We are please to announce our schedule of workshops for the upcoming semester. If you have suggested programming or other feedback, please email dissco@vassar.edu.

Events Overview

09/11   3:30pm Intro to Excel and Data Literacy
09/13   3:30pm Building and Maintaining Your Author Profiles: Faculty Workshop
09/18   2:00pm Stay Organized & Save Time with Zotero Citation Manager
09/27 12:00pm Supporting Video in the Curriculum Workshop 
10/02 11:00am Intro to Drone Mapping (HV SCGIS meeting at Vassar Barns)
10/02   3:15pm Drone Cinematography Workshop (with Film Department/VIL)
10/04   3:00pm Intro to the Vassar College Libraries Digital Library
10/09   3:00pm Digital Humanities DMP Basics
10/22   1:30pm Intro to Census and American Community Survey Data and Mapping
10/25  11:00am Stay Organized & Save Time with Zotero Citation Manager
10/30   3:00pm Intro to Omeka 
11/01   3:00pm Intro to Scalar
11/06   3:30pm Campus Resources for Building Websites
11/07 10:30am Intro to ArcGIS Pro (in the GIS Lab with ESCI 235)
11/07   3:00pm – 6:00 World Digital Preservation Day event in Library Lobby
11/08   3:00pm Static vs. Dynamic Website Design: How to Choose the Best Option for 
                         Your Project
11/22   10:00am Intro to Audio Resources

Intro to Excel and Data Literacy

September 11, 2024, 3:30 – 5:00 PM, Ely Hall Rm 114 (GIS Lab)

Datasets about all kinds of natural, social, and experimental phenomena are widely available, and new datasets are being generated every day. The first step of making sense of data is often organizing it into a spreadsheet. Once entered and organized, spreadsheets can be used to sort, filter, analyze, and visualize patterns and trends that might not be apparent from our own limited observations. Using contemporary datasets as examples, participants will learn how to create and navigate spreadsheets in Excel, sort and filter data, write formulas to perform calculations, summarize and format data into tables for a report, and generate graphs from data. Registration: https://forms.gle/Hcus8fZYRXmnoheq5. Questions: Neil Curri (necurri@vassar.edu / x7708). 

Building and Maintaining Your Author Profiles: Faculty Workshop

September 13, 2024, 1:00 – 3:00pm, Main Library, Class of ’51 Reading Room

Learn to establish and optimize your ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID), and claim and edit your scholarly profiles in Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus. Claiming and maintaining your profiles ensures that your work is correctly represented and attributed to you, allows you to keep up to date with works in your field, and notifies you when authors cite your work or works that you’re citing in your research. 

Faculty from all disciplines and career stages are welcome to attend. Led by Gretchen Lieb, Humanities and Multidisciplinary Librarian. Cosponsored by the Director of Faculty Research. If you cannot attend the specified date we can discuss this topic by appointment: https://libcal.vassar.edu/appointments/gretchen

Stay Organized & Save Time with Zotero Citation Manager

September 18, 2024,  2:00 – 2:45pm, Main Library Computer Classroom, Rm 160

Overwhelmed by unorganized PDFs? Want to save time formatting your bibliography? Zotero is a free citation manager for organizing references, storing pdfs, and formatting in-text citations and bibliographies. Zotero is most useful when it’s incorporated into the research process – finding sources, building your Zotero library, and citing references all go hand in hand. During this workshop, you will learn how to:

• Create a Zotero library
• Organize and share references
• Generate bibliographies in your preferred citation style
• Format in-text citations and reference lists in Word and Google Docs

Led by Elizabeth Salmon, Social Science Librarian. Registration appreciated but not required:https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/12928881.

Support for using Video in the Curriculum

September 27, 2024 12:00 – 1:00 pm Main Library, Electronic Classroom 160

Library and ACS experts will review recommended steps and procedures for acquiring video content for use with your classes. We’ll cover in-class viewing, out of class viewing, & streaming options. We’ll also describe ways to add content to the collection or to acquire temporary streaming licenses.

Led by Deb Bucher, Head of Collections & Discovery and Baynard Bailey, Asst. Director of Academic Computing Services

College Counsel Shay Humphrey will be in attendance to answer questions relating to copyright law.

