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February 20 – Instructional Tech News

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

Upcoming Learning Opportunities 

CIT Faculty Prep Days 

It’s midterms and time to focus on your Gradebook. We are here to help answer questions or simply review your settings. 

Drop in OR schedule a virtual appointment. Our doors will be open, and refreshments will be served. 

  • Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2-4PM 
  • Wednesday, March 1, 9-11AM 

Gordon Palmer Hall, Room A232 

Workshops:  

  • Tues, Feb 21, 10AM – People.ua.edu Workshop.
    Create a professional faculty website using People.ua.edu. Pre-registration is required. 
  • Wed., Feb 22, 10AM – Panopto Advanced Training
    Did you know you can use Panopto’s video editor to add video streams or a slide deck to a recording even after it’s complete?  Or, that you can splice multiple clips together into one video?
    This month, join us for an in depth look at how to use Panopto’s editor to combine many sources of content into one rich recording.  We’ll address some common editing scenarios we often get questions about, such as how to allow viewers to download your slides, or how to curate which streams a viewer will see at different parts of your videos. We record our webinars. If you can’t attend at the scheduled time, we’ll send a link to the recording to everyone who registers. 
  • Wed., Feb 22, 12PM – Gradescope for Large Courses
    Sections and Tools for Courses with 100+ Students – This one-hour workshop will focus on using Gradescope in large courses. With the new section management features, instructors will be able to set different submission time windows (release dates, due dates, late due dates, time limits) for different sections of students in the course, for a single assignment. Instructors will also be able to set assignment visibility by section, to release assignments to a subset of students on the roster. 
  • Tues., March 7, 10AM – Flip
    Explore the features inside Flip and learn how to level up the ways your scholars communicate and share their learning. 

Instructional Tech Resources and Reminders 

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

Grading 

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.  

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. Courses taught prior to Fall 2020 are now eligible for removal. Instructors should save any needed course content or student grades. Students should save any necessary coursework as well. Non-academic courses, referred to as non-integrated courses, are subject to removal following two (2) years of inactivity. 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. 

Blackboard Learn Roadmap Webinars 

In case you missed the Vision and Roadmap webinars for Blackboard Learn Original and Ultra, the recordings are available to watch.  

Learn Ultra 
Learn Original 

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 

Known Issue – File Response test question issue in Blackboard

We are aware of an issue in Blackboard tests with a file response question type. If the test is set to open in a new window, students are unable to attach and submit a file when trying to attach a file to a File Response question. There is no obvious error, the file just will not attach.

Please visit the CIT Knowledge Base for the steps to resolve this issue:  Students are unable to attach a file to a file response test question

Known Issue – Special Characters in Blackboard

The following special characters may cause error messages when used in the name of items like assignments, tests, discussion board forums, and file attachments:

% & # < > = \ + / ‘ , ” : ! ? $ @ | [ ] { }

The best solution is to remove special characters from previously mentioned items in Blackboard. If you are receiving an error message, and are unsure about the root cause, please contact CIT for more troubleshooting.

January 27– Instructor News

Hello from your Center for Instructional Technology! We hope that your semester is off to a great start. Below, you’ll find announcements and events to assist you with teaching and learning needs.  

Instructional Tech Changes and Announcements 

PointSolutions change in classrooms 

TurningTechnologies is now Echo360 Point Solutions, and the classroom computers will now reflect the new name and branding. The processes in the desktop software (used by instructors) are unchanged.  

No More People.Ua.Edu Sites for Graduate Students 

Effective January 1, 2023, new People.ua.edu sites will no longer be created for graduate students. All existing site owners who are graduate students will be contacted in early 2023 about their next steps. UA offers two alternative solutions: Adobe Portfolio (part of Adobe Creative Cloud) and Microsoft Sway (part of Microsoft 365 Education). Both products are available to all UA staff, faculty, and students. 

  • Adobe Portfolio is part of Adobe Cloud which provides several apps and services. Get started with your site by visiting Adobe Creative Cloud. Log in using your UA credentials. Look on the left side panel and you will see Portfolio. Alternately, you can go directly to Adobe Portfolio and login using your UA credentials. There are tutorials available through Adobe and OIT. 
  • Microsoft Sway is part of Microsoft 365 Education which includes many applications for work essentials, collaboration, organization, and even apps for fun. Visit OIT’s Microsoft 365 Education page to access MS Sway. Tutorials and training can be found at Microsoft 365 Training. 

