-Instructional Technology News – Page 4 – Center for Instructional Technology

Instructional Technology News – September 29, 2022

September 29th, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello from your colleagues in CIT! We hope that your semester is going well. Below you’ll find resources to help with your midterm grading, as well as announcements and workshops. If you need help with instructional technology, please contact cit@ua.edu. For IT-related needs, email itsd@ua.edu.

Midterm grades due Wednesday, Oct 5 at 11:59 PM

Midterm grades are required for 100- and 200- level courses. For more information, visit Grade Reporting – Registrar’s Office. If there are discrepancies between course rosters in myBama and in Blackboard Learn, contact cit@ua.edu.

Grade Center Assistance

Test and Exam Assistance

Blackboard Instructor App Support ends September 30, 2022

Blackboard instructor and student mobile functions in a single app: Download the unified Blackboard app now.

Explore Blackboard Ultra

Learn about UA’s Ultra pilot and request a practice course: Ultra Course Pilot Information.

CIT-sponsored Workshops

Flip Workshop – 10/5, 10:00 am
Blackboard Learn Ultra Best Practices, 10/13, 10:00 am
Zoom In, Engaging Your Audience, 10/13, 2:00 pm
View a full list and registration information

More Tech Events across UA

UA Online presents Improving the Accessibility of Your Blackboard Course, 10/6, 10:00 am – Details and registration.
UA Libraries present Open Access Week events, 10/24-10/25 – Event program
OIT presents Live Cybersecurity Awareness Trainings, offered throughout October – Registration through UA LMS. This session is also an alternate form for the UA compliance eLearning assignment, and it will satisfy the 2022 cybersecurity training requirement for UA faculty and staff.

Instructional Technology News – September 8, 2022

September 8th, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

September 8 – Instructional Technology Update

Hello, colleagues! Below you’ll find instructional technology reminders, resources, and learning opportunities that we hope will help you and your students. As always, please request instructional technology help at cit@ua.edu. For IT-related needs, email itsd@ua.edu.

Respondus Lockdown Browser

Respondus Lockdown Browser locks down a testing environment within Blackboard Learn. Students taking exams that require Lockdown Browser will not be able to access any other browser functions or applications on the computer being used until the exam is complete.

How do I set a password for a test that requires Respondus Lockdown Browser?
Lockdown Browser Information for Students
Lockdown Browser Troubleshooting for Students
UA-specific lockdown browser software can be downloaded from the Institution page in Blackboard. Lockdown Browser does not function on Android phones, iPhones, or Chromebooks. Computers are available to reserve in UA’s libraries. For more information on which computers are equipped with Respondus LockDown Browser and webcams, visit Computer Availability in UA Libraries.
Lockdown Browser is not currently compatible with certain assistive technology “reader” tools used by some students with academic accommodations with the Office of Disability Services. In these cases, the instructor creates a copy of the exam that does not require lockdown browser and releases it only to those individual students. How to create an exam with exceptions for individual students.
Support and training directly from Respondus for instructors planning to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor to foster academic integrity during online exams. Dates: September 16, 20, 22 REGISTER

Respondus Test Management

Respondus 4.0 test management software is now located in the OIT software catalog. If instructors need the updated password, visit the Respondus campus-wide software page and click “Download Respondus”. Use. your myBama username & password to access the download files and installation instructions.

Blackboard Learn Reminders and Resources

Join Blackboard leaders as they provide an update on the Blackboard Learn Roadmap – September 12th, 1:00 pm – Original Roadmap
Blackboard Ultra Office Hours – Join a Blackboard product management expert for an informal session of Q&A or feature demonstrations. – September 9th, 9:00 am; September 23rd, 1:00 pm – Ultra-Office Hours
Anthology, makers of Blackboard, Collaborate, and Ally, are hosting their 5th Digital Teaching Symposium, on November 10th, 2022. Past events have offered great resources, ideas, and presentations from peers across the globe! All Faculty, Instructors, Teaching Assistants as well as Instructional Designers, Academic Technologists, and Faculty Development staff are invited to submit proposals regarding a topic or best practice to share with others. Submissions will close Monday, September 12th at 5:00pm ET/4:00pm Central.
Blackboard Instructor app support ended, download the Blackboard app – https://cit.ua.edu/blackboard-instructor-app-support-ending/.
Instructors may now explore Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. Learn more and apply to participate in the pilot: Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Pilot.

