The College of Education at NIU has joined most other public universities in the state, many private institutions, and a growing number of community colleges as a user of LiveText. There are many important benefits to you as a LiveText user, which are explained in our Benefits document.
No, that is only one application of LiveText. Significant educational Benefits to all students in the college are the most important reason why LiveText is now required in all college programs. See our Benefits document for more details.
No, that is just one possible use for your LiveText account. It's a very important one, as more and more programs are requiring a portfolio that documents your learning before your graduate. It's also easier for most students with LiveText than with other methods. You can even create a portfolio to help you get a job or to show your growth over time. However, there are many other uses for LiveText that you will learn about in the Basic LiveText workshop.
Yes, LiveText will be used by all students enrolled in degree or certificate programs within the College of Education. Currently enrolled students must purchase a license by January 15, 2006 or sooner if a student's program has already begun implementation in its courses.
The courses in which you will be required to complete LiveText assignments is determined by each department. The professors for your programs should be able to provide you with the specifics. You should also know that regardless of whether there is a LiveText assignment required in a given course, you can still use the tool for document creation and storage.
LiveText subscriptions are available in DeKalb at the Student Center Bookstore or Village Commons Bookstore. Subscriptions can also be purchased on-line at http://college.livetext.com/
LiveText is available in two versions. The version that you need is determined by your specific program.
Unitedstreaming™ video is the largest video-on-demand service available, a part of Discovery Education (parent of the Discovery Channel). LiveText subscribers with this feature can incorporate videos and video clips into their portfolios, lesson plans, and other LiveText documents. These materials can even be used while presenting lessons in a classroom. Content is provided by prominent educational companies including Discovery Channel School, Weston Woods, TV Ontario, Sunburst, and Environmental Media. As of Fall 2005 over 2200 videos are available. For more information, visit http://www.unitedlearning.com and click on unitedstreaming.
You get unlimited use of the LiveText system, including online, backed-up storage of your work. See https://secure.livetext.com/misk5/buy?site=college and click on Service Details for additional information.
Your LiveText account must be transferred from your old institution to NIU. This request can be made by emailing support@livetext.com. Your email message will need to include the following information.
Not necessarily. Many professors continue to use both programs in the courses they teach.
The College of Education is offering workshops covering a variety of LiveText features. Information about upcoming workshops can be found on posters placed throughout Graham, Gable and Anderson Halls.
Absolutely. Each session has limited enrollment to help assure the maximum benefit for participants. Workshops with very low enrollments will be cancelled. You can register by calling Gwen Spence at 815-753-8354 or stop to see her in the Learning Center.
Yes. Look for updates on the LiveText training schedules posted on line and on the NIU campus for dates. We will be offering workshops on image management, creation of Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files, and other technology skills that are useful both inside and outside of LiveText.
Our technical staff has offered to provide training at off-site locations upon request by programs. They also are preparing alternative formats for delivering training (e.g. videotape, DVD, online). While students enrolled at off-campus sites are not required to come to DeKalb to attend a session, they certainly are welcome to do so.
The College of Education is committed to providing faculty and instructors with the training and support necessary to make their implementation a success. Support services include formal workshops and scheduled open lab times. These structured opportunities allow participants to learn how the software works, ask questions about specific issues, and discuss strategies with colleagues. In addition, individual consultation and one-on-one training sessions are also available.
LiveText is a web based subscription service which only requires your computer (either PC or Mac) to have a web browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox) and an Internet connection. No software is actually installed on your system. Since no software installation is required on the user's computer, LiveText can easily be accessed from public access computers such as those at local schools and libraries. It also means that you will have access to your LiveText documents anywhere you have access to the Internet.
LiveText enables you to create a "visitors pass" that you give to whomever you wish. Recipients can then look at only the specific document to which you are granting access, and they cannot change it. This is how potential employers can view your work during the hiring process.
Definitely not. Everything you do in LiveText is completely private until you decide to share a particular document with someone else or a group of individuals. As the creator of the material, you alone control access to it.
Absolutely! You have the ability to collaborate with any other LiveText subscriber, regardless of their institution or location. It's a world-wide user community.
