Tips/ Tutorials
MIT Horizon's Guide to Working From Home Effectively (and Happily)
posted Apr 6, 2020, 12:37 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi
"We have been working remotely for a while, some of us sporadically and some
of us every day. Since the broader MIT community is working from home these days, too, we
thought we’d share our lessons learned along the way. We hope you’ll find this helpful!"
READ MORE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mAcxr76zuhTFKus4Hnux320PX-pYwhoT/view
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Using Google Meetings
posted Mar 23, 2020, 12:08 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi
Using Google Meetings
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Zoom Cheat Sheet
posted Mar 21, 2020, 1:02 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TcmSn5KuqmAHnIeOpJNVX-K5o_OlKeTq/view
Attachments: Zoom cheat sheet - schedule run a meeting and break out rooms.pdf
Some insights to move from contact classes to online classes at the time of necessity
posted Mar 16, 2020, 5:10 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Mar 17, 2020, 12:02 PM ]
Moving Your Classes Online, Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, many teachers are working to move their courses online.
Being Live online, The first thing to move classes online is to use something live, such as Webex or Zoom.
For large classes, you can spend half the class debugging who has a microphone on—and as soon as that’s fixed, someone else can leave their microphone on.
Where Webex and similar apps can be used for hosting office hours. There are ways to embed Webex meetings in your LMS so that the meeting is instantly accessible by all your students.
Generally, this is done by something like adding an activity or resource to your LMS.
There are other possibilities, however, for teaching to large groups, including Twitch. "one of the fastest-growing categories on Twitch isn’t tagged to a video game at all, but rather to the game of life. IRL (In Real Life) is a category where streamers invite viewers to their everyday lives, creating opportunities for the public to interact with them in everyday situations in real-time. It’s exactly as mundane and exactly as potentially salacious as you imagine. But if Twitch is big enough for both international e-sports tournaments, Truman Show-esque acts of public self-puppetry, and even an evangelical Christian church community, surely IRL is big enough for teaching and learning".
There is Value of Screen Recording, it can be much easier—and students love it—if you simply record each of your lectures. Then, not only is the lecture more similar to what you normally give as a lecture, but students can also access the lecture at their convenience.
When students have questions, they can easily email them—more complex questions can be answered by phone calls.
You might think that a narrated video is just extra work, and it’s easier to just upload documents and make students read them. While uploading documents may be simple for you, it makes things much more difficult for students. Students often need to know why one step leads to another. Just giving students a handout and forcing them to read the materials means that students don’t have access to your real value as an instructor—which often lies in being able to provide both pictorial and audible narrative simultaneously (the great power of multi-media instruction).
We ourselves generally capture our screen with screen capture software such as Camtasia (Panopto is another popular option). Camtasia has five-minute introductory tutorials—watch the first one or two, and you can be on your way to screen capture within minutes.
Don’t learn all the additional more advanced add-ons. Your first goal as a new online instructor should simply be to record five minutes of one of your lectures. If you can do that, you’ve taken the first major step to getting your course shifted online.
Writing Tablets, Touch Screens, and Microphones , we like to use a writing tablet (for example, this one) attached with a USB to our computer in order to write on PowerPoints or a page.
An alternative recommendation if you have a touchscreen on your PC is to use a special glove with your pen, so that your hand, which can also sometimes touch the screen, doesn’t mess up your writing. PowerPoint has its own annotation ability. Microsoft’s OneNote (for PC or Mac) allows a very simple way to write on pdfs—here is a good tutorial on OneNote.
Blue Snowball and the more upscale Blue Yeti microphones are very popular and can sometimes make a nice improvement over the audio pickup of your computer. If you're confused about the microphone you've selected, and how to use it, can be helpful to watch some of the video reviews on websites like Amazon to get a quick sense of how to use some of the microphone features, which are really quite simple to understand once you see someone demonstrate it. (Of course, that’s the benefit of teaching through videos!)