Drone Cinematography Workshop 

Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 3:15 PM at Sunset Lake

Join us for an afternoon of flying and exploring the capabilities of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine. Find out how you can add production value to your projects with assistance from the Vassar Innovation Lab. This service is free to Vassar students.

Intro to Drone Mapping

Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 11:00 AM at The Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Barns

Drone mapping is the process of creating high-resolution, spatially-accurate images and data for applications from urban planning to agricultural crop monitoring to ecological research and monitoring. In this workshop, you will learn the basics of drone operation and safety, how to plan for and capture images of a survey area, and about processing the imagery in photogrammetry software to create an orthomosaic image (and digital surface/elevation models) of the survey area. Registration: https://forms.gle/7XvXoquguMnC7ujWA. Questions: Neil Curri (necurri@vassar.edu / x7708). 

Intro to the Vassar College Libraries Digital Library

October 4, 2024 3:00 – 4:00 PM Online

The Digital Library includes photos, audiovisual materials, manuscripts, and much more!  Did you know it now also provides access to Finding Aids, Vassar Scholarship, and a Herbarium? Join us for a tour of the system followed by a Q&A. The tour will include tips on how to find what you need for your research and how to submit your work to the Vassar Scholarship repository. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/13104415 

If you cannot attend the specified date we can discuss this topic by appointment: https://calendar.app.google/fTatyJxU7g5EPBGv5 

Digital Humanities Data Management Plan Basics

October 9, 2024 3:00 – 4:00 PM Online

Are you considering building an Omeka, Scalar, or WordPress site to share your work with the world? Have you already created a proof of concept for a digital project and want to know what comes next? You need a Digital Management Plan to ensure sustainability of your site! A DMP describes the data that will be acquired or produced during your project; how the data will be managed, described, stored, accessed, and preserved during and after the completion of the project. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/13104430 

If you cannot attend the specified date we can discuss this topic by appointment: https://calendar.app.google/fTatyJxU7g5EPBGv5 

Intro to the U.S. Census and American Community Survey (ACS) Data and Mapping

Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM, BLS 101 (Laybourne Visualization “SciVis” Lab)

The U.S. Census Bureau provides periodic and comprehensive statistics about the nation. This data is critical for government programs, policies, and decision-making. Presenter David Kraiker, Data Dissemination Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau, will provide an introduction to the Census Bureau, the data it collects and provides, and how to find and use the data. Attendees will learn the differences between the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Decennial Census, and how to use the tools in the Census Bureau’s data portal, https://data.census.gov, to explore and map ACS and Census data. Registration: https://forms.gle/qmymBxJeN45KyCpR6. Questions: Neil Curri (necurri@vassar.edu / x7708). 

Stay Organized & Save Time with Zotero Citation Manager

October 25, 2024,  11:00 – 11:45am, Main Library Computer Classroom, Rm 160

Overwhelmed by unorganized PDFs? Want to save time formatting your bibliography? Zotero is a free citation manager for organizing references, storing pdfs, and formatting in-text citations and bibliographies. Zotero is most useful when it’s incorporated into the research process – finding sources, building your Zotero library, and citing references all go hand in hand. During this workshop, you will learn how to:

• Create a Zotero library
• Organize and share references
• Generate bibliographies in your preferred citation style
• Format in-text citations and reference lists in Word and Google Docs

Led by Elizabeth Salmon, Social Science Librarian. Registration appreciated but not required: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/12928881.

Intro to Omeka

October 30, 2024 3:00 – 4:00 PM  Online

Omeka is a free, open-source content management system for online digital collections that allows users to publish and exhibit scholarly collections and cultural heritage objects. The Vassar College Digital Scholarship Services Collaboration (DiSSCo) provides a web hosting resource called vassarspaces.net. This service, a Domain of One’s Own (DoOO) product, provides the flexibility for anyone in our academic community to build websites on a variety of platforms, including Omeka. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services.

