What's New @ CAIT

Current Topics in Web Development

April 2012

"The control which designers know in the print medium, and often desire in the web medium, is simply a function of the limitation of the printed page. We should embrace the fact that the web doesn't have the same constraints, and design for this flexibility. But first, we must "accept the ebb and flow of things."

John Allsopp, A Dao of Web Design

The above quote was written over twelve years ago and even to this day web designers and developers are still coming to terms with its implications. The web is not static. Browser differences and display devices substantially impact how layout and content are presented. It is our responsibility as web developers to create a meaningful experience regardless how a user decides to connect to our website. Responsive design is the answer.

In the early days of the cultural mobile explosion, it was common practice to design and create a separate "phone-friendly" website to coexist with the desktop model. The obvious downside to this practice was work time for each project became twice as long. A change in one meant a change in the other. This could quickly spiral out of control and introduce an even more detrimental problem: deciding to remove content from the mobile site. We will revisit this glaring issue later in the article.

On its surface, responsive design is quite simple to implement on the developer side. Through the use of media queries and grid layouts, we can make websites that scale to the users' needs. A media query is a CSS function that tells a browser to only use specific styles if the display meets certain criteria (width, orientation, etc.). Grid layout involves designing a site based around imaginary structural columns. With some quick math, we can create code that is percentage based instead of fixed pixels. Combining these two concepts gives us ONE site that works on a desktop and scales all the way down to mobile screen, even if the layout needs to change along the way.

Why is this important? The total amount of website hits from a mobile device is doubling every year. As of January 2012, the global number was around 10%. If that seems somewhat low, realize it does not include tablets which would compound millions more page views each year into what most people would consider a mobile device. Web developers need to not only adapt themselves but also the process in how they display information to a growing number of users.

Earlier we talked about removing content on smaller screens and why that might not be the best idea. While it is physically possible to hide sections with the use of media queries, the code is still there. We need another fundamental shift in the design process to now ask ourselves "If this is not important for mobile, is it really that important for desktop users?" Answering this question can drastically influence every facet of production as we further focus the site to give the absolute best experience to each visitor.

Current Topics in Graphic Design and Animation

March 2012

Is HTML5 the end of Flash?

There has been a lot of talk and speculation about the future of HTML5 and Adobe Flash. Many professional web developers claim that Flash is the thing of the past and will not be a part of the web development future. One of the reasons for Flash's demise is the mobile devices. For example, Flash is not supported on Apple devices like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Adobe also announced that though it will still support Flash for certain desktop applications, it will no longer support it for "new mobile device configurations". Though there are a number of other reasons as to why flash may be on its way out, we are not going to speculate more on that. Instead, we are focusing on future alternative animation tools.

Toolkit for CreateJS

The Adobe Flash Professional Toolkit for CreateJS is an extension/plugin that will allow designers to continue to leverage many commonly used animation and drawing tools of Flash Professional. The assets can then be exported to a nicely formatted, readable and editable JavaScript code through CreateJS, an open source framework that provides a comprehensive set of JavaScript libraries—including graphics, sound, preloading and animation.

There are 4 important unanswered questions regarding "Toolkit for CreateJS" for Adobe Flash.

• When will it be released?
• How well will it work once it's released? What type of animations can be converted to JS and HTML5?
• Will it work with CS3, 4 and 5 or only with new Flash CS6?
• Will it work with ActionScript3 only? or can it work with AS2?

tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-technology-sneaks-2012/export-to-html5-from-flash-professional

blogs.adobe.com/creativelayer/2012/02/28/html5-flash-professional/#more

www.dwcourse.com/dreamweaver/flash-cs6-to-html5.php

Adobe Edge

Adobe Edge is a new web motion and interaction design tool that allows designers to bring animated content to websites, using web standards like HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3.

Edge is an intuitive tool for creating motion content (or animation) that runs on mobile devices as well as desktop browsers. Just like Flash, Edge has a properties-based timeline. So it's easier to use for someone that lacks expert coding experience.

