UMUC

School of Undergraduate Studies

Teaching Tools

TAD Center

Faculty living within the metropolitan Washington D.C. area may borrow equipment from the Teaching Aid Distribution (TAD) Center to use in teaching for University of Maryland University College (UMUC). The TAD Center, located at the Adelphi headquarters, provides technical and logistic support for faculty who use equipment or software for teaching purposes.

Why use a laptop?

Laptops may be used in the classroom to

  • present course material (Powerpoint).
  • demonstrate software.
  • access the Internet from an active classroom jack.
  • present student projects.

Hardware/Software Inventory

Hardware Software
  • Laptop Computer
  • LCD Projector
  • Overhead Projector
  • VCR
  • Digital Camera
  • Video Camera
  • Slide Projector
  • Zip Drive
  • Tape Recorder
  • CD Burner
  • Windows 2002 (XP)
  • Microsoft Office Professional Suite
    • Word
    • Excel
    • Access
    • Powerpoint
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Microsoft Front Page
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Netscape
  • Internet Explorer
  • Winzip

Procedure for Borrowing Equipment

The equipment in the TAD Center is to be used for UMUC business by faculty living within the metropolitan Washington D.C. area. Equipment must be picked up and returned by the individual faculty. It may be borrowed on a short-term or semester-long basis by following the procedure below.

  • Contact your Academic Department. Provide the following information:
    • name
    • course(s) assigned to teach for the semester (number and section)
    • phone number
    • e-mail address
    • date for pickup
    • date for return
  • Semester Request. Pickup and return is based on the start and end date of the semester. Equipment is ready for pickup the first day of classes and must be returned on the last day of classes.
  • Short-term Request. Allow two days for the request to be processed.
  • If you wish, you may call the TAD Center to be sure your equipment is ready. The number is 301-985-7019.

Pickup/Return

All equipment is housed in the TAD Center located in the Student and Faculty Services Center (SFSC), Room 1238.  You will be asked to show your UMUC identification card and a valid driver’s license.  A check-out form will need your signature.

It is assumed that all equipment will be returned promptly on the due date.

The TAD Center is open during business hours from 8 am to 4:30 pm.  After business hours, support is provided by Computer Operations located in the Inn and Conference Center (ICC), Room 0131.  Check the TAD Center message board located at SFSC 1238 for additional instructions.

Additional questions can be sent to instructionaltech@umuc.edu  or call 301-985-7400.

Computer Labs

Facilities

UMUC provides both teaching labs and open labs for homework. The facilities are located throughout Maryland—Adelphi, Andrews, Annapolis, Bolling, Shady Grove, and Waldorf. Faculty interested in scheduling a teaching lab should contact instructionaltech@umuc.edu.

Lab Assistants

Lab Assistants are staffed in the open labs. The assistants can help the user with general system problems, error codes, and matters of program syntax. If they cannot solve a problem, they will refer it to a member of the UNIX systems staff for further study. Lab assistants cannot interpret student assignments, debug programs, or complete student projects. Students requiring assistance with course content or specific software packages should consult their instructor or the TA assigned to the course.

Valid ID

In order to use an open lab, all users must present their validated ID (with a semester sticker) to the lab assistant. The labs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

WebTycho

Online Course Delivery

WebTycho was developed by UMUC to deliver courses online via the World Wide Web. Learn more about WebTycho by logging in as a "guest" and taking the "orientation."

Open up your browser.
Go to: tychousa.umuc.edu
Login: umuc guest
Password: umuc
Click: Orientation

Account Creation

Personal logins and passwords are automatically assigned to users when they begin to teach online or face-to-face. This information is sent via e-mail to the new user. For additional information, go to Account Creation.

Technical Support

Access the WebTycho Help and Support site for technical support. Be sure to check the help links listed below.

Checklist Set Up Checklist
Using the features Faculty Guide
What's new WebTycho News

Certification

Certification to teach online is accomplished through a five-week, online training course offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Faculty may enroll in the training through the online registration available on the CTL site. All online faculty must be certified.

Enhancement

Face-to-face courses also use WebTycho to provide supplemental enhancement or enrichment to the classroom experience. Workshops on using WebTycho as an enhancement are conducted throughout year either online or face-to-face. Contact instructionaltech for more information.

Center for Support of Instruction (CSI)

The Center for Support of Instruction (CSI) works with faculty members and academic administrators in adopting, integrating, and appropriately using online teaching tools, strategies, and best practices. CSI also provides a variety of media services through its Media Lab.

DE Oracle @ UMUC

The DE Oracle @ UMUC is a bimonthly ezine published by the Center for Support of Instruction that provides numerous articles, tutorials, tips, and links to outside resources focusing on online course delivery.