Instructional Technology News – January 21, 2022

• January 21st, 2022
• in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here! I hope your semester is off to a successful and healthy start. I have a few updates to share.

New Support Portal

CIT is thrilled to share our new online support portal is now live! Members of the UA community are encouraged to use the portal to submit an instructional technology help request, report an instructional technology outage, request a third-party product’s integration with Blackboard Learn, or get instant answers to frequently asked questions. The portal is the best way to request help from CIT, as we are currently experiencing high call volumes and are unable to assist walk-in visitors at this time.

Panopto Support

Panopto offers 24/7 support for UA instructors and students. Contact Panopto directly at support@panopto.com or 855-765-2341. Answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Panopto Support website.

Instructional Technology Updates

Several CIT-supported products recently received updates. Here are a few highlights:

• Blackboard Ally – Ally now supports Instructor Feedback for WYSIWYG content, enabling instructors and other course content creators to get real-time feedback in the course content editor.
• Hypothesis Blackboard Groups integration – UA instructors may now create small reading groups using Blackboard’s built-in Groups functionality. This provides more flexibility to build and manage your own student reading groups.
• Panopto January 2022 Product & Service Update – January’s update brought many additions and enhancements to Panopto at UA. Headline features include video reference copies, more discussion notification options, audio descriptions, student video submissions in Blackboard, and more.

News from OIT

• Changes to Retiree and Departing Faculty/Staff Email Accounts
• Log Into Zoom with SSO
• Check Junk Folder and Other Outlook Tips
• New myBama Launches Jan. 23
• Crimson Google Account Service Ends May 2022

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.

RESOLVED – Known Issue: Demo Student view not available in some Blackboard Learn courses

• January 14th, 2022
• in Known Issues

Update 01/27/2022 12:15 p.m.: Demo Student users have been enabled across UA’s Blackboard Learn production environment (ualearn.blackboard.com).

CIT has learned that, in some Spring 2022 courses, the demo user or Student View is not functioning correctly. Instructors who receive an error or encounter other issues when attempting to access Student View or the Demo Student should email cit@ua.edu and include their myBama username and course number and section where the issue has occurred. CIT can re-enable the demo user.

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

RESOLVED – Known Issue: Blackboard Learn Partner Cloud / LTI tools

• January 10th, 2022
• in Known Issues

Update 01/27/2022 1:30 p.m.:

From Blackboard:

With the Learn SaaS 3900.30.0 Maintenance Release to Production environments we have resolved this incident.

Related Blackboard status Incident Report: Learn Partner Cloud / LTI Tools Issue

Blackboard has identified an issue affecting LTI tool and Partner Cloud integrations, such as Pearson REVEL and Turnitin. A maintenance update is being applied to UA’s Blackboard Learn on Monday, January 10 to resolve the issue. This notice will be updated once the maintenance is complete. Other components or Blackboard Learn should not be affected by this issue or the maintenance update. Contact cit@ua.edu if issues persist once the update is complete.

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

Instructional Technology News – November 29

• November 29th, 2021
• in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

We’re in the home stretch! This is Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology with some news and tips for this final week of fall semester classes.

Zoom Log in – Change to Log in with SSO

UA Zoom users should now log into Zoom through single sign-on using their myBama credentials rather than a unique username and password. SARS users should continue to log into Zoom with their existing usernames and passwords to continue to use the SARS + Zoom meeting functionality. Additionally, no changes will be made to HIPAA-compliant accounts at this time. Instructions and additional information are available on the OIT website: Log Into Zoom with SSO

Get ready for finals

Preparing to offer a final exam via Blackboard? CIT encourages you to:

• Book an appointment for an online exam settings review to help ensure a smooth experience for you and your students.
• Follow these recommendations to avoid common problems associated with Blackboard Learn tests: Testing Tips for Instructors
• Share tips for being prepared and getting connected with students: Testing Tips for Students

Final grades due December 14 at midnight

Final grades are due 12/14 at 11:59 p.m. Any missing grades as of the 11:59 p.m. deadline will result in grades of “N” being assigned as placeholders. Instructors will then be required to submit grade change requests to correct all “N” grades.

Helpful grading information:

• Entering Midterm or Final Grades in Blackboard Grade Center
• Importing Midterm or Final Grades from Blackboard into MyBama
• Assigning Non-Attendance Grade Reason 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.