Preview 4 adds Symbols, the ability to create reusable objects that animate and interact independently of the main composition. Other key additions are support for web font services, and Element Display, which lets you manage how long elements are displayed on the stage.

Symbols

• Create nested animations with independent timelines and interactive capabilities.
• Programmatically control symbols via exposed APIs and pre-built code snippets.
• Edit symbol definitions in the same manner as working with other objects.
• Specify whether or not a symbol should autoplay or not.
• Control playback functionality at the playhead location, such as play or stop commands.
• Scrub or play the timeline to scrub symbols, which will follow symbol commands and autoplay definitions.
• Easily access symbol definitions and instances in the new Library Panel.

Web Fonts

• Add richer typography to your compositions by integrating a web font service.
• Edge supports services like FontSquirrel, Google Web Fonts, Typekit, and more.
• Access newly added fonts from the list of available fonts.
• Define a font fallback list for users who don't have the font in your composition.

Element Display

Control how long an element is displayed, so they only appear when needed. By default, elements are always on, even if they're off the stage. They can be configured to be "off" (equivalent to display="none"), removing them from the HTML rendering tree and reducing resources.

Performance

• A common version of WebKit for Mac and Windows provides a more consistent stage experience across platforms and improves performance.
• In-app playback performance has been improved, especially on Windows.

It is important to know that Adobe Edge is not even in Beta yet so new previews are released every month or so. Adobe has so far released 4 preview versions and they are not only doing minor revisions and add-ons but will occasionally take out major features of the application, change the code etc.

A few reasons for Flash's alleged demise

• Apple decided it wouldn't include or support it on the iPhone. The argument was that it wasn't properly optimized for mobile devices, and used too much valuable battery life.
• Microsoft announced that its Windows 8 will be HTML5 based and will NOT support plugins like Flash.
• Adobe announces that though it will still support Flash for certain desktop applications, it will no longer support it for "new mobile device configurations". Adobe will increase its investment in supporting HTML5.

www.computerworlduk.com/advice/applications/3317740/flash-is-dying-but-what-will-your-business-site-use-after-its-gone

"HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively. This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms. We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers."

Danny Winokur, Adobe's VP and general manager of interactive development

Below is a link to some FAQs that might be helpful regarding the future of Adobe Flash and HTML5…

prodesigntools.com/the-future-of-adobe-flash-and-html5.html

For another perspective of the future of Flash check out Paul Trani's Flash for Higher Education.

paultrani.com/2012/03/flash-for-higher-education

Current Topics in Application Development

February 2012

Android tablets are beginning to be taken seriously due to providing many alternatives to Apple's iPad. The alternatives include tablets with lower costs, higher specs (more ports, more upgrade-ability), smaller more portable screens, integrated keyboards and every combination in between. In most of 2010 through the first half of 2011, Android tablet makers tried to out-spec Apple and sell the units at the same price with limited success. But in the second half of 2011, the tablet industry learned a lot from HP's failed Touchpad. People will buy a non Apple tablet if the price is right. HP had a fire sale on their Touchpad to eliminate remaining inventory and they sold like hot cakes at $99. Two devices in particular capitalized on the desire for low cost tablets, Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble's Nook Tablet. Amazon launched the Kindle Fire for $199 with mediocre hardware specs and sales have been very good. Barnes and Noble launched the $250 Nook Tablet with better hardware specs than the Kindle Fire and has seen good sales, but they seem to be hurting their own brick and mortar operation. Both of these devices run a highly customized version of Android and only support apps from their respective markets.

The Android tablet market should be interesting to watch for the next few months and years. A new device is coming soon from ASUS, the Memo 370T, which is slated to sell for $250 and will have high-end hardware specs, and will run the standard Android OS with access to the standard Google Market. The next version of the Blackberry OS is going to support running Android Apps. Microsoft is going to earnestly enter the tablet market with Windows 8 which already has add-ons to support Android Apps.

