Updated Ally indicators for Ultra courses in February update Tweaks provided for self-enrolled groups & discussion boards

This month's Ultra update focuses on increasing the visibility of Ally in Ultra courses. Faculty who upload files directly to the Course Content area or within folders and learning modules will see more prominent Ally accessibility meters. These tools are also available when content is embedded in Ultra assessments. Students can also access Ally's alternative file formats for content more easily.

Blackboard also enhanced self-enrollment for student groups, allowing students switch groups themselves within the instructor-specified enrollment period. This month offered a few quality improvement fixes. For example, line spacing is improved for Ultra discussion board spacing to improve the readability of posts. Additionally, students who are disabled in an Ultra course because they dropped the class will no longer appear in the participant list.

The next Blackboard Learn update will be posted to our test site around February 11th and pushed to production in March 5th 2020. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. 

As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:

 ]]> This month's Ultra update focuses on increasing the visibility of Ally in Ultra courses. Faculty who upload files directly to the Course Content area or within folders and learning modules will... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/90227 https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/90227/guest@my.umbc.edu/e1189ed8a0c0ab3cb02eca48ee962fc0/api/pixel blackboard ultra-experience ultra-update Instructional Technology https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703 Instructional Technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/227/df64db0578a6a6e11797a5a3406cf184/xxlarge.jpg?1581082988 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/227/df64db0578a6a6e11797a5a3406cf184/xlarge.jpg?1581082988 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/227/df64db0578a6a6e11797a5a3406cf184/large.jpg?1581082988 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/227/df64db0578a6a6e11797a5a3406cf184/medium.jpg?1581082988 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/227/df64db0578a6a6e11797a5a3406cf184/small.jpg?1581082988 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/227/df64db0578a6a6e11797a5a3406cf184/xsmall.jpg?1581082988 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/227/df64db0578a6a6e11797a5a3406cf184/xxsmall.jpg?1581082988 0 0 true Fri, 07 Feb 2020 12:32:00 -0500 Sign Up for Free Training on Respondus Tools in February LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor
Respondus is offering free training webinars on the following tools:
LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.
See the dates, times and descriptions for each event below:


Instructor Training: LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor

Thursday, February 13 at 3 pm ET (12 pm PT)

This comprehensive training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including new enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use.

Instructor Training: LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor

Tuesday, February 18 at 11 pm ET (8 pm PT) | Wednesday, February 19 at 04:00 UTC

NOTE: Special time for institutions in Australia, Asia and surrounding regions, as well as an evening option for Pacific and Mountain Standard Times in the U.S.

This comprehensive training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including new enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use.

Instructor Training: LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor

Wednesday, February 26 at 2 pm ET (11 am PT)

This comprehensive training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including new enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use.

Learn more about these free training webinars at
https://web.respondus.com/webinars/.
]]> Respondus is offering free training webinars on the following tools: LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.See the dates, times and descriptions for each event below: Instructor... https://web.respondus.com/webinars/ https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/90079/guest@my.umbc.edu/9dd2537919a195c8fb42389a95201a5d/api/pixel instructional-technology lockdown-browser respondus-monitor Instructional Technology https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703 Instructional Technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/079/77e40f21f4f5d69428abb7089ffdda77/xxlarge.jpg?1580744339 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/079/77e40f21f4f5d69428abb7089ffdda77/xlarge.jpg?1580744339 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/079/77e40f21f4f5d69428abb7089ffdda77/large.jpg?1580744339 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/079/77e40f21f4f5d69428abb7089ffdda77/medium.jpg?1580744339 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/079/77e40f21f4f5d69428abb7089ffdda77/small.jpg?1580744339 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/079/77e40f21f4f5d69428abb7089ffdda77/xsmall.jpg?1580744339 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/090/079/77e40f21f4f5d69428abb7089ffdda77/xxsmall.jpg?1580744339 1 0 false Mon, 03 Feb 2020 10:40:46 -0500 ATTN: Employees in the Pension Retirement System Spring 2020 pre-retirement seminars schedule now posted
For employees enrolled in the MD State Retirement & Pension system (the Pension Agency), the Spring 2020 schedule of Pre-Retirement seminars is now available. 