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/13104721 

If you cannot attend the specified date we can discuss this topic by appointment: https://calendar.app.google/fTatyJxU7g5EPBGv5 

Intro to Scalar

November 1, 2024 3:00 – 4:00 PM Online

Scalar is an open source, web-based publishing software from the University of Southern California’s Alliance for Networking Visual Culture that allows you to create networked, multi-media online publications.This workshop will begin with the basics of installation along with creating accounts, projects, and content path. It will also cover the management and inclusion of media, such as images and video. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/13104726 

If you cannot attend the specified date we can discuss this topic by appointment: https://calendar.app.google/fTatyJxU7g5EPBGv5 

Campus Resources for Building Websites 

Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 3:30 – 4:30 PM online

Need a website? We will review the options you have available to you as a member of the Vassar Community. We’ll also cover our new resource : vassarspaces.net – where we empower users to become sys admins and install their own apps (WordPress, Scalar, Omeka and more!). Led by Baynard Bailey of Academic Computing Services and Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/13104800 , https://vassar.zoom.us/j/96170519016

Static vs. Dynamic Website Design: How to Choose the Best Option for Your Project

November 8, 2024 3:00 – 4:00 PM Online

Learn what the best platform options are for a variety of website projects while also gaining a better understanding of how to make environmentally friendly and sustainable choices. This session will include an overview of website building options, website examples, and decision making tips for your project. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/13104777 

If you cannot attend the specified date we can discuss this topic by appointment: https://calendar.app.google/fTatyJxU7g5EPBGv5 

Intro to ArcGIS Pro
Thursday, November 7, 2024, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM, Ely 114 (GIS Lab)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software is used to manage, map, and analyze geographic data. In this workshop, you will learn how to use ArcGIS Pro, an industry-standard desktop GIS program, to overlay GIS “layers” in a map, analyze the relative composition of land cover types (developed, forested, wetlands, etc.) within a local watershed relative to stream sample locations, and assemble a map layout of the results. Registration: https://forms.gle/fktwZfMfX7sWbWT6A. Questions: Neil Curri (necurri@vassar.edu / x7708). 

Intro to Audio Recording and Campus Resources

Friday, Nov 22, 10:00 – 11:00 AM, Main Library Electronic Classroom

Planning to record voice or music and you have never done it before? Interested in podcasting? Perhaps you have an interview you need to edit and share? We’ll review free and cross-platform tools and review resources for audio production. We’ll conclude by visiting the audio nook and the studio in the basement of Chicago Hall. Led by Baynard Bailey of Academic Computing Services.

The current version of Powerpoint* includes a great accessibility feature: it will automatically transcribe your spoken remarks in real time, displayed as subtitles, while you give your presentation. If you give slide presentations, this is a great function for making your lectures more accessible– for the hearing-impaired, but also for non-native English-speaking students.

Here’s a short demonstration. (Remember, these subtitles were machine-generated in real-time, as I spoke.)

The live subtitling function can also do language translations. You can choose the language that the speaker will be using: Chinese, American, Canadian or British English, French, German, Italian, Latvian, or Spanish. You can then choose the language in which your subtitles will appear, from a list of more than 60 languages.

Here’s the same demonstration, but with French chosen as the subtitle language:

* Real-time subtitling is available only with the Powerpoint component of the desktop version of Microsoft 365. It is not available in Microsoft Office (the predecessor of Microsoft 365) and it is not available in the web-based version of Microsoft 365. Please contact the Vassar Service Desk if you need help installing Microsoft 365 on your device.

Introduction to QGIS 

Tuesday, January 30th, 3:10 – 4:40 pm, Ely Hall Rm 114 (GIS Lab)

QGIS is a Free and Open Source (FOSS) Geographic Information System (GIS) program. GIS software enables you to produce maps and other graphic displays of geographic information for analysis and presentation. In this workshop, you will learn to find and obtain data for a mapping project, edit the data, make a printable map layout, and run geospatial analysis tools. This workshop is suitable for beginners to GIS and those who have had experience with commercial products like Esri’s ArcGIS. Led by Neil Curri of ACS. Please register to attend at https://forms.gle/fPiBiKXYtmehYPNL8. 

