CIT is aware of an issue where the Access Granted materials page shows as the home page in a Blackboard course. We have a workaround for instructors to access their homepage. View our knowledge base article: Why do I see Access Granted materials instead of my Course Home Page?
Please let us know if you have any questions about this process or if you need assistance with these steps.
Microsoft has made some changes to the audio recording service in Windows 11 that affect the Panopto Remote Recorder. This is not affecting users that record through the Panopto desktop application, web version, or Blackboard.
If you have or plan to upgrade to Windows 11, Panopto may not be able to record audio until a user signs in after Windows restarts. Panopto will continue to investigate possible long term solutions to this issue but want to provide a few options you can pursue to prevent this issue from occurring now: How to Configure Windows 11 for the Panopto Remote Recorder
For any questions regarding the Panopto Remote Recorder in Windows 11, please contact Panopto Support online at support.panopto.com, or you can email support@panopto.com.
Turnitin will take an 8 hour maintenance window on Saturday, August 12, 09:00AM – 5:00PM, with the following services being unavailable during these times:
Turnitin
Draft Coach
Gradescope
Feedback Studio for iOS
Please let us know if you have any questions by submitting a request to our support portal.
Join the Center for Instructional Technology August 16 and 17 to get your Fall courses polished and ready to go. CIT is hosting two days of workshops and one-on-one technical and pedagogical assistance. Register for a session(s) you would like to attend or drop by and receive one-on-one help setting up your courses. All sessions will take place in Gordon Palmer Hall, Room A232, A236, and A204. Refreshments will be served all day.
Registration is appreciated, but it is not required to attend. Questions? Contact us at 205-348-3532 or cit@ua.edu.
View the complete schedule and register online at https://cit.ua.edu/fall-2023-faculty-prep-days/.
We continue to make the necessary changes to third-party tools in Blackboard Learn, including several textbook publisher tools. We are working closely with each vendor to document any changes in the workflow or appearance of these tools. Instructors may also be contacted by textbook providers if adjustments are needed to the steps instructors must follow to use these digital resources in Blackboard Learn.
Stay up to date as we make these changes by subscribing to the CIT Announcements page.
Class Collaborate will be removed from Blackboard Learn on Aug 10. UA departments using Class Collaborate OUTSIDE of Blackboard may still access Class Collaborate until Sept 30. CIT suggests instructors use Zoom or Teams for synchronous class meetings and Panopto for lecture capture.
Using MS Teams and Zoom conferencing for online sessions in your courses
The CIT Knowledge Base is your clearinghouse for tutorials, known issues, and best practices.
Getting Started with Blackboard (includes helpful links for start of semester)
Ultra Course View Pilot Continues
Instructors interested in teaching with Ultra Course View in an upcoming academic term should submit a request via the CIT portal: Blackboard Learn Ultra LIVE Course Pilot Request.
We have been hard at work putting together workshops and webinars to meet the needs of UA faculty and instructors! Most August sessions are listed below, but keep up to date on all the training sessions at https://cit.ua.edu/workshops/
Teaching with Blackboard
These CIT-led workshops and webinars aim to help you get started with and get the most out of Blackboard Learn, UA’s learning management system. Upcoming sessions include:
Register for CIT-led Teaching with Blackboard workshops and webinars.
Teaching with Turnitin Sessions
Turnitin provides tools for grading and peer review and helps deter and prevent plagiarism by checking student-submitted work against an extensive online database. Learn more in these upcoming sessions:
Register for CIT-led Teaching with Turnitin workshops and webinars.
Adobe Professional Faculty Training
These training opportunities, led by Adobe experts, are provided exclusively to UA instructors.
Simple Syllabus
Multiple dates in August offered both In-Person (Gordon Palmer, A232) and Virtually
In this one-hour session of UA’s new syllabus platform, Simple Syllabus, we’ll cover:
Register for an upcoming session
LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor: Protect the Integrity of Online Tests
This comprehensive training webinar, led by Respondus experts, is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use.
