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May 12 Instructional Technology News

May 12 Instructor News from the Center for Instructional Technology 

Hello from your Center for Instructional Technology! Below, you’ll find announcements and events to assist you with teaching and learning needs.  

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Join colleagues from across campus and around the world to celebrate the 12th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Thursday, May 18, 2023! The purpose of Global Accessibility Awareness Day is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access to make our campus and world communities more inclusive and equitable. This FREE event is sponsored by the University of Alabama Office of Information Technology’s Center for Instructional Technology and the Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education.

See a full of listing in-person and virtual sessions taking place at UA on May 18.

Register to join us in person or online.

Turnitin Interface Changes 

IMPORTANT COURSE COPY INFORMATION: On May 11, 2022, we updated the method used for connecting Blackboard to Turnitin. This update brings some user interface changes, but the service retains the same features. The new connection method allows for more seamless system updates in the future and offers an improved student submission process. 

CIT will make the old Turnitin assignments completely unavailable on Monday, May 15, 2023. This news is especially important for faculty copying one course to another (reusing material).  Turnitin Assignments created with the Assignment tool will no longer function. Faculty must recreate the assignment using the Build Content tool. See the following article “New Turnitin Interface” in CIT’s Knowledge Base for complete details. 

Summer and Fall 2023 Syllabi in Simple Syllabus  

UA’s new online syllabus platform, Simple Syllabus, launched April 17. All sections must have a syllabus published in Simple by the first day of classes. Instructors will receive reminders to complete their syllabi a week before and on the first day of the term. Syllabi include required course and section information, as well as institutional and, in some cases, college-specific statements and policies. Instructors should add and edit section-specific information using Simple’s built-in editor, which allows for text formatting, links, videos, images, tables, and more. Simple Syllabus is available through myBama, Blackboard Learn, or direct login. For information about creating and sharing a syllabus, adding Simple Syllabus to Blackboard Learn, or registering for a support session, visit CIT’s Simple Syllabus support resources. 

Upcoming Learning Opportunities 

Simple Syllabus Information Sessions 

  • In Person Sessions in A232 Gordon Palmer Hall:  
  • Thursday, 5/25, 10AM 
  • Virtual Sessions in Microsoft Teams: 
  • Tuesday, 5/23, 3PM 

Simple Syllabus Support Appointments Available 

If you prefer individual help to set up Simple Syllabus, request a Simple Syllabus appointment. 

Educause – exploring the 2023 Horizon Report  

May 16, 2023 – 12-1:00pm 

This webinar will explore the trends, challenges, and key technology developments identified by a panel of global experts in the 2023 Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition. Register for Educause – exploring the 2023 Horizon Report at events.ua.edu.  

Flip Basics 

May 17th, 10:00-11:00 am 

Explore the features inside Flip and learn how to level up the ways your scholars communicate and share their learning. 

Find more details and register for Flip here.

 Check out more instructional technology workshops at https://cit.ua.edu/workshops/  

Instructional Tech Resources and Reminders 

The CIT Knowledge Base is your clearinghouse for tutorials, known issues, and best practices.  

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.  

Collaborate End of Use 

On August 1, 2023, Class Collaborate will be deactivated and no longer available to use at UA. This change does not affect the Blackboard Learn system, only the virtual web conferencing tool, Collaborate. Instructors and program managers should download any needed recordings from Collaborate by August 1, 2023. CIT suggests instructors use Zoom or Teams for synchronous class meetings and Panopto for lecture capture.  

Cleaning Out Older Blackboard Courses 

Academic courses in Blackboard Learn are subject to removal two (2) years following the end of the semester in which they are taught per UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy. For example, courses taught in Spring 2023 will be removed after May 2025. Fall 2021 and prior courses are being removed in May 2023. Non-academic courses, referred to as non-integrated courses, are subject to removal following two (2) years of inactivity. 

Instructors should save any needed course content or student grades. Students should save any necessary coursework as well. Steps to save content are linked below. 

