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November 29, 2007
Winter 2008 Blackboard Update
UMBC Blackboard Update is provided by the Office of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff using Blackboard at UMBC. If you have questions or suggestions, contact John Fritz (at fritz@umbc.edu or 410.455.6596) or Bob Armstrong (at rarmstro@umbc.edu or 410.455.3885). For support requests, send email to blackboard@umbc.edu. For more information about using Blackboard, visit the "Blackboard Help" tab before or after you login through myUMBC or directly at http://blackboard.umbc.edu.
HEADLINES
UMBC Blackboard Down for Upgrade Jan. 15-17, 2008
SP2008 Course Shells Created on 11/30; WT2008 Shells Created by Request
FA2007 Course Archiving & User Maintenance
FA2007 UMBC Blackboard User Survey
Call for SP2008 Pilot Courses for Bb Version 7.3
OIT Pilots New Report Showing Student Activity by Final Grade Distribution
Wimba "Voice Tools" and "Live Classroom" Now Permanent
Blog & Wiki Use in Blackboard Continues to Grow
Reserving AV Equipment for WT2008 & SP2008
FYI: Blackboard Training in January
FYI: Blackboard Awards for Exemplary Courses
FYI: SU2008 Hybrid Course Design Stipends (Course Proposal Deadline: Dec. 7)
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UMBC Blackboard Down for Upgrade January 15-17, 2008
To install the next version of Blackboard (7.2) and move the application to a new virtual, load-balanced server, UMBC’s main Blackboard server will be down Tuesday, January 15, through Thursday, January 17, 2008. This upgrade will fix some existing bugs, increase system speed and reliability, and introduce new features such as:
• Performance Dashboard tool: provides a window to monitor user’s progress and activity in the course
• Early Warning System tool: used to communicate warnings to students that a performance problem is beginning to appear
Similar to past major upgrades performed in January, all WT2008 courses will be created and run on the alternate Blackboard server at http://bbss.umbc.edu. (Here is a video that demonstrates how to set up a link between the production server and the winter server.) All communities and organizations will remain on the main production server, but not be available January 15 to 17 during the upgrade. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact John Fritz (fritz@umbc.edu or 5-6596) or Bob Armstrong (rarmstro@umbc.edu or 5-3885), or send email to blackboard@umbc.edu.
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November 28, 2007
SP2008 Course Shells Created 11/30; WT2008 Shells Created by Request
On November 30, 2007, OIT created an empty Blackboard course shell for all Spring 2008 courses listed in the UMBC Schedule of Classes (SOC) with assigned instructors. Using the Auto Enrollment" process, only officially registered students will be automatically enrolled in all Bb courses as they officially register. Courses that don't have assigned instructors will be created as usual and instructors will be enrolled as they are assigned. Auto enrollment of students and instructors is done four (4) times a day.
To request creation of a WT2008 Blackboard course shell, please use the "Request A Course" link on the Blackboard Help tab before or after you login via myUMBC or directly at http://blackboard.umbc.edu. Remember: Due to the planned upgrade Jan. 15 to 17, all WT2008 courses will be run on the "alternate" Blackboard server at http://bbss.umbc.edu. When you complete the WT2008 course request above, your course will be on the alternate server.
Note: Because some students (and faculty) have mistaken enrollment in a Bb course shell as official UMBC course registration, OIT has turned off the "self enrollment" function in all Blackboard shells. Also, faculty should not manually enroll students who “say” they will officially register (sometimes they don’t). If you or your students have any questions or concerns, please send email to blackboard@umbc.edu.
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November 27, 2007
FA 2007 Course Archiving & User Maintenance
As we near the end of the semester, here's a checklist of tasks instructors should complete to manage Bb courses and users (help sheets are available on the Blackboard Help tab):
Make your course unavailable to students
Create a backup copy of your grade book
Send UMBC Blackboard course deletion requests
For more information or help, send email to blackboard@umbc.edu.
