Foreign Languages Computing
Lab. The Comparative Literature and Foreign
Languages Department operated a Language Lab in HMNSS
1101. The lab is opened to student access Monday to
Friday 12 - 2 PM. The other schedules are for language
instruction and placement test.
Psychology Instruction
Labs. There are two computing labs that
are dedicated to Psychology Department for both undergraduate
and graduate instructions. The labs equipped with various
software that are required for Psychology courses.
Wireless Network. In 2004, UCR was ranked as the 16th campus out of top 100 for wireless compute accessibility, sponsored by the Intel Corporation and CDW•G who recognized the nation’s top 100 most “Unwired College Campuses.” At number 16, UCR ranked above Harvard, MIT and Stanford. The campus continues to move toward providing wireless networking, which makes portable computers with wireless an increasingly logical choice for many faculty and students. Most open areas on campus where students congregate now have coverage.
Wireless
networks are not as fast or as secure as hard-wired
ones. The campus wireless network though is fast
enough for almost any common use -- including multimedia.
The campus also provides virtual private networking
support for users who may be concerned with privacy
of wireless networking communications. Click on the
image on the left for more details of the current state
of wireless deployment.
Digital Media Servers. In the past several years, advances in digital technology have made it a realistic possibility that media in a wide variety of formats (e.g. VHS, film, slide, audio tape, CD, DVD) can be converted to completely digital form. We foresee a situation in which most data for images, animating images, sound, and their combination are acquired, cataloged, and distributed in digital form using the Internet - to enable the possibility of anywhere, anytime access. Such a change could enable dramatic changes in how we conduct instruction, research, and performance with media.
The Digital
Media Storage Servers provide storages for faculty
and student works. One of the server provides more
than 60 GB of licensed special effect sound files for
performing arts instruction.
Computing and communications has set up hardware and
software Real Server ("Helix")
for "on-demand" serving of video over the
internet using the RealPlayer software client. Materials
can be prepared by faculty, or instructional technologists,
and put on the server -- which can then be accessed
by users by links in Blackboard (or other means). This
will make possible the distribution of VHS, DVD, CD,
and other digital media over the internet to all campus
buildings. Many possible applications: Dance VHS, FVC
clips or features, video recorded lectures, music, etc.
could all be streamed -- this will reduce the need for
specialized equipment and places such as viewing rooms,
listening rooms, language labs.
WIMBA server is also provided through
iLearn by Computing and Communication. It creates web-based
digital audio email, discussion boards, and chat rooms.
This technology can eliminate the need for a audio-tape
language lab, in addition to allowing some new and interesting
teaching approaches. Department of Comparative Literature
and Foreign Languages has decided to adopt the technology
for language instruction.
Faculty Computer
Replacement Program. This program provides
for replacement of the computers that faculty use for
research, teaching, and service every four years. The
program will start the third 4-year cycle in 2006-2007,
and CHASS College Computing will be working with the
departments closely to prioritize needs and order replacement
computers. The close collaboration with departments
leverages our purchasing power and assures that some
basic standards for hardware and software are observed.
This approach of close consultation between CHASS College
Computing and the departments enables the College to
get substantial discounts over the prices available
to individual departments. Assurance of some basic hardware
and software standards is very important because these
can dramatically reduce delays and costs in computer
maintenance.
Basic Statistics for Social Sciences Digital Textbook. Sociology Professor Robert Hanneman and CHASS College Computing jointly developed a multimedia digital textbook for Sociology 110B course. It is the first at UCR to utilize the digital and multimedia technology for instructional purposes. The textbook features text, audio, and video demonstrations. Access is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week on-line, and free to eligible users (account is required) as long as they have Internet access. In addition, the textbook also comes in a CD-ROM format, which can be purchased at the bookstore at a minimal cost.
The digital textbook allows for a more “interactive”
learning experience for students. The textbook is organized
by chapters, as a regular textbook. Self-tests, built-in
simulations and virtual experiments, and other similar
“active learning” tools assist students
with the studying process by having them spend more
time with the material. Most sections of the text are
followed by short “check quizzes” that give
immediate interactive feedback.
Chinese
The Easy Way Language Online Learning Tool.
The Chinese language textbook Chinese the Easy Way has
been formatted into a streaming-audio web-site http://chineseeasyway.ucr.edu.
The web-site serves as an advanced way to distribute
the much-needed audio practice component to the beginning
or first-year level Chinese courses.
The web-site overcomes many of the disadvantages of
former methods of providing an audio component in foreign
language learning. The new delivery application allows
digitized audio files to replace old analog media such
as cassette tapes. The deterioration of sound quality
in audio tapes made learning more arduous, as well as
time-consuming for students to rewind or fast-forward
the tapes. Many students have access only to CD players,
not cassette players. In addition, lab availability
and personal student scheduling made it difficult to
obtain access to the audio lessons.
With the new application and a free version of the downloadable audio software RealPlayer, the digital audio files on the website have significantly enhanced the sound quality, and it is easier and faster to locate a specific lesson on the digital files than on audiotapes. The students learning Chinese will be able to listen to the audio files 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on-line, as long as students have Internet access. Availability of the language lab and whether school is in session no longer affect students.