Blackboard cleanup May 17

• April 29th, 2022
• in Announcements

On May 17, 2022, CIT will disable access to selected courses in Blackboard Learn. Courses that begin with the following semester codes are subject to removal in accordance with UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy:

• 201740 – Fall 2017
• 201810 – Spring 2018
• 201830 – Summer 2018
• 201840 – Fall 2018
• 201910 – Spring 2019
• 201930 – Summer 2019

UA’s LMS Course Retention Policy states that courses are subject to removal from the system two years following the end of the semester in which they are taught. Students and instructors should save any materials they wish to keep.  More information on the policy and instructions for backing up Blackboard content are available in the LMS Course Retention Policy FAQ.

Known Issue: Learn SaaS 3900.37.0 Update Problems

• April 21st, 2022
• in Known Issues

Blackboard Learn Service Outage

• March 31st, 2022
• in Announcements

On Wednesday, March 30 from approximately 6:00 to 6:30 PM Central, Blackboard Learn experienced a service outage. Service was restored around 6:30 PM. When the incident investigation is complete, we will share its results. Contact cit@ua.edu with questions or concerns.

Instructional Technology News – March 29, 2022

• March 29th, 2022
• in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with the latest instructional technology news.

Blackboard Ultra Course Pilot

UA instructors now have the opportunity to explore Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. Ultra Course View offers a simple, modern, intuitive, and consistent interface across devices and a simpler, more streamlined experience for instructors and students. Learn more and apply to participate in the Ultra Course View pilot by requesting a practice course: Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Pilot

Blackboard Digital Teaching Symposium

Faculty, instructors, graduate teaching assistants, instructional designers and technologists, and others who hold instructional roles – you are invited to the Blackboard Teaching Symposium, a day of peer-led sessions on digital teaching strategies. The event takes place online on April 21, 2022, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET (8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. CT). Event information and registration are on the Blackboard website: Digital Teaching Symposium

Turnitin changes May 11

A Turnitin change coming on May 11 will alter how instructors access the Turnitin tool; the tool will be located under a new menu, but its functionality will remain the same. CIT suggests instructors wait until after this transition to build summer and fall Turnitin assignments. More information about the upcoming update: Changes to Turnitin in 2022

Update Zoom for waiting and breakout room changes, new and enhanced features

The March 21 Zoom release brings many new and enhanced features, a complete list of which is available here:  Release notes for March 21, 2022 CIT staffer Karen Burns points out that several improvements to waiting and breakout rooms have been requested by UA instructors. Update your Zoom client to access them, and read about them here: Zoom: March 21 update brings waiting and breakout room changes, new and enhanced features

OIT Strategic Plan 2022-2025

OIT is seeking feedback for our next strategic plan. We want to know how we’ve performed the past three years, and what we can change in the next three years to better support you. Surveys are now open and available on the OIT website for UA students, faculty and staff to provide feedback. The feedback you provide in this survey directly determines the future of technology at UA. Surveys will close March 31.

OIT hosts Microsoft Meetups

OIT has planned a week of Microsoft Meetups to prepare and equip UA students to migrate content from Google to Microsoft. As a reminder, Crimson Google account service ends May 16, 2022. Sessions will showcase how to migrate content as well as tips and tricks for using the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. Faculty and staff are welcome to attend sessions to learn more about Microsoft 365.

Join OIT and UA’s Microsoft reps the week of April 11 – 13 to learn more, ask questions and get comfortable with using OneDrive and other Microsoft 365 apps. Learn more about Microsoft Meetups and see a full lineup of events on the OIT Events website.

We’re here to help

Your colleagues in The Center for Instructional Technology provide training, support, workshops, webinars, and consultations for UA’s instructional technologies and technology accessibility. Submit a help request or join us at an upcoming webinar.

Want more updates from CIT? Subscribe to our news updates and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Instructional Technology News – March 3, 2022

• March 3rd, 2022
• in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with the latest instructional technology news.

