Instructional Tech News – April 29
- April 29th, 2021
- in Instructional Technology News
Here we are, end of the semester. The innovative ideas and methods you all implemented in your classrooms this semester should be celebrated. It’s an honor to serve as your instructional technology support staff. Here are a few news tidbits to wrap up this semester.
Importing Final Grades
Did you know you can import your final grades from Blackboard Learn with just a few clicks? Learn how on our website. All Spring final grades must be submitted via myBama no later than 11:59pm on Tuesday, May 4. For additional information on non-attendance grading as well as other grading policies, definitions, and terminology, please visit our Grade Reporting page.
LMS Course Retention Policy
Remember, in accordance with UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy, materials more than two years old will be removed from the system. We will begin removing content from the LMS on July 15. You’ve got a few more months to export course content, copy content to another course, and request a course shell to copy content from an existing course. Visit our website for more information on how instructors can back up Blackboard content. We’ll send reminders as we approach July.
Save the Date – Blackboard SaaS
Blackboard Learn is moving to the cloud August 5-13. Our teams are currently testing the new environment, and we’ll be in touch with more details this summer. In the meantime, save the date for Blackboard Learn to be unavailable for these few days in August.
Faculty Roundtable – A Year in Review
Join us May 7 and May 14 for faculty roundtable discussions. We’ll chat about your experiences teaching this semester. We’re excited to hear from you.
Zoom Updates
You all know that 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).
Crimson Email Migration
Our peers in OIT are preparing to migrate Crimson email from Google to Microsoft O365 May 7-9. This will help simplify email at UA by hosting student, faculty and staff email in one environment. All Crimson accounts have been notified of the migration; however, we want to make sure you all are aware too. Step-by-step guidance for accessing Crimson email in O365 is available on the OIT website. There you’ll also find answers to frequently asked questions, a Google to O365 tool comparison chart and more. You can also visit OIT’s YouTube channel for informational videos. If you have any questions about the migration, contact the IT Service Desk at 205-348-5555 or itsd@ua.edu.
Have questions about importing final grades, exporting content from Blackboard or other instructional technology items? We’re here to help, and by now, you know how to find us.
We wish you the best wrapping up this semester!