Stay Organized & Save Time with Zotero Citation Manager

Friday, February 2nd, 1:00 – 1:45 pm, Main Library Computer Classroom, Rm 160

Overwhelmed by unorganized PDFs? Want to save time formatting your bibliography? Zotero is a free citation manager for organizing references, storing pdfs, and formatting in-text citations and bibliographies. During this workshop, you will learn how to create a Zotero library, organize and share references, generate bibliographies, and format in-text citations and reference lists in Word and Google Docs. Led by Social Science Librarian Elizabeth Salmon

Computers provided however if possible, please bring a laptop to the session.

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11829830

Intro to the Vassar College Libraries Digital Library: Research and Classroom Use

February 7 and 9, 2024, 4-5PM, via Zoom

The Digital Library includes photos, audiovisual materials, manuscripts, and much more!  Did you know it now also provides access to Finding Aids, Vassar Scholarship, and a Herbarium? Join us for a tour of the system followed by a Q&A. The tour will include tips on how to find what you need for your research, incorporate use of the DL in the classroom, and how to submit your work to the Vassar Scholarship repository. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: 

2/7/2024 https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11885218

2/9/2024 https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11885223 

Intro to Audio Recording and Campus Resources

Wednesday, February 14, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, Main Library Electronic Classroom

Planning to record voice or music and you have never done it before? Interested in podcasting? Perhaps you have an interview you need to edit and share? We’ll review free and cross-platform tools and review resources for audio production. We’ll conclude by visiting the audio nook and the studio in the basement of Chicago Hall. Led by Baynard Bailey of Academic Computing Services.

Introduction to Python for Data Science
February 21, 3:30 – 5:00 PM, Sci Viz Lab

Python has become more and more popular for data maintenance, wrangling, visualization, and analysis. Do you want to see what all the fuss is about? This hands-on workshop will cover the basics of Python coding and will introduce some common data-focused packages. This workshop is suitable for novice coders as well as those with coding or scripting experience in other statistical software such as R or Stata. Computers available, however, if possible, please bring a laptop to the session.

Sponsored by Data Science and Society, Led by Simon Hoellerbauer of DSS

Register Online: https://forms.gle/E4aEpfoceJ6UudU66 

Intro to Omeka

March 20 & 22, 4:00-5:00PM  via Zoom

Omeka is a free, open-source content management system for online digital collections that allows users to publish and exhibit scholarly collections and cultural heritage objects. The Vassar College Digital Scholarship Services Collaboration (DiSSCo) provides a web hosting resource called vassarspaces.net. This service, a Domain of One’s Own (DoOO) product, provides the flexibility for anyone in our academic community to build websites on a variety of platforms, including Omeka. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services.

Register Online: 

3/20/2024 https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11885125 

3/22/2024 https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11885127 

Intro to Scalar

March 25 & 29, 5:00-6:00PM via Zoom

Scalar is an open source, web-based publishing software from the University of Southern California’s Alliance for Networking Visual Culture that allows you to create networked, multi-media online publications.This workshop will begin with the basics of installation along with creating accounts, projects, and content path. It will also cover the management and inclusion of media, such as images and video. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: 

3/25/2024 https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11885084 

3/29/2024 https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11885101 

Introduction to Git and Github
March 22, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM, Sci Viz Lab

Tired of naming files final_draft_v12_comments_corrected_v10.docx? Git is a commonly used version control system that solves this exact problem and is especially helpful when collaborating with others. GitHub is one of the most popular home for Git-based projects on the internet. This workshop will introduce you to Git and GitHub. You will practice making commits, pushing, and pulling, but alone and in collaboration with others. Please bring a laptop to the session.

Sponsored by Data Science and Society

Register Online: https://forms.gle/RnY7fasfPD6XKNt89

Cleaning Messy Data with OpenRefine

Wednesday, March 27th, 3:00 – 3:45 pm, Main Library Computer Classroom, Rm 160

 Want to spend less time cleaning and prepping your data? Doing the same tasks over and over in Excel? OpenRefine is a free, open source tool designed specifically for cleaning and organizing tabular data, with easy to use features for fixing errors and standardizing data. During this workshop, participants will learn how to upload data to OpenRefine, explore data, and conduct simple data transformations to produce a clean dataset ready for analysis.