Turnitin Reminders

Creating Turnitin assignments in Blackboard Learn is now under “Build Content” and no longer under “Assessments.”
PeerMark assignments no longer automatically generate or populate Blackboard grade center columns.
Resources about 2022 Turnitin changes.

Panopto Support

Panopto offers 24/7 support for UA instructors and students. Contact Panopto directly at support@panopto.com or 855-765-2341. Answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Panopto Support website.

Learning Opportunities from OIT

Creating an Online Portfolio with Adobe – Tuesday, 9.13.2022, 1:00 – 3:00pm Join OIT for a special in-person Adobe Portfolio session as part 2022 Adobe Celebration Week, Sept. 12-16. Adobe Portfolio is available to all UA students, faculty and staff. Portfolio enables students to build a website and showcase their work. No web design knowledge required!
AI with MATLAB Seminar – Wednesday, 9.21.2022, 1:00 – 3:00pm – Join MathWorks to learn more about AI and machine learning capabilities in MATLAB! Where: Room 2006, North Lawn When: September 21, 2022 from 1-3pm. Please register here.

Please let us help!

We’re here to help. Reach us at cit@ua.edu or 205-348-3532. Join us at an upcoming webinar or schedule a consultation with us.

The Center for Instructional Technology exists to help with your instructional technology and accessibility needs. We provide training, support, workshops, and consultations for UA’s instructional technologies which include Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, Flip (formerly Flipgrid), Gradescope, Hypothesis, Panopto, People.ua.edu websites, Respondus, Turnitin, PointSolutions responseware (formerly Turning Tech TurningPoint clickers) and Zoom.

CIT and our vendor partners regularly host workshops and webinars on UA’s instructional technologies and technology accessibility. Explore offerings on the UA Events Calendar, and build an event digest email to receive notice of upcoming events (Department > Center for Instructional Technology).

Learn more about each of these technologies on our website. Want more updates from us? Subscribe to our news updates!

Classroom Support

Most classrooms across campus are supported by OIT’s Audio Visual Solutions (AVS) team. Use the classroom help phone (Dial 2) to reach the AVS help desk for immediate help with classroom technology. You can also contact AVS at 205-348-3453 or email avsolutions@ua.edu.

Support for Information Technology needs

Visit oit.ua.edu for more information about IT services including email, internet, account access, and more. You can also reach us at the IT Service Desk itservicedesk@ua.edu or 205-348-5555.

About the Blackboard Instructors listserv

OIT uses this list to communicate essential information about instructional technology updates and resources. All members of the UA community who are currently instructors in Banner or Blackboard Learn are subscribed to the listserv. Messages are sent at the most weekly unless a service interruption or ongoing issue merits more frequent communications.

Instructional Technology News – August 15, 2022

August 15th, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News, Announcements

Welcome to the Fall 2022 Semester

The Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) welcomes you back for the Fall 2022 semester. Below are a few resources to help you and your students get prepared for classes.

The Center for Instructional Technology exists to help with your instructional technology and accessibility needs. We provide training, support, workshops, and consultations for UA’s instructional technologies which include Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, Flip (formerly Flipgrid), Gradescope, Hypothesis, Panopto, People.ua.edu websites, Respondus, Turnitin, PointSolutions responseware (formerly Turning Tech TurningPoint clickers) and Zoom.

Learn more about each of these technologies on our website. Some noteworthy items to bring to your attention:

Blackboard Learn

Instructors and students can now add personal pronouns in Blackboard Learn: https://cit.ua.edu/personal-pronouns-in-blackboard-learn/.
Blackboard Learn course term names have changed: https://cit.ua.edu/blackboard-learn-course-term-names-changed/.
Blackboard Instructor app support ends, download the Blackboard app – https://cit.ua.edu/blackboard-instructor-app-support-ending/.
Instructors may now explore Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. Learn more and apply to participate in the pilot: Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Pilot.
Resources for Getting Started in Blackboard.

Turnitin

Creating Turnitin assignments in Blackboard Learn is now under “Build Content” and no longer under “Assessments.”
PeerMark assignments no longer automatically generate or populate Blackboard grade center columns.
Resources about 2022 Turnitin changes.