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.  

Turnitin Class Expiration – Known Issue 

When a Turnitin Feedback Studio (TFS) assignment is created in a Blackboard Learn course, Turnitin automatically assigns a default class expiration date as 6 months in the future, or the latest TFS assignment due date in the course, whichever is farther away. When the Turnitin class expires, students can no longer submit papers or access TFS activities.  To extend the Turnitin class expiration date, make a new Turnitin assignment with due dates that match the last date when students should be able to view the TFS assignments and tools for the course. For more information visit Turnitin Assignment Settings. 

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. Courses taught prior to Fall 2020 are now eligible for removal. Instructors should save any needed course content or student grades. Students should save any necessary coursework as well. Non-academic courses, referred to as non-integrated courses, are subject to removal following two (2) years of inactivity. 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. 

Hypothesis and Vital Source at UA 

Hypothesis social annotation tool used by U Alabama now features an integration with the VitalSource eText platform. If you are teaching with eTexts from VitalSource and are interested in having students annotate the material, the Hypothesis integration is available to you now when you create assignments in Blackboard. You can learn more about how to create a Hypothesis assignment with VitalSource content in the Hypothesis knowledge base.   

Upcoming Learning Opportunities 

Get Started with Gradescope  

Wednesday, February 1, 2023, 11:00am-12:00 pm CST  

Join this virtual, one-hour session to learn how to use Gradescope to: 

  • Set up assignments where students can submit freeform work (no printers or templates needed) 
  • Grade your existing exams and homework on Gradescope 
  • Make rubric changes as you grade – changes apply to previously graded work to maintain consistency 
  • Write each comment only once – apply previously used comments with a click 
  • Use ‘assignment analytics’ to gain insight into student learning 

Blackboard Learn Original Roadmap 

Tues Feb 7, 2023, 10:00 am – 11:00 am CST 

Get an exclusive look at the upcoming Learn enhancements and feature releases. Join Blackboard product management leaders as they provide an update on the Learn roadmap and give you an exclusive look at what’s next for Blackboard Learn. Complete the registration form to reserve your virtual seat. If you can’t attend the session, you will get a recording if you register.  

Register today at https://learn.anthology.com/RoadmapWebinarSeries#registerAnchor 

Create Graphs, Graphics and Data Visualization 

Tues Feb 7, 2023, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CSST 

Effectively communicating complex academic and technical processes and concepts relies on sound design principles and the ability to render them using industry-standard tools. Discover essential tools and workflows in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Express that will help you develop clear and powerful visual representations for your presentations, papers and research. Link to register for free: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/edgegainltd/782559/# 

Annotate with Hypothesis 

Thursday, Feb 9, 12:00 –1:00 pm  

We have a special treat! Our favorite representative from Hypothesis, Becky George, will present a LIVE and in-person Hypothesis workshop in Gordon Palmer Hall, Room A232. Becky will give an overview of Hypothesis, guide you through the basics, then answer your specific questions. Please bring your own device. Lunch will be provided (in-person workshop only). The in-person workshop is limited to 20 participants so register early! –  Annotate with Hypothesis Registration 

OLIS 2023 – Transforming the Online Classroom: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovation 

February 10, 2023, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Bryant Conference Center 

The Online Learning Innovation Summit is a campuswide professional development conference hosted by UA Online. Faculty, staff and graduate students from across The University of Alabama and the region will come together for brainstorming, problem-solving and sharing experiences and best practices surrounding online learning and teaching technologies. Learn more at OLIS 2023. 

 

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 

Clicker software updated on classroom computers

Look for the Point Solutions icon on classroom computers!
Point Solutions

Last year, TurningTechnologies merged with Echo360.  The software and mobile app changed their name to Point Solutions, and the classroom computers will have the updated version of the software. The processes in the desktop software (for instructors) are the same, but with new branding from Echo360.

For more information about Echo360 visit the CIT Knowledge Base or echo360.com.

Faculty Prep Days a SUCCESS!