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11832459

Introduction to R for Data Science
April 12, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM, Sci Viz Lab

R is a statistical programming environment commonly used in academia for creating data visualizations and doing statistical analyses in a more regimented manner. This workshop provides a basic overview of using R and RStudio (a common interactive development environment) for statistical analysis (please note that this workshop does not cover statistical concepts).This workshop is suitable for novice coders as well as those with coding or scripting experience in other statistical software such as SPSS or Stata. Computers available, however, if possible, please bring a laptop to the session.

Sponsored by Data Science and Society

Register Online: https://forms.gle/3PoetbRc5G16QeNv5

Campus Resources for Building Websites 

Wednesday, April 17, 3:30 – 4:30 pm on Zoom 

Need a website? We will review the options you have available to you as a member of the Vassar Community. We’ll also cover our new resource : vassarspaces.net – where we empower users to become sys admins and install their own apps (WordPress, Scalar, Omeka and more!). Led by Baynard Bailey of Academic Computing Services and Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register: https://vassar.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEvdOqtqzspEt09z3XWM8VdxIVUF1G3bbv3

Poster Design for Academia

Wednesday, April 24, 3:30 – 4:30 Library Electronic Classroom, Main Library

Need a poster for an academic conference? Want to print a giant poster for your event? Come to this hands-on workshop, learn basic design and how to use Illustrator, Powerpoint or Google Slides to make a poster. Led by Baynard Bailey of Academic Computing Services. Please rsvp to babailey@vassar.edu (suggested but not required).

Alternative Assignments

Friday, September 1, 10:00 – 11:00 Library Electronic Classroom

Baynard Bailey of Academic Computing Services will provide an overview of some alternative assignments (websites, podcasts, videos, posters). We will discuss how innovative assignments can be used to support learning objectives and review relevant best practices.

Intro to U.S. Census and American Community Survey (ACS) Data and Tools 

Friday, September 15th, 3:00 – 4:30 pm, Ely Hall Rm 200

Presenter David Kraiker, Data Dissemination Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau, will provide an introduction to the Census Bureau, the data it collects and provides, and how to find and use the data. Attendees will learn what Census Bureau is, the differences between the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Decennial Census, parameters for finding data of interest, and using the tools in the Census Bureau’s data portal, https://data.census.gov, to explore and visualize ACS and Census data. Refreshments and open discussion with Mr. Kraiker to follow (4:30 – 5:00 pm). Hosted by the Department of Earth Science and Geography. 

Intro to Audio Recording and Campus Resources

Friday, September 22nd, 10:00 – 11:00 pm, Main Library Electronic Classroom

Planning to record voice or music and you have never done it before? Interested in podcasting? Perhaps you have an interview you need to edit and share? We’ll review free and cross-platform tools and review resources for audio production. We’ll conclude by visiting the audio nook and the studio in the basement of Chicago Hall. Led by Baynard Bailey of Academic Computing Services.

Faculty Seminar on Using Mathematica & Wolfram Alpha

September 21, 2023, 3:45-5:00, BLS 202

Andy Dorsett, of Wolfram Research, will present a seminar on (1) the basics of Mathematica and Wolfram Alpha for beginners, (2) classroom/homework/lesson plan activities, and (3) research applications – including machine learning, data analysis, image processing, connections to AI, etc.

Intro to the Vassar College Libraries Digital Library

October 2, 2023, 3:30-4:30PM, via Zoom

The Digital Library includes photos, audiovisual materials, manuscripts, and much more!  Did you know it now also provides access to Finding Aids, Vassar Scholarship, and a Herbarium? Join us for a tour of the system followed by a Q&A. The tour will include tips on how to find what you need for your research and how to submit your work to the Vassar Scholarship repository. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11208075 

Intro to Vassar GIS Resources for Social Science Mapping

October 4, 2023, 3:30-5:00 PM, Ely Hall Rm 114 (GIS Lab)

Powerful GIS tools for social science mapping are available to all students, faculty, and academic staff at Vassar. This workshop will provide an overview of these tools and how to use them, with examples exploring demographic and socioeconomic patterns (e.g. race & ethnicity, education level, income) and housing characteristics, as well as analyzing these patterns in relation to resource availability, threats, or impacts. Led by Elizabeth Salmon of Academic Engagement and Neil Curri of Academic Computing Services. 