Panopto

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) generated captions are now automatically generated and available for editing and importing for Panopto videos. Accurate captions enhance learning and ensure access for all. Be sure to review and edit captions for accuracy.

Tool name changes

Flipgrid is now called Flip. No changes to access or use.
Turning Tech’s Turning Point clickers and mobile response tools are now owned by Echo360 and called PointSolutions. No changes to access or use, but we are still updating tutorial resources to reflect the new name.

Please let us help!

We’re here to help. You can reach us at cit@ua.edu or 205-348-3532. Join us at an upcoming webinar or schedule a consultation with us.

Classroom Support

Most classrooms across campus are supported by OIT’s Audio Visual Solutions (AVS) team. Use the classroom help phone (Dial 2) to reach the AVS help desk for immediate help with classroom technology. You can also contact AVS at 205-348-3453 or email avsolutions@ua.edu.

Support for Informational Technology needs

Visit oit.ua.edu for more information about IT services including email, internet, account access, and more. You can also reach us at the IT Service Desk itservicedesk@ua.edu or 205-348-5555, we are here to help.

About blackboard-instructors@listserv.ua.edu:

CIT uses this list to communicate essential information about instructional technology updates and resources. All members of the UA community who are currently instructors in Banner or Blackboard Learn are subscribed to the listserv. Messages are sent at the most weekly unless a service interruption or ongoing issue merits more frequent communications.

Want more updates from us? Subscribe to our news updates and follow us on Facebook and YouTube.

Instructional Technology News – August 1, 2022

August 1st, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

This is Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology with a fresh batch of instructional technology news and tips. The fall semester’s approach brings new subscribers to this list – welcome aboard! Your colleagues in The Center for Instructional Technology provide training, support, workshops, webinars, and consultations for UA’s instructional technologies and technology accessibility. Submit a help request or join us at an upcoming webinar.

Blackboard Learn

Personal Pronouns in Blackboard Learn

UA students and instructors can now specify their personal pronouns and have them appear to other users in Blackboard Learn. Pronouns will appear to other users in various locations of interactive tools, group activities, and name lists. If you do not want others to see your pronouns, select “Not Applicable” from Personal Pronoun menu in myBama. Additional information and steps for making pronoun selections: Personal Pronouns in Blackboard Learn

Blackboard to End Support of Instructor App

CIT has learned that support for the Blackboard Instructor iOS and Android apps will end in September 2022. Instructors, Assistants, and Graders should download the Blackboard app for iOS or Android. More on our website: Blackboard Instructor app support ending, download the Blackboard app

Blackboard Learn Course Term Names Changed

Blackboard Learn course terms are used to define the beginning and end of a period of study. The course term defines where a course appears on the Courses page. Here you can also select a term from the dropdown menu to move between past, current, and upcoming courses. CIT recently revised the course term names to display text labels rather than term codes (e.g., 2022 Spring instead of 202210 and 2022 Fall instead of 202240). Here’s our official announcement: Blackboard Learn course term names changed

Turnitin

Turnitin has discontinued support for gradable peer review assignments. While Turnitin does still have PeerMark capabilities, peer reviews no longer have their own grade columns. For gradable peer review, instructors might explore Flip, Blackboard Learn’s peer assessment tool, or adjust grading practices in Turnitin.

More news from CIT and OIT

Blackboard Collaborate Scheduled Maintenance – August 11– Version 22.14 release is on its way
Upcoming OIT Events – Including a virtual intro to Microsoft Bookings, great for office hour scheduling
Box to End Support for Box Capture App – Transition to the Box Mobile app with Capture Mode
Simulated Phishing – OIT to begin sending simulated phishing emails this fall

A personal note

This is my last Instructional Technology News message, as I am departing CIT for a new role with an accessibility non-profit. I’m ever so grateful for CIT and OIT colleagues and for the opportunities I’ve had to work with many of you during my time at UA! Finding creative and effective ways to use technology for teaching and learning remains a passion of mine, and I would love to stay connected on Twitter or LinkedIn. I wish you all a great fall semester. If you need to get in touch with CIT, please submit a help request.

Instructional Technology News – July 7, 2022

July 7th, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

I hope you’re enjoying the summer! This is Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology with some instructional technology news and tips. There is much to share this time, and I encourage you to visit the links to learn more.