More information on the policy and instructions for backing up Blackboard content are available in the LMS Course Retention Policy FAQ. 

As always, we are available Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:45 to help you. We look forward to working with you soon. 

Email – cit@ua.edu 

Phone – 205-348-3532 

Website and Knowledge Base – http://cit.ua.edu 

Known Issue – Gradescope Maintenance 6-11

The Gradescope website will undergo maintenance on Sunday 11th June at 10:00 AM -10:30 AM CT.

During this time, all features of Gradescope will not be accessible. Users accessing the service via an integration, or through our mobile app, will also be unable to do so.

April 28 Instructional Technology News

Hello from your Center for Instructional Technology! Below, you’ll find announcements and events to assist you with teaching and learning needs.  

Summer and Fall 2023 Syllabi in Simple Syllabus  

UA’s new online syllabus platform, Simple Syllabus, launched April 17. All sections must have a syllabus published in Simple by the first day of classes. Instructors will receive initial reminders to complete their Summer 2023 syllabi on May 1. Syllabi include required course and section information, as well as institutional and, in some cases, college-specific statements and policies. Instructors should add and edit section-specific information using Simple’s built-in editor, which allows for text formatting, links, videos, images, tables, and more. Simple Syllabus is available through myBama, Blackboard Learn, or direct login. For information about creating and sharing a syllabus, adding Simple Syllabus to Blackboard Learn, or registering for a support session, visit CIT’s Simple Syllabus support resources. 

Upcoming Learning Opportunities 

Simple Syllabus Information Sessions 

In Person Sessions in A232 Gordon Palmer Hall:  

  • Thursday, 5/4, 2PM 
  • Friday, 5/12, 9AM 
  • Thursday, 5/25, 10AM 

Virtual Sessions in Microsoft Teams: 

  • Wednesday, 5/3, 10AM 
  • Monday, 5/8, 3PM 
  • Tuesday, 5/23, 3PM 

Register for a session 

Simple Syllabus Support Appointments Available 

If you prefer individual help to set up Simple Syllabus, request an appointment. 

Blackboard/Anthology Digital Teaching Symposium  

On Thursday, May 4, 2023, we hope you can join us online for a full day of free, peer-led virtual sessions on digital teaching strategies for the unique needs of 2023 and beyond. The Digital Teaching Symposium brings educators together to share and discover innovative uses of technology in an ever-changing teaching environment. Explore ways to keep learners engaged, foster innovation, and develop strategies to help you and your students navigate, excel, and thrive in a shifting higher education landscape.  

Digital Teaching Symposium Registration and agenda 

Gradescope – Stories from the Classroom 

Join the Gradescope team on May 8th, 2:00-3:00 pm, to discover how other instructors use Gradescope to:  

  • Design formative and summative assessments without constraints around logistics and grading capacity. 
  • Develop smarter workflows to help instructors, whether grading alone or coordinating a multi-section course with 20+ graders. 
  • Gain insights you need to support student learning, understand trends, and improve teaching. 

Registration is required – Gradescope Registration 

Activating Annotation in Blackboard with Hypothesis 

On May 9, 12:00-1:00 pm, the Hypothesis team will share how teachers are using annotation-powered reading to help students develop foundational academic skills like deep reading and persuasive writing. In addition to sharing pedagogical best practices for social annotation, we will demonstrate how Hypothesis is used with course readings in your LMS. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how to start incorporating social annotation into their courses to improve student outcomes. Register online  

Check out more instructional technology workshops at https://cit.ua.edu/workshops/  

Instructional Tech Resources and Reminders 

The CIT Knowledge Base is your clearinghouse for tutorials, known issues, and best practices: 

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.  

Collaborate End of Use 

On August 1, 2023, Class Collaborate will be deactivated and no longer available to use at UA. This change does not affect the Blackboard Learn system, only the virtual web conferencing tool, Collaborate. Instructors and program managers should download any needed recordings from Collaborate by August 1, 2023. CIT suggests instructors use Zoom or Teams for synchronous class meetings and Panopto for lecture capture.  