Android Tablet Pros

There are a lot of alternatives to the iPad. Each alternative will fill a market need. Android Ice Cream Sandwich v4.0 has the promise to unify the Android OS's (Tablet and Phone OS). Apps can be written once to work on both platforms with relatively small adjustments. Google is also putting restrictions on how much manufactures can modify the user interface.

Android Tablet Cons

Some tablets run the Phone OS (Ginger Bread v 2.3) while others run the Tablet OS (Honey Comb v 3.x). Some apps don't run on Honey Comb (this gap is quickly being filled). Oddly the tablets that run Ginger Bread can run the most apps, but they are not optimized for a larger screen. This is a problem since these devices tend to have 7" screens. Manufacturers are putting custom overlays onto the devices so they can differentiate between other competitors. These overlays cause problems such as app compatibility issues and users can have a hard time learning the different interfaces.

Android tablets eating into iPad dominance While Apple takes a fall

"Tablets riding the wave of popularity

Between October and December 2011, Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads while Android tablet shipments reached 10.5 million.

There has been a dramatic increase in demand for tablet computers in the last year. In 2010 at total of 18.6 million tablets were shipped, compared to 2011 which saw a boom in popularity resulting in 66.9 million shipments."

Kindle Fire Drives Android Tablet Growth

"It might not be an iPad killer, but Amazon's Kindle Fire is having an impact on the tablet market.

In fact, it might already be the most popular Android tablet available in the U.S. market, according to data from Flurry. The in-app analytics firm said the Fire accounted for 35.7 percent of app-usage sessions in January, just two months after its launch, beating out the Samsung Galaxy Tab from which 35.6 percent of sessions originated. In November, the Fire accounted for 3 percent of sessions, and the Galaxy Tab: 63 percent."

Current Topics in Instructional Design

January 2012

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. Here is a link to over 300 resources including blogs, publications, podcasts and presentations related to instructional design.

Instructional Design Central (IDC) is dedicated towards providing instructional design professionals, educators, and students access to instructional designer resources, information, learning opportunities, and community services. Instructional Design Central provides instructional designers with the following instructional designer resources: instructional design jobs, instructional design degrees, instructional design conferences, instructional design sites, instructional design definitions, instructional design history, instructional design models, and instructional design forums.

Learning Technology Trends To Watch In 2012. As the technologies of the 21st century evolve and mature, we become the beneficiaries of exciting approaches for designing learning experiences. The convergence of informal and social media learning, combined with the explosion of smartphone and tablet use, is having a huge impact on how we think about training and education.

Contexts and Choices: Learning Strategies in 2012. By all indications, 2012 will be an even more interesting year than 2011 was. A number of trends that have been building since 2010 now appear to be ready for prime time, particularly for the early mainstream. This article from Learning Solutions magazine takes a look at the trends, developments, and identifies what instructional designers want to do in the next few months to leverage the new technologies as they come online.

Current Topics in Support

November 2011

One of the biggest challenges that support staff face is obtaining an accurate description of what an end user is experiencing. An end user providing an accurate description of the issues they are facing is important and will enable the support staff to quickly and efficiently resolve any given issue. In some cases, the description is lacking and other tools are necessary in order to better help the end user. It's because of these reasons that screen-sharing technology is a great way to troubleshoot any issue that may arise. Using screen-sharing software can help lower frustration levels on the end users as well as support staff members. There are many options available when it comes to screen sharing software. Three options are described below:

www.mikogo.com - This website connects to our clients through the web. There is a minimal download that needs to occur once a client goes to the website and clicks on join session. With Mikogo not only can you view the screen of the end user, but you can also request remote keyboard and mouse control. This eliminates the frustrating situation of trying to support someone blind. Once you have solved the problem, remote control can be disabled and you can continue with your session. The screen switching capability is something that is 100% under the control of the support staff.

join.me – In addition to having the same functionality as mikogo.com, Join.Me offers an option where you can create a unique website where your clients can share their screen. In this case, an end user can visit a unique URL that will take them to the screen sharing session. Once there, the support staff has the ability to make the end user a presenter which enables support staff to view their screen. Much like other screen sharing software, there is a minimal download that needs to occur in order for the end user to show their screen.

www.gotoassist.com - GoToAssist lets you view and control your customer's computer online, so you can use your expertise to fix a technical problem instantly. Resolve the issue, keep your customer satisfied and move on to the next task. The more issues you can handle online, the less time you'll have to spend on the road. The end result: improved call resolution times, lower support costs, and a trustful customer experience.