Blackboard Learn

Anthology Completes Merger with Blackboard, No Changes for UA Users

Blackboard’s parent company has merged with another edtech company, Anthology. The newly merged organization will be called Anthology with the Blackboard name continuing as part of its portfolio. There are no anticipated changes for UA users. More from Anthology: Anthology Completes Merger with Blackboard, Launches Next Chapter in EdTech

Blackboard Term Duration & Course Availability Update

We are working on some behind-the-scenes changes to Blackboard’s course settings in an effort to provide a better user experience. Moving forward, courses will not have default course availability dates associated with their term. This means that courses will not become available/unavailable on a preset date unless manually set by the instructor or department.

If you need courses to become available/unavailable on a certain date, view the Course Properties section of this article in our knowledge base: How do I set course availability in Blackboard?

Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View Update – Fall 2022 live course pilot

UA instructors now have the opportunity to explore Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. Ultra Course View offers a simple, modern, intuitive, and consistent interface across devices and a simpler, more streamlined experience for instructors and students. Learn more about Ultra Course View and apply to participate in UA’s Ultra Course View pilot: Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Pilot

CIT began piloting practice or developmental Ultra Course View courses in Spring 2022 and invites instructors to begin exploring by requesting an Ultra Course View practice course: Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Request

During the Fall 2022 semester, we hope to pilot 20 live course sections using Ultra Course View. Instructors interested in teaching with Ultra Course View this Fall should submit a request via the CIT portal: Blackboard Learn Ultra LIVE Course Pilot Request. CIT will help you determine whether your course meets participation requirements. Any course offered though UA Online (part of a fully online program offered through the College of Continuing Studies) is not eligible for the live course pilot.

Following the pilot period, instructors will be able to choose whether to use Original Course View or Ultra Course View for live courses. Pilot feedback will inform the timeline, along with feature and third-party tool availability.

Flip

Flipgrid is now Flip! Flip is the same product but with a new name and a new look. CIT resources will be updated with the new name. More from Flip: Learn about Flip

Turnitin

Known Issue: Turnitin Max Points must be greater than zero

Turnitin assignments must have at least one point assigned for Max Points during set up. 0/0, or any score out of 0 points, will continue to display as Needs Grading in the Blackboard grade center. Other errors may occur when the Turnitin assignment grade appears in the Blackboard grade center, including inaccurate scores.

Turnitin Scheduled Maintenance – July 8

Turnitin will have a scheduled system maintenance July 8, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. (July 9) CDT. Due to the maintenance, Turnitin will be unavailable between those times.

More news from CIT and OIT

Blackboard Collaborate Scheduled Maintenance – July 14 – Version 22.12 release is on its way
Panopto Scheduled Maintenance and Mandatory Client Upgrade – Panopto for Windows, Panopto for Mac and Remote Recorder upgrade July 21
Panopto: June 2022 Update Brings New Features and Improvements – Editing and accessibility enhancements, AI-powered Smart Chapters, and more improvements, fixes, behaviors, and settings changes
Updates from the Gradescope Team – August Workshop Series, product updates, and community spotlights
Upcoming OIT Events – We’re particularly excited about the Build a Portfolio with Adobe Portfolio session on July 27
ArcGIS Pro Version 3 – Changes are coming! See OIT’s recommendations.
OIT Security to Install Microsoft Defender – OIT is transitioning campus machines from McAfee antivirus to Microsoft Defender

Instructional Technology News — June 1, 2022

June 1st, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

It’s June, and summer teaching and learning are underway! This is Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology with some instructional technology news and tips.

Updates to Cengage in Blackboard

On May 25, CIT updated the method used for connecting Cengage MindLinks with Blackboard. Instructors will follow the same process for adding Cengage content in Blackboard: Partner Content > Content Market > Cengage. Please see Cengage’s Integrate MindTap With Your Blackboard Course, and let us know if you have any questions.

Goodbye Blackboard Student View, hello Student Preview – June 2022

In June 2022, CIT will enable Student Preview for UA’s instance of Blackboard Learn. With Student Preview, you can experience your course exactly as your students do, submitting assignments, taking tests, view student tools such as My Grades, and more. Student Preview replaces Student View. Additional information and instructions for using Student Preview are available in the CIT knowledge base: How can I see what students will see when viewing my Blackboard course?

