Software Overview

Below is a list of available software in the OIT Labs and a brief overview of their functions. If you have questions regarding the specific versions available, please contact the OIT at oit@calumet.purdue.edu or 219-989-2873.

Adobe Suite
Assessment/Evaluation Software
Blackboard
CPS/eInstruction
iLife Suite
Inspiration Software
Microsoft Office
Additonal Software

Adobe Suite

• Acrobat
  Acrobat is used primarily to scan documents directly to an Acrobat PDF, or Portable Document File. It can also be used to save files from other programs, such as Word to PDF. This is the best format to use for files you want others to view, but not edit.
• Connect
  Adobe Connect can be used to deliver lectures at a distance. Instructors who are out-of-town can deliver a class online to their students. If they teach in a computer equipped classroom, they can also bring in guest speakers to talk to their students, using a headset/microphone and a web cam. Some instructors use these live meeting sessions as virtual office hours to answer students’ questions. All Connect sessions can be recorded easily and instructors can make the links available to those students who weren’t able to attend the session. With the newest release, Connect also offers breakout rooms, the editing and downloading of recordings, and additional options for managing access and entry.
  
  

  Adobe Connect Presentation allows instructors to create Flash-based objects using PowerPoint. These learning objects can include narration and assessments. Adobe Connect Presentations can be imported into your Blackboard course. Adobe Connect Live is a synchronous collaboration tool that includes videoconferencing, application-sharing, live poling, chat, whiteboard, and presentations. Adobe Connect Live sessions may be saved, archived and published for later viewing.

  For more information: https://www.itap.purdue.edu/tlt/gomeet/index.cfm

• Dreamweaver
  Dreamweaver is a professional environment for building Web applications. A Web application is a collection of pages that interact with each other and with various resources on a Web server, including databases. Dreamweaver is also a professional editor for creating and managing Web sites.
• Illustrator
  Adobe Illustrator software allows you to create sophisticated artwork for virtually any medium. Industry-standard drawing tools, flexible color controls, and professional type controls help you capture your ideas and experiment freely, while timesaving features such as easier-to-access options let you work quickly and intuitively.
• InDesign
  Adobe InDesign is a desktop publishing software application which can be used to create anything from posters, flyers, and brochures to full magazines or books.
• Photoshop
  Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program. It is the current and primary market leader for commercial image manipulation software.
• Fireworks
  Fireworks is the solution for professional Web Graphics Design and production. Use Fireworks to create, edit, and animate Web Graphics, add advanced interactivity, and optimize images in a professional environment. Fireworks combines both bitmap and vector editing tools.
• Flash
  The Flash package contains a variety of media to help you learn the program quickly and become proficient in creating your own Flash Player movies.

Assessment/Evaluation Software

• Respondus
  Respondus is a powerful application for creating and managing exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to Blackboard. Respondus includes time-saving features such as a Windows-style editor, spell checking, a mathematical equation editor, multimedia support, one-click archiving of exam, the ability to move an exam from one eLearning system to another, and so much more.
• SPSS 15.0
  SPSS 15.0 is a computer program used for statistical analysis.
• TestPilot 3
  TestPilot is an online testing and survey tool. TestPilot is used to create online tests and anonymous surveys with various types of questions, such as fill in the blank, multiple choice, and matching.

Blackboard

Blackboard is Purdue University Calumet’s online course management system. It offers a manageable way for students to access course content that is given in class such as assignments, syllabi, lecture notes, hyperlinks, schedules and articles. Blackboard provides instructors and students with online access to do coursework when and where they choose.  No specialized programming or HTML knowledge is required to design a Blackboard course or to utilize its content and tools.

CPS/eInstruction

The eInstruction Classroom Performance System (CPS) is an easy-to-use radio frequency response system that allows instructors to obtain immediate feedback from every student. eInstruction provides new ways for instructors to engage and interact with students. With this system, you can take attendance electronically; collect data from students and organize it instantly; poll your class for anonymous student responses and immediate feed back; and administer multiple choice and numeric quizzes and exams, instantly uploading the grades.

Click here for instructions on how to set up your Blackboard course with CPS/eInstruction.

iLife Suite

iLife Suite is for Mac only and includes various Apple programs such as iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and Garage Band.

• iTunes
  iTunes is Apple’s digital media player and is used to organize and browse your entire digital collection including music and videos.
• iPhoto
  iPhoto is used to manage and arrange all your photos.
• iMovie
  iMovie is used to organize, edit, and create your personal videos.
• iDVD
  iDVD is for creating your own DVD’s to play back on your TV, Mac or PC.
• iWeb
  iWeb helps you design your own website.
• Garage Band
  Garage Band enables you to write music, record a song, and learn how to play an instrument.

Inspiration Software

Inspiration 8 and Kidspiration 3 are both visual learning tools for that are best known for building graphic organizers, such as concept maps, mind maps, idea maps, diagrams and webs. Kidspiration is focused more for students from kindergarten through 5^th grade. (Available on Mac only)

Microsoft Office

• Microsoft Access 2007 (2008 for Mac)
  Access can be used by programmers and non-programmers to create their own database solutions.
• Microsoft Excel 2007 (2008 for Mac)
  Excel is a spreadsheet program. Excel is primarily used to calculate and analyze numerical data. Excel may also be used to create graphs and charts from numerical data.
• Microsoft Outlook 2007 (Entourage for Mac)
  Microsoft Outlook is the supported e-mail client at Purdue Calumet. All faculty are provided with Outlook accounts to use for their e-mail needs.
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 (2008 for Mac)
  PowerPoint is a presentation program. PowerPoint is primarily used to create electronic presentations. It can also be used to create printed presentations on paper and transparency.
• Microsoft Publisher 2007 (Not available for Mac)
  Publisher is a desktop publishing program. Publisher is primarily used to create graphic-intense documents such as banners, posters, and flyers.
• Microsoft Word 2007 (2008 for Mac)
  Word is a word processing program. It can also be used to create flyers, posters, labels, etc.

Additional Software

• Nero 6 Ultra Edition
  Nero 6 is the software used in conjunction with the CD Burners. Refer to help sheets on Creating CD’s for more information.
• Open Mind 2.0
  Open Mind is a learning tool that instructors and students can use to map out ideas, lessons, reports, books, etc. in a logical way.
• Scansoft OmniPage Pro 16.0
  OmniPage is an Object Character Recognition (OCR) program. OmniPage is used primarily to scan text documents and then convert them into word format. It can also be used to save files in Excel and other program formats. This is the best program to use to scan printed text documents into a format that can be edited electronically.
• Screencorder
  ScreenCorder is a tool for streaming and archiving video screen captures. However, it is robust and flexible enough to suit a broad variety of needs. For instance, its first use was to stream live video from university TA sessions and maintain archives of these videos. Since then, it has grown to include several output methods (record to file, push and archive to a Windows Media streaming server, stream directly from the encoding machine) and a myriad of niceties for managing screen captures.