Midterm grades due March 4 at midnight

Midterm grades are due Friday, 3/4 at 11:59 p.m. Instructors are required to submit midterm grades for all 100- and 200-level courses, as well as grades for non-attendance. Midterm grading should be used to submit grades assigned for non-attendance.

Helpful grading information:

• Entering Midterm or Final Grades in Blackboard
• Importing Midterm or Final Grades into myBama
• Add a reason for a non-attendance grade in myBama
• Non-Attendance Grading Information and Grading Help (from Registrar)

Reporting a non-attendance grade? Find the date the student last accessed your Blackboard course using the Performance Dashboard or by viewing the Last Access column in the Grade Center grid.

Introducing the Instructional Technology knowledge base

You can now find instructional technology help articles and answers to frequently asked questions in CIT’s Instructional Technology knowledge base. Search by keyword, browse by topic, or navigate via menu to find resources for both instructors and students. Importing midterm or final grades into myBama? Provisioning a Blackboard course for Panopto? Creating a Turnitin assignment? Looking for Lockdown Browser Information for Students? Find the information you need in the knowledge base.

The Technologies pages on the CIT website have been redesigned to feature prominent links to relevant knowledge base content. Contact us for assistance locating former website content in the knowledge base.

Blackboard Learn: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages

An upcoming change to Blackboard Learn will impact export and archive packages created within a Blackboard Learn course. Course packages created after the March 3, 2022 Blackboard Learn upgrade will expire and auto-delete 30 days after the creation date. Existing user-generated course packages will be set to expire in 90 days from the March 3, 2022 upgrade. Additional information is available on the CIT website: Blackboard Learn: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages

News from OIT

• Crimson Google Account Service Ends May 2022
• Tech Services – Restricted Countries and Regions
• A new look is coming to Duo!
• OIT Strategic Plan – Share Feedback on Tech Services

We’re here to help

Your colleagues in The Center for Instructional Technology provide training, support, workshops, webinars, and consultations for UA’s instructional technologies and technology accessibility. Submit a help request or join us at an upcoming webinar.

Want more updates from CIT? Subscribe to our news updates and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Blackboard Learn: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages

• March 3rd, 2022
• in Announcements

An upcoming change to Blackboard Learn will impact export and archive packages created within a Blackboard Learn course.

Course packages created after the March 3, 2022 upgrade will expire and auto-delete 30 days after the creation date.

Existing user-generated course packages will be set to expire in 90 days from the March 3, 2022 upgrade.

In keeping with the LMS Course Retention Policy, Blackboard Learn courses are subject to removal from the system two (2) years following the end of the semester in which they are taught. Blackboard’s export course feature is one method by which instructors can back up content; it creates a ZIP file of your course content that can be used to create a new course. CIT recommends storing these files in Box or OneDrive.

Information about and step-by-step instructions for exporting courses can be found on Blackboard’s Help site: Export a course

Information about the change to user-generated course packages can be found in the release notes for the March 2022 upgrade: Automatic cleanup of user-created archive and export packages – 3900.34.0

Instructional Technology News – February 18, 2022

• February 18th, 2022
• in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with some instructional technology news and tips.

Learning ePortfolios in the Classroom: A Panel

Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022, 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Lackey Room, Bryant Conference Center

This professional development session, brought to you by The College of Continuing Studies and The Center for Instructional Technology, will feature instructors and experts from several UA colleges. Panelists will discuss their use of eportfolios and visual storytelling assignments as vehicles for course- and program-level reflection, integration, and learning.

Panelists:
Meredith Bagley, Department of Communication Studies
Leah Gutenson, College of Continuing Studies
Jessica Kidd, Department of English
Natalie Loper, Department of English
Shayla Smith, School of Social Work

Facilitated by Melissa Green, CIT Education and Outreach

Register now for Learning ePortfolios in the Classroom

New Courses in Blackboard Learn Course List

The contents of your Blackboard Learn Courses page will change as Summer and Fall 2022 courses are created. Courses are grouped based on their associated terms: Spring 2022 is 202210, Summer 2022 is 202230, and Fall 2022 is 202240. Select the down arrow next to Current Courses to move between past, current, and upcoming courses. If you access a course frequently, select its star icon to add it to your favorites so it always appears at the top of the course list. More on finding courses: Find Your Courses

Midterm grades due March 4 at midnight

Midterm grades are due Friday, 3/4 at 11:59 p.m. Instructors are required to submit midterm grades for all 100- and 200-level courses. Midterm grading should be used to submit grades assigned for non-attendance.