Cleaning Out Older Blackboard Courses 

Academic courses in Blackboard Learn are subject to removal two (2) years following the end of the semester in which they are taught per UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy. For example, courses taught in Spring 2023 will be removed after May 2025. Courses taught prior to Spring 2021 are now eligible for removal. Spring 2021 courses will be removed starting in May 2023. Non-academic courses, referred to as non-integrated courses, are subject to removal following two (2) years of inactivity. 

Instructors should save any needed course content or student grades. Students should save any necessary coursework as well. Steps to save content are linked below. 

More information on the policy and instructions for backing up Blackboard content are available in the LMS Course Retention Policy FAQ. 

As always, we are available Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:45 to help you. We look forward to working with you soon. 

Email – cit@ua.edu 

Phone – 205-348-3532 

Known Issue- Blackboard Server Error April 25-26

Update (4/26 @ 2:30 PM): This issue has been resolved, but some users may still experience problems accessing our Blackboard site. Blackboard Support has provided reasoning for temporary issues after yesterday’s global DNS issue:

…the DNS server propagation process may not have completed for those who are connected to certain Internet Service Providers (ISPs). However, please be assured that this issue will resolve itself over time as the Time to Live (TTL) on the ISP DNS servers expires and the servers update accordingly.

If you are unable to access Blackboard, please visit our Knowledge Base article: Blackboard Server Error Troubleshooting

Update (4/26 @ 8:30 AM): We are aware of ongoing issues with accessing the UA Blackboard site. We are in contact with Blackboard Support, and they are continuing to work on a fix for this issue.

If you are unable to access Blackboard, please visit our Knowledge Base article: Blackboard Server Error Troubleshooting. If you have any questions, please contact CIT through our support portal for further troubleshooting.

Update (4/25 @ 12:30PM): Blackboard Support believes the DNS issue has been resolved.

If you are still experiencing issues accessing Blackboard, please contact CIT through our support portal for further troubleshooting.

Blackboard Support has identified a global DNS issue affecting access to its sites starting at 2:14 CDT. Users may receive an error message when trying to access Blackboard. They are continuing to work on a fix for this issue.

We will update this post when we receive new information. If you have any questions, please contact us through our support portal.

RESOLVED – Blackboard Server Error

Resolved: Blackboard Support reports all issues have been resolved & sites are operating normally since 9:20 AM CT.

If you continue to see an error message or if have any questions, please contact us through our support portal.

Blackboard Support is investigating a global DNS issue affecting access to its sites. Users may receive an error message when trying to access Blackboard.

We will update this post when we receive new information. If you have any questions, please contact us through our support portal.

Known Issue – Windows 7 and Lockdown Browser

Respondus has announced support for Windows 7 will end on June 28, 2023.  Several technologies they rely on are ending their support for Windows 7 on that date, which means LockDown Browser will also cease working on Windows 7 computers at that time.

Students using Windows 7 will need to upgrade to Windows 10/11 or find another device that is supported. LockDown Browser can be used with Windows 10+, Mac 10.13+, and iPads running iOS 11+ (the iPad setting must be enabled by the instructor). 

April 11 Instructional Technology News

Hello from your Center for Instructional Technology! Below, you’ll find announcements and events to assist you with teaching and learning needs.

Simple Syllabus Launches April 17

UA’s new online syllabus platform, Simple Syllabus, launches April 17. All sections must have a syllabus published in Simple by the first day of classes for Summer 2023 and future terms. Instructors will receive reminders to complete their syllabi before each semester begins. Syllabi include required course and section information, as well as institutional and, in some cases, college-specific statements and policies. Instructors should add and edit section-specific information using Simple’s built-in editor, which allows for text formatting, links, videos, images, tables, and more. Simple Syllabus will be available through myBama, Blackboard Learn, or direct login.