Current Topics in Technology

October 2011

Knowing how to use the Internet begins with the basics of understanding it. Two of the following links to resources will help the individual and students in a school program gain the necessary basic understanding of using the Internet. The third link will help organizations take measures to keep their local network secure and work towards preventing malicious activity.

20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web

This is a short guide for anyone who's curious about the basics of browsers and the web. It can serve as a great introduction to any newcomer to the Internet, and a good review for others.

Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual

OSSTMM (Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual) is a peer-reviewed methodology for performing security tests and metrics. The OSSTMM test cases are divided into five channels (sections) which collectively test: information and data controls, personnel security awareness levels, fraud and social engineering control levels, computer and telecommunications networks, wireless devices, mobile devices, physical security access controls, security processes, and physical locations such as buildings, perimeters, and military bases.

The OSSTMM focuses on the technical details of exactly which items need to be tested, what to do before, during, and after a security test, and how to measure the results. New tests for international best practices, laws, regulations, and ethical concerns are regularly added and updated.

Hacker High School

This is a program to teach kids and teens security awareness and critical, Internet research skills. The program contains free security and privacy awareness teaching materials and back-end support for teachers of accredited elementary, junior high, and high schools. There are 12 workbooks, all available in Spanish and English. These are lessons that challenge teens to be as resourceful as hackers, including safe Internet use, web privacy, using the Internet for research, avoiding viruses and Trojans, legalities and ethics, and more.

WIU Mobile Update

WIU Mobile version 1.1, Western Illinois University's Mobile app, is now available for Apple and Android devices. The update, which launched Oct. 14, includes a link to the Zimbra mobile edition, as well as an interactive campus directory.

Zimbra mobile puts WIU e-mail, calendars and contacts at the users' fingertips with the click of a button (authentication is required). The campus directory allows users to search for contact information for students, faculty and staff on campus, and each contact can be clicked to email or call the person directly from WIU Mobile.

WIU Mobile was launched in April 2011. The updated app includes Zimbra, the campus directory, an interactive WIU Macomb campus map, the latest University news and events, campus dining center menus and nutritional information on meals being served, computer lab workstation availability (in real time) and University contact information for numerous departments and services.

The app can be downloaded at no charge from the Apple iTunes App Store and the Android Market. Western's Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT) designed and developed WIU Mobile in collaboration with Western's GIS Center, University Technology and Web Support Services.

The minimum requirements to download the WIU Mobile app include Apple iOS v4.2 or Android v2.1 and Internet access via wireless connectivity or a cellular data plan.

More information about WIU Mobile can be found at wiu.edu/wiumobile.

Current Topics in Web Development

September 2011

Getting rusty - we need new best practices for a different development world

Front-end web coding changes on a daily basis. With the upcoming and current implementations of HTML5 and CSS3, web developers always need to be aware of the state of standards and also open to evolving while these technologies progress.

Christian Heilmann takes us through a history of web standards and offers an exciting but difficult glimpse into the future. Even as little as one year ago, our code was dissected, separated, and setup to be as independently productive as possible.

As technologies continue to intertwine and become more robust, we are again coming to a state where web standards looked earlier in the game.

Not only is it web developers' duty to change with the times, it should also be their passion. We need to be both leaders and followers and help foster in a new era of web development.

Pure CSS3 Spiderman Cartoon w/ jQuery and HTML5 – Look Ma, No Flash!

Anthony gives us an early look at how some day in the future, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript may replace Flash. Please be aware that the technologies used in this animation only work in newer versions of Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

the expressive web

The expressive web gives in-depth visual examples to current and upcoming HTML5 and CSS3 techniques. Play games, watch videos, and see other ways the web is changing before our eyes. Again, remember that many of these features only work properly in newer versions of Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. You can even use this as motivation to try out a new browser!

