[BB] Blackboard Upgrade!

Dear Bb Users,

 

Please be advised the Blackboard system at the University of Miami will NOT be available starting Friday December 21st 2012 at 7 pm, It will be back on-line on Monday, December 24th 2012 by 7 am. We will be performing an upgrade of our current version of Blackboard SP 8 (service pack 8) to SP9. The upgrade will not include new features or new themes. This is a maintenance upgrade that is intended to correct some internal errors in our current version of Blackboard. You should not expect any change in the Blackboard interface.

 

We will send a notification before the system goes down and once the system comes back up. For updates on the status go to this web site: http://blackboardinfo.weebly.com/

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Blackboard Safe Assign issue fixed

Hello Bb users,

 

The issue with SafeAssign is now corrected and should work as required.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience.

 

Please feel free to contact us for any issues you might have. Our business hours are from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and our phone number is 305-284-3949 or you can email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu.

 

Thank you

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Blackboard SafeAssign issue

Hello Bb users,

 

Blackboard is experiencing some connection issues with SafeAssign  causing some problems with submissions. We will let you know once everything is back to normal.

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] HT-Blackboard Upgrade?

Bb list members,

We are thinking about upgrading Blackboard from SP 8 to SP 9 over winter break. We would like to have a discussion about this, since the best decision is usually made with the most transparent and participatory process. 

If you would like to participate in an online discussion send me, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, an email. I will add you to the "HT-Blackboard Upgrade?" organization on our current Blackboard system. (HT stands for Hot Topic.) You will be able to go to that organization, read the (short) background material, and post your views, questions, or comments. Those of us who want to discuss this question, can do so without cluttering the email of everyone on the list. Instructions are provided on the HT site that explain how to have discussion board messages emailed to you, so you won't have to keep checking the site to see if anything new has been posted.

I have changed the settings of the bb@listserv.miami.edu list so that replying to a message sends the reply to the sender of the original message, not to the whole list. I have also changed the list so that messages can only be sent to the entire list by those of us who run the Blackboard system. That means that all you have to do to be part of the HT-Blackboard Upgrade? organization is reply to this message and add "I want to participate". I will notify you after I have added you to the organization.

I am looking forward to an open and interesting discussion. If you wrote to the list earlier about upgrades to Blackboard, please put it into the online discussion in the Hot Topic site so we can fully discuss it.

Bill Vilberg

bill.vilberg@miami.edu

8-3944 or 305-284-3944

[BB] Blackboard email delays fixed

Hello Bb Users,

 

The email delays affecting Blackboard has been fixed. Emails should now operate as normal.

 

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,

 

Please feel free to contact us for any issues you might have. Our business hours are from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and our phone number is 305-284-3949 or you can email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu.

 

Thank you

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Blackboard Email delays

Hello Bb users,

 

We are experiencing problems with emails sent from Blackboard. When you click on submit to send the email, nothing is happening for a couple of minutes then an error message as follow appears:

"An error or warning occurred while sending this email. Some or all recipients may not receive the message."

 

the email will be sent after several minutes to the recipients.

 

You may also get feedback from recipients that they received several copies of it.

 

We are working with Blackboard to solve this issue as soon as possible.

 

We will send a notification once the issue is corrected. We apologize for the inconvenience.

 

Thanks,

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Adding a name to your listserv

I’ve received inquiries on how to be added to your listserv. I’m on it, but I don’t remember how I got there.

Can you help?  

 

Diane Mahin

Faculty

Resource Coordinator

Intensive Language Institute

University of Miami

5050 Brunson Drive

Coral Gables, Florida 33124

Office:(305) 284-3628

Fax: (305) 284-3633

 

 

Re: [BB] Subtle (I hope) login change on Blackboard

I logged in with no problems.

 

Question:  when the BB site brings up the courses I'm teaching, it includes two courses from summer 2012.  Any way to get rid of these?

 

Professor June Teufel Dreyer金�芳

Department of Political Science

University of Miami

Coral Gables FL 33124

(305) 284-2403  (T)

(305) 284-3636  (F)

Skype: june.teufel.dreyer

jdreyer@miami.edu

 

From: UM Blackboard Announcements [mailto:BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Vilberg, William R.
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 4:54 AM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: [BB] Subtle (I hope) login change on Blackboard

 

Blackboard mailing list members,

 

REQUEST:

 

Please check that you can log into Blackboard and that the login process works for you.

 

If you hear of any students who are having login problems, please ask them to fill out a Blackboard Help Desk ticket so that we can work with them to resolve their issues.

