iSpring PowerPoint Converter

I am always looking for media creation solutions for teaching.  One of our faculty members had mentioned in the last faculty meeting that she was using iSpring to convert her PowerPoint slides with audio to Flash for her courses.  I looked a the software, but it appeared that I had to purchase it.  Another faculty member shared that there was a free version for educators.  I did a search and found that iSpring provides a free license after completing a form at http://www.ispringsolutions.com/ispring_free_license_request.html  
The software is available for Russian and French languages.

iSpring sent me an email with the download link and the registration code.  After I downloaded the software I was prompted to open PowerPoint.  iSpring was a new PowerPoint menu tab.  The PowerPoint iSpring Free menu has four sections:

• Publish - Quick Publish & Publish
• Insert - Quiz, Flash, & YouTube
• About - Update, About, Upgrade to Pro
• Follow Us - Facebook

When I clicked the Quiz icon, a pop-up message indicated that I could download free Quiz software.  The Flash icon opened a Windows browse menu - to find and insert a Flash animation.  The YouTube icon opened a window for entering a URL.  I am looking forward to exploring the use of the software.   It may a a fantastic tool to create learning resources for MERLOT (http://www.merlot.org ).

WiFi Range Extender

I had a really weak WiFi signal at the kitchen end of the house and the porch.  Last week Flor shared that her home has 5 WiFi range extenders.  Wow!  It prompted us to do a search for WiFi range extenders.  We ordered one and it arrived this afternoon. 

The install was not difficult, but had a slow start.  My computer would not see the range extender until I disconnected from the Internet and used an Ethernet cable to connect the laptop to the range extender. I had to enter the encryption code for the extender (cloned from the router/modem) on all of the devices (computer, iPhone, iPad).  The range extender has already made a huge difference.  So tomorrow, when we meet to work on our research and write, we will have a strong WiFi signal in the kitchen.

Sharing Large Files with Others

TC Geeks has an article on sharing large files with others at http://www.tcgeeks.com/how-to-share-large-files-in-the-cloud/.

Two of the cloud resources mentioned were Dropbox and Evernote.  In the Georgia College School of Nursing, many of the committees use Dropbox for sharing information that has no references to students.  The advantage to Dropbox is that it works on all mobile devices as well as Macs and Windows computers.  Evernote is an excellent resource. I have written several blogs about the fantastic features available in Evernote. 

Two cloud resources that were not mentioned are SkyDrive and Google Drive.  One of my research partners and I use SkyDrive for a manuscript we are writing.  The reason is that we use EndNote citation software and we want to maintain all of the formatting.  SkyDrive allows users to view shared items using a URL; however, the user must sign into SkyDrive to make edits.  Google Drive also allows cloud sharing.  Like SkyDrive, users can set up preferences to allow others to view or make edits to shared files.

Evernote Reminders and Shortcuts

Evernote, the resource for taking notes continues to evolve adding new features.  The Evernote website is http://evernote.com.  The resource is also an app for most mobile devices, such as the iPad, iPhone, and Android phone.  When you add notes and media, they are automatically synced to your Evernote cloud site.  There are two new features for Evernote, reminders and shortcuts.

When you open a file, for instance the notes that I took at the Summer Institute of Nursing Informatics (SINI) last July, there is a menu at the bottom right of the notes page with several icons.  The first icon is the looks like an alarm clock.  When you click on it, a pop-up menu appears with:

• Mark as done
• Clear reminder
• Change date
• Remove date

The second image is a star.  When you click on the star, it creates a shortcut to the file.

There are two other icons.  One is a shortcut to Skitch and the other allows for sharing with:

• Message
• Twitter
• Print
• Mail
• Copy link

 Although there are many notes apps available, Evernote remains a leader.  It is free, powerful, and versatile. 

 

Free Public Domain Images

The use of media, such as images, can significantly enhance the reader's understanding of written text. One of the challenges in writing is the ethical use of images.  For example, any image that I used for our Informatics and Nursing textbook must be either one that I create or one that is in the public domain.  The ethical use of images holds true for student submitted work.  The reason is that everything is copyrighted automatically after the creation, whether or not there is a copyright icon. That is the reason that many of the figures and images in our textbook were created by Linda and myself.

However, there are many resources to public domain images that are free of copyright restrictions.  Wikipedia has many of the resources listed at
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources

One resource not noted in the Wikipedia site is Unsplash at http://unsplash.com/

Creating eBooks with Active Textbook

After iBooks Author was released, many other eBook authoring tools were released.  I have shared several of the tools in my blogs.  I discovered a new one this afternoon, Active Textbooks.  Active Textbooks is an eBook authoring website.  There is a free and  "premium" version.  The free version is a good place to start. 

When you go to the website, http://activetextbook.com, there are a number of click through tutorials.  You do have to register to use the site.  The authoring tool allows users to upload a PDF document of the eBook.  You make the eBook interactive by adding things like animations, quizzes, and links to video, such as YouTube.  Since it is a website, it is not dependent upon a certain operating system. 