These seminars are a valuable planning tool for all eligible members and their spouses provided by the MD State Pension Agency.

Please register using this link: http://www.ccbcmd.edu/ceed-preretirement-state or by calling 443-840-5059. 


]]> For employees enrolled in the MD State Retirement & Pension system (the Pension Agency), the Spring 2020 schedule of Pre-Retirement seminars is now available.  These seminars are a valuable... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/89757/guest@my.umbc.edu/7706daf37181668c09176686ba2705a7/api/pixel pension retirement Training https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/training https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xsmall.png?1281010946 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/original.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xxlarge.png?1281010946 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xlarge.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/large.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/medium.png?1281010946 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/small.png?1281010946 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xsmall.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xxsmall.png?1281010946 Training 0 0 false Tue, 21 Jan 2020 10:10:24 -0500 Moving from “What is that?" to Data-Informed Practice A Faculty Member Shares Her Experience Using REX For all those interested in data-driven decision making, there is a rich trove of data available to research thanks to the data warehouse Reports Exchange (REX). Although all faculty have had access to the system for over a year, many instructors still don’t know what is available to them, or equally important, what they can do with this resource. However, there are faculty  who stand out for their trailblazing efforts to leverage the warehouse to advance their scholarship and departmental policy.

Liz Stanwyck is a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and an active REX user. She began digging into REX as soon as she knew it existed, having learned about the warehouse several years ago during a Faculty Development Center event.  “I use it to look at changes in DFW rates over time… to find out which of my students might need help more than others,” says Stanwyck, who’s able to drill down to second-time repeaters as a particular risk group, and take advantage of at-a-glance statistics. “I can use REX to get a list of those students and write them individually.” Indeed, this functionality was built out at her request within a week of her request and the developers were “incredibly responsive.”

Stanwyck lauds the existing reports as very versatile as well, including the Grade Comparison - Course to Course, which is exceptionally helpful to track student success across gateway courses, and identify patterns that can potentially impede progression using data. She also makes use of the Plan Counts report to help support students. “As an advisor I use it a lot to look at all of my advisees and see how the major has grown or changed over time and how changes we've made in the department affect our students,” notes Stanwyck.

It’s also possible to use REX data to not only report, but also to develop one’s own models for action research. “I started an exploration a few years ago to see if my students in an introductory business 300-level stat class are achieving the learning outcomes for that class,” Stanwyck describes. “I came up with a pre and post test for the students so I could measure their learning, and then I dug down into REX data to start to associate those learning gains with different demographics and backgrounds, and I've presented that at two or three provost teaching and learning symposiums.”

In this example, Stanwyck highlights how REX data can be used not just for description, but also for more robust inferential and even predictive projects. Indeed, the particular efforts supported adjustments to Math 155, an applied calculus course that was initially redesigned four years ago. “We have tweaked and twiddled and played around with that class, and every semester we change one thing and then go back at REX and see overall what's the data like.”