Managing your Vassarspaces.net Web Resources

October 30, 2023, 3-4PM, via Zoom

Now that you have signed up for vassarspaces.net account and built an online resource what’s next? Learn how to set up backup schedules in CPanel and perform a manual local backup of your site(s). Having issues with site loading times, also learn how to use image compression and caching plugins to improve site performance. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services.

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11208119 

Basics of Research Data Management

October 31, 2023, 3-4PM via Zoom

In recognition of World Digital Preservation Day, this workshop will cover strategies and tips for organizing, documenting and preserving your research data. Learn how to streamline the research process and ensure data is accessible and understandable into the future with effective research data management!

File and Email Management

November 2, 2023, 3-4PM via Zoom

In recognition of World Digital Preservation Day, this workshop will cover strategies and tips for organizing, documenting and preserving your research data. Learn how to streamline the research process and ensure data is accessible and understandable into the future with effective research data management! Led by Digital Preservation Librarian Kim Gianfrancesco. Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11232344

Digital Humanities Data Management Plan Basics

November 6, 2023, 3:30-4:30PM via Zoom

Are you considering building an Omeka, Scalar, or WordPress site to share your work with the world? Have you already created a proof of concept for a digital project and want to know what comes next? You need a Digital Management Plan to ensure sustainability of your site! A DMP describes the data that will be acquired or produced during your project; how the data will be managed, described, stored, accessed, and preserved during and after the completion of the project. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services.

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11208107 

GIS Day

November 8, 2023, 5:00 – 6:30 PM, Ely Hall Rm 200

Join fellow students and faculty in Vassar’s 4th GIS Day, part of an international celebration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and geospatial mapping. Student and faculty presentations of geospatial mapping projects across multiple disciplines will be followed by discussion, food and refreshments. All are welcome. Hosted by Hudson Valley Mappers, the Earth Science and Geography Department, and the Office of Community Engaged Learning. 

Intro to Omeka

November 8, 2023, 3:30-4:30PM via Zoom

Omeka is a free, open-source content management system for online digital collections that allows users to publish and exhibit scholarly collections and cultural heritage objects. The Vassar College Digital Scholarship Services Collaboration (DiSSCo) provides a web hosting resource called vassarspaces.net. This service, a Domain of One’s Own (DoOO) product, provides the flexibility for anyone in our academic community to build websites on a variety of platforms, including Omeka. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services.

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11208114 

Intro to Scalar

November 29, 2023, 3:30-4:30 via Zoom

Scalar is an open source, web-based publishing software from the University of Southern California’s Alliance for Networking Visual Culture that allows you to create networked, multi-media online publications.This workshop will begin with the basics of installation along with creating accounts, projects, and content path. It will also cover the management and inclusion of media, such as images and video. Led by Nicole Scalessa of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. 

Register Online: https://libcal.vassar.edu/event/11208115 

Many videos that are embedded into Moodle pages actually reside on Vassar’s Panopto streaming server. In order for that embedding to work, your browser must be configured to accept third-party cookies and allow cross-website tracking. Many browsers are configured this way be default, but some are not.

If the space where the video should appear show the VassarOne login screen or an error message, then you have a browser configuration problem. The easiest solution may be to switch to a different browser. But if you want to configure your browser to play these videos, here’s how:

(Quick fix: If you’re experiencing this problem using Safari on a laptop or desktop computer, switch to Chrome.)

Chrome on your Computer:
The default setting for Chrome is fine, but if it’s been changed, you’ll need to do the following:

1. Click on the 3 dots in the upper right of your browser window. 
2. Choose Settings.
3. Choose Privacy and Security.
4. Choose Cookies and other site data.
5. Choose to allow all cookies or block third-party cookies only in Incognito mode.

FireFox on your Computer:
The default setting for FireFox is fine, but if it’s been changed, you’ll need to do the following:

1. Click on the 3 horizontal lines in the upper right of your browser window.
2. Click on Preferences.
3. Click on Privacy & Security.
4. Click on Custom.
5. Make sure that the settings do not block all cookies.