Blackboard Collaborate scheduled maintenance – Thursday, June 9

Blackboard will update UA’s instance of Blackboard Collaborate to Collaborate version 22.10 on Thursday, June 9 from 1:00 a.m. CDT to 5:00 a.m. CDT.: Blackboard Collaborate Scheduled Maintenance – June 9

Panopto retention policy and archive – Friday, June 10

Beginning June 10, Panopto recordings created more than 2 years ago will be automatically archived. To retrieve an archived recording, follow these steps: How to Restore Archived Content

CIT’s Panopto retention settings are in keeping with UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy, which states that courses are subject to removal from the system two years following the end of the semester in which they are taught: LMS Course Retention Policy FAQ.

Upgrade Windows 10

OIT has made it easy to for faculty and staff to upgrade computer operating systems. Beginning in June, faculty and staff with OIT-supported Windows computers will begin receiving announcements on their computers to upgrade Windows 10 to the newest supported version, 10 21H2. Visit the OIT website for more information: Upgrade Windows 10 – 21H2

Instructional Technology News – May 13, 2022

May 13th, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with some instructional technology news.

Changes to Turnitin

On May 11, CIT updated the method used for connecting Blackboard to Turnitin. The new connection method allows for more seamless system updates in the future and offers an improved student submission process. While the update brings some user interface changes, the service retains the same features.

All Turnitin assignments need to be created with the new tool (see How do I create a new Turnitin assignment?). Assignments created with the old Turnitin tool are still available and viewable in courses, but they cannot be recreated by using the course copy process (see How do I view submissions for an old Turnitin assignment?). More information about the change and guides to using the new Turnitin are available in CIT’s instructional technology knowledge base: Changes to Turnitin in 2022.

Updates to Labster in Blackboard

On May 11, CIT updated the method used for connecting Labster with Blackboard. The new process for adding simulations in Blackboard is simpler and no longer requires downloading and re-uploading your desired sims; instead, you can link the sims directly from the Build Content page within Blackboard. CIT sent information about this change to instructors who have previously used Labster simulations within their Blackboard courses. Please see Blackboard – How to add Labster simulations to your course (LTI 1.3), and let us know if you have any questions.

Crimson Google Account Service Ends – Monday, May 16

OIT will decommission Crimson Google accounts on Monday, May 16. Unlike the May 2021 email migration, OIT will not migrate Google Drive content for students and alumni. Individuals are responsible for exporting or migrating all content they wish to keep. Faculty and staff who shared content with students using Google Drive should now use OneDrive. Visit the OIT website to see step-by-step guides for migrating content.

Blackboard Cleanup – Tuesday, May 17

On May 17, CIT will disable access to selected courses in Blackboard Learn. Courses that begin with the following semester codes are subject to removal in accordance with UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy:

201740 – Fall 2017
201810 – Spring 2018
201830 – Summer 2018
201840 – Fall 2018
201910 – Spring 2019
201930 – Summer 2019

UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy states that courses are subject to removal from the system two years following the end of the semester in which they are taught. Students and instructors should save any materials they wish to keep.  More information on the policy and instructions for backing up Blackboard content are available in the LMS Course Retention Policy FAQ.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Fix Your Content Day – Thursday, May 19

Thursday, May 19 marks the 11th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD’s purpose is “to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital (web, software, mobile, etc.) access/inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments.”

As part of our campus-wide commitment to inclusive education, and in celebration of GAAD, we will participate in the Blackboard Ally “Fix your Content Day Challenge,” host a Fixathon, and share accessibility resources and offering live, online opportunities to learn about accessibility throughout the day. Save the date and learn more: Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Fix Your Content Day.

Instructional Technology News – May 2, 2022

May 2nd, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

This is Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology. I can’t believe the end of the semester is already here! We have some instructional technology news and tips to help you finish strong.

Known Issue: Some Spring 2022 Blackboard Learn courses missing from user course list

Some users have reported that certain Spring 2022 courses are no longer available in Blackboard Learn. Please report to cit@ua.edu any courses that should be available and no longer are listed or are denying access. CIT is investigating the issue. This announcement will be updated when more information is available: Known Issue: Some Spring 2022 Blackboard Learn courses missing from user course list

Testing tips for students

If you administer final exams via Blackboard Learn, you might share these testing tips with your students:

Use a wired Internet connection.
Close/quit other computer programs.
Read the test instructions. Details may include a time limit, number of attempts, and backtracking options.
Minimize use of the mouse scroll wheel. Scrolling the wheel may inadvertently change your answer.
Save your answers. Click the Save Answer button for every question.
Click Submit.