From reporting, to analysis, monitoring, and evaluation, to data informed decision making – REX provides an array of reports and resources to help faculty and staff do their jobs better. If you’re new to the data warehouse, then this FAQ collection will provide you with all of the information you need to get started. If you’ve already accessed the Reports Exchange in the past and are ready to dive in, welcome back. Don’t forget, help is just an RT ticket away! ]]> For all those interested in data-driven decision making, there is a rich trove of data available to research thanks to the data warehouse Reports Exchange (REX). Although all faculty have had... https://doit.umbc.edu/ https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/89443/guest@my.umbc.edu/af8fbe629b7d24b6f9aa5145c8372394/api/pixel data pedagogy rex teaching Instructional Technology https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703 Instructional Technology https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/443/ededa7822c62ddc2b718a3a3dca0ee10/xxlarge.jpg?1578338394 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/443/ededa7822c62ddc2b718a3a3dca0ee10/xlarge.jpg?1578338394 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/443/ededa7822c62ddc2b718a3a3dca0ee10/large.jpg?1578338394 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/443/ededa7822c62ddc2b718a3a3dca0ee10/medium.jpg?1578338394 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/443/ededa7822c62ddc2b718a3a3dca0ee10/small.jpg?1578338394 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/443/ededa7822c62ddc2b718a3a3dca0ee10/xsmall.jpg?1578338394 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/443/ededa7822c62ddc2b718a3a3dca0ee10/xxsmall.jpg?1578338394 20 0 true Tue, 14 Jan 2020 10:18:10 -0500 Tue, 14 Jan 2020 13:20:55 -0500 Google Assignments and File Embed Available for Bb Courses Use Google's Rich Editor to Provide Student Feedback
In January 2018, Box discontinued Crocodoc in favor of the Box inline grading tool. The goal of this transition was to provide a similar and simpler experience users know from the traditional Box interface. For instructors, the new Box inline grading tool reflects a simpler design, but the tools are often not robust enough to provide feedback. 

Earlier in 2019, Google announced Google Assignments, a new tool that would allow faculty to create and share Google Suite files (Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets), as assignment templates for individual students and student groups. Google Assignments can be edited by students and faculty, changes tracked by all contributors, and submitted for a grade. When faculty review the submitted Google file, it is locked from further edits. Faculty can embed comments, grade with rubrics, check for plagiarism, or provide feedback from a reusable comment bank. After you post grades through Google Assignments, scores will automatically transfer to Blackboard. 

Since current student submissions via cloud storage will not render and display Google Suite file types, often resulting in students having to download and resubmit their assignment, this new tool addresses a challenge with Blackboard’s current cloud storage support.

Additionally, instructors will be able to leverage unlimited Google Drive storage, and use the Google Drive File Embed tool into their Blackboard Original and Blackboard Ultra courses. The Google Drive File Embed tool places a link to a native Google Suite file from the instructor's drive directly into a Blackboard course, and provides students with view-only access to the file. 

Google Assignments and Google Drive File embed are available for both Blackboard Original and Blackboard Ultra courses! Check out the Google Assignments and Google Drive File Embed FAQs and some of our upcoming trainings on these tools.

DoIT offers all active members of the UMBC community with three cloud storage options:
  • Box, with unlimited storage, is strongly recommended for institutional data
  • Google Drive from Google Suite, with unlimited storage
  • OneDrive from Office 365, with 1TB storage 

As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:
]]> In January 2018, Box discontinued Crocodoc in favor of the Box inline grading tool. The goal of this transition was to provide a similar and simpler experience users know from the traditional Box... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/89495/guest@my.umbc.edu/6b4e2b79f380f7a7e67405885b716222/api/pixel blackboard google google-assignments lti ultra-experience Instructional Technology https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703 Instructional Technology https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/495/134d250453ab702890e092fa58f90778/xxlarge.jpg?1578500809 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/495/134d250453ab702890e092fa58f90778/xlarge.jpg?1578500809 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/495/134d250453ab702890e092fa58f90778/large.jpg?1578500809 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/495/134d250453ab702890e092fa58f90778/medium.jpg?1578500809 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/495/134d250453ab702890e092fa58f90778/small.jpg?1578500809 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/495/134d250453ab702890e092fa58f90778/xsmall.jpg?1578500809 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/495/134d250453ab702890e092fa58f90778/xxsmall.jpg?1578500809 1 0 true Wed, 08 Jan 2020 11:32:54 -0500 Wed, 08 Jan 2020 11:36:48 -0500 Skillsoft Downtime

This is a reminder that on Saturday January 18th, Skillsoft Cloud Operations will be conducting the 2nd extended maintenance window announced. The upgrades require Skillsoft Hosted Services downtime due to the nature of the disruptive operation. 
 