CIT Faculty Prep Days Need assistance setting up your course(s) for Spring Semester? We can help! Drop By the CIT for instructional technology guidance. Our doors will be open and refreshments will be served. Friday, Jan 6, 9-11AM and 2-4PM. Monday, Jan 9, 9-11AM and 2-4PM. Gordon Palmer Hall, Room A232. cit.ua.edu

The Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) kicked off the Spring semester with two Faculty Tech Prep Days on January 6th and 9th. We were excited to work with colleagues from Arts and Sciences, Communications, Culverhouse, Education, Engineering, Human Environmental Sciences, and Law.

Common topics related to

Audio Visual Solutions (AVS) representatives answered questions related to classroom tech needs, and OIT Security squad addressed email and account security questions.

If you couldn’t make it to the event, no problem! We offer the same support Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:45 pm in A203 Gordon Palmer Hall. Drop-ins are welcome. 205-348-3532, CIT@ua.edu.

January 4– Instructor News from the Center for Instructional Technology

Faculty Prep Days 

IT’S TIME! Time to get your Spring courses polished and ready to go. CIT is here and ready to offer technical assistance, pedagogical assistance, a quiet space, moral support, and coffee and yummies! Come see us!  

CIT will be joined by representatives from OIT Security, Research Computing, and Audio Visual Solutions classroom support to answer your questions. Space will be available to help you focus and prepare your course for the semester. 

Friday, Jan 6, 9-11AM and 2-4PM 

Monday, Jan 9, 9-11AM and 2-4PM 

Gordon Palmer Hall, Room A232 

CIT Faculty Prep Days Need assistance setting up your course(s) for Spring Semester? We can help! Drop By the CIT for instructional technology guidance. Our doors will be open and refreshments will be served. Friday, Jan 6, 9-11AM and 2-4PM. Monday, Jan 9, 9-11AM and 2-4PM. Gordon Palmer Hall, Room A232. cit.ua.edu

Start of Semester How-Tos   

Instructional Tech Changes and Announcements 

Qualtrics now requires Duo 

Duo is now required to access Qualtrics accounts. Users will receive a Duo prompt after logging in with myBama credentials at Qualtrics.ua.edu. For more information about Duo, visit OIT’s Duo two-factor authentication page. 

No More People.Ua.Edu Sites for Graduate Students 

Effective January 1, 2023, new People.ua.edu sites will no longer be created for graduate students. All existing site owners who are graduate students will be contacted in early 2023 about their next steps. UA offers two alternative solutions: Adobe Portfolio (part of Adobe Creative Cloud) and Microsoft Sway (part of Microsoft 365 Education). Both products are available to all UA staff, faculty, and students. 

  • Adobe Portfolio is part of Adobe Cloud which provides several apps and services. Get started with your site by visiting Adobe Creative Cloud. Log in using your UA credentials. Look on the left side panel and you will see Portfolio. Alternately, you can go directly to Adobe Portfolio and login using your UA credentials. There are tutorials available through Adobe and OIT. 
  • Microsoft Sway is part of Microsoft 365 Education which includes many applications for work essentials, collaboration, organization, and even apps for fun. Visit OIT’s Microsoft 365 Education page to access MS Sway. Tutorials and training can be found at Microsoft 365 Training. 

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.  

Turnitin Class Expiration – Known Issue 

When a Turnitin Feedback Studio (TFS) assignment is created in a Blackboard Learn course, Turnitin automatically assigns a default class expiration date as 6 months in the future, or the latest TFS assignment due date in the course, whichever is farther away. When the Turnitin class expires, students can no longer submit papers or access TFS activities.  To extend the Turnitin class expiration date, make a new Turnitin assignment with due dates that match the last date when students should be able to view the TFS assignments and tools for the course. For more information visit Turnitin Assignment Settings. 

Supe Store Access Granted changes + social annotation tools 

Access Granted’s primary vendor is changing from RedShelf to VitalSource for Spring 2023. Links to VitalSource in Blackboard Learn courses may now be labeled Access Granted. With permission from Academic Affairs, a SupeStore support user may access Fall and Spring courses in Blackboard as a Course Builder. This means the user will have access to edit existing RedShelf and VitalSource links to reflect the correct information. This user will not have access to student submissions or grades. 

