Category: Academic Technology

Academic Technology, SPEED Program

Seeking SPEED Projects and Interns

Andrew Ruether

March marks the beginning of SPEED season for ITS and the Libraries.  We are now in the 6th year of running Swarthmore Projects for Educational Exploration and Development (SPEED) and have worked with a wide range of faculty and students on dozens of projects to improve undergraduate learning.  SPEED awards primarily consist of dedicated support from academic technologists, web developers, librarians and student intern.  For 2017, we are focusing on projects related to data visualization.  From infographics to interactive maps to network diagrams, creating graphical displays of information happens across disciplines, whether to explore and synthesize, experiment and reframe, or present … Continue reading Seeking SPEED Projects and Interns

Academic Technology, Design Thinking, Good Reads and Articles
Sprint book cover

What ITS is Reading: Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

Ashley Turner

Earlier this year ITS started a book club aimed at reading books we thought would help us continue to learn and grow at work. This past month we finished reading a book called: Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and … Continue reading What ITS is Reading: Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

Academic Technology, SPEED Program, Workshops and Training

Data Visualization and Projection

Mike Jones

Data visualization involves the presentation of data in a pictorial or graphical format that engages the viewer with information. These visualizations can then be printed, displayed, or projected into spaces to make difficult concepts easier to grasp, reveal patterns that would otherwise be opaque, or provide alternative interpretations of information. They can be used artistically, theatrically or informationally and can change the way people inhabit space. Interactive visualizations may respond to user inputs, or live data feeds and take the concept a step further by allowing you to drill down into charts and graphs for more detail, changing what data … Continue reading Data Visualization and Projection

Academic Technology, Faculty/Staff, Media Center, Students

Arduino Inventor’s Kits Now Available for Checkout

Andrew Ruether

Arduino is an open source electronics platform that you can program to interact with the real world: make lights flash, buzzers buzz, and motors spin.  You can use Arduinos to build an invention, animate a sculpture, or automate your house.   ITS has purchased several Arduino-based SparkFun Inventor’s Kits now available for checkout from the Media Center.  These are great for learning about Arduino and come with lots of fun stuff like motors, LEDs, an LCD display, temperature and light sensors, a buzzer, and supporting electronics.  The kit also includes an excellent guide with 16 sample projects starting from the basic blinking … Continue reading Arduino Inventor’s Kits Now Available for Checkout