The maintenance windows are scheduled as follows:
 
Saturday - December 14th, 2019: 7:00 AM Eastern (UTC -5:00)  – 7:00 PM Eastern (UTC -5:00) - Completed
Saturday - January 18th, 2020: 7:00 AM Eastern (UTC -5:00) – 11:00 PM Eastern (UTC -5:00)
Saturday - February 8th, 2020: 7:00 AM Eastern (UTC -5:00) – 7:00 PM Eastern (UTC -5:00)
Saturday - March 14th, 2020: 7:00 AM Eastern (UTC -5:00) – 7:00 PM Eastern (UTC -5:00) 
 
We apologize for the inconvenience these extended maintenance windows will cause. Our main objective is to continue securing our customers data by providing safe SaaS application.

Please find below the full disruption details for the first indicated extended maintenance on Saturday, January 18th. As indicated, all Skillsoft hosted services will be inaccessible during this maintenance event. Every effort is being made to minimize the duration of those activities, and our expectation is that the impact will not exceed 16-hours commencing at 7:00AM Eastern (UTC -5:00). It is our hope that the impact will be less in duration, however, in the interest of setting conservative expectations, up to 16-hours should be anticipated.

For the additional extended maintenance windows specified above, distinct reminder notifications for each will be disseminated at least 2-weeks in advance of their execution. 

Disruption Details
ProductUS Skillport, Skillport w/Compliance, OLSA, PublisherStart Date & TimeSaturday January 18th, 2020, 7:00AM Eastern (UTC -5:00)
StatusPendingEnd Date & TimeSaturday January 18th, 2020, 11:00PM Eastern (UTC -5:00)
Maintenance DetailsMaintenance of US Skillport, Skillport w/Compliance, OLSA, Publisher systems.

If you have any questions regarding this notification, please contact Skillsoft Support by replying to this notification or via one of our contact methods available at https://support.skillsoft.com/.

]]> This is a reminder that on Saturday January 18th, Skillsoft Cloud Operations will be conducting the 2nd extended maintenance window announced. The upgrades require Skillsoft Hosted Services... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/89439/guest@my.umbc.edu/0239358368b9cf4e0d7f97d7fb7bb726/api/pixel Training https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/training https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xsmall.png?1281010946 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/original.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xxlarge.png?1281010946 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xlarge.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/large.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/medium.png?1281010946 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/small.png?1281010946 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xsmall.png?1281010946 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/019/bdb106a0560c4e46ccc488ef010af787/xxsmall.png?1281010946 Training 1 0 false Mon, 06 Jan 2020 12:57:40 -0500 Mon, 06 Jan 2020 12:58:33 -0500 Urgent TurningPoint Update for Instructors effective 12/23 ACTION REQUIRED: Transitioning to TurningPoint 8
Turning Technologies is discontinuing their product TurningPoint Cloud for the release of their newest software TurningPoint 8. 

Starting December 23, 2019, UMBC will transition to TurningPoint 8. The software has been updated in the nine main lecture halls on campus. This new product comes with exciting new features to enhance the polling experience, but also requires some preparation to get started. 

To poll in the spring semester, instructors will need to update their desktop application to TurningPoint 8. If you used TurningPoint Cloud in Fall 2019, all grades should be uploaded to Blackboard by Monday, December 23rd. On Tuesday, December 24th, the option to upload grades from TuringPoint Cloud into Blackboard will no longer be available due to incompatibility with Java 11. 

Once you have updated to TurningPoint 8, you will notice a few of the new features: 
  • Participant lists are referred to as your Courses. 
  • Ability to update grades to Blackboard with a simple click. 
  • Ability to send an email to unregistered students with ease. 
  • After connecting your Blackboard course to your TurningPoint account, participant information will automatically update every midnight. Participant lists no longer need to be manually updated. However, the option to update your course is still available for last minute changes. 
To get started in TurningPoint 8, visit the helpful FAQs below. For technical support in transitioning, please submit an RT ticket. 

Recommended Articles: 
How do I upgrade to TurningPoint 8?
How do I register my Blackboard Original course in TurningPoint?
How do I register my Blackboard Ultra course in TurningPoint?

