Tip of the Week: Document Design

Application: Microsoft Word

Documents can be enhanced and improved through the use of headers and footers, headings and subheadings, page numbers, screen shots and other types of images. There are many formatting tools in Microsoft Word that can take documents from information to incredible. Factors to consider in design include complexity of the topic, audience, use of visuals, whether the document will be viewed online or printed, and readability. A specific tool for online ease of access is hyperlinking.

Creating a Hyperlink
E-mails and documents viewed online can have words or phrases hyperlinked. Rather than giving lengthy navigation instructions to a site, hyperlink a word or phrase that the reader can click. This can be done using one of two methods:
Method 1
1. Select the word or picture to hyperlink.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Hyperlink.
3. A dialog box appears. In the field Address: type in the URL.
4. Click OK.
Method 2
1. Select the word or picture to hyperlink.
2. Right click and select Hyperlink from the menu
3. A dialog box appears. In the field Address: type in the URL.
4. Click OK.

Tip of the Week: Public Folders

Application: Microsoft Outlook

Public folders are special Outlook accounts that allow a group of people to share email, calendar items, or tasks. Public folders can have subfolders as well, of different types, for various departmental or project needs.

How are TWU offices using Public Folders?
Departmental email point of contact
Many TWU departments have email enabled public folders so that their department has a generic department point of contact, such as departmentname@twu.edu. These account names can be used in department literature so that several departmental people can process incoming requests.
Departmental central calendar
Many TWU departments use out of office calendars, appointment or meeting schedules, or special project calendars.
Departmental central voicemail & fax
Many TWU departments use a public folder for their main line voicemail messages as well as faxes. This can be a time and cost savings to the department.

Tip of the Week: YouTube and Vimeo

Web 2.0 Tools YouTube and Vimeo


Videos can be created with some cell phones, digital cameras, flip videos and video cameras. Videos can be used to demonstrate skills, or to tell a story. Music can be added to enhance the impact. There are many ways to share these clips with others-and include comments or thoughts using Web 2.0 tools.

What tools are popular?
• YouTube allows users to share and watch original videos. YouTube videos can be viewed on multiple platforms and embedded into other sites. Users can mark videos as favorites, share the video with others, add videos to their playlists, and like or dislike videos. Videos are limited to 10 minutes in length and can be marked private or shared publicly.
Be sure to check out some TWU You Tube Channels:
o Texas Woman’s University
o TWU Gymnastics
o TWU Libraries
o TWU Tech Know

• Vimeo allows users to upload videos in various file formats. There isn’t a maximum video length; however, basic (free) accounts can uploads up to 500 MB per week. Videos can be shared or selectively shared with privacy controls. Videos can be viewed on multiple platforms and embedded into other sites.
Vimeo offers categories and groups on varying topics.

Tip of the Week: Virtual Posters

Web 2.0 Tools: Glogster & Wallwisher
Poster presentations are popular in many arenas of higher education. Faculty present research, staff present projects, and students present both research and projects. Presenting a poster virtually allows greater sharing of the information.

What tools are available?

• Glogster is a digital poster board web 2.0 tool that allows creators to add links to websites, include pictures, choose background theme, shapes and characters from the gallery, text, and embed audio and video files. For class settings, an instructor can create an account for the class and give each student a space to create their own poster. When posters are shared with others, they can “rate” the posters. The creator has the option to make the poster public or private.
  
  
• Wallwisher is web 2.0 tool designed to create bulletin boards with such items as images, videos, audio links, websites to be uploaded, as well as background or theme choices. When sharing the bulletin board with others, they can give feedback. During the creation of the bulletin board, choices are given about who can view, who can post sticky notes or feedback, and the URL for the site. Those giving feedback can also include web links, audio or video files, images, and text. Creators also have an option to “approve” any feedback before it is posted.

Web 2.0 tools are available to anyone with internet access. Each Web 2.0 tool website offers information about that tool including support options, if available.

Online Tools for Groups

Blackboard Organizations and Web 2.0 Tools Qlubb & Wiggio
Groups can move into the online world with Blackboard and web 2.0 tools Qlubb and Wiggio. Groups can benefit with shared calendars, file storage, event invites & rsvps, photo sharing, polls, and more. Any kind of group from professional organizations, campus clubs, or hobby groups can use these tools to enhance communication and make organizing easier.