 

DETAILS:

 

We changed the login process a bit this morning at 4:00 am. You should go through the same steps and see almost exactly the same screens, but some underlying processes were altered.  

 

We have verified that people are successfully logging in using both the CaneID process and the special process, so we know it is working for some people. But there could always be people who are having trouble that we can't see. 

 

Please check that you can log into Blackboard and that the login process works for you.

 

If you get any comments or emails from your students about having problems, please have them open a ticket with the Blackboard Help Desk. The can do that by going to http://miami.edu/blackboard and clicking on the link at the bottom of the page that says "Contact the Blackboard Help Desk." Then, on the next page, they should click on the "Create Blackboard Help Desk Ticket" link. We will be monitoring the tickets throughout the weekend.

 

Bill Vilberg, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 8-3944 or 786-250-2255

 

[BB] Subtle (I hope) login change on Blackboard

Blackboard mailing list members,

REQUEST:

Please check that you can log into Blackboard and that the login process works for you.

If you hear of any students who are having login problems, please ask them to fill out a Blackboard Help Desk ticket so that we can work with them to resolve their issues.

DETAILS:

We changed the login process a bit this morning at 4:00 am. You should go through the same steps and see almost exactly the same screens, but some underlying processes were altered.  

We have verified that people are successfully logging in using both the CaneID process and the special process, so we know it is working for some people. But there could always be people who are having trouble that we can't see. 

Please check that you can log into Blackboard and that the login process works for you.

If you get any comments or emails from your students about having problems, please have them open a ticket with the Blackboard Help Desk. The can do that by going to http://miami.edu/blackboard and clicking on the link at the bottom of the page that says "Contact the Blackboard Help Desk." Then, on the next page, they should click on the "Create Blackboard Help Desk Ticket" link. We will be monitoring the tickets throughout the weekend.

Bill Vilberg, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 8-3944 or 786-250-2255

[BB] Hot Topic: NBC Learn (correct link for event)

Bb List Members,

Should UM pay for a site license for NBC Learn so that you can include their many video clips into your class sites? We need your input. There will be a demonstration on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 1:30 – 2:30 pm, Richter Library, Room 305 (Faculty Exploratory). Please go to http://iacevents.org to register for the "How to Integrate Relevant, Engaging Digital Media Into Classrooms with NBC Learn" event if you are interested.

Bill Vilberg, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 8-3944 or 786-250-2255

[BB] NBC Learn site license interest session

Blackboard list members,

In Blackboard you can easily include material from other sources such as YouTube and Flickr into your course sites. NBC News is now licensing 14,000 multimedia resources, from over 80 years of NBC News, much of it aimed specifically at Higher Education. It can be easily located, by topic, and inserted into Blackboard, for viewing by your students.

Eric Zack, from NBC Learn, will demonstrate the product Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm in Richter Library, Room 305, the Faculty Exploratory. Please go to http://iacinfo.org and register if you are interested in learning about this product, and helping determine whether UM should purchase a site license. 

Go to http://www.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd to see the range of topics and subtopics that are included. Then attend the session and let us know whether licensing this product might be useful for you to enhance learning in your courses.

How to Integrate Relevant, Engaging Digital Media Into Classrooms with NBC Learn

When Wednesday October 17, 2012 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm

Where Richter Library, 305

Total Seats Available 15 (Reserve a seat at http://iacinfo.org) 

Bill Vilberg
Instructional Advancement Center
Information Technology
Richter Library, Room 325
bill.vilberg@miami.edu
8-3944 or 305-284-3944

[BB] Student View course/organization tool - NEW!

Blackboard users,

In order to experience your Blackboard sites as a student experiences them, go to the "Course Management" portion of the menu bar on the left, open the "Course Tools" section, and click on the (NEW!) "Student View" link. You can then check the grades, submit an assessment, take a quiz, and anything else that a student can do in the course site. This is a great way to see what the student sees and do what the students can do.

To exit Student View, click on the "Faculty View" link at the bottom of the course/organization menu bar. This is the only link that is present when you are in Student View, but is not there for a normal students.

Bill Vilberg, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 8-3944 or 786-250-2255

[BB] Blackboard login changing slightly as of Sunday morning

Bb Users,

     In order to fix a login problem that some people usingInternet Explorer were having, the login page and underlying process is being changed. The only change that you should see is a slightly different login selection page. You will login the same way you have in the past.

     The change will take place at 7:00 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012.

     Here is a screen shot of the new login selection page. You can see that it is almost identical to the current page.