Class Tests, as far as your class testing goes, one of your best options for a sudden, last-minute shift into the online world is to set strict rules about no coordination between students, and then to send tests out that have a firm time limit for return after receipt of test—eg, 45 minutes or 90 minutes. There are proctoring services such as ProctorU, but those can be expensive, and it’s hardly fair to suddenly impose their use on students.
Scanned Homework, when turning in homework, don’t have students take pictures, which can be hard to see through shadows and poor angles. Instead, use cell phone scanning apps such as Cam Scanner.
Prevent cheating during Online Tests , LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor are used at over 1,500 institutions to prevent cheating during online tests in Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace, and Moodle
Credits and References :
Wacom CTL4100 Intuos Graphics Drawing Tablet
Screen Recorder and Video Editor
Respondus Monitor , Fully-automated proctoring for online exams
LockDown Browser , Prevent cheating during online exams
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How to ensure student's success in online courses
posted Dec 1, 2018, 12:51 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Dec 1, 2018, 12:51 PM ]
By Providing Detailed Instructions and Anticipate Questions. Ensuring all instructions are easy to follow. Provide step-by-step instructions and ensure no detail is overlooked. Also, Posting Announcements, remain present in the course by posting announcements. At the very least, posting an announcement each week to wrap-up the previous week and let students know what to expect in the upcoming week. I minimize questions and confusion, by providing students with examples of the larger assignments in the course. If it is an essay or a presentation, I give students an example to show them how to do it. All students learn differently. I provide students with multiple opportunities and formats for learning, including videos, audio lectures, and project choices that help engage and encourage learning for all students and preferences. With teamwork, encouraging students to communicate with their peers. Peer communication allows students to develop a network of support, rather than have students only rely on the instructor.
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Methods for making the connection in online classrooms
posted Dec 1, 2018, 12:36 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Dec 1, 2018, 12:43 PM ]
In my believe the simplest way to promote interaction is to enable interactive communication. This may include instant messaging or live chats. Real-time communication platform develops a sense of connectedness and control amongst the students. So whenever possible, I try both asynchronous and synchronous forms of communication with students. I encourage the learners to make the most of this interactive communication platform like Google hangout sessions and Zoom Meeting platform not just to interact with the instructor but also with their other classmates/ teammates, with regards to their project discussions or group projects. Also, I might not need to connect with everyone at once or in the same way. There will be some occasions on which I have to build individual connections with my students through direct communication. This is also a great way to check-in with one of my students who seem to remain away, missing assignments or has been having no recent activity in the eLearning course. I think the faculty should not be afraid to raise an email to their student and ask him/her if anything might be disturbing or interfering in his/her course participation.
As an educator, it is important to understand that every student should have the best learning experience that could possibly be offered in the course. To achieve this, the students must have the sense that the instructor is always ‘there’ and not ‘missing in action’.
For this, I will have to respond them in a timely manner in terms of their questions and concerns. It also means to show my presence by participating in online discussions and giving students timely feedback on their comments and work. Also, keep the course outline consistent with the received feedback and make changes to the course mid-stream to incorporate the feedback received from the student through various communication channels.
I think if any faculty wish to develop a strong connection with their students via online learning, then they must take into consideration the frequent ways of communication.
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A Tutorial on Clustering Algorithms
posted Dec 20, 2017, 11:25 AM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Dec 20, 2017, 11:25 AM ]
What is Clustering?
Clustering can be considered the most important unsupervised learning problem; so, as every other problem of this kind, it deals with finding a structure in a collection of unlabeled data.
A loose definition of clustering could be “the process of organizing objects into groups whose members are similar in some way”.
A cluster is therefore a collection of objects which are “similar” between them and are “dissimilar” to the objects belonging to other clusters.
We can show this with a simple graphical example:
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For multilayer protection against viruses
posted May 13, 2015, 11:35 AM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated May 13, 2015, 11:40 AM ]
For multilayer protection against viruses you may install (FREE).