Additional tips for being prepared and getting connected: Testing Tips for Students.

Final grades due May 10 at midnight

Final grades are due Tuesday, May 10 at 11:59 p.m. Any missing grades as of the 11:59 p.m. deadline will result in grades of “N” being assigned as placeholders. Instructors will then be required to submit grade change requests to correct all “N” grades.

Helpful grading information:

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 Grade Center grid.

Turnitin changes coming May 11

A Turnitin change coming on May 11 will alter how instructors access the Turnitin tool; the tool will be located under a new menu, but its functionality will remain the same. CIT suggests instructors wait until after this transition to build summer and fall Turnitin assignments. More information about the upcoming update: Changes to Turnitin in 2022.

Blackboard cleanup May 17

On May 17, CIT will disable access to selected courses in Blackboard Learn. Courses that begin with the following semester codes are subject to removal in accordance with UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy:

201740 – Fall 2017
201810 – Spring 2018
201830 – Summer 2018
201840 – Fall 2018
201910 – Spring 2019
201930 – Summer 2019

UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy states that courses are subject to removal from the system two years following the end of the semester in which they are taught. Students and instructors should save any materials they wish to keep.  More information on the policy and instructions for backing up Blackboard content are available in the LMS Course Retention Policy FAQ.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Fix Your Content Day May 19

Thursday, May 19 marks the 11th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD’s purpose is “to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital (web, software, mobile, etc.) access/inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments.”

As part of our campus-wide commitment to inclusive education, and in celebration of GAAD, we will participate in the Blackboard Ally “Fix your Content Day Challenge,” host a Fixathon, and share accessibility resources and offering live, online opportunities to learn about accessibility throughout the day. Save the date and learn more: Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Fix Your Content Day.

More news from CIT and OIT

Blackboard Collaborate Scheduled Maintenance – May 12 – Version 22.08 release is on its way
Crimson Google Account Service Ends – May 16 – students and alums must act now to keep content
myBama 2.0 – May 15 – feature upgrades coming soon
New look coming to Duo – May 18 – Duo prompt upgrade
Blackboard Learn: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages  – some existing user-generated course packages may be set to expire June 1
Panopto Scheduled Maintenance and Mandatory Client Upgrade – June and July

Instructional Technology News – March 29, 2022

March 29th, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with the latest instructional technology news.

Blackboard Ultra Course Pilot

UA instructors now have the opportunity to explore Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. Ultra Course View offers a simple, modern, intuitive, and consistent interface across devices and a simpler, more streamlined experience for instructors and students. Learn more and apply to participate in the Ultra Course View pilot by requesting a practice course: Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Pilot

Blackboard Digital Teaching Symposium

Faculty, instructors, graduate teaching assistants, instructional designers and technologists, and others who hold instructional roles – you are invited to the Blackboard Teaching Symposium, a day of peer-led sessions on digital teaching strategies. The event takes place online on April 21, 2022, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET (8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. CT). Event information and registration are on the Blackboard website: Digital Teaching Symposium

Turnitin changes May 11

A Turnitin change coming on May 11 will alter how instructors access the Turnitin tool; the tool will be located under a new menu, but its functionality will remain the same. CIT suggests instructors wait until after this transition to build summer and fall Turnitin assignments. More information about the upcoming update: Changes to Turnitin in 2022

Update Zoom for waiting and breakout room changes, new and enhanced features

The March 21 Zoom release brings many new and enhanced features, a complete list of which is available here:  Release notes for March 21, 2022 CIT staffer Karen Burns points out that several improvements to waiting and breakout rooms have been requested by UA instructors. Update your Zoom client to access them, and read about them here: Zoom: March 21 update brings waiting and breakout room changes, new and enhanced features

OIT Strategic Plan 2022-2025

OIT is seeking feedback for our next strategic plan. We want to know how we’ve performed the past three years, and what we can change in the next three years to better support you. Surveys are now open and available on the OIT website for UA students, faculty and staff to provide feedback. The feedback you provide in this survey directly determines the future of technology at UA. Surveys will close March 31.