Current Topics in Graphic Design and Animation

July 2011

Graphics and Animation Resources

In any profession having a good set of tools readily available is essential. Below are a few such tools that the Graphics/Animation team find valuable. These tools are not just for Graphic Artists and Animators. Web designers, App Developers, Instructional Designers, etc. will also find them useful. Best of all, they're free.

Typography

WhatFont Tool

WhatFont Tool is the easiest way to find out the fonts used in a webpage. Full support: Firefox 3.6+, Chrome 9+, Safari 4+, Internet Explorer 9. Limited support: Internet Explorer 8.

Typetester

The Typetester is an online application for comparison of the fonts for the screen.

Color

Kuler

Explore, create, and share color themes.

Color Scheme Designer

This is another really helpful website that helps you pick color schemes. You pick your main color and then you can determine other colors you'd like to use, like compliments or triads. It also gives you examples of real world applications.

Icons

Genfavicon

A favicon (short for 'favorites icon'), are little icons associated with a particular website or webpage, shown next to the site's name in the URL bar of most browsers. This site lets you easily generate a favicon from an existing image.

Icon Finder

Current Topics in Application Development

June 2011

JavaScript on the Server (NodeJS)

JavaScript on the server is nothing new. The first implementation was created by Netscape in 1996. So what's different about NodeJS that got the attention of big companies like Google and Yahoo?

To put it simply: Non-blocking I/O (Input/Output).

Blocking I/O occurs when a program requests data (from a hard drive, network, user…) and has to wait and do nothing until the request for the resource has been completed.

Non-blocking I/O "is a form of input/output processing that permits other processing to continue before the transmission has finished. For example, during a disk operation that takes ten milliseconds to perform, a processor that is clocked at one gigahertz could have performed ten million instruction-processing cycles." [1]

This is possible because NodeJS uses an event loop instead of threads, and this is a very good thing "because I/O is more expensive than most code and we should be doing something better than just waiting for I/O." [2] Blocking the execution of a program of thread is actually a really bad design that worked fine in the past, but not anymore. "We're doing I/O completely wrong. We really got scr*** up at some stage, and we could be doing it differently and things could be much easier than they are." [3]

Non-blocking I/O can be implemented with any language, so why did Node's author decide to use Javascript? Because even popular programming languages like C are not appropriate for an event loop, "in C you don't have the language features that make writing with callbacks nice, you don't have closures and you don't have anonymous functions. So doing this sort of event programming becomes very tiresome." [4] Yet it is a whole different story for the language of the web "It's browser Javascript. Man, they got it right. They really got it right. It's just amazing. It's designed specifically to be used within the event loop." [5]

If this is not enough to inspire you to learn more about this new event-driven, non-blocking I/O framework, let me leave you with Douglas Crockford's take on Node: "Software development is hampered by a specific set of design mistakes that were made in the first programming languages and repeated in everything that has been done since. And, somewhat miraculously, JavaScript is going to make it right, radically transforming the way we write applications. Again. In the Loop of History, it has all happened before, but it has never happened like this. This is why you should care about the emergence of server-side JavaScript and the excitement around projects like Node.js -- not because they're at the sharp end of a trend, but because they're paving the road toward the next big revolution in software." [6]

References

• [1] WikiPedia Asynchronous I/O
• [2] Understanding the node.js event loop
• [3] Ryan Dahl -- Introduction to NodeJS (4:55)
• [4] and [5] Ryan Dahl -- Introduction to NodeJS (15:23 and 18:01)
• [6] Douglas Crockford -- Crockford on JavaScript -- Scene 6: Loopage

Current Topics in Instructional Design

May 2011

2010 Horizon Report

The Horizon Report is an annual report describing emerging technologies and their potential applications in learning and education, produced in collaboration between The New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative.

www.opensesame.com/blog/three-technology-trends-elearning

E-Learning Trends 2011

Learning Circuits recently polled readers on how they're using e-learning in their organizations. Here's what they had to say.