     Please feel free to contact us with any questions or issues you might have. Our business hours are from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and our phone number is 305-284-3949 or you can email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu. During the changeover you can text or call me on my cell phone at 786-218-3052.

Thanks,

Bill Vilberg

[BB] An Exemplary Blackboard Course at UM, Friday, Oct 5, 2:30-4:00 pm, Memorial 218

Blackboard mailing list people,

Blackboard holds an Exemplary Course competition each year. In 2012 a nursing course from UM received one of these prestigious awards. On Friday, Oct. 5, 2:30-4:00 pm, in Memorial, Room 218, Lyndon Godsall, Instructional Designer, School of Nursing and Health Studies, will walk through this wonderful course. I encourage you to attend if you are interested in seeing how the many features in Blackboard can be used to more fully engage students and create meaningful learning activities. 

The rubric used to evaluate courses for this award will be distributed at the session. The School of Nursing and Health Studies plans on submitting another course for consideration this year. It would be impressive to have more courses from UM recognized. Perhaps you have one that you would like to submit?

Whether you want to submit a course for consideration or are just interested in seeing what a talented instructional designer and dedicated faculty can do in a Blackboard course site, this is a valuable opportunity to learn from your colleagues. Our session on Friday is 90 minutes long, so discussion and Q&A will be encouraged.

Please register on the http://iacevents.org web site for "An Exemplary Blackboard Course at UM" if you will be attending. You might also want to register for some of the other Blackboard or Richter Library training shown on that site.

Here are some links related to the awards and this particular course site that you may find interesting.

• A five minute video, describing the course - http://goo.gl/k11Te 
• Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Rubric - http://goo.gl/c9IaQ
• General information about the Exemplary Course awards - http://goo.gl/zp995

Thank you,

Bill Vilberg
Instructional Advancement Center
Information Technology
Richter Library, Room 325
bill.vilberg@miami.edu
8-3944 or 305-284-3944

Re: [BB] Please remove me from the list

Please remove me from the list.

Ada Orlando

Manager
Department of Religious Studies
University of Miami
Ashe 521
Coral Gables, FL 33124-4651
305. 284.4733
305. 284.2772 fax

[BB] Please remove me from the list

Hi, Please remove me from the list.

Thanks, Colby Katz


Colby Katz | 954.675.8058 | www.colbykatz.com

Re: [BB] Blackboard

Hi All,

 

                I take Dr. Godsall at his word that his faculty use intensively and extensively all (or most) of the options available in the Blackboard System.  That is a persuasive argument in favor of keeping the Blackboard as it is now.  So, I am in favor of keeping it is as it is now.  By that I mean, I hope that any additional changes will be made in such a way that the elements of the BB that the rest of us use will not change in the future.  That way we can use what we want and we will not have to struggle with a new system.   

 

One reply I received to my earlier e-mail about this subject asked if I had attended the learning sessions that Bill Villberg’s office runs.  There are a lot of these and I simply am too busy to attend them all, but I did attend one about 3 years ago.  And I don’t want to have attend a new one each year to learn a new system.  By the time I got done with that session I attended 3 years ago, I had spent a total of 3 hours (including travel time).  That person must have more time than I do.  This system should be intuitive enough so a person who wants to use it for basic communication (e.g. adding documents, sending e-mails to students, listing reading assignments, and posting and calculating grades) should be able to do that once they have learned it once. 

 

In fact, I can use the basics because I just relearned them again.   So, I suggest that BB’s basic operations be left as they are now, with any future add-ons being added in such a way that they don’t disrupt or change what most of us already know and do.  If we learn how to use the basic operations of this system once, that should be enough to continue effectively using it.  If some of us are interested in the more advanced options, we can attend Bill’s seminars to learn more about them as they become available.

 

Thomas D. Boswell

Department of Geography & Regional Studies

University of Miami

Coral Gables, Florida 33124-2221

(786) 417-6003

TBoswell@Miami.edu

 

From: UM Blackboard Announcements [mailto:BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Godsall, Lyndon Peter
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 11:00 AM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: [BB] Blackboard

 

At the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) we use Blackboard extensively for all courses.  Our faculty so far have had no issues with the transfer to the latest upgrade and have really embraced the new features such as setting your own theme.  One amazing new feature is the ability to neutralize a question in a quiz once it has been deployed.  This saves a lot of time as we give multiple quizzes through Blackboard each week.  From my perspective the whole look and feel of the software has improved greatly.  

