April 2021 Zoom Updates

• April 28th, 2021
• in Announcements

Zoom regularly updates its software with security enhancements and new features! In the latest release, Zoom offers enhanced screen annotation for Zoom meetings, whiteboard auto-shapes on Zoom’s mobile application, and more emoji options for meeting reactions.

Another fun new feature: Immersive View. Be “together” with your class or colleagues, from a distance. Individuals can enable this feature by visiting http://zoom.us, then My account, Settings, In Meeting (Advanced).

Update and enjoy!

Save the Date – Blackboard SaaS

• April 27th, 2021
• in Announcements

Save the Date, Aug. 5 – 13 Blackboard Learn is moving to the cloud!

Blackboard Learn will be unavailable during the cloud migration. More information about the migration is available in our first announcement. Our teams are currently testing the platform, and we’re excited to release more information to you as it becomes available. Stay tuned!

Instructional Tech News – April 12

• April 12th, 2021
• in Instructional Technology News

Back Up Blackboard Content

Remember, in accordance with UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy, materials more than two years old will be removed from the system. Instructors can export course content, copy content to another course, and request a course shell to copy content from an existing course. You’ve got options, and we’re here to guide you through them. Visit our website for more information on how instructors can back up Blackboard content.

Gradescope and Blackboard

If you haven’t checked out Gradescope, we encourage you to look into it. Gradescope can be used for evaluating handwritten responses, programming, diagrams, formulae, and other coursework that can be challenging to assess virtually.

Gradescope recently hosted its Gradescope User Summit where instructors presented on topics including “Building community in online classes,” “Student-centered active learning strategies,” and more. Check them out on our website and learn how to add Gradescope to your course today.

Faculty Roundtable – A Year in Review

Join us May 7 for a faculty roundtable to share your experiences teaching in the 2020-2021 academic year. Let’s learn from one another. What worked? What didn’t? Share strategies that you successfully implemented in the classroom – whatever that looked like for you. Join us to share it all; the good, the bad, the ugly, and no we aren’t just talking about Zoom filters. More information about the virtual roundtable event is available in the UA Events Calendar.

Instructional Tech News – April 5

• April 5th, 2021
• in Instructional Technology News

We’re excited to announce that in August UA’s instance of Blackboard Learn will move from being hosted in in the Blackboard Data Center to being hosted in the cloud, also known as software as a service (SaaS). This move will provide flexibility, scalability and new opportunities for innovation.

Blackboard Learn Saas: What you need to know.

We’ll be in touch with more details as the migration approaches, but for now, take note Blackboard Learn will be unavailable Aug. 5 – Aug. 13.  We know there is never a good time to bring down a critical system like Blackboard Learn, but we’re looking forward to this migration and the capabilities it will offer. Some awesome new features are coming your way, and we’re excited to share them with you.

LMS Course Retention Policy

Remember – we will be conducting routine Blackboard Learn course clean up at the end of the spring 2021 semester. The Course Retention Policy states that any materials more than 2 years old will be removed from the system. Students and instructors should save any materials they wish to keep. More information is available on the CIT website. And yes, this will make our migration to Blackboard Learn SaaS a much lighter move.

Turning Webinar Series

Turning Technologies is more than clickers. Turning Technologies provides classroom engagement and assessments that allow students to participate in real-time using mobile apps. Interactive polling options are often used for participation points, class quizzes and surveys. We’re partnering with Turning Technologies to offer weekly webinar trainings every Wednesday at 12pm in the month of May! Details about each training can be found on the CIT website. We hope to see you there.

Instructional Tech News – March 30

• March 30th, 2021
• in Instructional Technology News

Faculty Roundtable – A Year in Review 

Join the CIT for a faculty roundtable to share your experiences teaching in the 2020-2021 academic year. Let’s learn from one another. What worked? What didn’t? Share strategies that you successfully implemented in the classroom – whatever that looked like for you. Join us to share it all; the good, the bad, the ugly, and no we aren’t just talking about Zoom filters. Save the date, May 7, and we’ll be in touch with meeting details soon.

