Student Resources
Technology & Educational
The School of Biomedical Informatics (SBMI) is dedicated to providing high quality information technology and distance education services to our students and faculty. We provide the following facility, software, and technology services to our students and faculty.
Computer and Web/Network Access
14th Floor Computer Lab
Whether you forget your laptop at home and need to use a computer at school or just need to check some information before heading to the TMC library, we have a place for you.
On the 14th floor of UCT (UCT 1416), we have a computer lab available for our SBMI students. The lab is in a secured room, and includes computers and printers. You will need to press the door code to get in and use your SBMI account to login to the computer. If you do not have a SBMI account, you will need to login using a guest account.
You can check with our staff at the Office of Academic Affairs (UCT 800) for the up-to-date door code and guest account information. Please remember to bring your UTHealth ID with you for verification.
SBMI Media Lab
SBMI's Media Lab is a platform that allows our faculty and students to explore, experience, develop and evaluate cutting-edge methods and technology in online education in the field of health and biomedical informatics. The lab is equipped with hardware and software for multimedia production, content development for online and mobile learning, and usability testing.
For more information about the lab, software and equipment, go to the lab web page at: http://www.uthouston.edu/sbmi/academics/media-lab.htm
Office of Academic Affairs UCT #650
Two desktop computers at UCT #650 can be used to access your student accounts.
Wireless Access
Wireless access is available on UCT floors 6, 8, and 14. You will need to use your login and have an account for wireless access. Or, if you do not have your account set up you can use guest access which is unsecured.
Software
MATLAB
MATLAB is a high-level language and interactive environment that enables you to perform computationally intensive tasks faster than with traditional programming languages such as C, C++, and Fortran.
SBMI currently owns 6 concurrent licenses which are available for our doctoral students and graduate research assistants. A set of toolboxes (as listed below) is also available for your usage. If you are interested in installing a copy on your computer please contact David Ha (713-500-3919) for your requests. MS students who are interested in installing the software need to get approval from their faculty advisor.
MATLAB Toolbox licensed by SBMI:
|
SIMULINK |
Image_Toolbox |
Fixed_Point_Toolbox |
Signal_Toolbox |
|
Bioinformatics_Toolbox |
MAP_Toolbox |
Filter_Design_Toolbox |
Symbolic_Toolbox |
|
Curve_Fitting_Toolbox |
MATLAB_Builder_for_dot_NET |
Robust_Toolbox |
Spline_Toolbox |
|
Compiler |
Neural_Network_Toolbox |
SimBiology |
Statistics_Toolbox |
|
Control_Toolbox |
Optimization_Toolbox |
Simulink_Control_Design |
VIrtual_Reality_Toolbox |
|
Fuzzy_Toolbox |
PDE_Toolbox |
Stateflow |
Wavelet_Toolbox |
EndNote
EndNote is a commercial reference management software package that is used to manage bibliographies and references when writing essays and articles.
SBMI currently owns 25 licenses which are available for our doctoral students. If you are interested in installing a copy on your computer please contact David Ha (713-500-3919) for your requests.
SPSS
SBMI has been providing students copies of SPSS for a set of courses related to research design and statistics. Since Fall 2011 semester, SBMI no longer provides the license for SPSS to students due to budget cut. Alternatively, students are encouraged to consider open source options such as R (http://www.r-project.org/) and GNU PSPP (http://www.gnu.org/s/pspp/pspp.html) for their statistics needs.
TurnitIn
TurnitIn is a company providing solutions to discourage plagiarism and facilitate rich, meaningful feedback that improves student writing skills, promotes critical thinking, and streamlines grading. To promote integrity in education, SBMI has integrated Turnitin with Moodle.
As a student, you can check the originality reports for your submission made to assignments and view papers marked with Turnitin paperless grading tool. Training video and manuals for students: https://www.turnitin.com/static/training/student.php
As an instructor, you can create a Turnitin assignment in Moodle, check the originality of submitted student paper, use rubrics for grading, and create paper assignments with peer review. Training video and manuals for instructors: http://www.turnitin.com/en_us/training/instructor-training
If you need access to or any help for using TurnitIn service, please contact SBMI Distance Education team (de@uth.tmc.edu).
Course Management System
Moodle
Moodle (http://moodle.sbmi.uth.tmc.edu/) is an open-source course management system that has been used by the School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth for distance education. A great number of courses at SBMI are hybrid or Web-based courses taught using Moodle. We host our own Moodle site in a fully serviced and secure environment and provide a range of quality support services. You can view our Moodle tutorials at the YouTube SBMI Tutorials Channel.
For any front-end questions and problems, please contact SBMI Distance Education team (de@uth.tmc.edu) for help. For any server side problems, please contact David Ha (713-500-3919) for help.
Moodle Virtual Classroom Plugin: WizIQ
WizIQ, a new virtual classroom plugin in Moodle is now available for use in courses. WizIQ provides a synchronous online learning experience similar to what you would get with Adobe Connect and more convenience. It offers interactive features such as instructor and student videos, high quality audio, text chat, whiteboard drawing, file and desktop sharing. For all these capabilities you only need a browser that has a few common plugins. Course instructor or teaching assistant with “teacher” role in the course can schedule a live session any time for lecture or for students to work on team projects. WizIQ can record part of or the whole lecture. Recordings become available and can be reviewed in Moodle immediately after the session.
