Integrating RSS Feeds and Information Blogs in Courses Using WebCT

1. Integrating RSS Feeds and Information Blogs in Courses Using WebCT Jay Bhatt W. W. Hagerty LibraryDrexel University

2. Keeping Up-to-Date • 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

3. Keeping Up-to-Date • 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 Drexelsuch as DREAM (Drexel Research Experience in Advanced Materials) • Drexel University Undergraduate Research

4. Keeping Up-to-Date (cont.) • 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

5. Blogs and RSS feeds • 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

6. Blogs and RSS feeds • 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’

7. What is Blogline? • 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

8. EGMT581 – Problems in Human Relations • 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

9. EGMT581 – Problems in Human Relations • 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

10. Bloglines and EGMT581 • 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 • Search query can be integrated into bloglines • http://www.bloglines.com/public/jaybhatt • (Bloglines site created for this course; linked from WebCT)

11. Bloglines and EGMT581 • 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 includePersonality traits, emotions, self-management, job-satisfaction • Sample Journals that publishes articles on these topics • Journal of Business and Psychology • European Journal of Personality • International Journal of Psychology • Journal of Managerial Psychology

12. Bloglines and EGMT581 • 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

13. Accessing Articles Remotely • 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: EmeraldAvailability: 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

14. Search Queries from a Database • 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

15. Conclusions • 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!!!

16. Thank You • Our Contact Information Jay BhattInformation Services (Engineering) Hagerty Library (Drexel University) 215 895-1873 or bhattjj@drexel.edu Mike ScheuermannCo-ordinator for Online LearningOffice of Information Resources and Technology 215 895-0244 0r mes27@drexel.edu