Academic Experience
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What
percentage of campus courses use electronic information to enhance
the course (for example, syllabi, reading lists, discussion groups,
demonstrations)?
Are
technology resources available, used effectively to enhance the
learning experience, and designed to prepare graduates in your major
for successful technology use in their careers?
What library
resources are available online (catalog, databases, special
collections)?
What
electronic reference materials are licensed and how accessible are
they from outside the library (for example, in the residence halls
or off-campus)?
How does the
campus help students develop computer skills?
Does the
campus have a specific computer/IT competency requirement for all
undergraduates?
Does the
campus allow students to receive credit for courses taken
electronically from other sources?
Are course
reserves and other materials available online/via the Web site?
What
percentage of faculty has a networked computer available to them?
What
percentage of faculty use e-mail regularly?
What percentage of campus courses use electronic
information to enhance the course (for example, syllabi, reading
lists, discussion groups, demonstrations)?
- Xavier University actively promotes the incorporation of
information technology as a primary means of enhancing student
learning and teaching effectiveness. The university’s academic
vision statement includes the promotion of emerging technology to
effectively maintain a state of the art learning environment.
- The University’s intranet, the MyXU portal provides each Xavier
course section with an online environment for communication
(announcements, a message board, a chat room, a course calendar, a
group function, the ability to send emails to members of the
class,) and for the exchange of files (course documents and
assignments, media files and web links).
- 34% percent of Xavier’s course sections each semester utilize
the Blackboard learning management system, a more sophisticated
interactive online environment. The Blackboard system offers
enhanced versions of the communication and file exchange tools
provided by the MyXU system. It also contains a gradebook, an
evaluation tool for the creation, delivery and grading of quizzes
and surveys, and a function that allows students to submit
assignments and other contributions electronically.
- Electronic
Reserves (e-reserves) offers students and
faculty 24 hour access to readings, discussion boards and other
course specific materials selected by faculty for the students of
a particular course. In the fall of 2005 more than 355 accounts
representing over 778 courses exist within the e-reserves system.
- Some individual instructors and academic departments develop
their own web pages to post and communicate information to their
students. Individual faculty web pages can be found by exploring
the various academic
departments. [top]
Are technology resources
available, used effectively to enhance the learning experience, and
designed to prepare graduates in your major for successful
technology use in their careers?
- Xavier University maintains 48 presentation classrooms with
data/video projection and instructor’s podiums, as well as four
interactive classrooms that include individual student
workstations, data/video projection systems, and instructor’s
podiums. More information on these facilities is available from
the department of instructional
technology services.
- Xavier’s facilities include mobile wireless computing that can
be set up in any classroom and accommodate up to 40 users.
- Xavier maintains a significant mobile equipment inventory
(including computers, projectors and all ‘traditional’
instructional media formats) to support classroom instruction.
- Xavier maintains a campus computer network system with easy
access to computers for all students and supports Windows and Mac
operating systems. For information on specific software available
to campus users visit the instructional
technology services website.
- Xavier maintains five open computing labs for general student
use, with a total of 90 Windows and 20 Mac workstations, with
laser printers in each lab. The McDonald Memorial Library has an
interactive instruction room with 24 PC’s which is available as an
open lab when not scheduled, 44 (41 PC and 3 Mac) individual computer stations
throughout the building and 45 wireless laptops for use there. In
addition, there is a smaller open computer cluster in Elet 105
also available for student use.
- Additional discipline-specific facilities and software
applications are available to students enrolled in various
academic programs. Examples are technology for composition in
music, graphic design in art, symbolic computation software in
mathematics, various languages in computer science, business
related software in information systems, as well as research and
instruction hardware and software in the various science programs.
More information is available by exploring the ‘facilities’ links
in various academic departments. [top]
What library resources are
available online (catalog, databases, special
collections)?
- The Xavier University
library Xavier students with a wide range of online resources
and services accessible both on campus and remotely. Students not
only have access to the local collection, they can also use those
of other Ohio institutions, including the ability to request books
and videos electronically through Xavier’s online catalog.
The resources available include:
- XPLORE – Xavier
University’s online catalog.
- OhioLINK – access to collections of over 85
participating Ohio colleges and universities.
- xu.tutor – online instruction modules to enhance students’ information
literacy.
- Over 250 Research
Databases (and content information).
- Approximately 25,000 Full-text Electronic
Journals.
- Electronic reserves (e-reserves) provide students easy access to articles, chapters,
assignments and other course materials.
- E-Book
Databases provide access to over 7,004 full text e-books
(includes books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies,
handbooks and reference materials).
- Online
Instruction and FAQ information regarding library use and
available resources.
- ‘Ask
a Librarian’ reference assistance in person by telephone, via
email, through consultation service and 24/7 online chat.
- Library help via online
chat provides 24/7 access for library reference support in
collaboration with 18 AJCU (Association of Jesuit Colleges and
Universities).
- Online
forms for requesting interlibrary loans.
- Online loan
renewals.
These online resources are available for both
on-campus and off-campus access. [top]
What electronic reference
materials are licensed and how accessible are they from outside the
library (for example, in the residence halls or
off-campus)?
- The library has an extensive collection of electronic
reference resources and services. With few exceptions, off campus
access to these resources is available to anyone with internet
access and a Xavier University ALL Card. The digital reference
collection includes over 200 research databases, including e-book
reference collections such as: Oxford Reference Online and
ABC-Clio Electronic Reference Books. In addition the library
provides web-based chat reference and e-mail reference 24 hours/7
days a week. More information regarding remote access is available here.
[top]
How does the campus help students
develop computer skills?
- Instructional Technology Services provides tutorial
assistance with basic software applications (e.g. Microsoft
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) as well as discipline-specific
applications (e.g. SPSS, Maple, SAS, etc.).
- Xavier is in the third year of its Information Fluency Program
assisting faculty in the redesign of core curriculum courses in
order to better integrate learning activities that develop
information literacy and computer competency skills. (Information
Fluency may be envisioned as the optimal outcome when critical
thinking skills are combined with information literacy and
relevant computing skills). The objective for participating
faculty is to purposefully embed the proposed competencies into
meaningful, integrative coursework for their students. The
objectives of this program extend beyond the introduction of
technology into the classroom experience. The intent is to
investigate appropriate and effective methods to enhance the information
fluency of our undergraduate students. [top]
Does the campus have a specific
computer/IT competency requirement for all undergraduates?
- While Xavier University does not at present have formal
requirements regarding computer literacy or information
technology, the university is in the process of assessing an information
fluency program for students in an effort to assure that basic
skills in electronic communication and collaboration, visual
literacy and information literacy are addressed. The library
does work with the faculty to increase its class support for
students using library technology, and offers on-line tutorials
for skill development in electronic research. [top]
Does the campus allow students
to receive credit for courses taken electronically from other
sources?
- Xavier University treats transfer
credits for electronically delivered courses in the same way
that transfer credit requests for traditional courses are treated.
Generally speaking, transfer requests from other regionally
accredited colleges and universities are accepted by Xavier
University provided the student has earned a grade of ‘C’ or
better. Further information is available from admission’s
website. [top]
Are course reserves and other
materials available online/via the Web site?
- Electronic reserves (e-reserves) are available online and are used extensively by the
faculty to provide students easy access to articles, chapters,
assignments and other course materials. [top]
What percentage of faculty has
a networked computer available to them?
- All full-time faculty members are provided with a networked
computer. [top]
What percentage of
faculty use e-mail regularly?
- All faculty members are provided with a Xavier University
e-mail account and network access. [top]
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