If you are interested in creating open access learning resources, the website is one you may want to explore.

How to use USB, Ethernet, Audio, and Monitor Ports - Lyda.com

YouTube has the free Lynda.com video on how to use USB, ethernet, audio, and monitor ports.  It is a good video to supplement the Appendix in our textbook, Informatics and Nursing:  Opportunities and Challenges.  An embedded link to the video is below:

Organizing Computers Files and Folders - YouTube Videos for Windows & Mac Computers

August 21, 2013 
YouTube has a Lynda.com tutorial explaining computer files, folders, and directories on Windows operating system computers.  

The video starts with the computer desktop, then opens the Windows Explorer program, which is where files are managed. To get to Window Explorer directly, click on the Start Button (the Windows icon in Windows 7), type "explore." On Windows 7 and 8 the Libraries folder should automatically open where you can follow the tutorial. (Chapter 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUW5MEKDtMM

See the embedded video below: 

The organization of folders and files is the same for Mac users.  Creation of folders is done by simulating the mouse right click by double-clicking the mouse pad or control click (depending on how the mouse pad is configured). 

A Mac specific video on files and folders management is on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15ckz2VVIwQ

An embedded link to the video is below:

Updates to the Website Supporting Chapter 17 in 4th Edition of Informatics and Nursing

Linda has added new supporting chapter 17 in the 4th edition of our textbook, Informatics and Nursing:  Opportunities and Challenges at http://dlthede.net/Informatics/Chap17Informatics/chap17.html 

August 21, 2013 Chaos Theory. Although somewhat complex, the article does explain chaos theory. (Chapter 17)  The SCRIPD resource is an abbreviated free resource.  Scroll down from the table of contents to view the theory.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/75423529/Chaos-Theory-Wikipedia

August 21, 2013 Lorenz, Edward N. (1972). Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly's Wings in Brazil set off a Tornado in Texas is Lorenz's address to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, December 29, 1972 that gave the name "Butterfly Theory" to Chaos Theory. The presentation is eprinted in full from a Denmark publication. (Chapter 17) 
http://www.scribd.com/doc/130949814/Predictability-Does-the-Flap-of-a-Butterfly%E2%80%99s-Wings-in-Brazil-Set-Off-a-Tornado-in-Texas

MOOCs - A Special Issue from Campus Technology Magazine

Campus Technology has a special issue on MOOCs (massively open online courses) in the August issue.  It will surely complement the special issue on MOOCs from JOLT (Journal of Online Learning and Teaching) that I expect to be published any day. 

The first article, What do Massively Open Online Courses Mean for Higher Ed, by John Waters is extremely well written.  The second article, MOOC it Up as You Go, by David Raths discusses the business model for MOOCs.  One of the examples is the computer science masters degree offered by Georgia Tech for $7000 vs a campus version for $40,000.  You do the math.  If you have massive enrollment of students at $7000 each...

In essence, higher education is immersed in a storm of changes, partly spurred by costs and the need for innovation to fix broken education models.  As of now, the turmoil in higher education provides an interesting ride...

The August issue of Campus Technology  is a "must read" by administrators, faculty and students.  Look for the special issue in JOLT on the same topic- coming soon.

Fascinating Innovation - A Robot that Sterilizes a Room Using UV Light Pulses

Thanks to Martha for sharing this information.  A robot can sterilize a room in five to ten minutes for only $3! 

According to a story at CNN Money, http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/26/technology/xenex_robot/index.htm , the Xenon robot is rolled into a room after housekeeping does the routine cleaning.  When it is turned on, it sends out "pulsed xenon" ultraviolet light (UV) that sterilizes and kills microbacteria.  The focus of UV light is on items such as hospital bed tray tables, telephones, and bedrails where contaminants might live.

The robot was developed by epidemiologists Julie Stachwiak and Mark Stibich.  Brian Cruver assisted them in building the business.  The robots cost $80,000 each and can be leased or purchased.  The cost sounds like a lot of money unless you understand that in the United States, it is equivalent to the cost of care for only two patients with major infections.

The robots are in use at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts, Cone Health System, and Erlanger Health System .

Battery Saving Tips for the iPhone and iPad

MacWorld at has some interesting information on battery saving tips for the iPhone and iPad at http://www.macworld.com/article/2046209/fact-or-fiction-nine-iphone-and-ipad-battery-saving-techniques-tested.html

It is no secret that I have both devices.  I learned a couple new tips about saving the battery.  Not mentioned in the article is Facetime.  Facetime will drain my battery quickly.  I know that locations finder will affect battery life, but it is an important feature to keep.  Overall, my Apple devices all do a great job on battery life.

Recent Issue of JOLT (Journal of Online Learning and Teaching)

JOLT is an open access journal that is indexed by scholarly databases, such as EBSCO.  The newest issue of JOLT is available from http://jolt.merlot.org/currentissue.html .  I copied the table of contents below.  Be sure to bookmark the URL for the journal.  A special edition of JOLT, which focuses on MOOCS should be available very soon.