This change enables the creation of Hypothesis assignments in Blackboard using documents from VitalSource’s extensive collection of texts and ebooks. In CIT’s Knowledge Base article, Hypothesis & Access Granted e-books, you can learn to:   

  • Access VitalSource 
  • Find the VitalSource bookshelf URL of the text you will be assigning 
  • Create Hypothesis assignments in your Blackboard course 

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. Courses taught prior to Fall 2020 are now eligible for removal. Instructors should save any needed course content or student grades. Students should save any necessary coursework as well. Non-academic courses, referred to as non-integrated courses, are subject to removal following two (2) years of inactivity. 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. 

Upcoming Learning Opportunities 

Jan 5, 11:00-12:00 – Get Started with Gradescope  

Learn how you can use Gradescope to deliver and grade all your assignments, whether online or in person. The Gradescope team will walk you through how to cut down on time spent grading and get a clear picture of how your students are doing in your courses. Register at  https://info.gradescope.com/noa-workshops 

Jan 6, 12:00-12:30 pm – Annotation starter assignments with Hypothesis 

This workshop is ideal for instructors who are interested in using social annotation in their courses but aren’t exactly sure how to provide guidance to students. Registration is required.  

Jan 10, 10:00-11:30 – People.ua.edu 

Create a professional faculty website using People.ua.edu. Pre-registration is required at http://people.ua.edu. 

Jan 10, 1:00-2:00 – Flip 

Explore the features inside Flip and learn how to level up the ways your scholars communicate and share their learning. Registration is NOT required. Join us on Zoom. 

Jan 11, 11:00-12:00 – Hypothesis: Make the Most of the Margins  

Learn how to make reading active, visible and social, create community in the classroom by fostering peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, give students agency over their own learning. Registration is required. 

As always, we are available Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:45 to assist you. We wish you all the best in 2023 and look forward to working with you soon. 

Known Issue: Turnitin Maintenance Jan 14

Turnitin will take an 8 hour maintenance window on January 14 from 11:00 AM CT – 7:00 PM CT.

The following CIT supported services are unavailable during these times:

Turnitin
Draft Coach
Gradescope
Feedback Studio for iOS

If you have any questions, please make a request through the CIT Support Portal.

Dec 13 Instructional Technology News

Hello from your colleagues in CIT! We’re wrapping up Fall 2022 with final grades due tonight by 11:59 PM. Below, you’ll find resources to help you close this term and prepare for the next.  

Resources for Final Grading:  

  • Grade Reporting at UA to import grades into myBama, locate last activity dates, and review Registrar information. Final grades are due Tuesday, Dec 13, by 11:59 PM. 

Explore Blackboard Ultra  

Curious about Blackboard Ultra Course View? Learn about UA’s Ultra pilot and request a practice course: Ultra Course Pilot Information. 

Supe Store Access Granted changes + new social annotation tools 

UA’s Access Granted program is changing its primary vendor from RedShelf to VitalSource. To facilitate this change, the Supe Store will help with necessary changes to the Access Granted course materials links in Blackboard Learn courses. In some cases, links to VitalSource in Blackboard Learn courses may now be labeled Access Granted. (learn more about the change).  

This change enables the creation of Hypothesis assignments in Blackboard using documents from VitalSource’s extensive collection of texts and ebooks. In CIT’s Knowledge Base article, Hypothesis & Access Granted e-books, you can learn to:   

  • Access VitalSource 
  • Find the VitalSource bookshelf URL of the text you will be assigning 
  • Create Hypothesis assignments in your Blackboard course 

Cleaning Out Older Blackboard Courses 

Retention Policy Reminder: 

Academic courses in Blackboard Learn are subject to removal two (2) years following the end of the semester in which they are taught in accordance with UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy. Courses taught prior to Fall 2020 are now eligible for removal. Instructors should save any needed course content or student grades. Students should save any necessary coursework as well. Non-academic courses, referred to as non-integrated courses, are subject to removal following two (2) years of inactivity. 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. 

Faculty Prep Days 

Need assistance setting up your course(s) for Spring semester? Need a cup of coffee to kick start 2023? We can help. Drop by the CIT for instructional technology guidance on Friday, Jan. 6 or Monday, Jan. 9. Our doors will be open, and refreshments will be served.  

Aside from the CIT staff, additional representatives from OIT Security, Research, and AVS (classroom support and more) will be on hand to answer your questions. Space will be available to help you focus and prepare your course for the semester. 

Friday, Jan 6, 9-11AM and 2-4PM 

Monday, Jan 9, 9-11AM and 2-4PM 

Gordon Palmer Hall, Room A232 

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