Transcript Integrating RSS feeds and information blogs in courses

Integrating RSS Feeds and
Information Blogs in
Courses Using WebCT
Jay Bhatt
W. W. Hagerty Library
Drexel University
Keeping Up-to-Date
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New information published and made
available quickly via the Internet
News, research articles,
announcements of new resources,
company and product news, etc.
High-tech companies in the
biotechnology and nanotechnology
industries
Need to keep informed ~ growing
Keeping Up-to-Date
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Increased research focus in the
academic environment
Graduate students work with faculty
in research and publishing
Courses requiring research
Undergraduate students
• Several new initiatives at Drexel
such as DREAM (Drexel Research Experience in
Advanced Materials)
• Drexel University Undergraduate Research
Keeping Up-to-Date (cont.)
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Various user groups use e-mail
alerting services
E-mail congestion from number of
services they subscribed
Purpose of alerting not fulfilled if
users are not able to read all alerts
Alternatives to keep up-to-date are
necessary
Blogs and RSS feeds
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BLOG: combination of the words
"web" and "logs”
Updated frequently with new
information
Librarians create blogs to provide
information on new resources and
instructional tips and
Engineering Resources Blog
Blogs and RSS feeds
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RSS Feeds - Rich Site Summary
(Really Simple Syndication)
Method of describing new content by
publishers (bloggers) to web users
Several electronic journals provide
RSS feeds
• Users can keep up-to-date by adding
their feeds into ‘Bloglines’
What is Blogline?
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Bloglines
• Comprehensive and integrated service
for searching, subscribing, publishing
and sharing news feeds, and blogs
• Eliminates the need to download a
feedreader (In order to receive feeds,
you needed to download a reader.)
• Since it is web based without requiring a
reader, one can read RSS feeds from
any computer
EGMT581 – Problems in Human
Relations
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Online course taught by Mike
Scheuermann in the Engineering
Management Program at Drexel
Students explore many topics ranging
from motivation, organizational behavior,
groupthink, leadership, and group
dynamics
Threaded discussions, mid-term, and final
paper are some requirements
In 8 of the 10 weeks, 7-9 topics are
discussed; Online chats are also required
EGMT581 – Problems in Human
Relations
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Grading scheme
• 30% threaded discussions
• 20% online chats
• 15% mid-term paper
• 25% final paper
• 10% peer review of other student paper
• Importance of threaded discussions,
chats, and papers
• APA style required
Bloglines and EGMT581
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Why is Bloglines proposed? How it can be
used in WebCT environment?
• Not many students refer to scholarly papers to
support their views during threaded
discussions
• Using bloglines – a table of contents of journal
articles can be received
• Search query in Ei Compendex (Engineering
Index) now provides RSS feeds
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Search query can be integrated into bloglines
http://www.bloglines.com/public/jaybhatt
(Bloglines site created for this course; linked from
WebCT)
Bloglines and EGMT581
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Depending on the topic faculty can provide RSS
feeds of journal articles for each week
(not all journals provide)
Ingenta (an electronic database available from
Hagerty Library) provides journal titles with RSS
feeds
Example: Week-6 topics include
Personality traits, emotions, self-management,
job-satisfaction
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Sample Journals that publishes articles on these topics
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Journal of Business and Psychology
European Journal of Personality
International Journal of Psychology
Journal of Managerial Psychology
Bloglines and EGMT581
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Simple search using keywords such as
‘personality traits’ and ‘job satisfaction’ in
Ingenta retrieves many articles
Journal title that provides RSS feed will have
‘RSS’ icon
Copy and paste link into Bloglines
Any new articles published in that journal will be
seen in the Bloglines site
Read abstract of the article. Full text from remote
not yet activated.
Keep you posted when full text access from RSS
feeds is activated from WebCT
Accessing Articles Remotely
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Go to ‘Hagerty Library-Journal Title’
site to see if access is available
• For example: Journal of Organizational Change
Management – type in the search box
• Journal Of Organizational Change Management /
[Electronic Resource]
• Click for full text via SFX
• Click here for full text in: Emerald
Availability: from 1994 volume 7 issue 1; may be
available from an another provider such as Proquest
• Authenticate – Last Name and University ID or if you are
accessing from DrexelONE just your email ID and pword
Search Queries from a Database
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Ei Compendex – comprehensive engineering
research database covering more than 5000
journals,conferences, and technical reports.
Engineering Management related articles are also
covered
• 'Engineering management' , 'communication' and 'Leadership‘
as keywords finds app. 300 records
• Now provides RSS feeds of search queries
• IP authenticated environment required
• Latest updated records in Bloglines based on search query
• RSS icon – copy and paste URL
• Very useful for the final term paper since new articles can be
used
Conclusions
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Excellent potential for integrating blogs using
bloglines into WebCT
Students can keep informed about new research
and articles
More investigation needed to make RSS feeds
workable from remote (subscription based
databases)
Reading assignments (new articles) can be
integrated into threaded discussion
Awareness and use of library resources for
distance learners
Keep envisioning new ideas for integration into
WebCT. It helps!!!
Thank You
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Our Contact Information
Jay Bhatt
Information Services (Engineering)
Hagerty Library (Drexel University)
215 895-1873 or [email protected]
Mike Scheuermann
Co-ordinator for Online Learning
Office of Information Resources and Technology
215 895-0244 0r [email protected]