www.astd.org/lc/0111_trends

eLearning Learning

An online community that is collecting and organizing the best information on the web about eLearning such as blog posts and articles.

www.elearninglearning.com

30 Top Online Resources For Instructional Designer to Keep Up With

A website that lists 30 top online blogs for instructional designers.

www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/20/30-top-online-resources-for-instructional-designers-to-keep-up

Edu-tastic Blog

Focuses on bringing readers the best in learning resources. This link highlights 13 case studies of social media in the classroom at places such as NYU, Duke, Northwestern and more.

bestonlineuniversities.com/2009/13-enlightening-case-studies-of-social-media-in-the-classroom

Leading Online Learning Initiatives in Adult Education

May 20, 2011

The Center for the Application of Information Technologies leads in the development of multiple online learning initiatives through state and national partnerships. Using GED-i, a nationally recognized adult education distance learning project, the CAIT team highlights effective tips, meaningful strategies, and promising practices related to distance education in the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association's Journal of Adult Education.

Read Article (pdf)

Current Topics in Technology

April 2011

Researchers Claim Attack Could Decimate Entire Net

Threats of viruses, Internet-based attacks, scams are prevalent in today's online society. Being aware of greater threats as found in this research is only the beginning. CAIT understands the threats that are occurring everyday, and is working hard to prevent them. Implementing security measures has always been CAIT's first step in deploying technology. And CAIT keeps updated on the latest security issues.

www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=1087&doc_id=204038&

The Global Internet is Moving to the Next Generation Internet Protocol, IPv6

The Internet that our children, and ourselves, have grown up on is changing protocols. This is the underlying technology for addressing computers on the Internet, so they can find each other. The Internet Protocol (IP) is upgrading from version 4 to version 6. This will expand the number of computers that can be addressed on the Internet from 4,294,967,296 to 340 undecillion. CAIT has its IPv6 address assignment and is readying its technology for the global move to IPv6.

Free Pool of IPv4 Address Space Depleted

IPv6 - What is it, why is it important, and who is in charge?

Internet Society sets the date for stress-testing IPv6

WIU On The Go

Western Illinois University's Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT) launched the WIU Mobile app April 18. The app can be downloaded at no charge from the Apple iTunes App Store and the Android Market.

WIU Mobile includes an interactive WIU Macomb campus map, the latest University news and events, campus dining center menus and nutritional information on meals being served, computer lab workstation availability (in real time) and University contact information for numerous departments and services. More information about the app can be found at wiu.edu/wiumobile.

"With a growing number of current and incoming students on campus with mobile devices, our goal is to provide students, prospective students and anyone with an interest in Western Illinois University with quick access to information to help them make their daily decisions," said CAIT Director Richard Chamberlain. "Mobile technologies and mobile apps represent the future of user technologies. We have literally at our fingertips devices that allow us to access a wide variety of information resources immediately. The application we developed is the first in a series of WIU-related apps that will deliver information that students and others want and add value to their Western experience."

CAIT designed and developed WIU Mobile in collaboration with Western's GIS Center, University Technology and Web Support Services.

"The development process for WIU Mobile was a team approach that included graphic artists, web developers and application developers. The team used their technical expertise, combined with mobile application research, to create this user-friendly, customizable application," said Kim Sikes, associate director at CAIT, who led the WIU Mobile development team. "We look forward to expanding the features of WIU Mobile and developing new applications in the near future."

The minimum requirements to download the WIU Mobile app include Apple iOS v4.2 or Android v2.1 and internet access via wireless connectivity or a cellular data plan.

For more information or to provide feedback, email wiumobile@wiu.edu.

Visit WIU Mobile, and enter Leatherneck Country right from your phone!

December 15, 2010

Now it's easier than ever to keep up with all the excitement at Western Illinois University, the WIU Alumni Association is pleased to announce the launch of a new mobile website and your gateway to WIU on the go. On Dec. 15, a pilot of the WIU Mobile website launched, enabling us to gather feedback and further enhance WIU's mobile presence. "By developing a new mobile site for Western's alumni and friends, we are providing the information they want quickly, with just the swipe of a finger across their Smartphone, iTouch and other mobile devices," said Brad Bainter, vice president of advancement and public services.

