Over the semester break, CIT totally revamped its online publications. The CIT website and this quarterly newsletter, IDEAS, have undergone many changes. Also, we have launched a new publication that will highlight the latest developments and issues in educational technology.
CIT website
Late last semester, the CIT website underwent cosmetic surgery. The site was redesigned for a fresh look. Some of the sections were rearranged for more intuitive access. However, the biggest change is the most recent - the updates on the website are now stored on a blog.
The front page shows the most recent updates concerning CIT. Once these have moved off the front page, they are stored in the CIT Website Archives, which is powered by the Movable Type blog engine.
Using the blog to archive announcements is simple and convenient. CIT no longer needs to extract content from a website whenever the template is changed. This is because the blog separates design from content. The design can easily be changed without affecting the content.
Another advantage is that the blog provides an RSS feed. Users who are interested in the latest happenings at CIT need not visit the site regularly. Instead, they can subscribe to updates using the website's RSS feed.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to CIT website updates via email. Through email or the RSS feed, you will be kept up to date with seminar announcements, service updates and other campus educational technology developments.
The sidebar of the website also lists the latest articles in IDEAS, while an animated graphic highlights the latest headlines from Using Module Blogs.
IDEAS - CIT's quarterly newsletter
IDEAS has also had a facelift. The previous design, already three years old, was discarded in favour of a cleaner layout in NUS colours.
IDEAS has been running on a blog engine since April 2004, so it has had a RSS feed for some time. We have added email subscription, using a form on the sidebar, for those who prefer to get the latest issue of IDEAS through email.
Another new addition is the ability to comment on posts. If you have any feedback about the article, feel free to tell us about it.
CITations
Last but not least, CIT has launghed a new publication called CITations. This site will be updated more frequently than IDEAS, allowing it to be timely and to explore the boundaries of technology in education.
CITations will feature how Web 2.0 is being used in classrooms across the world, point to new educational technology resources and highlight issues in teaching and learning with technology.
The new publication has been populated with entries which were originally first published in Using Module Blogs. Since educational technology updates will be featured on CITations, Using Module Blogs will now focus on providing information on the University's academic blogging service - NUS Module Blogs.
