Here is some generic advice for faculty when posting scanned PDF files online in Blackboard or Moodle or the web: make them small and short.

Make them small

Make them small by scanning in the lowest possible resolution. High resolution scans make it MORE difficult to view on a computer screen, which needs a high contrast document.

The usual high resolution mode of scanners for text is 16 million shades of gray, which makes a document much harder, not easier, to read on a computer screen, as opposed to paper. High resolution works fine for images, but is detrimental to text.

Compare the two samples on the image above: on the left is a high resolution scan with many shades of gray, and on the right is a low resolution, high contrast scan with few shades of gray.

Make them short

Make the selections short: 10 to 12 pages of text is about the maximum you want in one scanned file.  This makes it quicker to download, and it is far more likely to be read.  Long articles and book chapters can usually be split in two pretty easily when scanning.

Optimal size for a PDF would be under 10 Megabytes. Anything over 20 is starting to get big. Anything over 50 will be a big problem and should be avoided.

More…

• How to Create PDF files directly from Word and other documents
• How to use the Scanners in the Media Lab in the Tech Center

Yesterday afternoon the Faculty Senate voted unanimously to approve the LMIS Committee recommendation that UPS adopt Moodle as our new Learning Management System.

New UPS Chief Technology Officer Molly Tamarkin has proposed we adopt the name “Move To Moodle” for the project of rolling out Moodle over the next year to two years. The move will be gradual. Over the summer, OIS will form a technical team to plan and manage the conversion process.

For more information please visit the Moodle page.

Instructional Technology has worked over the last two years to respond to faculty input from the LMIS Committee to evaluate our Learning Management System needs. Many thanks to all Moodle testers, faculty and students (over 350 of you), for your hard work and willingness to take the lead, to experiment, and to put up with the inevitable difficulties that come with pioneering.