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Fall 2007 UMBC Blackboard User Survey
OIT is always looking for feedback on how students, faculty and staff are using Blackboard and how we can improve support. You can find a link to the appropriate survey whether you are a faculty member, undergraduate student, or graduate student, by logging into Blackboard and using the link on your "MyBlackboard" page under "My Organizations". Thank you for your input and we look forward to serving you in the coming year. You can also view results of past surveys on www.umbc.edu/blackboard/reports.
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Call for SP2008 Pilot Courses for Bb Version 7.3
OIT will again be piloting the latest version of Blackboard (7.3) during the spring 2008 semester. The new version introduces a "hybrid" discussion board that includes both the features introduced in 7.1 and the older features in 6.3. With 7.3, the user will have a choice of how they want to view discussion board threads and replies.
As with all Blackboard pilot semesters, OIT requires the following:
• OIT will place an announcement in your pilot course describing what you and your students need to do if you encounter a problem in the version 7.3 pilot environment. We would ask you to make this a "permanent" announcement in your course throughout the semester.
• Throughout the semester, you and your students may be asked to complete a survey about your experience with the software.
• Your course will not be compatible with the regular production server until it is migrated to the version 7.3 software. Currently, OIT does not have plans to migrate all courses to version 7.3. until Winter 2009.
The pilot server will be available in mid-December. If you are interested in participating in the 7.3 pilot, please contact Bob Armstrong (ext 5-3885 or rarmstro@umbc.edu)
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OIT Pilots New Report Showing Student Activity by Final Grade Distribution
As announced earlier this year, OIT has been publishing new reports and videos about how students and faculty actually use Blackboard. Now, after piloting with two faculty from Geography and Environmental Systems, OIT is extending the pilot to all faculty who want to see their students’ activity by final grade distribution.
In three of four courses taught by Karin Readel and Chris Swan, “A” students used Blackboard more than “B” students who used it more than “C” students and so on. OIT is making these “self service” grade distribution reports available to faculty to see if there is a similar trend in their Blackboard courses.
These “self service” reports query a “replica” of the main Blackboard server that is updated weekly. Only the instructor of record can query (and view) his or her course’s student activity by grade distribution, if there is a grade book column called GRADE and the grade type is set to “text” display using only A, B, C, D or F.
Note: If you use these reports, they may be added to an anonymous, cumulative summary of all UMBC Bb courses to show student activity by final grade distribution. Unless you give OIT permission to do so, we will NOT publish your specific course’s final grade distribution in the list of most active Blackboard courses.
Future plans include developing a “Check My Activity” link faculty can enable for students that provides contextual feedback on how each student's activity compares to an anonymous summary of all other students in the course at any point during the semester. Students might also be able to “opt in” to receive email, rss or txt updates if their activity falls below a specific (or desired) level.
Reminder: The FA2007 Most Active Blackboard Courses reports will be run on Dec. 12, the day after classes end.
For more information about the UMBC Blackboard Reports project (www.umbc.edu/blackboard/reports), contact John Fritz (fritz@umbc.edu or 5-6596).
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Wimba "Voice Tools" and "Live Classroom" Now Permanent
Effective immediately, the Wimba Voice Tools and Live Classroom building blocks are a permanent part of the UMBC Blackboard course management system. Since 2005, OIT has partnered with Modern Language & Linguistics (MLL) and other organizations to pilot this “building blocks" plug-in to Blackboard.
"Voice Tools" provide faculty and students with an easy tool that can record their voices in formats such as a Voice Email, Voice "discussion" Boards, Voice Direct for live conferencing, Voice Recorder, for recording messages or assignments for students, and Voice Presentation, for posting web sites in a slide format with text and audio narration.
"Live Classroom" allows faculty to conduct "live" classes online with the use of a white board, powerpoint and website presentation system, as well as live voice and video components. The tools can be found under the course "Communications" link and as a content type on all content pages.
If you have questions or want training on how to use the tools, please visit the Wimba website. OIT also has a link to online help under the "Blackboard Help" tab.
