• May 27, 2008

How to set up eID-password reset by e-mail

by Fred Darkow, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 27, 2008

Every semester, K-Staters are required to change the passwords on their eIDs. Inevitably, some people miss the password-change deadline and are locked out of their eProfile settings. To avoid this situation, K-Staters can set an option in their eProfile settings to use e-mail for a password reset:

  1. Go to eid.ksu.edu and log in with your eID and password.
  2. Click the Change your eID password or password-reset options link.
  3. In the Password reset options area, fill out the Verification e-mail address.  This is where e-mail will be sent for the reset.
  4. Checkmark the Send password notifications to my Password Verification e-mail address box.
  5. Set the appropriate Question/Answer options.
  6. Click the Save Changes button.

Once this has been set up, you can use the "Forgot your password?" link on the eID page to reset your password. The reset must be done within 30 minutes after submitting a password-change request, or the link sent to you will expire.

Resources for distance teaching faculty

by Molly Small, Office of Mediated Education
published May 27, 2008

K-State has an abundance of resources for distance teaching faculty. Utilizing these resources can help improve distance courses for both teacher and students.

  • Disability Support Services provides services to assist instructors in creating and maintaining accessible eLearning content. They also provide a wide range of accommodations and services for individuals who have physical or learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders. www.k-state.edu/dss/k-access
  • Instructional Designers for Mediated Education are available to help faculty develop effective online learning environments for on and off campus use. id.ome.ksu.edu
  • The Division of Continuing Education published a Faculty Guidelines document, a reference that provides an overview of faculty roles and responsibilities along with K-State's mediated-learning delivery methods and university policies. dce.ksu.edu/faculty/docs/faculty-guidelines.pdf
  • Web Presentation Services can help faculty in many ways, including Tegrity technical support, training, and equipment checkout and purchase; Wimba technical support and training; Accordent technical support and training; podcast creation and delivery; and individual technical support and consultation. wps.ome.ksu.edu
  • The Office of Mediated Education provides many electronic media services. Live audio/video webcasting for interview presentations, guest speakers and university lectures are available, as well as CD/DVD duplication. ome.ksu.edu/services

eTips June 5: Introduction to Wikis

by Cathy Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 27, 2008

Cathy Rodriguez will present an eTips session on "Introduction to Wikis" at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 5, desktop webinar via Wimba. Are you looking for a collaborative space to work on a project, on documentation, or do you need a place where your students can meet? Join this session to learn the ins and outs of how a wiki can help.

eTips registration is required at least 24 hours in advance to allow time to add you to the session and ensure your workstation is configured properly for accessing the session.

Security tip of the week

Tips for protecting a stolen mobile phone

by Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 27, 2008

wikiHow.com's How to Protect a Stolen Mobile Phone page provides seven good steps to prevent thieves from using your cellphone to steal your identity or run up bills on your wireless service. See the site for details on these steps to take before your phone is stolen:

  • Record phone details and store them in a safe place.
  • Add a security mark with an ultraviolet pen.
  • Lock your phone with the PIN or a security lock code.

If your phone is stolen, recommendations include:

  • Filing a police report immediately.
  • Disabling your account so no further charges can be applied.

See How to Protect a Stolen Mobile Phone for details, photos, more tips, and related resources.

K-State Online

Access to summer courses

by Cathy Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 27, 2008

When can students access summer courses?

Students have access to their summer courses within K-State Online from May 20 through Aug. 17, which are the default dates for summer semester. If these dates do not work for the schedule of a particular course, the instructor can create a custom semester that allows defining their own start and end dates.

Note: An instructor must create the K-State Online course. Courses do not automatically have a K-State Online offering.

Good time to buy a Mac? Summer free printing?

by Chris Loehr, K-State Student Union Computer Store,
and the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published May 27, 2008

Is now a good time to buy a Mac?

No. We recommend waiting until Apple begins its annual back-to-school promotion, which runs June through mid-September. Past promotions have typically included a free iPod after mail-in rebate with purchase of a Mac.

When does free printing start for the summer?

Free printing in the university computing labs and the K-State Infocommons was reset May 21. All K-State students receive $5 of free printing for the summer.

Spotlight

CHECK conference covers higher-ed trends, IT topics

by Betsy Edwards and Rebecca Gould, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 27, 2008

The annual CHECK conference was May 21-22 at Emporia State University. An estimated 120 people from Kansas higher education institutions attended the two-day event.

The keynote address, Trends in Higher Education, was given by Bob Lee, WebEx Learning Solutions strategist in the Cisco-WebEx division. See his PowerPoint presentation for details on these and more:

  • "Borderless education" and the expectation that Generation Y (born 1978-1995) "will migrate heavily overseas" to pursue global learning opportunities.
  • Video demand is on the rise for all learning.
  • Mobility and ease of use are in high demand.
  • "Virtual caves" and 3D simulations provide interactive learning experiences.
  • Use of virtual world technology — the Marines are using a virtual world to teach crowd control so that when they are in a real-world situation, they have extensive practice.
  • The use of telepresence technology for meetings that makes it appear that everyone is in the same meeting while some may be thousands of miles away.
  • The California Culinary Academy is using a video process to walk students through the financial aid application.
  • The rise in the use of RFID technology.
  • Consumers are "hungry to spend their money" on digital tools that enhance their experiences and lifestyles.

The following CHECK sessions were presented or co-presented by K-State faculty/staff:

  • Media Sanitization Roundtable
  • So You Want to Dual Boot Roundtable
  • IT Security Incident Management
  • Information Security Roundtable
  • The Power of Portability
  • Using a Wiki

Some of the PowerPoint presentations are already available via the CHECK 2008 conference schedule.