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. You can reach us at cit@ua.edu or 205-348-3532. Join us at an upcoming webinar or schedule a consultation with us.

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

Instructional Technology News – November 11

• November 11th, 2021
• in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with some early November news and tips.

Email Address in Blackboard

Students who are also employees have both @ua and @crimson email addresses. These students can now specify which address they would like to use for Blackboard Learn communications. Students should use their @crimson email addresses for all academic and student-related communications. Additional information and steps for determining and changing the email address associated with a Blackboard account are available on our website: Email address in Blackboard.

Get ready for finals!

Preparing to offer a final exam via Blackboard? CIT encourages you to:

• Book an appointment for an online exam settings review to help ensure a smooth experience for you and your students.
• Follow these recommendations to avoid common problems associated with Blackboard Learn tests: Testing Tips for Instructors
• Share tips for being prepared and getting connected: Testing Tips for Students

Access to Crimson Google Accounts Will End May 2022

After the Spring 2022 semester, Crimson Google accounts will no longer be available to UA students and alumni. Individuals should export or migrate all content they wish to keep to OneDrive (current students) or a personal storage space (UA alumni and former students should export content). All content remaining in Crimson Google accounts will be deleted on May 16, 2022. Additional information, including suggested steps for migrating content, is available on the OIT website: Crimson Google Accounts

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra updates

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra has seen several updates this fall! We’re particularly excited about the new whiteboard, which offers better formatting, interaction with breakout groups, annotation persistence and more.  Users can also now adjust their recording playback speed, going faster to save time or slower to catch more of what is being said: Recordings for Participants

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. You can reach us at cit@ua.edu or 205-348-3532. Join us at an upcoming webinar or schedule a consultation with us.

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

Known Issue: Low speaker volume in Blackboard Collaborate when using iOS 15 and Safari 15

• November 9th, 2021
• in Known Issues

From Blackboard:

Collaborate – Low speaker volume in Collaborate when using iOS 15 and Safari 15
Date Published: Nov 08, 2021

Category: Product:Known Issues & Error Messages; Version:Web Conferencing
Article No.: 000076023

Product: Collaborate

Service Pack(s): Web Conferencing

Description: Collaborate users on iOS 15 and Safari 15 are experiencing low speaker volume that may make it hard to hear the Collaborate session.

Resolution/Workaround: Apple has confirmed a known issue with their WebKit and are planning a fix for an upcoming iOS 15 release.

Related Behind the Blackboard article: Collaborate – Low speaker volume in Collaborate when using iOS 15 and Safari 15

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

Known Issue: Blackboard Learn Login Issue

• September 30th, 2021
• in Known Issues

CIT is aware that some users are experiencing issues with logging into Blackboard via the direct URL and through myBama. These issues with accessing and loading content are happening in Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Respondus Lockdown Browser, which relies on Safari or Chrome to function. This appears to be related to newer browser updates and happens more commonly on machines running older operating systems.

While a solution is being investigated, affected users might:

1. Run the browser checker to see whether Blackboard Learn supports your browser. Update to a supported browser if prompted.
2. If you are unable to update Safari/Chrome/Edge or updating doesn’t resolve the issue, use the Firefox browser. If your device is not compatible with the latest version of Firefox, you can install an older version. Firefox is also available in library and other campus computer labs.

Still experiencing the issue? Blackboard recommends updating your OS certificates OpenSSL versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.2:

1. Download these four pem files:

• Active
  • ISRG Root X1 (RSA 4096, O = Internet Security Research Group, CN = ISRG Root X1)
    • Self-signed: pem
    • Cross-signed by DST Root CA X3: pem
• Active, limited availability
  • ISRG Root X2 (ECDSA P-384, O = Internet Security Research Group, CN = ISRG Root X2)
    • Self-signed: pem
    • Cross-signed by ISRG Root X1: pem

2. Follow the steps to import the pem files into your browser. You will need to repeat the steps for each file:

• Windows:
  • Add a Root Certificate in Google Chrome  – The pem file is the certificate referred to in step 12. It has a different file name than the example in the screenshot.
  • Add a Root Certificate in Mozilla Firefox – The pem file is the certificate referred to in step 9. It has a different file name than the example in the screenshot. If you don’t see Options in the Firefox menu, look for Settings instead.
• Mac:
  • Add certificates to a keychain using Keychain Access on Mac – The pem file is the certificate file referred to in Step 2 (“Drag the certificate file onto the Keychain Access app”).