Internet Explorer on your Computer:

1. Click on the gear icon in the upper right of your browser window. 
2. Click on Internet options.
3. Click on the Privacy tab and then on the Advanced button.
4. Under First-party Cookies AND Third-party Cookies, choose Accept.

Safari on your Computer:
The default setting for Safari must be changed in order to view these videos.

1. Under the Safari menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click on the Privacy icon.
3. Make sure that “Prevent cross-site tracking” is unchecked.

Safari on iPad or iPhone:

1. Go to your device’s Settings app and choose Safari.
2. Deselect “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking” and “Block All Cookies.”

Chrome on your iPad (May not work on iPhone):

1. Go to your device’s Settings app and choose Chrome.
2. Enable “Allow Cross-Website Tracking.”

Over the past year I attended several remote conferences, (EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), Innovate Transformed (Ohio State University), and the College Art Association (CAA) annual conference. As you might imagine, remote/hybrid teaching and learning along with issues of equity and inclusion were at the center of discussion.  In this post I have tried to compile some of the key conference takeaways and other resources that you may find useful as we look forward to in-person learning in the fall. I’ve sorted these into sections for you: Pandemic Findings, Equity, Inclusion and Universal Design, Land Acknowledgement Resources, Tool and Tutorials, Vassar Teaching and Learning Resources and Funding. 

Designing for flexibility (multi-modal options for student participation, including mobile) is a key justice and equity issue.
– John Muir (conference attendee) 

Pandemic Findings

Educause Survey Results: Student Experiences Learning with Technology in the Pandemic                                                                                                            Christopher Brooks, Ph.D. Director of Research, Survey dates 10/4-12/14/2020 Total sample: 9,499 students, 58 institutions, US sample: 8,392 students, 54 institutions
Link to full report: https://tinyurl.com/2021StudentStudy 

5 Key Findings

• Pandemic learning happened everywhere and whenever. Learning environment appears to have played less of a role in determining students’ evaluation of their learning experiences than did course modality. Full-time students favored synchronous online courses. Married students, students living off-campus, and students who are working full-time preferred online asynchronous courses.
• Keep calm and embrace technology. Students reported that their instructors communicated effectively and demonstrated a reasoned and reasonable approach to technology use in their courses.
• Significant learning experiences start with opportunities for student and instructor interaction. Synchronous courses tended to be rated as better organized with greater opportunities for student–instructor and student–student interaction.
• The best technology experiences students had during the first semester of the pandemic were related to the use of the LMS, videoconferencing applications, and recorded lectures and access to specialized software. Regarding recorded lectures, the ability to review lecture materials whenever, wherever, and for however long respondents might need was seen as the major benefit of such recordings.
• Students’ worst technology experiences varied considerably but generally fall into one of three very broad categories: (1) explicit technology issues, (2) attempts to use technology that failed, and (3) poor pedagogical choices and course management practices.

Equity and Inclusion and Universal Design

Interaction Institution for Social Change. Artist: Angus Maguire

Equity Unbound
https://unboundeq.creativitycourse.org/
Equity Unbound is an emergent, collaborative curriculum which aims to create equity-focused, open, connected, intercultural learning experiences across classes, countries and contexts.  Equity Unbound is for learners and/or educators at all levels (e.g. undergraduate, postgraduate, professional development) who are interested in exploring digital literacies with an equity and intercultural learning focus, in an open and connected learning environment.
Virtually Connecting – YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/VirtuallyConnectingChannel/videos
The purpose of Virtually Connecting is to enliven virtual participation in academic conferences, widening access to a fuller conference experience for those who cannot be physically present at conferences.

Equity Unbound
Equity Unbound has teamed up with OneHE to develop some open educational resources for online community-building
https://onehe.org/equity-unbound/
Community-Building Resources from OneHE & Equity Unbound

Inclusive Stock images

Nappy
Beautiful photos of Black and Brown people, for free. For commercial and personal use. https://nappy.co/
Disabled And Here Collection
This stock library is a disability-led effort to provide free and inclusive images from our own perspective, with photos and illustrations celebrating disabled Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC). https://affecttheverb.com/collection/

Harvard Implicit Bias Test
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition – thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the Internet.