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Blog and Wiki Use in Blackboard Continue to Grow
The Learning Objects tools in Blackboard continue to expand with the addition of more changes designed to enhance their use in course management systems. The tools that are frequently used here at UMBC include, blogs, wikis, podcasting tools and a search tool. New features include:
• Permalinks that enable links to specific pages in blogs and wikis
• A privacy link that allows the user to monitor comments
• Administrative ability to increase the size of allowed attachments
• RSS feeds from podcasts posted inside a course or community
For more information about these features, you can go directly to the Learning Objects website.
Note: for a good example how to use a wiki inside Blackboard, see History Professor Anne Rubin’s student group project: “Child Labor in the American South” which was presented at the Oct. 2 Maryland Blackboard Users Group (MDBUG) conference.
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Reserving AV Equipment for WT2008 & SP2008
If you plan to use presentation technology in your Winter or Spring 2008 face-to-face classes, please submit an equipment request by December 19, 2007. Requests can be submitted using a web form or by calling AV services at ext. 5-2461. Remember: all equipment requests are subject to availability and are not considered confirmed until you receive an email reply confirming your request.
For future reference: All faculty can determine which rooms have specific A/V equipment permanently installed by using the "Find Tech Classrooms" link under the "Class Tech Links" on the myBlackboard tab. However, when scheduling a room assignment from Academic Services (through your department scheduling coordinator), it's best to ask for specific room attributes (including technology) rather than asking for a specific room. Because of demand, you may not get the specific room you want, however, Academic Services tries to provide a similar room if they know what you want. If you have questions or concerns, please contact AV Services (ext. 5-2461 or avservices@umbc.edu).
Note: AV Services will be open from 8:30 AM to 4 PM during FA2007 finals week, December 13-19, 2007. All requests for equipment during this period must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance using the online request form. The AV office will be open for returns only on December 20,2007. Please call in advance (ext. 5-2461). The International Media Center will be open during the following hours:
December 12, 13, 17, 18 (9 AM to 9 PM) December 14, 19 (9 AM to 4
PM) December 16 (1 PM to 6 PM) December 20-21 (Closed)
If you have questions, please contact Joan Costello in the Media Center (ext. 5-
2464 or jcoste1@umbc.edu).
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FYI: Blackboard Training in January
A number of Blackboard-related workshops will be offered in January, 2008, including the following:
Getting started with Blackboard
Tuesday, January 8 - This 90 minute hands-on workshop will get you started using Blackboard at UMBC. The workshop will cover how to access your course, basic course design, posting a syllabus, adding content, and managing users in your course. (Please bring an electronic copy of your syllabus if you have one.) Prerequisites: Active UMBC account
Blackboard Wikis and Blogs
Thursday, January 10 - All UMBC Blackboard courses and communities have access to interactive community publishing tools such as blogs (diary-like journals any user can create) and wikis (a communal web site anyone can add to and edit). This one hour hands-on workshop will give participants a chance to try out blogs and wikis for themselves, and show how others are currently using them in UMBC Blackboard courses and communities. Click here for an example from a previous workshop.
Note: This workshop assumes at least a basic understanding of the instructor's or leader's role and function inside a Blackboard course or community.
You can register for these Blackboard sessions by going to the Blackboard training page.
Jack Prostko, Director, Faculty Development Center, will again be offering an orientation session for new part-time faculty on January 22 and 26, 2008. (All part-time faculty who have not previously attended are also welcome to come.)
PT Faculty Orientation (Tue., Jan. 22, 5:30 to 8 p.m., UC312)
This session will focus will focus on establishing your myUMBC account, getting a class list, computer support, Blackboard, using the library, administrative issues such as parking, payroll and benefits, teaching and academic issues and teaching resources.
Teaching and Learning Workshop (Sat., Jan. 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., International Media Center (IMC)
9 a.m. Continental breakfast
9:30 a.m. Teaching and learning techniques, course goals, assignments, tests, and promoting academic integrity.
12:30 Lunch will be provided to registered participants
1 p.m. OIT will provide a hands-on introduction to Blackboard for those that have myUMBC accounts.