OIT hosts Microsoft Meetups

OIT has planned a week of Microsoft Meetups to prepare and equip UA students to migrate content from Google to Microsoft. As a reminder, Crimson Google account service ends May 16, 2022. Sessions will showcase how to migrate content as well as tips and tricks for using the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. Faculty and staff are welcome to attend sessions to learn more about Microsoft 365.

Join OIT and UA’s Microsoft reps the week of April 11 – 13 to learn more, ask questions and get comfortable with using OneDrive and other Microsoft 365 apps. Learn more about Microsoft Meetups and see a full lineup of events on the OIT Events website.

Instructional Technology News – March 3, 2022

March 3rd, 2022
in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with the latest instructional technology news.

Midterm grades due March 4 at midnight

Midterm grades are due Friday, 3/4 at 11:59 p.m. Instructors are required to submit midterm grades for all 100- and 200-level courses, as well as grades for non-attendance. Midterm grading should be used to submit grades assigned for non-attendance.

Helpful grading information:

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 Grade Center grid.

Introducing the Instructional Technology knowledge base

You can now find instructional technology help articles and answers to frequently asked questions in CIT’s Instructional Technology knowledge base. Search by keyword, browse by topic, or navigate via menu to find resources for both instructors and students. Importing midterm or final grades into myBama? Provisioning a Blackboard course for Panopto? Creating a Turnitin assignment? Looking for Lockdown Browser Information for Students? Find the information you need in the knowledge base.

The Technologies pages on the CIT website have been redesigned to feature prominent links to relevant knowledge base content. Contact us for assistance locating former website content in the knowledge base.

Blackboard Learn: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages

An upcoming change to Blackboard Learn will impact export and archive packages created within a Blackboard Learn course. Course packages created after the March 3, 2022 Blackboard Learn upgrade will expire and auto-delete 30 days after the creation date. Existing user-generated course packages will be set to expire in 90 days from the March 3, 2022 upgrade. Additional information is available on the CIT website: Blackboard Learn: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages

Category: -Instructional Technology News

Category: -Instructional Technology News

Midterm grades due Wednesday, Oct 5 at 11:59 PM

Grade Center Assistance

Test and Exam Assistance

Blackboard Instructor App Support ends September 30, 2022

Explore Blackboard Ultra

CIT-sponsored Workshops

More Tech Events across UA

Blackboard Learn

Personal Pronouns in Blackboard Learn

Blackboard to End Support of Instructor App

Blackboard Learn Course Term Names Changed

Turnitin

More news from CIT and OIT

A personal note

Blackboard Learn

Anthology Completes Merger with Blackboard, No Changes for UA Users

Blackboard Term Duration & Course Availability Update

Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View Update – Fall 2022 live course pilot

Flip

Turnitin

Known Issue: Turnitin Max Points must be greater than zero

Turnitin Scheduled Maintenance – July 8

More news from CIT and OIT

We’re here to help

Updates to Cengage in Blackboard

Goodbye Blackboard Student View, hello Student Preview – June 2022

Blackboard Collaborate scheduled maintenance – Thursday, June 9

Panopto retention policy and archive – Friday, June 10

Upgrade Windows 10

We’re here to help

Changes to Turnitin

Updates to Labster in Blackboard

Crimson Google Account Service Ends – Monday, May 16

Blackboard Cleanup – Tuesday, May 17

Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Fix Your Content Day – Thursday, May 19

We’re here to help

Known Issue: Some Spring 2022 Blackboard Learn courses missing from user course list

Testing tips for students

Final grades due May 10 at midnight

Turnitin changes coming May 11

Blackboard cleanup May 17

Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Fix Your Content Day May 19

More news from CIT and OIT

We’re here to help

Blackboard Ultra Course Pilot

Blackboard Digital Teaching Symposium

Turnitin changes May 11

Update Zoom for waiting and breakout room changes, new and enhanced features

OIT Strategic Plan 2022-2025

OIT hosts Microsoft Meetups

We’re here to help

Midterm grades due March 4 at midnight

Introducing the Instructional Technology knowledge base

Blackboard Learn: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages

News from OIT

We’re here to help

Testing tips for students