[BB] Blackboard Virtual Classroom

Bb Users,

 

We need to make a small change to restore the Bb Virtual Classroom tool (the Chat tool is working fine). This change needs to be made during normal business hours and requires a Blackboard restart.

 

QUESTION: Is anyone missing the Virtual Classroom tool? Would it be better to restart* Blackboard at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon to restore the Virtual Classroom tool or wait until the end of the fall semester?

 

* A restart means that normal service will not really be impacted because we restart one server and then the other, BUT if students are in the middle of a discussion board or a test when the server they are working on goes down, they may lose their changes.

 

I appreciate your feedback on this.

 

Jennifer

_____________________________________

JENNIFER CLISTER Blackboard System Manager University of Miami IAC 305-284-3949

 

[BB] Synchronize Safe Assignments Reminder

Bb Users,

If you copy Safe Assignments from other courses, you need to click the "Synchronize this course" link on the SafeAssign page from the Control Panel. If you don't do this, then the assignment links try to connect back to your former course, and this causes problems for (and confuses) students.

-Jennifer

__________________
JENNIFER CLISTER
Blackboard System Manager
University of Miami IAC
305-284-3949

[BB] Blackboard Updates

Bb Users,

 

As of this moment:

 

o         The CAS (login) update is complete. (This was a tweak that should have no visible effect on anything.)

o         The Collaboration tools (virtual classroom and chat) are *almost working* again (we are still having a problem with the Virtual Classroom, but Chat is working)

o         The Blackboard mobile application will now allow you to login with your CaneID (though it may take up to 20 seconds for the mobile application to load after you’ve entered your CaneID) *

 

If you experience any login problems this weekend, please let me know.

 

-Jennifer

 

 

* I will be sending more information out about the Bb Mobile app in the coming weeks, but you can learn about the Bb Mobile Learn app right now, if you’re interested.

 

_____________________________________

JENNIFER CLISTER Blackboard System Manager University of Miami IAC 305-284-3949

 

[BB] Blackboard Restart Friday Afternoon?

Bb Users,

 

We have a couple of changes to make to our CAS integration (one of which will fix our Collaboration Tools) that require Blackboard to be restarted between 4:30 and 5:00pm on Friday, September 3.

 

Unfortunately, this has to be done during normal business hours. We will do a rolling restart, so there shouldn’t be a service interruption unless:

o         you are in the middle of a test

o         you are in the middle of submitting a lengthy discussion board post you haven’t saved

o         etc...

 

I apologize for the inconvenience, and if this is absolutely unacceptable to anyone, please let me know right away.

 

Thank you,

Jennifer

 

_____________________________________

JENNIFER CLISTER Blackboard System Manager University of Miami IAC 305-284-3949