"It's just one more way to keep in touch with our many alumni and friends. Your phone is your gateway to all that is WIU." From the site, m.wiu.edu, keep up-to-date on WIU news, see all the great upcoming events in your area and around the country, view the many benefits and services WIU alumni receive, access the WIU Alumi Association's social media and much more right at your fingertips. "We are extremely happy to launch Western's new mobile site," said Amy Spelman, director of Alumni Programs. "Through the support from the Division of Advancement and Public Services and the hard work of the Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT), we think our alumni and friends will be amazed at all they will learn about WIU right at their fingertips. Take a minute to visit our mobile site to let us know what you think." "We are very excited to participate in the design and development of the next phase of Western's web presence," said Kim Sikes, associate director of CAIT. "By using progressive enhancement techniques we are providing a valuable experience for all mobile users whether they are using a Smartphone or a low-end device with mobile connectivity. We are pleased to support the innovation and vision of Western Illinois University by remaining in the forefront of today's technology."

PARTNERSHIP WITH ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE DEMONSTRATES UNIVERSITY'S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CORE VALUE

OCTOBER 26, 2010

MACOMB, IL – One of Western Illinois University's four core values is social responsibility, which outlines the University's commitment to social justice and serving as a resource. Keeping in line with that particular core value, the University's Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT) has partnered with the Illinois Office of the Attorney General (AG) to establish an online training program that will ensure survivors of sexual assault receive quality care and accurate evaluations.

The Illinois Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) online program will supplement in-class training for registered nurses and other professionals serving sexual assault survivors. According to the Office of the Attorney General, by educating nurses, police, prosecutors, advocates and others, survivors of sexual assault can receive better patient care and fair and accurate forensic evaluations, while the multidisciplinary approach also holds offenders accountable for their crimes.

CAIT and the AG will work collaboratively to convert approximately half of the 40-hour curriculum to an engaging online format to make this program more accessible to nurses, who typically have hectic schedules and limited funds to travel, explained CAIT Director Richard Chamberlain. The Illinois SANE program was developed by the AG office, with assistance from Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and funded by an Illinois Criminal Justice Authority grant.

"Nurses, police officers and others who work with victims of crimes are often times challenged by work schedules and may be unable to attend training that is scheduled during the traditional workday or evening. By utilizing effective online training that can be accessed at any hour of the day, this training can be available to those who must meet the needs of sexual assault survivors," Chamberlain added. "This program is another example of CAIT's commitment of using appropriate technology to meet a real need."

The project, slated for Summer 2011 completion, will provide a web-based centralized location for all training, assessments and certifications to ensure that sexual assault patients receive more compassionate care. By training nurses, the patient's trauma can be reduced and the quality of forensic evidence collection can be improved.

The Center for the Application of Information Technologies was established in 1988 as the Satellite Education Network (SEN) in the College of Education at Western to provide instructional and in-service resources to Illinois K-12 teachers and students. In July 1996, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) formally approved the establishment of the Center for the Application of Information Technologies in the College of Education and Human Services and CAIT became a separate center at the University. Today, the Center is housed under University Technology and provides innovative and practical technology solutions (web applications, mobile technology), technical consulting, and sound e-learning on campus as well as to external clients such as state agencies, educational institutions, businesses, and public agencies.

Some of CAIT's clients include Illinois D.C. Department of Children and Family Services, Washington DC -Child and Family Services Agency, Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, McDonald's Corp., Philadelphia School District, Illinois Century Network, the United States Department of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Attorney General's office.

For more information on the SANE program visit www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/victims/sane.html

For more information about CAIT, contact info@cait.org

WIU CONTINUES ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES (DCFS)

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

MACOMB, IL – Five years ago Western Illinois University's Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT) and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) forged a partnership to build an online training center for more than 110,000 DCFS employees, foster parents, mandated reporters of abuse and neglect, and residential facilities staff. Today, the partnership continues as CAIT and DCFS have further enhanced the Virtual Training Center (VTC) to better serve the agency's changing needs.

