Instructional Technology News – Sept. 15, 2020
- September 15th, 2020
- in -Instructional Technology News
An upcoming security change, a few maintenance items, and tech reminders to share this week.
Zoom Security Changes
Beginning Sept. 27, Zoom will require that all meetings have a passcode or a waiting room enabled. Meetings that do not have a passcode or waiting room enabled will automatically be applied a waiting room. Waiting rooms can be customized to fit the need and audience for your meeting. For more information, visit the Zoom Support website.
VoiceThread Maintenance
VoiceThread will be performing a database upgrade and maintenance on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 4am – 5am. VoiceThread will not be offline, but tools may be slow to load during this maintenance window.
myBama Maintenance
myBama will be also undergo a database upgrade Saturday, Sept. 19 from 6am until 1pm. myBama will be unavailable during the maintenance window; however, Blackboard Learn will continue to be available by direct access – ualearn.blackboard.com.
Virtual Learning Spaces
If students need a space away from their residence to attend an online class, encourage them to visit one of UA’s 60+ virtual learning spaces. These spaces are designated areas where students can attend online class meetings while on campus.
Lockdown Browser Info for Students
Lockdown Browser is a tool new to many UA students. Consider sharing CIT’s Lockdown Browser Information with your students. A few reminders for students:
- Download the UA version of Lockdown browser, not just any version of Lockdown Browser found on the web.
- Choose Blackboard Learn from the server list.
- Use a hard-wire ethernet connection when possible.
- Restart the computer and shut down other programs on the computer before beginning Lockdown Browser.
Follow CIT on YouTube
In recent weeks we’ve added several tutorial videos to our YouTube channel. Check out Testing Tips for Instructors, as well as Blackboard Basics for Students.