· Malwarebytes Pro (with rootkit detection on)
· Antirootkit software
1. F-secure
2. Sophos
3. Panda (pavark)
Professor Lili Saghafi
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How MBAs Are Graded At Top Schools
posted Jan 23, 2015, 12:00 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Jan 23, 2015, 12:00 PM ]
Grading Policies At Some Top Schools
SchoolGrading SystemAcademic HonorsMinimum Standards
Harvard Business SchoolCategory I: Top 15% to 20% in required courses & 15% to 25% in elective coursesCategoryII: Next 70% to 75% in the core & 65% to 75% in electivesCategoryIII: Lowest performing 10% in both core & electivesCategory IV: Seldom assigned; designates failure. The combined proportion of category II and IV grades should equal 10%Baker Scholars: Top 5% of graduating class
Other Awards: For top performance in each year
Students receiving 5 or more out of 10 Category III/IV grades in the core are brought to a faculty committee. Some are asked to take a hiatus before returning. Most finish the program.Stanford GSBH: Honors (Top 10%)HP: High Pass (Next 30%)P: Pass (Next 50%)LP: Low Pass (Lowest 10%)
U: Unsatisfactory (failing grade based on absolute performance)
Arjay Miller Scholars: Top 10% of graduating class based on GPA (H = 6 points; HP = 4 points; P +3 points; LP + 1 pointGood Standing: GPA above 2.65Academic Probation: GPA between 2.25 & 2.65Disqualified with the right to petition: GPA between 1.5 & 2.25, one U in a core course, or two U’s in electives.Disqualified without right to petition: GPA of less than 1.5 or 3 or more U’sChicago (Booth)A through D with +/- distinctions and F.An A+ = 4.33 points.The average GPA for a course may not exceed 3.33.High Honors: Top 5% of the graduating class
Honors: Next 15% of the graduating class
Dean’s Honor List: Every quarter for students with GPAs above 3.5
Probation: GPAs of less than 2.33 in a quarterAdministrative leave of absence or dismissal: Two consecutive quarters on probation
UPenn (Wharton)A through D with +/- distinctions and F.LT: Lowest 10% of each class; not noted on transcriptA+ is 4 pointsThe average GPA for a course may not exceed 3.33Palmer Scholars: Top 5% of the graduating classHonors: Top 20% of graduating classFirst-Year Honors: Top 20% at the end of first yearDirector’s List: Top 10% each semesterProbation & Dismissal based on accumulation of LT designations.Dismissal: 5.0 or more credit units of LT in the first year and 8.0 or more cumulatively
Columbia Business SchoolH: Honors (Top 25% to 30%): 10 pointsHP: High Pass (Next 55% to 65%): 7 points
P1: Pass (P, LP, and F combined = 10%): 4 points
LP: Low Pass: 1 point
F: Fail: 0 points
Grades have =/- distinctions
Dean’s Honor: Top 25% of graduating classDean’s Honors plus Distinction: Top 5% of graduating class
Dean’s Honor List:
First Term, GPA of 9.0 or better
Later Terms, GPA of 9.25 or better
Probation & dismissal based on accumulation of LP grades during the programWarning occurs if GPA in first term is 5.9 or below, dismissal occurs if GPA in first term is 4.4 or below
NYU (Stern)A through D with =/- distinctions and F.Upper limit of 35% on As in core classesBeta Gamma Sigma: Top 20% of graduating classGraduation with Distinction: Top 10% of graduating classStern School: GPA of 3.7 or above after first yearProbation and dismissal based on GPA and credits taken
Dartmouth (Tuck)H: Honors (Top 15% first year, 20% second year)S+: Satisfactory (Next 25% to 50%)S: Satisfactory (Next 25% to 50%)LP: Low Pass (up to 15% in first year, 10% in second yearF: FailEdward Tuck Scholars graduating with highest distinction, high distinction and distinction based on GPAProbation: Three or more LP gradesDismissal: Six or more LP grades. F counts as two LPs.
