Category Archives: Campus News

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U-M first university press named as Benetech Global Certified Accessible publisher

By | February 10, 2021
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U-M press logo

University of Michigan Press is now a Benetech Global Certified Accessible™ (GCA) publisher, and is the first university press to receive this certification. Benetech, a nonprofit that empowers communities with software for social good, issues this accreditation to those publishers who produce EPUBs that meet a full range of accessibility features required to support readers with and without disabilities… Read More »

Six Words About Privacy in EDUCAUSE Review

By | February 9, 2021
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Decorative image that reads, "Privacy: your thoughts, six words"

Svetla Sytch, assistant director of privacy and IT policy, described some of ITS Information Assurance’s privacy engagement efforts in a January 28 EDUCAUSE Review blog post: Data Privacy Day 2021 Outreach: Six Words about Privacy. In the blog post, Sytch explained that Six Words About Privacy at U-M came about through conversations with the chief information security officers… Read More »

Collaborative learning projects connect staff, build skills during remote work

By | February 2, 2021
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Data is shown for areas that are experiencing a greater than average number of severe thunderstorm warnings

In February of 2020, just before Campus shifted to remote work, an interdisciplinary group formed to learn about creating web mapping applications using the ArcGIS API for JavaScript. The idea: work on a project that meets the needs of a researcher, but also provides an opportunity to share and grow knowledge across teams, in turn allowing us to… Read More »

Level up: Video games inspire new ‘living textbook’ for computational sciences

By | January 29, 2021
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mynerva logo

A new way of delivering course materials in the computational sciences aims to elevate the study experience from consuming static text and media to a conversation between the learner and the material. Called Mynerva, the cloud-based interactive textbook platform developed at U-M enables instructors to build their materials into video game-like journeys that unfold as the learner progresses.

Both Tech Shop locations open for pickup

By | January 19, 2021
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For the 2021 winter term, Tech Shop offers at-the-door pickup service at both campus locations—Michigan Union and Pierpont Commons. Pickup service is available by appointment only; both stores continue to be temporarily closed to in-person shopping at this time. Service at the Pierpont Commons location launched on January 19 and is available on Tuesday and Friday each week.… Read More »

Inspired to create: U-M alumnae and the world of international tech start ups

By | January 15, 2021
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illustration of diverse women

When you think of tech startup companies, what comes to mind? Is it Silicon Valley, black turtlenecks, and billion-dollar IPOs? Or perhaps something about college drop-outs and the proverbial idiosyncrasies of “tech-bro culture”? While stereotypes can be helpful for getting the big picture of things, when you look more closely they’re often misleading caricatures, and this has proven especially true in the case of the tech industry.

Does Canvas allow faculty to track students online?

By | January 13, 2021
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montage of computer monitor, camera, phone, eye, question marks

Learning management systems like Canvas allow faculty to see some student activity. But UM-Dearborn’s Coordinator of Digital Education Chris Casey says it’s far from being a surveillance system. The rumor he hears most often is that faculty can see if students open other browser tabs or websites outside of Canvas. “This one is definitely false,” Casey says, noting… Read More »

How computer science is changing education

By | January 12, 2021
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Classroom of masked children working on laptops.

U-M researchers are taking on the big challenges to integrating computing into everyone’s education: Under a grant from the National Science Foundation, Mark Guzdial, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and his colleagues have launched a program that integrate the use of task-specific computer science tools that will allow high school students to build data visualizations into… Read More »

Hacking reality

By | January 12, 2021
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An Alexa home device sits on a darkened window ledge, bathed in purple laser light coming from a tower in the BG.

Where does “computer” end, and “real world” begin? This line, separated so firmly in our minds by apps and user interfaces, is finer than it appears as our devices are under attack in new, increasingly sophisticated ways: microphones that “hear” light; microprocessors that “tell” us secrets; self-driving cars that “see” fake objects; sensors that “feel” the wrong temperature.… Read More »