Register for LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor
Respondus 4.0 and the Test Bank Network: Quickly Create Online Exams
Wednesday, August 16, 2:00-3:00 pm
Find out how Respondus 4.0 allows you to create and manage exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to your LMS, and how the Test Bank Network enables instructors to create online tests from official publisher test banks.
Flip Basics
Thursday, August 24, 12:00-1:00 pm
Explore the features inside Flip, UA’s video discussion tool, and learn how to level up the ways your scholars communicate and share their learning.
Zoom Basics
Monday, August 28, 10:00-11:00 am
Learn the basic features for conducting a zoom meeting including an overview of Zoom’s web portal and desktop client, how to schedule a meeting and invite others, and we’ll review the in-meeting host and participant controls.
Zoom Advanced
Tuesday, August 29, 10:00-11:00 am
This CIT instructor led session will explore Zoom features including recurring meetings, breakout rooms, polls, and reports.
Introduction to Panopto
Tuesday, August 29, 1:00-2:00 pm
Join CIT for a webinar that covers the basics of using the lecture capture and video platform, Panopto. This webinar is designed for new users and beginners who would like to learn how to use the Panopto interface and recording features.
Register for Introduction to Panopto
Check out more instructional technology workshops at https://cit.ua.edu/workshops/
As always, we are available Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:45 to help you. We look forward to working with you soon.
Be sure to follow CIT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news, technology tips, and more!
Turnitin’s AI writing detection feature is no longer available in Blackboard.
The AI writing detection report is located in the Similarity area of the Feedback Studio and is only visible to instructors and administrator users. This feature was a temporary addition to our Turnitin environment, and we are not continuing its use based on the feedback.
More Information
The fallibility of AI-detection tools is a large part of the decision to disable Turnitin’s AI detection report. Since it only checked against an older incarnation of ChatGPT, it became outdated very quickly.
We are closely following the activities of other vendors who are exploring ways to help students and instructors address ethical and practical AI use in education and will keep UA instructors apprised of any developments.
In some colleges, departments and programs are suggesting that instructors include syllabus statements addressing their expectations about student use of AI. We have also received recommendations to make sure assignments are designed so that students cannot just submit the generic responses often produced by AI.
Your department, program, or college may have additional guidance available. If you have any questions, please contact CIT through our support portal.
Update: This issue is resolved. Users should be able to access Qualtrics through the URL qualtrics.ua.edu without receiving an error message. If you are still receiving an error, please let us know.
CIT is aware of an issue where users get an error message when trying to access qualtrics.ua.edu. We are working on this and will keep you updated on our progress.
The current workaround is to enter universityofalabama.qualtrics.com and login with your myBama username and password.
As always, let us know if you have any questions or if the workaround does not work for you. Contact CIT through our support portal.
This fall, the Center for Instructional Technology is partnering with Adobe to offer four customized Adobe training sessions exclusive to UA faculty members. Each session is instructed by an Adobe certified trainer and designed to share ideas and resources for infusing creative thinking and communication in the classroom. Participants will receive a certificate and digital badge for professional development.
Watch the UA Events calendar for additional sessions coming later this fall. In addition, all UA faculty and instructors have access to the Adobe Education Exchange, a comprehensive library of training, resources, and guides. To access this free resource, visit https://edex.adobe.com/ and log in using your @ua email address and myBama password.
If you have any questions or need additional help accessing desired Adobe trainings, contact CIT at cit@ua.edu or 205-348-3532.
Each year we provide a new “activation password” that can be used to reactivate a copy of Respondus 4.0 that was previously installed or to install a new copy of the software.
The password is included in the instructions to install and download the Respondus 4 campus-wide software in the software catalog.
If you have any trouble accessing this file, or any questions about Respondus 4, please contact CIT through our support portal.
Turnitin’s AI writing detection feature will become unavailable on August 1, 2023.
The AI writing detection report is located in the Similarity area of the Feedback Studio and is only visible to instructors and administrator users. This feature was a temporary addition to our Turnitin environment, and we are not continuing its use based on the feedback we received.
If you have any questions, please contact CIT through our support portal.
