Zoom updates, Blackboard tutorials and beginning of the semester reminders.
Perform Zoom updates.
Before your first Zoom appointment of the semester, be sure to update your Zoom client. Zoom regularly publishes updates to keep the software secure. Zoom’s website offers instructions on how to update the software. Some recent updates include enhanced nonverbal feedback, raise hand for host and co-host, poll reports available during live session, and improved grouping of security options when scheduling.
Make course readings active with Hypothesis.
Have you seen Hypothesis in the “build content” menu of your Blackboard courses? Setting up readings with Hypothesis allows you to host student discussions right on top of your course content (and grade them, too!). Add images, links and videos into the margins of your content. To learn more, please contact Nathan Loewen or schedule a meeting with the Hypothesis team.
Provision Panopto.
Before using Panopto, make sure it is connected to your course. To get started, click on the Course Videos link in the course menu of Blackboard Learn. If you receive a message that says your course is not provisioned, follow the prompts to configure your course. For more information on Panopto, visit the CIT website.
Need a refresher on Blackboard basics? Visit our “Getting Started” resources.
A few more helpful Blackboard Learn tutorials:
Book an Appointment
Have questions about setting up your course? The CIT is here to help. Book an appointment to meet with us online.
Today, Jan. 7, OIT will be enabling the new Box user interface for all UA users. The new interface features a sleek design and provides users with the ability to better organize content. Learn more on the Box Website.
Blackboard Operations will be performing data center maintenance Friday, Dec. 25 from 1am – 5am. A 30-minute outage is expected for UA’s instance of Blackboard Learn at some point during the maintenance window.
Turnitin is currently experiencing an unexpected service degradation. During this time, you may find that you are unable to view submissions and/or Similarity Reports. If you would like to track Turnitin’s progress in resolving this issue, please visit the Turnitin status page at https://turnitin.statuspage.io.
Resolved 12/9, 6:00 pm CST – Degradation was encountered between 9am – 1:30pm CST.
Importing Final Grades
Final grades must be entered by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 15. In case you need a refresher, we’ve got step-by-step instructions for importing grades into myBama from Blackboard.
Save a Copy of Grade Center
As always, CIT recommends saving a copy of your course’s Grade Center as a backup for your records. Blackboard Learn offers step-by-step guidance.
Panopto Maintenance
Panopto Cloud will be updated with new features and improvements on Saturday, Dec. 19. Panopto will be unavailable from 8pm – 11pm during the maintenance window.
January Blackboard Learn Update
Blackboard Learn will undergo a 24-hour update beginning Thursday, Jan. 7 at 5pm through Friday, Jan. 8 at 5pm. Blackboard Learn will be unavailable during this maintenance window.
Spring Semester Blackboard Courses
OK, ok, if you choose not to read this until January – we understand! However, for all the planners out there… we want to let you know that your courses will be enabled in Blackboard automatically, ready for your content! Want to reuse material from previous semesters? Check out our website for guidance on copying content from existing Blackboard courses. Teaching cross-listed or duplicate sections? Find out more about Blackboard supersections before you start building content.
On December 22, 2020 at 8:00am CST, VoiceThread will be making a low-risk change to the Content Delivery Network configuration. This should not have any impact on VoiceThread availability or service speed, but we are letting you know in the unlikely event that you do experience some slowness of media loading at that time.
Date: December 22, 2020
Time: 8:00am CST
Impact: No impact expected
Panopto Cloud will be updated with new features and improvements on Saturday, Dec. 19. Panopto will be unavailable from 8pm – 11pm during the maintenance window.
The semester is nearly complete! Here are a few instructional tech reminders as you wrap up.
Final Exam Proctoring Options
Instructors have a few options for final exam proctoring.
Importing Final Grades
Tasks you don’t do regularly (like importing final grades) are easy to forget. Good news – we’ve got step-by-step instructions (with screenshots) for importing grades into myBama from Blackboard.
Looking Ahead, Blackboard Learn Update
Blackboard Learn will undergo a 24-hour update beginning Thursday, Jan. 7 at 5pm through Friday, Jan. 8 at 5pm. Blackboard Learn will be unavailable during this maintenance window. We’ll send plenty of reminders closer to the upgrade.
Book an Appointment
Let our team review your exam settings in Blackboard to help ensure a smooth exam experience for you and your students. The CIT is here to help. Book an appointment to meet with us online.
Blackboard Learn will undergo a 24-hour upgrade beginning Thursday, Jan. 7 at 5pm through Friday, Jan. 8 at 5pm.
