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U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
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A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
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U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
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A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
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PDF Files provide student access to materialsJanet Skupien, Communication, makes frequent use of portable document format (pdf) files to share class materials for learning activities that formerly required over head transparencies or printed handouts. For example, she asks students in her Special Topics in Communication course to search for images on a particular topic (e.g., “images of families in magazine advertisements”) to submit to a class archive that is accessible only to students enrolled in the class and only for a limited time. Assigned different types of magazines to ensure diversity, they must submit hard copies of the advertisements. Skupien scans the ads, placing multiple examples on each page, and then posts them on Blackboard so students have access to one another’s submissions. Because the pdf format permits full color reproduction, everyone is able to see the ads just as they appeared in the magazines. Students can subsequently use them for various assignments and analyses, such as examining gender constructions in images of families; analyzing the relational dynamics through spatial, proxemic, and other nonverbal cues; and then determining what these constructions and dynamics actually symbolize in the context of the advertisement. In addition to being used for such stand-alone assignments and analyses, Skupien has also incorporated the images into take-home exams. She has found that the Blackboard course management system provides a unique way for students to have input in course materials, which other students can share, and allows access to a much greater range of materials than was formerly possible. However, teachers desiring to engage in such projects should ensure they either seek and obtain the appropriate permissions, meet the requirements of “fair use,” or meet the requirements of the TEACH Act. | ||||||||||||||
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A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh |
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