Northwestern (Kellogg)A through D and F (no +/- distinctions)No grade distribution suggested, but every course’s actual grade distribution is made visible to other facultyMBA with Distinction: Top 10% of graduating classDean’s Honor List: GPA of 3.75 or above in a quarterMinimum C average
Yale SOMHigh Honors: Top 10%Honors: Next 25%Proficient:Pass (two lowest categories to be uniformly 10% for core courses and a target of 5% for electives)
Fail
No HonorsA failing grade in a core course must be remediated in the next term or part of term in which the course is offered. A student who does not remediate the failing grade will automatically be dismissed from the program.A student falls short of the Quality Standard if he/she:1. Accumulates nonproficient grades in 21 or more units of course work; or2. Accumulates nonproficient grades in more than 12 units of core courses; or3. Accumulates failing grades in more than 4 units of core courses.
Source: Analysis by Anjani Jain of Yale SOM
by John A. Byrne on February 27, 2014
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Make 2015 your year of better tech
posted Jan 6, 2015, 5:02 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Jan 6, 2015, 5:04 PM ]
Do you have any resolutions for 2015? With so much time spent on computers and smartphones, creating better technology habits is a great place to focus for the coming year. Here are a few resolutions to consider for a better electronic life in 2015.
EPOST Publication
1. Take control of your email
Have you heard of “Inbox Zero”? Many productivity experts talk about keeping your email inbox as close to empty as possible to stay organized and reduce the time you spend on email. Whether you want to reach Inbox Zero with your work email, your personal email or both here are a few ways to help you achieve it.
· Start the year fresh by moving all your old emails to a different folder – sort through the backlog later when you have time.
· Now that your inbox is at zero, as soon as you open each new email, act on it immediately by replying, adding tasks to your to-do list or simply reading it.
· After reading each email, file, archive or delete it. You can always re-read filed or archived emails, but this gets them out of your inbox and keeps you at zero.
· Don’t use your inbox as a to-do list – if you can’t act on an email right away, add the task to a separate prioritized to-do list.
· Do you receive newsletters or other regular mailings? Use filters and folders to automatically file them for reading. If you later find that you never read your subscriptions, unsubscribe from them.
2. Add an extra secure option to your online accounts
Setting up two-step verification can give your online accounts greater security by requiring you to provide an extra piece of information when you log in – such as a code sent to your mobile phone or email, a security key or a token. This means even if someone has your password, they don’t have all the information necessary to get into your online accounts. You can set up two-step verification on Facebook, Google, PayPal, Apple, and many more websites. For a more complete list of popular websites that support two-step verification visit twofactorauth.org.
3. Set up a back-up system for your files – and make sure it works
It’s nice to know that with epost, your bills and statements will stay safe and securely stored for up to 7 years. You can also use the Vault to securely store essential documents like investment statements, mortgage papers and copies of your passport with easy access at anytime, from anywhere. For the rest of your electronic files, be sure you have a reliable back-up system. Many operating systems include automated backup systems like Windows’ File History or Apple’s Time Machine. You can even just save copies of your files on a second external hard drive or to the cloud. Either way, the most important thing is to ensure your files are backing up properly. Hard drives can become corrupt and automated systems can fail, so regularly check to ensure that you can retrieve your important backup files if you ever need to.
4. Bring your home movies into the modern age.
How many memories do you have trapped on obsolete media? If you have family videos on old video tapes, bring them into 2015. You can save your old videos as files by using an adaptor that connects your video tape player to your computer. There are also many places that will transfer your video tapes to digital files for a fee. Once you have your memories transferred to new media, recycle your old electronics. You can find electronics recycling programs in your province through Electronic Products Recycling Association.
5. Get everyone on the same page with a shared calendar
If you share a household, life is easier when you share a calendar too. From Google Calendar to Cal andCozi, there are plenty of apps and online resources you can use to keep track of birthdays, business meetings, playdates, school events, extra-curricular activities and much more. Online access from anywhere via any device gives these calendars an edge over the old family calendar on the fridge.
The more you use technology, the more effective you’ll get with it and the more you will benefit from it. Whether or not you make this year about improving your use of technology, we hope your 2015 is your best year yet.
READ MORE
https://www.epost.ca/service/landingPage.a
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