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Maintenance

Thursday, April 8 Blackboard will be releasing a new version of Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. Users can expect intermittent availability during the maintenance window, 1am – 5am on Thursday, April 8. Details about the new version, and its features, are available on the CIT website.

Update Zoom

Keep your Zoom software updated to receive the latest security patches and feature enhancements.  Visit the Zoom website for instructions on updating to the newest version.

Zoom Recordings

Remember – Zoom cloud recordings auto-delete after 60 days. Be sure to download recordings you wish to keep before they are deleted.

Blackboard Webinar Series

Blackboard offers free, ongoing webinars to help instructors make the most of teaching with Blackboard Learn and Blackboard Collaborate. Topics include “Blackboard Collaborate Basics” and “Grading in Blackboard Learn” as well as an “Ask the Experts” series. Learn more on Blackboard’s website.

Instructional Tech News – March 1, 2021

• March 1st, 2021
• in Instructional Technology News

Midterm Grades due March 5 at Midnight

Midterm grades are due 3/5 at 11:59 p.m. Instructors are required to submit midterm grades for all 100- and 200-level courses. Midterm grading should be used to submit grades assigned for non-attendance.

Helpful Grading Info

• Importing Final and Midterm Grades from Blackboard into MyBama
• Assigning Non-Attendance Grade Reason in MyBama
• Non-Attendance Grade Requirements (from Registrar)

Reporting a non-attendance grade? Find the date the student last accessed your Blackboard course using the Performance Dashboard or by viewing the Last Access column in the Full Grade Center.

Students unable to see feedback?

For a student to see written feedback on a test or assignment, students will go to My Grades in Blackboard, then click on the name of the assignment/test. For a test, they will also need to click on their grade to view test questions, answers, or feedback. To view overall assignment feedback in a pop-up window, students can click on the comment bubble next to their grade on the My Grades page.

If students are not seeing feedback for a Turnitin assignment, make sure the Post Date has passed in the assignment settings. If the post date has passed, students can follow along with this video to view their feedback. If you or your students continue to have issues navigating feedback or Peer Mark assignments, please let CIT know!

Instructional Tech News – Feb. 23

• February 23rd, 2021
• in Instructional Technology News

Customizing the Blackboard Grade Center
Need to align your Grade Center with your course syllabus? Learn how to create columns, weight grades, and adjust your schema with CIT’s Blackboard Advanced: Setting Up the Grade Center YouTube video.

Midterm Grades due March 5 at Midnight

Midterm grades are due 3/5 at 11:59 p.m. Instructors are required to submit midterm grades for all 100- and 200-level courses.  Midterm grading should be used to submit grades assigned for non-attendance.

Helpful Grading Info

• Importing Final and Midterm Grades from Blackboard into MyBama
• Assigning Non-Attendance Grade Reason in MyBama
• Non-Attendance Grade Requirements (from Registrar)

Zoom with Closed Captioning and Live Transcripts
Zoom live transcription is now available for UA Zoom accounts! This can be enabled by the host, and any participants can view the captioning as needed. Live transcription only supports English. To enable captioning, sign into the Zoom web portal and edit In Meeting (Advanced) Settings.

Instructional Tech News – Feb. 8

• February 8th, 2021
• in Instructional Technology News

Midterm grading has opened!

Depending on where you are in the process, you might be reaching for the ever handy, How to Upload Grades into myBama webpage, maybe you’re using Gradescope to evaluate handwritten assignments, or perhaps you’re looking into testing tools like Lockdown Browser. If you fall into one of these categories, or somewhere in between, don’t worry, we have the tools and tips you need.

Reporting a non-attendance grade? Find the date the student last accessed your Blackboard course using the Performance Dashboard or by viewing the Last Access column in the Full Grade Center.

Finally, a heads up that Blackboard Collaborate Ultra may experience downtime Thurs. Feb. 11 from 1am – 5am because of scheduled maintenance.

Review our website for more information on each of these topics, and as always, contact us with questions. We’re here to help.