 

Another tool we use extensively in BB is the WIKI feature which actively promotes collaborative learning.  Our students have produced some excellent examples of WIKIs and faculty enjoyed breaking away from the PowerPoint trap.  Students have enjoyed the ability to collaborate easily and faculty have noted that they were able to see the process and evolution of student work and participation. 

 

The SONHS runs an "online" certificate for Nurse Educators.  The program is a series of four courses designed to be delivered totally online.  All courses use most features of BB including WIKIS, BLOGS, JOURNALS. We embed video and include other multimedia features and learning objects.  We also use BB's Collaborate video conferencing tool to hold weekly seminars where the whole lesson is delivered "live" online. One of the courses, NUR551 won a national award for exemplary design.  This was a great honor as only a few courses from various universities are chosen each year.  Additionally the faculty member teaching that course won the Sloan award for exemplary online teaching.  There is only one winner each year.

 

Here at the SONHS we use BB extensively for all our programs and orientations.  For example we have Pre-Immersion Orientations that are given to our students totally online before they arrive on campus to prepare them for our fast pace traditional courses.  All this is done in BB and when the students arrive on campus they are already familiar with the BB software and have also made a connection with us.  We have online orientations for our Masters and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and we make extensive use of the ORGANIZATION feature within BB.  We have organizations that serve as resource centers for all our programs and more…

 

If you have read down this far you are probably thinking WOW!   Someone asked if anyone uses all the features and I can answer yes we do!  When we see something that does not make sense or a feature that is not working we either call over to our wonderful BB team at UM or sometimes send a suggestion to BB who do listen to ideas from their customers. 

 

Here are some questions you may wish to ponder:

 

How do you do all of that?

How come your faculty are not experiencing the same issues?  

Is it BB's fault?  

Is the upgrade to a really sophisticated piece of software that bad? 

 

No matter what your views on teaching and learning, the whole experience is changing and academic technology is here to stay.  Students entering grade schools could not imagine a time without the Internet and being five steps away from a computer that is online.  Everyone is connected through computers, smart phones and other devices… 

 

My suggestion would be to look around your school and determine if you have the support needed to maximize the technology you have available.  With a good support team you probably would be much further ahead with your use of academic technology and would be utilizing the services and equipment we have available at UM.  We have some incredible academic technology resources at UM and nothing much is going to happen unless you have support to use it.  If someone suddenly put a bassoon in your office would you be likely to have mastered it by the end of the month with no instruction? The SONHS decided to put a support structure in place and students and faculty have reaped the rewards. 

 

Lyndon Godsall Ed.D, Ed.S, M.Ed, B.Ed

Instructional Designer

305-284-2710 Office

954-647-4634 Cell

l.godsall@miami.edu

 

[BB] Blackboard Talk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Please take a breath and do NOT post any more comments to the Bb mailing list. It is driving some people to leave the list and they really need to stay subscribers so they can be notified about important and urgent issues.

DETAILS:

Thank you all for your honest comments about Blackboard. I have read every message to the board and every message sent to me privately. Regarding the negative feedback, I know, having been a faculty member, how frustrating it is when you feel like things are being done "to" you rather than "with" you. I apologize for managing a support system (we support your teaching – that is ALL we do) that has you feeling that way. My understanding makes me realize that steps are needed to deal with this situation. 

I am working full-time on a Blackboard issue (logging in from Internet Explorer throws you into a never ending loop of errors) or I would have posted something sooner. For now, I would ask that everyone take a breath can do not post any more comments to the Bb mailing list. That includes replies to this message. I want to have this conversation, but I would like to have it without affecting the goal of this list. 

This list was set up to share information regarding Blackboard upgrades, new features, outages, issues, and such. Some people have started leaving the list because they are getting so many messages discussion the cost/value/management of Blackboard. They would like to get our announcements, because they use Blackboard. That is all they want.

I want to find a different venue to hold the discussion. I will either create another mailing list and invite people to sign up for that, or use Google Talk, or perhaps even use a Blackboard organization site. I want this discussion to continue. I want to take part in it. Give me time to work on my current problem and then I promise to set things up so that this excellent discussion can continue.

In the meantime, feel free to send me email if you are so frustrated you just can't stand it.

Bill Vilberg
Instructional Advancement Center
Information Technology
Richter Library, Room 325
bill.vilberg@miami.edu
8-3944 or 305-284-3944

[BB] Blackboard

At the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) we use Blackboard extensively for all courses.  Our faculty so far have had no issues with the transfer to the latest upgrade and have really embraced the new features such as setting your own theme.  One amazing new feature is the ability to neutralize a question in a quiz once it has been deployed.  This saves a lot of time as we give multiple quizzes through Blackboard each week.  From my perspective the whole look and feel of the software has improved greatly.  

