Social media's impact on consumers and businesses

University of Illinois Springfield Web Services Director Sherry Hutson was interviewed on the WTAX-AM Morning Newswatch on April 23, 2010. She spoke about social media trends when it comes to consumer habits and businesses.

Hutson says social media can serve both a positive and negative purpose for businesses. She also spotlights some of the companies that are using social media effectively.

Listen to the WTAX podcast of the interview online:
http://www.wtax.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=4592745

Learning technology trends

A wall is typically something that keeps people out, but on Facebook it lets people in. It’s just one of the many terminologies UIS alums got acquainted with as they learned the ins and outs of Facebook during a technology workshop on campus.

Fear of the unknown is what keeps many older Americans from learning new technology, which is why UIS began offering workshops like this one.

Even Karen Hasara, a U of I trustee who uses a cell phone and email daily found herself in need of a refresher course.

The Alumni Technology Workshop was featured by WICS-TV 20 in a report on April 12, 2010.

Watch the story on News Channel 20's website

UIS is early adopter of Google Wave for online learning

When a preview version of Google Wave became available last September, some higher ed users dove right in to try the real-time collaboration tool. The University of Illinois Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research and Service (COLRS) is an early adopter.

Last semester, students taking “Internet in American Life” built a wave with peers at the Institute of Technology Sligo (Ireland). Ray Schroeder, director of COLRS and a co-teacher of the course, hopes to create a matrix where faculty can post their interest in creating a wave with people at other institutions.

UIS' use of Google Wave for online learning and teaching was mentioned in a February 2010 article in University Business.

Download a PDF of the article:
20100211-UBusiness-googlewave.pdf

UIS part of ILEAD U

UIS staff and faculty are largely involved in the development of a new library institute, called ILEAD (Illinois Libraries Explore, Apply and Discover) U: the 21st Century Technology Tools Institute for Illinois Library Staff.

The institute was the feature of a January 10, 2010, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20100110-SJR-libraryinstitute.pdf

UIS spearheads online learning collaboration

UIS recently joined a handful of other universities for a new online learning effort spearheaded by UIS and supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to improve the overall quality, offerings and availability of online courses.

The collaboration is one of the latest directions of online learning at a time when the recession
has driven more people to enroll in post-secondary education classes.

The effort was detailed in an article in the February 23, 2009, Southern Oregon's Mail Tribune with quotes from Ray Schroeder, director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning at UIS.

Download a PDF of the article
20090223-MailTribune-onlinelearning.pdf