Assignments and other items on Brightspace can be configured for “conditional release,” which means that they only become available to students after some condition has been met. I’ve been using this in several ways and I thought that it would be useful to show others how it works. Motivation I teach a lab course that […]
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that provides text, video and audio collaboration tools with shared files and calendars. The diagram shows how it is linked to Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint. Those connections are described here, along with instructions on how to link files from SharePoint into your personal OneDrive folder. Microsoft Teams is […]
An on-line form can be an easy way to collect data from students during a lab or class, and with the data automatically loaded into a spreadsheet it can then be straighforward to work with the data immediately. Google Forms is one way to do this, but since SUNY New Palz is moving to the […]
CAS is the Central Authentication Service for our campus. Whenever you log in to a service CAS is used to either check that you have already been properly authenticated or to have you authenticate, including two-factor authentication (2FA) using Duo. Windows SSO (Single Sign-On) is a similar mechanism for allowing you to connect to various […]
Instructions for modifying a Logitech C270 so that one can adjust the focus manually. The Logitech C270 is an inexpensive all-purpose webcam with a fixed focus which is set at the factory to be used for face-to-face video meetings with the camera placed on top of your computer monitor or above a laptop screen. The […]
College physics labs were conducted with half the students physically in the room, each working with a remote lab partner. Since this is similar to how NASA astronauts perform experiments on the International Space Station (ISS), those roles came to be called “Astronauts” and “Experts.” Emphasizing the connection Astronauts, NASA, and the ISS seems to have […]
The novel (i.e. new) coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has prompted novel (i.e. new) terminology in the field of educational technology. To keep track of it all, I’ve started this glossary page, which I will update from time to time. I welcome additions, either in the comments or by email. I am solely responsible for any mistakes or […]
This article explains a potential way to teach physics lab classes in the time of COVID-19, in a way that gives students some hands-on experience with the equipment and preserves the collaborative element of working as lab partners. (750 words) Planning for teaching physics labs in the Fall of 2020 is fraught with difficulties. One […]
In this article I report what I’ve learned so far about the possibility of using steerable consumer home monitoring cameras (“nanny cams”) to allow students to work together on laboratory exercises, with one student in the room and one (or more?) participating using the video and audio from the camera. (~4660 words) Introduction and Motivation […]
by Laurence Rowe and Eric Myers We use the Cenco 33031 Low Voltage Power Supply (Figure 1) for several of our electricity and magnetism labs. It can provide variable DC up to 6 Volts at up to 5 Amps, and it can provide a steady AC voltage at around 22 VAC. Unfortunately, our students sometimes […]