Another tool we use extensively in BB is the WIKI feature which actively promotes collaborative learning.  Our students have produced some excellent examples of WIKIs and faculty enjoyed breaking away from the PowerPoint trap.  Students have enjoyed the ability to collaborate easily and faculty have noted that they were able to see the process and evolution of student work and participation. 

The SONHS runs an "online" certificate for Nurse Educators.  The program is a series of four courses designed to be delivered totally online.  All courses use most features of BB including WIKIS, BLOGS, JOURNALS. We embed video and include other multimedia features and learning objects.  We also use BB's Collaborate video conferencing tool to hold weekly seminars where the whole lesson is delivered "live" online. One of the courses, NUR551 won a national award for exemplary design.  This was a great honor as only a few courses from various universities are chosen each year.  Additionally the faculty member teaching that course won the Sloan award for exemplary online teaching.  There is only one winner each year.

Here at the SONHS we use BB extensively for all our programs and orientations.  For example we have Pre-Immersion Orientations that are given to our students totally online before they arrive on campus to prepare them for our fast pace traditional courses.  All this is done in BB and when the students arrive on campus they are already familiar with the BB software and have also made a connection with us.  We have online orientations for our Masters and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and we make extensive use of the ORGANIZATION feature within BB.  We have organizations that serve as resource centers for all our programs and more…

If you have read down this far you are probably thinking WOW!   Someone asked if anyone uses all the features and I can answer yes we do!  When we see something that does not make sense or a feature that is not working we either call over to our wonderful BB team at UM or sometimes send a suggestion to BB who do listen to ideas from their customers. 

Here are some questions you may wish to ponder:

How do you do all of that?

How come your faculty are not experiencing the same issues?  

Is it BB's fault?  

Is the upgrade to a really sophisticated piece of software that bad? 

No matter what your views on teaching and learning, the whole experience is changing and academic technology is here to stay.  Students entering grade schools could not imagine a time without the Internet and being five steps away from a computer that is online.  Everyone is connected through computers, smart phones and other devices… 

My suggestion would be to look around your school and determine if you have the support needed to maximize the technology you have available.  With a good support team you probably would be much further ahead with your use of academic technology and would be utilizing the services and equipment we have available at UM.  We have some incredible academic technology resources at UM and nothing much is going to happen unless you have support to use it.  If someone suddenly put a bassoon in your office would you be likely to have mastered it by the end of the month with no instruction? The SONHS decided to put a support structure in place and students and faculty have reaped the rewards. 

Lyndon Godsall Ed.D, Ed.S, M.Ed, B.Ed

Instructional Designer

305-284-2710 Office

954-647-4634 Cell

l.godsall@miami.edu

[BB] Blackboard link in MyUM - Back! (and improved)

The link in MyUM to Blackboard is back. 

I never knew this link existed. I am staff, so it was hidden from me. I talked with one of our student workers and she said she thought the only way to get to Blackboard was through MyUM, until she started working in our offices. Since lots of people use that pathway, it will soon be visible to everyone, not just students and faculty. Hopefully that will make it easier for more people to find their way to the Blackboard system.

The other three paths, listed below, also get you to Blackboard and will continue to do so.

Bill Vilberg, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 8-3944 or 786-250-2255

From: <Vilberg>, William Vilberg <bill.vilberg@miami.edu>
Date: Thursday, September 20, 2012 9:38 AM
To: Bb Bb <bb@listserv.miami.edu>
Subject: Blackboard link in MyUM - Gone?

There are a number of ways to get to Blackboard at UM. Some people go to MyUM and click on the Blackboard link in the Online Resources module. Something seems to be wrong with that module in MyUM so that the Blackboard link has been hidden from some (all?) people. Here are some alternative paths to Blackboard.

1. Go to http://miami.edu, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click the "Blackboard" link.
2. Go to http://miami.edu/blackboard
3. Go to http://www.courses.miami.edu

These three paths are still working. We will report back when the "Online Resources" module on MyUM is working again.

Bill Vilberg, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 8-3944 or 786-250-2255

[BB] Blackboard link in MyUM - Gone?

There are a number of ways to get to Blackboard at UM. Some people go to MyUM and click on the Blackboard link in the Online Resources module. Something seems to be wrong with that module in MyUM so that the Blackboard link has been hidden from some (all?) people. Here are some alternative paths to Blackboard.