Research Papers

Learning Equity between Online and On-Site Mathematics Courses Sherry J. Jones and Vena M. Long

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Students' Perceptions of Online Courses in a Graduate Adolescence Education Program Barbara A. Burns

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Online and Campus College Students Like Using an Open Educational Resource Instead of a Traditional Textbook Brian L. Lindshield and Koushik Adhikari

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Assessing Faculty Attitudes Toward Technological Change in Graduate Management Education Owen P. Hall, Jr.

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Preparing Faculty to Use the Quality Matters Model for Course Improvement Carol Roehrs, Li Wang, and David Kendrick

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The Complexity of Online Discussion Jesse Rhoades and Rebecca Rhoades

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Case Studies

Design Considerations for Supporting the Reluctant Adoption of Blended Learning Wendy Freeman and Taunya Tremblay

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Migrating Successful Student Engagement Strategies Online: Opportunities and Challenges Using Jigsaw Groups and Problem-Based Learning José A. Amador and Helen Mederer

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Enhancing Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Parenting: A Glimpse into My Virtual Child Shanna L. Graves

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Concept Paper

Technology Acceptance and Performance in Online Learning Environments: Impact of Self-Regulation Filiz Tabak and Nhung T. Nguyen

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Position Paper

Faculty Leadership in Online Education: Structuring Courses to Impact Student Satisfaction and Persistence Jeannine Kranzow

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Face-to-Face versus Online Course Evaluations: A "Consumer's Guide" to Seven Strategies Ronald A. Berk

Evernote Clearly

Evernote has a new feature - Evernote Clearly.  You can view additional information about the web browser add-in at http://evernote.com/clearly/guide/ .  It is available for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera web browsers. When you click on the Evernote Clearly lamp icon, a menu opens up on the side of the webpage.  It includes functions for clipping, highlighting, changing the color theme for the page and printing. 

What makes the add-in very nice is that ads and other distractions are removed from the webpage, making it easier to read the text.  I downloaded it for Firefox and plan to do the same for Chrome. 

Turnitin Plagiarism App for iPad

At Georgia College we are fortunate to have a site license to Turnitin.  The plagiarism detecting software is also built into the Desire to Learn learning management system.  Students in classes I teach voice their appreciation for having access to the software.  I encourage students to "self-check" their papers with Turnitin website before they submit their papers for grading.

Users need to understand that the only thing that it does it to compare wording with other documents.  It does not  find instances where citations are omitted.  Turnitin is now available for instructors to use on the iPad.  When you open the app, you have an opportunity to experience an interactive tutorial on how to insert comments, both text and voice, as well as using the grading function.

The app can be downloaded at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/turnitin/id657602524?mt=8

Reasons to Use iCloud if You have an iPad and/or iPhone

iCloud just got better!  There are several reasons to use the cloud storage site if you have an iPhone or iPad.

• From a security perspective, I suggest having your location finder turned on on the remote devices (yes, it does require additional battery use). The advantage is that you can use iCloud to find your iPad or iPhone.  Whether you have misplaced the device or it was stolen - if the device is turned on - you will be able to see on a map where it is located.
• New iCloud beta apps have promise!  You can drag and drop files including those created with Excel and PowerPoint.
• Pages
• Numbers
• Keynote

Data Breach Affects 32,000 Patients

Health Data Management reported a data breach by one of the contractors that Cogent Healthcare, a firm that manages practice data for hospitalists and intensivists, uses.  You can read the article at the HDM website. M2ComSys, a firm for medical transcription, was not storing data on a secure site.  The patient care notes were breached between May 5 and June 24.  Some of the care notes were indexed by Google.

Google has worked with Cogent Healthcare to remove all of the protected health information.  Cogent Healthcare has terminated the contract with M2ComSys.  It is also offering 1-year identity theft protection to the 32,000 patients whose data were compromised.

Medicare and Pay for Performance

A recent article from Kaiser Health News discussed hospital penalties for readmission rates (http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/August/02/readmission-penalties-medicare-hospitals-year-two.aspx).  Healthcare is extremely complex.  It is tragic that Medicare has to use penalties to facilitate hospitals improving the quality of care.  Hospitals who treated poorer patients had larger penalties. 

The first sentence of the article notes "Medicare will levy $227 million in fines against hospitals in every state but one for the second round of the government’s campaign to reduce the number of patients readmitted within a month, according to federal records released Friday."

A few years ago, I was working on an emergency department project.  In the analysis of data, it was evident that too many patients were returning 4-6 times every month.  At that time, hospitals were only concerned about patient returns within 24 hours.

More patient admissions usually means greater amount of revenue potential.  The same thing is true about medical errors and patient falls.  Use of penalties is unfortunate, but it may be the only way to improve care for now.