All posts by Randolph Pfaff

GSLIS Student Analysis Helps to Improve Simmons Connection

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In Technology, we’re always looking for new ways to collaborate with other members of the Simmons community to get a fresh perspective on how we are contributing to Simmons and in what areas we could improve our services.

During the Fall 2012 semester, a group of students in GSLIS Professor Rong Tang’s Usability and User Experience course applied their knowledge to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Simmons Connection website. Working with Senior Web Developer Shino Ito, the students, Eric Gibbs, Lin Lin, and Elizabeth Quigley, researched usability studies for similar websites, designed a usability test, and recruited other students to participate in it. After the study sessions were completed, the GSLIS team analyzed the results and made recommendations for usability improvements on Simmons Connection.

The recommendations they included mirror several areas where we have focused attention based on previous feedback. Their work validated anecdotal evidence we had received from our customers and provided us with useful suggestions for how to improve the usability of the site. We’d like to thank them for their work and recognize the value of these kinds of projects that provide constructive feedback and give students experience and knowledge they can apply in their careers.

Microsoft Office Work-at-Home Discounts for Faculty and Staff

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Did you know that you can get Microsoft Office for your personal computer for only $15? The Microsoft Work-At-Home license program allows Simmons College employees to purchase Microsoft software for use on their personal computers at a discounted price. The software can be downloaded instantly or mailed directly to you.

Available software includes Office 2010, Office for Mac, Windows 7, and more. To get started, follow this link and sign in with your Simmons user name and password. Then click on the “Faculty/Staff” tab and choose the product you’d like to purchase.

Through this site, you can also access discounts on software from Adobe (Photoshop, InDesign, and more) and statistical analysis software like SPSS.

Microsoft Unveils Windows 8

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In October, Microsoft released the newest version of the Windows operating system. Windows 8 represents a big change for Microsoft because it is designed to work across computers, tablets, and phones. It also takes advantage of new technologies like cross-device synchronization and cloud computing by incorporating them directly into the operating system.

Any major change to an operating system (like Windows or Mac OS) presents a unique challenge for the Technology team. We need to simultaneously support customers who are using the new system and carefully plan for an upgrade of all compatible Simmons-owned computers and devices.

At this time, we are working to provide Service Desk employees with the skills needed to support Windows 8 as members of the Simmons community begin purchasing devices running the new operating system. We’re also making a careful assessment of the effort involved in upgrading compatible computers at Simmons. The first step will be to install Windows 8 on several computers in Technology and on a small number of public-use computers in the library. Deploying Windows 8 to these computers will allow us to assess its viability for a large scale upgrade in the next 12-18 months.

If you are considering upgrading your personal computer or purchasing a new device running Windows 8, we recommend visiting the officialMicrosoft Windows 8 website, where you can get more information about the operating system and find out how it is different from previous versions.

An Update on Google Apps for Faculty and Staff

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As we continue to plan the migration of faculty and staff email and calendaring to Google Apps for Education, we want to keep you up to date on the project. We respect your need for information, so we will be transparent throughout this process as we bring these powerful new tools online for the community.

Right now, Technology is working with the Leadership Team to determine dates for migrating faculty and staff. The migration will be done in phases so we can provide individual assistance and instruction to everyone. Our goal is to begin the migration in January and continue through the Spring semester. We hope to have the full migration schedule available for you in December.

In order to prepare for the migration and to better anticipate issues that might arise, we are currently moving all Technology employees to Google Apps for Education. This pilot period will help us work through technical challenges so we can minimize disruption during the larger migration. During this period, our staff is also completing additional Google Apps training and certification so they can provide expert-level support.

With regard to training and support, we are evaluating options for online and on-site training sessions and preparing a project website that will provide you with the migration schedule, answers to commonly asked questions (for example, what if you have a personal Gmail account?), links to support resources, and more. You can access the site here, and we hope you’ll continue to check back for updates as we move forward.

We will continue to communicate updates frequently via this newsletter, the project site, and individual messages as necessary, and we are always available to answer questions you have.