately keep an eye on our values and goals to avoid having them swamped by technology, change, and narrow perspectives. Accessibility is a prime example of a priority goal threatened by undirected innovation with Flash, AJAX/ATLAS, and other promising but hazardous technologies. These new toolkits promise real improvements in usability and functionality, but winding our way through their many features and implementations to solutions that support our goals requires good management, flexible development, and constant evaluation. This talk will explore the idea of intentional technology and describe work along these lines going on at the University of Washington, particularly with respect to the development of Web applications and services.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST16: "Entertainment on Tap": Building a Student Programming Board Web Presence
Michelle Tarby, Le Moyne College
"You should have advertised that...I didn't know that was happening on campus...There's nothing going on on weekends..." Frustrated with the constant drone of comments like this, representatives from Student Life and the Student Programming Board decided to take action. Working with us, we developed a standards-based, dynamic site to replace their former Web presence: a single Web page last updated in 2004. We'll take a look at how we built a system to promote campus events—from a content management tool for Programming Board Publicity Chairs to an XML-based online calendar that now provides a one-stop shop for student events. All the tools developed were based on open-source code and were designed to give the students control of their site.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST17: Case Study: Course Evaluation and Student Employment System Integration
Jason Woodward, Cornell University
In this poster we present two Web applications developed by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration's Web and database team: the Course Evaluation System, and the Student Employment System. We illustrate the integration of university-wide data and school-specific data in each of the systems, then illustrate the cross-utilization of information between the two systems. The Course Evaluation System allows the Student Services office to start, stop, and report on course evaluations for some or all courses offered by the Hotel School (without involving the Web Group), including contacting students with reminders. The Student Employment System tracks students employed by the Hotel School from initial online application through termination at end of employment. The Course Evaluation System utilizes data collected from the Student Employment System for TA evaluation.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
PST18: Northwestern University's Selection Process for an Enterprise Web Content Management System
Joe Morrow, Northwestern University
Northwestern University's selection of a Web content management system (WCMS) began with 36 WCMS vendors receiving a general request for information (RFI) in May 2005, containing more than 50 detailed specifications in the areas of system architecture, user interface, process management, site management, and scalability. Nineteen vendors submitted responses indicating their desire to participate. A task force of technical representatives from academic and administrative units across the university evaluated responses, and five vendors received an invitation to bid (ITB) in the summer of 2005. Based on the ITB responses, three vendors were invited to present to the Northwestern community. Each vendor gave a half-day presentation to a group of attendees from a number of schools and units on campus, and responded to detailed requirements analysis. The selection sub-committee members examined and discussed the final two vendors in great detail and ultimately chose Serena Collage. This presentation will focus on our selection process, rather than the details of the systems we evaluated. It will be most helpful as a resource for schools evaluating or considering the implementation of a WCMS.
This session is scheduled for Tue, Oct 24, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
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