]]> Turning Technologies is discontinuing their product TurningPoint Cloud for the release of their newest software TurningPoint 8.  Starting December 23, 2019, UMBC will transition to... Image https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/attachments/c4be38291db6017970eef909b6e22250/69f05b29/news/000/089/310/4f7ef7308c8eb7e5e3730a15a66c0fb3/TurningPoint-logo-2.png?1576774780 https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/89310/guest@my.umbc.edu/d41416262f8899c6507fafc1d9cbba3c/api/pixel clickers turningpoint Instructional Technology https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703 Instructional Technology 0 0 false Thu, 19 Dec 2019 13:31:01 -0500 Students like Ultra design, organized courses User surveys reveal consistent satisfaction with Ultra style

More than 70% of 606 student survey respondents who took a course that used Ultra during the FA2019 semester said they were satisfied with the experience. When asked, students described Ultra as easy to use and visually appealing. “It’s new and fun,” said one respondant. “I love the sleek format. Ultra is neat, colorful, and polished,” said another student. Many appreciate the aggregated calendar of due dates and seeing grades posted to their activity stream. 

Ultra was initially piloted in SP2018 with four courses. Over the last 18 months, Ultra adoption has increased considerably, but student feedback was not recorded until a larger population of users was available in FA2019 to provide insight. Recent feedback from students is consistent with survey responses following the pilot and with feedback from faculty who have responded to surveys in SP2019 and FA2019. 

Student Satisfaction with Ultra

Figure 1. Student satisfaction with Ultra

Both faculty and students like Ultra for its interface and usability. Faculty find the streamlined tools easier to use in a clean and modern interface. Students generally like the look of Ultra and the ease of finding instructional materials, especially in a well-designed and organized course. About 79% of students were able to find course content and files, and more than 82% said their courses flowed in a logical way. 

About 61% of students who completed the survey said they wished more of their courses were using Ultra, citing the flexible environment and convenient structure brought by the redesigned infrastructure. These students may be happy to hear that more than 80% of faculty who have used Ultra over the past year indicated they might or would use Ultra again for their courses. 

Despite this insight, qualitative feedback from student surveys suggests a challenging paradox for faculty. Wherever students were concerned about potential lag when opening folders or perpetual scrolling, they generally observed it was due to poor course organization and excessive file load or links in the course. Students who enjoyed opening several folders on the page at one time said consistent course design helped identify where content was located.

In observing how Ultra courses were organized, students wondered if faculty had access to or participated in sufficient training and support for Ultra. Poor organization in a course “makes the exchange of information more difficult,” said one student. DoIT offers multiple training options to faculty who are teaching with or preparing to use Ultra -- boot camps, webinars, customized department workshops, and more. More than 52% of faculty, however, prefer to teach themselves, and more than 47% request support via RT. 

Faculty preference for training and support

Figure 2. Faculty preference for training (purple) compared to preference for support (orange). Click to enlarge. 

While FAQs and videos offer the “button-ology” of how an application works, facilitated training (in person and virtual) provided by instructional technology staff includes both technical and pedagogical perspectives to ensure faculty have essential information about how Ultra works and what best practices may optimize a course design.

As DoIT extends its support model for Ultra into SP2021, its instructional technology staff will continue to offer many of these resources while also introducing new options including 30-minute Coffee Break webinars, half-day boot camps on Ultra and supporting technologies, and more self-paced resources focused on best practices. The FA2029 end of semester sprint, an exciting and popular support model, will be repeated at the beginning of SP2020.

The FA2019 surveys provided reasonable and justified criticisms of Ultra, which DoIT has provided to Blackboard and the Ultra developers. Groups, gradebook, and tests are our top priorities for continued enhancement. In an ongoing effort to maintain transparency and momentum for innovation, UMBC has accepted Blackboard’s offer to meet quarterly with Ultra product managers, and continues to meet monthly with Ultra designers and weekly with other Ultra early adopters. Such communication is critical to ensuring Ultra meets the needs of UMBC faculty and students.