According to CAIT Director Richard Chamberlain, the VTC is a fully integrated, comprehensive, web-based training and administrative processes system that is accessible by caseworkers, supervisors and foster parents to meet the agency's mandated training requirements. The online center allows DCFS administrators and staff to facilitate internal business processes. "Not only does this system provide training anytime and anyplace to allow caseworkers and foster parents to access training, review their transcripts, as well as access library resources, it has also streamlined DCFS's trainings process for efficiency, cost effectiveness and faster reporting," Chamberlain noted. "The just-in-time, access-anywhere model provides access to a diverse group of users and provides DCFS administrative staff ready access to information on its broad operations."

This year CAIT and DCFS are creating three new online courses, as well as an assessment center that allows employees and trainees to complete online assessments for certification/recertification.

"This project will change the way we conduct testing, and ultimately has tremendous potential to save time and money for the agency. This year, we are intensely focused on building the on-line assessment center to meet our automated testing and certification needs for the future." Judy Howard, LCSW, Administrator of the VTC Project for the DCFS Office of Training and Professional Development

The Center for the Application of Information Technologies was established in 1988 as the Satellite Education Network (SEN) in the College of Education at Western to provide instructional and in-service resources to Illinois K-12 teachers and students. In July 1996, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) formally approved the establishment of the Center for the Application of Information Technologies in the College of Education and Human Services and CAIT became a separate center at the University. Today, the Center is housed under University Technology and provides innovative and practical technology solutions (web applications, mobile technology), technical consulting, and sound e-learning on campus as well as to external clients such as state agencies, educational institutions, businesses and public agencies.

Some of CAIT's clients include Illinois and Washington D.C. Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, McDonald's Corp., Philadelphia School District, Illinois Century Network, the United States Department of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Attorney General's office.

For more information about CAIT, contact info@cait.org

WIU, METRA RIDING THE RAILS TO A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP

AUGUST 16, 2010

MACOMB, IL – What does an educational institution and a passenger rail service have in common? They both get people where they want to go. And now, the two entities have joined forces to further advance services.

Western Illinois University's Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT) and Metra Railroad have partnered to design and launch the rail service's first online training for supervisors. According to CAIT Director Richard Chamberlain, after successfully launching their first online training, Metra decided to expand its partnership with CAIT to build a customized online training system to increase training efficiency and provide for more convenience, safety, security and flexibility.

"The project with Metra exemplifies what CAIT does best. Using the instructional designers, software engineers, design staff and technical expertise at CAIT, we are able to provide a cost-effective, state-of-the-art solution to a critical training need for Metra," Chamberlain said. "Additionally, we provide an efficient way for Metra, a state agency, to have an even better trained staff to serve the people of Illinois."

The project, slated for Fall 2011 completion, will provide a web-based centralized location for all training records, certifications, training communication, announcements, employee transcripts, resources and forms, online assessments and mandatory data reports. With a few mouse clicks, Metra administrators will be able to demonstrate compliance with Federal Railroad Agency and Department of Transportation mandated trainings, and demonstrating eligibility for state and federal funding.

The Center for the Application of Information Technologies was established in 1988 as the Satellite Education Network (SEN) in the College of Education at Western to provide instructional and in-service resources to Illinois K-12 teachers and students. In July 1996, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) formally approved the establishment of the Center for the Application of Information Technologies in the College of Education and Human Services and CAIT became a separate center at the University.

Since its inception, CAIT has been involved in computer networking, instructional development and the effective use of media. CAIT has developed a variety of technical and process systems that support the dynamic web interactions that are the feature of its web-based projects.

Some of CAIT's clients include Illinois and Washington D.C. Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, McDonald's Corp., Philadelphia School District, Illinois Century Network, the United States Department of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Attorney General's office.

For more information about CAIT, contact info@cait.org