Working within the TWU Community

• Blackboard offers organizations for group use. Department faculty & staff groups, campus organizations, or specific majors within departments can use this online resource to share announcements, forms, discussion boards and more. Some organizations use this feature to do training or offer policies and procedures, such as Risk Management. Organizations can even be structured so that users can enroll themselves, to minimize administrative functions. Information in organizations can be set up to request acknowledgement of receipt by users for documentation purposes. To request an organization, fill out an organization request form.

Working outside TWU

• Qlubb offers event calendaring, sign up sheets, photo sharing, member rosters, file sharing, task reminder service, group invites and RSVPs, and bulletin boards.
  
  
• Wiggio offers file sharing and editing, group calendars, polling, posting of links, conference calls, chatting online, mass texting, as well as voice and email messages to the group. Each member can determine their communication preferences.

Thank you to Professor Patricia Nunn, Department Chair, Dental Hygiene Program for this question.

Web 2.0 tools are available to anyone with internet access. Each Web 2.0 tool website offers information about that tool including support options, if available.

Tip of the Week: Organizing Team Projects

Web 2.0 Tools: Central Desktop, Comindwork, or AceProject
Projects can include sharing files, timelines, charts, graphs, discussions, meetings, and more. Projects may be faculty research, staff office projects, departmental accreditation, or even group projects within classes. There are many Web 2.0 tools that offer helpful tools to work within teams both inside the TWU community and with those outside the university.

What’s the difference?

• Comindwork offers member management, invites, project blogs, wikis, milestones, time logging, file sharing, cases/issues, history, search, and reports. The free account offers 1 active project, unlimited users, and 20 MB file storage. All accounts offer the following:
  
  Collaboration: to-do lists, milestones, discussions, tickets, time tracking, RSS, reminders, notifications
  
  Knowledge management: enterprise wiki, documents, blog, files storage, tagging, linking, versions
  
  Tools: charts, reports, reply and upload by email, rich editor, video reply, semantic search, export/import
  

• Ace Project includes projects, tasks, documents, calendars, statistics, forums, time reports, task reports, time approval, notes and Gantt charts. The free account offers up to 5 users, 5 projects, 50 MB of storage space.
  

• Central Desktop offers wikis, databases, project blogs, and user forums. The free account offers 2 workspaces, up to 5 members per workspace, 25 MB of space, as well as audio conferencing and SSL (256 bit encryption).

Thank you to Jacqueline Folsom, Program Coordinator, Associate Provost Office for this question.

Tip of the Week: Managing Multiple Schedules

Applications: Outlook Web 2.0 Tools: Tungle & Doodle
Scheduling a meeting with multiple people can be challenging. Finding a time that works for everyone is the first step. To manage multiple schedules, there are several technology tools available.

Within the TWU Community
Microsoft Outlook calendars offer schedule availability options. Each faculty and staff member can designate times as busy, free, tentative, or out of the office.
To schedule a meeting in Outlook:

1. Click on the calendar tab in the navigation pane
2. Select the date for the meeting
3. Right-click to open the dialog box and choose an option such as New Appointment, New All Day Event, New Meeting Request, etc.
4. A new dialog box will open. Select options for title, location, length of meeting, reminders, importance, etc.

When inviting others to a meeting with a meeting request, they are given the option to accept, decline, or mark tentative. The meeting request then keeps track for you of who has responded and how.

Outside the TWU Community
When working with a group of people from outside the campus, there are Web 2.0 tools available to use in scheduling. Tungle and Doodle are web based applications that have free account options.

Tungle synchronizes several calendars of different types including Google apps and Microsoft Office Outlook. Tungle can be accessed using accounts you may already have including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Tungle also offers an app for smartphone users.

Doodle synchronizes calendars of different types including Google, Microsoft Office Outlook, ICal, Yahoo, and Live. Registration is optional. Doodle also offers an app for smartphone users.

Thank you to Matt Moustakas, Director of Environmental, Safety & Health, Facilities Management & Construction for sharing these tools!