Click here to access the guide for using this plugin. Please feel free to contact me, or Distance Education at de@uth.tmc.edu if you would like a brief demo or have questions/suggestions.
Moodle for Mobile
SBMI Moodle is now available as apps for mobile devices. It is not meant as a replacement for the SBMI Moodle interface but as a tool designed to work together with the SBMI Moodle site. These apps are designed to enhance student mobile learning experience. Search for the apps on Google Play or iTunes Store to find out more about the features and functions. SBMI mTouch and SBMI Mooble for iPad have slightly different look and feel. Try these apps and let us know (de@uth.tmc.edu) how well they work for you.
SBMI Mooble for android
SBMI mTouch for iPhone / iPod / iPad
SBMI Mooble for iPad / iPad mini
Note that even without the mobile apps, SBMI Moodle 2.4 now has a new skin that provides an optimized interface when viewed on a smaller screen of a mobile device.
Mahara E-Portfolio
The School of Biomedical Informatics ePortfolio system is powered by Mahara, a fully featured electronic portfolio system with social networking features to create online learning communities. A portfolio is a collection of artifacts that demonstrate student learning accomplishments. SBMI Mahara is integrated with SBMI Moodle so students can export files from any course in Moodle into a portfolio. Course instructors can use the ePortfolio system to assess student learning by giving a “Mahara Portfolio” assignment to students.
Important: SBMI Mahara can only be accessed through SBMI Moodle. Look for the link on the Moodle main page in the right hand column, or on an assignment page.
For technical support or general help, contact the SBMI Distance Education team at DE@uth.tmc.edu. For more information, check out the About page and Mahara User Guide. Short video tutorials will be created just for SBMI students and faculty, and posted in the SBMI Tutorial YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/SBMITutorials beginning Summer 2013.
SBMI Virtual Campus Second Life
The University of Texas System through a grant provided each of its campus with three virtual islands in Second Life during 2009. Since that time SBMI has built a virtual campus with faculty offices, classrooms, and a clinical health care facility that serves for both teaching and research activities.
The School of Biomedical Informatics continues to enrich students’ online learning experience using the Second Life virtual environment, for teaching and learning activities. With the initiation of the Applied Master’s degree program the use of the virtual campus continues to be used for the Health Information Technology program and as well as our other graduate level courses.
The SBMI island is currently composed of a virtual University Center Tower building housing staff, faculty and advisor offices as well as conference rooms, an amphitheater, a simulated care provider’s office, a student welcome center, an orientation area, and five indoor and outdoor classrooms. Whether you want to hold your class in an immersive learning environment or use it for research and studies it is available 24/7.
Please send an e-mail to SBMI Distance Education team (de@uth.tmc.edu) for your Second Life request. To use Second Life you will need an avatar. If you do not already have an avatar we can send you the instructions; if you already have an avatar please include your avatar’s name in the e-mail. Our island manager will grant you island access through a group invitation in Second Life.
Be innovative, be creative. We look forward to seeing you using Second Life for teaching, learning, and research.
Avaya Live and Virtual EHR Lab
SBMI is in the early implementation stage of creating a virtual EHR laboratory. Using a virtual approach, students will remotely access selected EHRs using the Internet. Students will gain real-world experience with EHRs through simulations that will be used to complete course assignments.
Avaya Live (https://alive.shis.uth.tmc.edu/) is such a virtual environment in which students can interact with EHRs such as PracticeFusion and OpenEMR. SBMI faculty please contact Distance Education (de@uth.tmc.edu) for account information. Students who are enrolled in SBMI courses and need access to Avaya should contact their course instructors for access.
Cerner
Cerner’s Academic Solution (AES) Electronic Health Record will be integrated into the course curriculum beginning Spring semester, 2013. Students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with an EHR that is used in many healthcare organizations across the U.S. Cerner can be accessed from one of the URL displays in Avaya and will open in a separate browser window.
To access the SBMI Cerner training course in Moodle, click here (Moodle user login required):
http://moodle.sbmi.uth.tmc.edu/course/view.php?id=255
Other Software
Adobe Connect Pro
Adobe Connect Pro provides instructors with the capability to easily create and deliver compelling self-paced online courses, conduct highly interactive virtual classes, and efficiently manage training programs.
SBMI supports using Adobe Connect Pro for synchronous teaching and learning activities. If you want to use Adobe Connect Pro for your class or meetings, please send an e-mail to SBMI Distance Education team (de@uth.tmc.edu).
Cattura
Accordent
Accordent provides rich media creation software that allows organizations to implement webcasts and streaming media presentations.
SBMI uses Accordent for weekly research seminars, students’ proposal defenses, and dissertation defenses. Our past research seminar videos can be viewed at http://webcast.shis.uth.tmc.edu/.
Students who want to have their defenses recorded please contact Marcos Hernandez (713-500-3589) for your request.
Video Shooting Service
We encourage our faculty and students to contact us for any picture taking and/or video shooting requests concerning any school related events. Upon your permission, we would like to use them for our school’s YouTube bi-weekly videos. Please send an e-mail to SBMI Distance Education team (de@uth.tmc.edu) for your request.
If you are a SBMI student and want to submit a video recording request to us, please ensure that you receive the approval from Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Hongbin Wang.
If you have computer or software needs let us know so that we can help facilitate your learning and research activities.