Zoom Pros and Cons– Should you require your students to turn off their camera? Pros, Cons and Advice from Oregon State University’s Center for Teaching and Learning
https://oregonstate.app.box.com/s/j6vcszazsgaq3ikyqkcxc4s51pueb53h

Collaborative Learning Techniques – Quick Reference
Think-pair-share, talking chips, role play and more. 
https://library.gwu.edu/sites/default/files/tlc/CoLT%20Quick%20Reference%20%281%29.pdf

On Grief & Loss: Building a Post-Pandemic Future for Higher Ed without Losing Sight of Our Students and Ourselves – Joshua Eyler Keynote:
Open CoLab Live

Land Acknowledgement  Resources

Native Land – Native-Land.ca is a website run by the nonprofit organization Native Land Digital. We are guided by a Board of Directors and an Advisory Council. Our funding comes from friendly organizations and individual donors. https://native-land.ca/

Native Governance Center
Native Governance Center is a Native-led nonprofit organization that serves Native nations in Mni Sota Makoce, North Dakota, and South Dakota. We support Native leaders as they work to rebuild their nations through our leadership development and Tribal governance support programs. We believe that strengthening governance is a direct pathway toward improving quality of life for Native people. https://nativegov.org/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/

Universal Design

Pedagogies of Care– Pedagogies of Care: Open Resources for Student-Centered & Adaptive Strategies in the New Higher-Ed Landscape offers practical and engaging advice about what “next” should look like across higher education, from sixteen current and forthcoming authors in the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education book series from West Virginia University Press.

Why Universal Design for Learning is Essential to Higher Education’s “New Normal”
Thomas J. Tobin, State College PA, 2 May 2020

Tools and Tutorials

Discord (download app) is a voice, video and text communication service used by over a hundred million people. 
Discord offers:

• A dedicated, free to use, invite only class space for classes 
• Text channels to organize things like lessons, homework, or study groups so students can go over the latest assignments together
• Voice channels for both one-to-one and group discussions, or even office hours
• A real-time teaching environment where lessons can be shared with up to 50 people at a time

 Check out Chad Fust’s Techademia post to Get started.

Discord Server Templates will let you clone existing categories, channels, roles, and permissions to help you create a new server easily!
Discord template for Studio Art 
Discord Template Library

Join Vassar’s Discord User Group. Email Amy Laughlin (amlaughlin@vassar.edu), Chad Fust (chfust@vassar.edu), or Karly Andreassen (kandreassen@vassar.edu). 

Vassar Teaching and Learning Resources

• • Vassar Together Teaching and Learning
  • Vassar Moodle – Faculty Resources and Training 
  • Vassar Spaces- Vassar College provides students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to register a domain name and create a digital presence through various mediums such as blogs, portfolios, and wikis. You can easily install open source applications such as WordPress, MediaWiki, Drupal, Scalar, and Omeka to your own domain, and use this space to create your digital identity and express your creativity.
  • LinkedIn Learning Provided by Vassar College at no charge to Vassar students, faculty, and staff, the LinkedIn Learning library offers access to more than 1,000 self-paced training courses. Get comprehensive training in audio, video, photography, graphic design, web design, business, and development from expert instructors, 24/7.
  • Equipment Checkout – SLR and Video Cameras/Audio/Lighting. Email Media Resources or Academic Computing Services.
    Media Resources – Lower Level of College Center 
    mediaresources@vassar.edu, (845) 437-7479                                                     Academic Computing Services – acs@vassar.edu
  • Vassar Innovation Lab – Chad Fust, manager, chfust@vassar.edu
    Amy Laughlin, director, amlaughlin@vassar.edu
  • Techademia (ACS Blog)
  • Vassar Engaged Pluralism Initiative (EPI)
  • Vassar College Anti-Racism, Equity, and Justice – Connecting with each other to dismantle, disrupt, and destroy racism, inequity, and injustice in our community

Funding 

Putnam Summer Fellowship for Teaching with Technology 
Frances D. Fergusson Faculty Technology Exploration Fund

Need help?  Email you ACS liaison or acs@vassar.edu