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

Simple Syllabus Information Sessions

Gorgas Library Camellia Room 2020 on Friday, April 14, 9AM-9:45AM, 10AM-10:45AM, 11AM-11:45AM. No registration needed.

Simple Syllabus Support Appointments Available

If you prefer individual help to set up Simple Syllabus, request an appointment. Appointments are available beginning April 17.

Gradescope – Stories from the Classroom

April 12, 2:00-3:00 pm

Join the Gradescope team to discover how other instructors use Gradescope to:

  • Design formative and summative assessments without constraints around logistics and grading capacity.
  • Develop smarter workflows to help instructors, whether grading alone or coordinating a multi-section course with 20+ graders.
  • Gain insights you need to support student learning, understand trends, and improve teaching.

Register for Stories from the Classroom

Check out more workshops including Panopto, Hypothesis, and People.ua.edu at http://calendar.ua.edu.

Instructional Tech Resources and Reminders

The CIT Knowledge Base is your clearinghouse for tutorials, known issues, and best practices:

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.

Collaborate End of Use

On August 1, 2023, Class Collaborate will be deactivated and no longer available to use at UA. This change does not affect the Blackboard Learn system, only the virtual web conferencing tool, Collaborate. Instructors and program managers should download any needed recordings from Collaborate by August 1, 2023. CIT suggests instructors use Zoom or Teams for synchronous class meetings and Panopto for lecture capture.

Cleaning Out Older Blackboard Courses

Academic courses in Blackboard Learn are subject to removal two (2) years following the end of the semester in which they are taught per UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy. For example, courses taught in Spring 2023 will be removed after May 2025. Courses taught prior to Fall 2021 are now eligible for removal. Fall 2021 courses will be removed starting in May 2023. Non-academic courses, referred to as non-integrated courses, are subject to removal following two (2) years of inactivity. Instructors should save any needed course content or student grades. Students should save any necessary coursework as well. Steps to save content are linked below.

More information on the policy and instructions for backing up Blackboard content are available in the LMS Course Retention Policy FAQ.

As always, we are available Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:45 to assist you. We look forward to working with you soon.

Email – cit@ua.edu

Phone – 205-348-3532

Website and Knowledge Base – http://cit.ua.edu

Turnitin AI Detection report launches April 4

Turnitin has announced the launch of its AI writing detection capabilities, available starting Tuesday, April 4, 2023. This feature will help you as instructors identify when AI writing tools such as ChatGPT may have been used to write any part of the content submitted in a student’s assignment. It will be automatically available within Turnitin. Bear in mind that the AI detection results will not be visible to students; only instructors and administrators will be able to see it.

Additionally, Turnitin will only be able to process submissions written in long-form English for AI detection. AI detection has been added to the Turnitin Similarity report -this means that your existing workflow will remain unchanged.

In-product guidance and access to product help resources will be at hand to explain the feature. In addition, to prepare you further for the use of this feature and to help you understand how you should interpret the results, we’ve put together some guidance and resources.

Turnitin is hosting two sessions for Using Turnitin Tools to Mitigate Student Use of AI Writing Tools

  • Wednesday, April 5th at 11:00 am CST register for April 5th session here
  • Thursday, April 13th at 1:00 pm CST register for April 13th session here

As always, we are available Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:45 to assist you.

Email – cit@ua.edu

Phone – 205-348-3532

Website and Knowledge Base – http://cit.ua.edu

RESOLVED – Qualtrics Outgoing Emails Error

Update 3/10/23: The issue is resolved.

If you are still getting an error message, please submit a request through our support portal.

We are aware of an issue with outgoing emails in Qualtrics. All UA Qualtrics users that attempt to send email responses will receive an error message that states “Weekly email limit reached. You’ve reached the maximum number of weekly emails allowed for your brand. Check back later to try again.”

We are working with Qualtrics Support to temporarily increase this limit and resolve the issue. If you have any questions, please submit a request through our support portal.