These sessions are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Development Center. To register, see the Faculty Development training page.
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FYI: Blackboard Awards for Exemplary Courses and Projects
Each year, Blackboard.com is looking for those who "develop technologically rich and pedagogically sound courses". These courses are highlighted to "help faculty use e-learning technology more effectively". The program has been very successful in years past and has presented effective courses from many disciplines.
The deadline for submissions is January 21, 2008. For more information and the appropriate submission forms, go to the Blackboard Greenhouse Program website.
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November 25, 2007
FYI: SU2008 Hybrid Course Design Stipends (Course Proposal Deadline: Dec. 7)
The Office of Summer, Winter & Special Programs (OSWSP) invites proposals from any UMBC faculty member for $1,500 "course development" funding to redesign current face-to-face (F2F) UMBC courses for online or hybrid (part online, part F2F) delivery in summer session 2008. Instructional design and technology support are also provided by the UMBC Faculty Development Center (FDC) and the Office of Informational Technology (OIT). To begin the process, complete the online course proposal by Dec. 7. For more information, including deadlines for required "deliverables" and training workshops, visit www.umbc.edu/oit/hybrid.
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November 5, 2007
OIT Publishes Strategic Plan for Teaching, Learning and Technology
This fall, the Office of Information Technology has published Richness AND Reach: A Strategic Plan for Teaching, Learning and Technology and now seeks campus feedback on five specific recommendations and their related issues and opportunities [excerpted below]:
From the TLT Plan Executive Summary . . .
To face our issues and take advantage of recent opportunities, this plan recommends the following actions over the next five to seven years:
1. Assess and promote TLT practices that improve student learning; facilitate faculty awareness, networking, mentoring and training of or in these effective practices, especially in STEM disciplines or where large, introductory “gateway” courses have a history of high failure or dropout rates.
2. Invest more fully in the Blackboard architecture and community of practice, to support and elevate existing faculty usage from simple user and document management to increased interactivity and online assessment that improves student engagement, retention and recruitment.
3. Coordinate development, implementation and support of all current and proposed online degree programs. Collaborative partnerships could include academic departments (for subject matter expertise), the Faculty Development Center and Office of Information Technology (for instructional design and technical support) and Continuing and Professional Studies (to administer and market the online program needs and experiences of students).
4. Develop a strategic plan for design of formal, informal and (where appropriate) virtual learning spaces. A good first step is to complete the three-year plan to equip all registrar-controlled classrooms with fixed presentation technology by FY11. In addition, we should use the new Fine Arts and Humanities building to challenge current and future assumptions about what it means to learn not just anytime, but also anywhere.
5. Create an interdepartmental Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology charged with defining, implementing, evaluating and reporting progress on recommendations 1 through 4. The TLT Center could be populated with staff from the Library, OIT’s Instructional Technology unit, FDC, Learning Resources Center (LRC) and Continuing and Professional Studies (CPS).
Working with a faculty advisory group at the start of the Spring 2007 semester, the plan was developed over the summer and presented to the Provost's IT Steering and Classroom Committees last month, as well as to the Faculty Senate Computer Policy Committee, for which chair Ant Ozok is devoting several meetings to discuss the plan in detail.
In addition to sharing feedback with representatives of the IT-related committees above, members of the campus community may also share comments at the end of this article, or contact John Fritz, director of Instructional Technology & New Media, at fritz@umbc.edu or 410.455.6596.
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November 1, 2007
Firewall and Network Issues
During the Fall 2007 semester the UMBC campus firewall has experienced intermittent problems resulting in networking outages ranging from 5 to 30 minutes. The most recent issues have been occurring on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 1:00 a.m.
These network outages have resulted in interruptions to services such as Blackboard, e-mail and the Internet.
We have been actively working with our firewall vendor to isolate and resolve the problems. Unfortunately, due to the transient nature of the problem, finding a solution has been difficult. At this time the vendor does not have a working solution for these issues. While we would like this update to be more positive we wanted to ensure you that OIT is taking this problem seriously and that we are actively working towards a resolution.
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