As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:

]]> More than 70% of 606 student survey respondents who took a course that used Ultra during the FA2019 semester said they were satisfied with the experience. When asked, students described Ultra as... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/89258 Document https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/attachments/1024d152a1bb03d61b5310bcdb59b427/69f05b29/news/000/089/258/da067f61c42e2e1562894e4afcfee191/UX Faculty Feedback.pdf?1576610200 https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/89258/guest@my.umbc.edu/bd4a94d33485677dc57754350de86102/api/pixel blackboard fa2019 survey ultra-experience Instructional Technology https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703 Instructional Technology https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/258/b94ba926012fa6393e2208eaad61f4c3/xxlarge.jpg?1576605979 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/258/b94ba926012fa6393e2208eaad61f4c3/xlarge.jpg?1576605979 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/258/b94ba926012fa6393e2208eaad61f4c3/large.jpg?1576605979 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/258/b94ba926012fa6393e2208eaad61f4c3/medium.jpg?1576605979 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/258/b94ba926012fa6393e2208eaad61f4c3/small.jpg?1576605979 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/258/b94ba926012fa6393e2208eaad61f4c3/xsmall.jpg?1576605979 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/089/258/b94ba926012fa6393e2208eaad61f4c3/xxsmall.jpg?1576605979 4 0 true Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:20:06 -0500 Wed, 18 Dec 2019 15:15:44 -0500 New group enhancements scheduled for December Ultra update Ungraded assignments also coming this month

Managing large numbers of students and groups is an important tool in Blackboard. In the current version of Ultra, faculty had to create assignments and discussions before they could create and attach a group to the graded activity. With the December update, the Groups Set tool is enhanced to allow faculty to create groups before attaching them to assignments.

An additional enhancement to the groups tool will also allow faculty to assign students to a group if they are not already in one or move a student to a different group. This setting addresses an important need when students join a class after a group activity has started or if they do not join a self-enrolled group by an appointed deadline.

Example of moving student to a different Ultra group

Note: Group Sets still do not have a bulk student enrollment option. We have reported this as a priority need to the Ultra developers. Self-enroll is not available for Group Sets. 

With the December update, faculty can create ungraded assignments. The existing workaround required using a zero-point test question; the upgrade to assignments now allows faculty to set the entire assignment to zero points.

The next Blackboard Learn update will be posted to our test site around December 10th and pushed to production in early February 2020. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. 

As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:

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Based on new analysis of how Blackboard (Bb) Ultra has been adopted across campus, DoIT has decided to modify its approach to faculty support across colleges. 

Specifically, DoIT will focus on supporting the College of Engineering and IT (CoEIT) in Spring 2020, and the College of Natural, Mathematical and Natural Sciences (CNMS) in Fall 2020. In addition, the rollout period for all colleges and focus areas will extend across two terms (not one, as previously announced). There are no changes in DoIT support focusing on the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) in Spring 2021. Also, DoIT still plans to discontinue support of Blackboard Classic prior to Fall 2021.

To be clear, this change is solely focused on how DoIT organizes its own support of faculty, who still make the final decision of when to switch to Bb Ultra. However, DoIT still recommends all faculty check their Ultra Course Preview and/or Sandbox well before doing so.

DoIT Support Rollout by College
Why DoIT is Adjusting its Support Approach

Basically, we've learned some things we didn't know on April 4 when we first announced the phased rollout by college. Specifically, CAHSS has adopted Ultra far more than any other college (61% of all 270 Ultra courses to date), which was not expected since we slated it to go last because it typically has the greatest number of courses (about 850 per term). Also, CNMS, which typically has the fewest Bb courses (about 150 per term), actually has the highest amount of student usage based on average logins, interactions and duration per student across all courses. Reflecting on both facts, we thought it best to adapt how DoIT supports all faculty moving to Ultra.

To stay current on the latest Ultra developments, including what’s new or recently released functionality, visit umbc.edu/go/ultra.
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