Instructional Technology News – September 23

• September 23rd, 2021
• in -Instructional Technology News

Hello instructors,

Melissa from The Center for Instructional Technology here with a few reminders and tips in advance of the upcoming midterm grade entry deadline. Want more updates from CIT? Subscribe to our news updates and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Midterm grades due October 6 at midnight

Midterm grades are due 10/6 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 Grade Center
• Importing Midterm or Final Grades from Blackboard into MyBama
• Assigning Non-Attendance Grade Reason 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.

Testing tips for students

If you administer midterm exams via Blackboard Learn, you might share these testing tips with your students:

• Use a wired Internet connection.
• Close/quit other computer programs.
• Read the test instructions. Details may include a time limit, number of attempts, and backtracking options.
• Minimize use of the mouse scroll wheel. Scrolling the wheel may inadvertently change your answer.
• Save your answers. Click the Save Answer button for every question.
• Click Submit.

Additional tips for being prepared and getting connected: Testing Tips for Students

We’re here to help

Using Gradescope to evaluate handwritten assignments? Giving a test with Blackboard Learn? Looking to secure an exam with Lockdown Browser?

Your colleagues in The Center for Instructional Technology provide training, support, workshops, webinars, and consultations for these and other instructional technologies and technology accessibility. Request online support, email us at cit@ua.edu, call us at 205-348-3532, join us at an upcoming webinar, or schedule a consultation with us.

RESOLVED – Known Issue: Blackboard Learn Math Editor Display Formulas Overlapping

• August 25th, 2021
• in Known Issues

Update, Wednesday, September 29 at 4:45 PM:

Blackboard recently applied updates to font packages for the MathType Editor to resolve the overlapping symbols issue.

Users still experiencing symbol overlap should follow these steps to make the MathType Editor recognize the new packages:

• Create a new MathType formula using a font size of 16px or lower and save OR
• Open a currently corrupted MathType formula, adjust the Font Size in the MathType editor to 16px or lower and save.

This will fix the issue for new MathType formulas created going forward. For Math formulas that are still appearing corrupted, please enter the MathType editor and resubmit to correct. No font size change is needed.

The Blackboard Learn Maths Editor is displaying formulas with symbols overlapping each other and making the formulas hard to read, affecting both students and instructors.

Instructional Technology News – August 18 – Welcome to Fall 2021 and Happy #FirstDayUA

• August 18th, 2021
• in -Instructional Technology News

Dear instructors,

Welcome to the fall 2021 semester at The University of Alabama! Your colleagues here in The Center for Instructional Technology are available to help with your instructional technology and accessibility needs. We provide training, support, workshops, webinars and consultations for  UA’s instructional technologies which include Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, Flipgrid, Gradescope, Hypothesis, Panopto, People.ua.edu websites, Respondus, Turnitin, Turning mobile responseware and Zoom.

Learn more about each of these technologies on our website. A few noteworthy items to bring to your attention:

Blackboard Learn

In case you missed it, Blackboard Learn recently moved to the cloud! With the move came a new look, Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation. Ultra provides a new way to navigate course content that will save you time and help you stay on top of what’s important. Visit our website to see highlights of Ultra Base Navigation. We ask your continued patience as we continue to work through Known Issues following the recent upgrade.

Panopto

Before a course will appear in your Panopto list of courses, you must provision that course for use with Panopto. You can provision your course by clicking on the “Course Videos” button that appears in your Blackboard course menu and following the setup instructions. We’re happy to share that Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) generated captions are now automatically added to Panopto videos. Accurate captions enhance learning and ensure access for all. Be sure to review and edit captions for accuracy.

Hypothesis

Following a successful pilot, Hypothesis is here to stay! Hypothesis is a collaborative annotation tool. It makes reading active, visible, and social, enabling students to engage with their texts, teachers, ideas, and each other in deeper, more meaningful ways. Visit our website for Hypothesis highlights and resources.

Gradescope

Gradescope is another tool recently adopted after a successful pilot. Gradescope can be used for evaluating handwritten responses, programming, diagrams, formulae, and other coursework that can be challenging to assess virtually. Additional information about Gradescope and steps for adding it to your Blackboard course are available on the CIT website.

Reach out for help.

We’re here to help. You can reach us at cit@ua.edu or 205-348-3532. Join us at an upcoming webinar or schedule a consultation with us.

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

We wish you all the best this semester!