myU Portal
Definition
myU is a portal, a tool that enables participants to asynchronously get personalized information, interact with friends and colleagues, and create and distribute dynamic Web content.
Every person who signs in to myU can utilize its powerful Web page development toolkit to easily view, create, and share Web pages, bulletin board discussions, interactive forms, instant polls, shared calendars, and many other kinds of Web-based materials and interactions. myU also enables users to view a variety of news channels from around the world. In addition, myU accesses important information from dozens of databases from around the University of Minnesota, deciphers which information is pertinent to you, and displays that information in one convenient location.
Educational Uses
Discussions
myU contains a built-in discussion tool. Discussions help students explore course content, share ideas, and critically assess various points of view.
Polls and Self-Tests
myU also has a Poll tool that makes the creation of polls a relatively easy task. Self-tests (like those created in Macromedia Flash) can be easily uploaded and displayed on Portal my Toolkit pages. Once these activities are produced they can be reused repeatedly with modest revisions dictated by changes in course content. An important challenge to instructors is to create self-tests and polls that are both engaging and "intelligent." Well-constructed self-tests anticipate common errors or misconceptions and provide thoughtful and specific feedback for incorrect answers. Engaging polls offer several plausible options that challenge students to seriously reflect before selecting an answer.
Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning tasks require students to work cooperatively in small groups of up to eight to achieve specific goals set by the instructor. Tasks range from simply sharing views of an idea or situation provided by the instructor to completing substantial, long-term, student-generated projects over the course of a semester. Ironically, although students typically dislike group work, there is substantial evidence supporting it as a very effective teaching strategy. In light of this fact, some explanation to students regarding the expected pedagogical benefits of group work may be warranted. myU tools, like the Discussion, Document, New Page, Image Item, and Task List, enable groups to work together more conveniently and efficiently.
Issues
Instructors should be aware of some issues when they use this technology for teaching and learning.
- Currently, course lists cannot be automatically uploaded into the Portal. Instructors have to manually create course groups and assign students to the groups.
- Students need to initially sign in to the Portal before they can be added to a course group.
Resources
The following sources may help you use and teach with this type of tool.
The Digital Doorway to the U
Martha Coventry in an UMNews article published on October 21, 2005, explains what a portal is and how the myU Portal works. The article includes quotations from a student user and Portal sponsors and administrators, as well as links to customized faculty, staff, and student Portal home pages.
myU Help
This page includes links to step-by-step written instructions and animated demonstrations about how to use the Portal.
PDF Help Documents
This page includes links to support documents published in portable document format (PDF) that describe how to create groups of Portal members, set permissions for Portal pages, and set up and use Portal tools.
Using the myU Portal
This information was published in conjunction with a spring 2005 TEL seminar about the Portal. It includes an explanation of what a portal is; screenshots of customized myU home pages for extension educators and Class of 2008 students; a bibliography of articles about the use of portals in educational settings; links to related campus resources; and a link to a UMConnect Meeting recording of the seminar.