Helpful grading information:

• Entering Midterm or Final Grades in Blackboard
• Importing Midterm or Final Grades into myBama
• Add a reason for a non-attendance grade in myBama
• Non-Attendance Grading Information and Grading Help (from Registrar)

Reporting a non-attendance grade? Find the date the student last accessed your Blackboard course using the Performance Dashboard or by viewing the Last Access column in the Grade Center grid.

CIT Door Hangers

We recently distributed Do Not Disturb – I’m Teaching with Technology door hangers (JPG) to departmental offices with a request to share them with faculty and other instructors. The door hangers highlight CIT-supported tools to help you teach and learn. If you did not receive a door hanger and would like one, please send an email with your name and campus mailbox number to Melissa Green.

LastPass and Blackboard Test Options

CIT has learned the LastPass browser extension may incorrectly autofill fields and generate passwords when editing Test Options in Blackboard Learn. If you experience this issue, you can disable autofill for Blackboard in your LastPass settings: Known Issue: LastPass and Blackboard Test Options

News from OIT

• Crimson Google Account Service Ends May 2022

• OIT hosts events and workshops to help you feel comfortable and confident with technology. Upcoming topics include Adobe Creative Cloud, High Performance Computing, InDesign, Lightroom Mobile, and more.

We’re here to help

Your colleagues in The Center for Instructional Technology provide training, support, workshops, webinars, and consultations for UA’s instructional technologies and technology accessibility. Submit a help request or join us at an upcoming webinar.

Want more updates from CIT? Subscribe to our news updates and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Known Issue: Lastpass and Blackboard Test Options

• February 16th, 2022
• in Known Issues

RESOLVED – Known Issue: Blackboard Ally Degraded Performance

• February 2nd, 2022
• in Known Issues

Ally – US-EAST-1 – Degraded Performance

Monitoring – Processing of new content has been restored with some delays. We anticipate these queued items to be processed by February 4th, 2022.
Feb 2, 10:55 EST

Identified – Processing of new content has been restored with some delays. Our teams continue to work on restoring services to normal operations.
Feb 1, 17:05 EST

Investigating – We are currently investigating an issue with Ally in the Americas (excluding Canada) that is preventing the processing of new content added to Learn courses. All other Ally capabilities remain functional. Please follow status.blackboard.com for updates.
Feb 1, 14:22 EST

Blackboard Incident Report: Ally – US-EAST-1 – Degraded Performance

Real-time information about Blackboard status, as well as updates about scheduled maintenance and past incidents, is available on the Blackboard status page.

Blackboard Developer Portal Critical Maintenance

• February 2nd, 2022
• in Announcements

CIT has been informed that Blackboard will perform critical maintenance tonight, Wed., Feb. 2, 11:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Central. This maintenance could affect the availability and/or performance of some Blackboard Learn Integrations and third-party tools.

From Blackboard:

Due to an unprecedented increase in usage, Blackboard will be performing database scaling to improve performance for the Developer Portal (https://developer.blackboard.com).

Start Time: Thursday, February 03, 2022 12:00 AM EST (Eastern Standard Time) UTC/GMT -5 hours
End Time: Thursday, February 03, 2022 1:00 AM EST (Eastern Standard Time) UTC/GMT -5 hours

Customers will experience no availability to the Developer Portal during the maintenance window. All LTI 1.3 and RESTful integrations will be unavailable during this window.

This database scaling is expected to take an hour or less.

Real-time information about Blackboard status, as well as updates about scheduled maintenance and past incidents, is available on the Blackboard status page.