1. Go to http://miami.edu, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click the "Blackboard" link.
2. Go to http://miami.edu/blackboard
3. Go to http://www.courses.miami.edu

These three paths are still working. We will report back when the "Online Resources" module on MyUM is working again.

Bill Vilberg, bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 8-3944 or 786-250-2255

Re: [BB] CAS authentication is back

Please remove me from this email thread. I receive enough emails in my inbox.

 

Thank You

 

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HERBERT WELLNESS CENTER

Tom Soria, RCRSP Assistant Director of Intramurals Department of Wellness and Recreation

Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center 1241 Dickinson Drive Coral Gables, FL 33146 Phone:(305) 284-8518

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information and may be used ONLY by the person or entity to which it is addressed. Any unauthorized dissemination, distribution or copying is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please permanently delete the message and disregard.  Thank you.

 

From: UM Blackboard Announcements [mailto:BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Boswell, Thomas D.
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 9:11 AM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: Re: [BB] CAS authentication is back

 

I agree with Dr. Pompele.  It upsets me that the Blackboard System changes each year and I have to take more time to relearn how to use some of its features.  I also agree that we do not need all the fancy features.  I too would prefer a basic system that does not change each year.  Having said this, I should also mention that I do use the Blackboard extensively in my classes because it is very helpful, in this day and age, for us to be able to communicate electronically with our students.  Doesn’t Blackboard have a less fancy-basic version we could use?  If not, maybe it is time to consider another company.   How much does UM pay for the use of this system anyway?

 

Thomas D. Boswell

Department of Geography & Regional Studies

University of Miami

Coral Gables, Florida 33124-2221

(786) 417-6003

TBoswell@Miami.edu

 

From: UM Blackboard Announcements [mailto:BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Pompele, Giovanna
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 10:14 PM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: Re: [BB] CAS authentication is back

 

I'm not entirely pleased with the new BB myself. Every time there is an update it seems to get worse (like Facebook?). I wonder about how much we are paying for this product, and how many people are using the fancy features. I think it's worth a collective rethinking.

 

Dr. Giovanna Pompele

Women's and Gender Studies Program and English Dept.
University of Miami
252 Memorial Drive Ashe Bldg, Rm 321
Coral Gables, FL 33146

305 662 2453

 

On Sep 19, 2012, at 10:04 PM, Harry, Elizabeth G. wrote:

 

I agree!

 

Beth Harry, Ph.D.,

Professor and Chair, Department of Teaching and Learning

Co-Director, Project INCLUDE

School of Education, Merrick Bldg., Room 222

University of Miami, 5202 University Drive

Coral Gables, FL 33124-2040

office: (305)284-5363

fax: (305)284-6998

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From: UM Blackboard Announcements [BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] on behalf of Kubalkova, Vendulka [vkubalkova@MIAMI.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 12:16 PM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: Re: [BB] CAS authentication is back

Dear Colleagues,

I have used BB since it was introduced years ago and in fact two of my classes were some years counted as number 3  and 4 in the total count of the use of BB.  So I was a dedicated user but the the "advances" of the Bb technology has gone beyond my capability. 

So this year I have given up.  Totally.

The thing is completely ridiculous.  It keeps telling me that I don't have admin privileges, or it says error and I write a long letter in announcements and it throws me out - and wipes out the message.  I tried to put up my resume and the format of it was so ridiculous that I deleted it:  a page document was on three lines with the lines going a mile to the right and no visible way of how to format.  I posted a banner  after trying for ages until I figured out that it takes only a png format.

So:  I have given up.  I upload everything in my dropbox for which I pay out of my pocket.  I invite students to participate in it (for free).  I upload materials and they upload their assignments including PP which this BB "Rolls Royce"  I suspect could not handle.

I will use only the function through which I will be emailing to the class and brief announcements to be emailed to the class - brief for fear that the system will kick me out and wipe out the message in the process.  It also took me a while  how to operate the discussion board and blogs which too was shrouded in mystery - I will stop using it and use some other private software if that too somehow packs up.

I long for the return of BB about 5 models ago which was user friendly, did not have all of the tricks which I seriously doubt anybody can use.  I suggest that you do a faculty survey and roll back to a usable version.  and make sure that you ask whether faculty actually use it beyond posting a syllabus.  I urge whoever is in charge to reconsider this annual upgrading since this last version in my view is totally useless.

Thanks

Dr.V.Kubalkova

Professor of International Studies

On Sep 5, 2012, at 11:51 AM, "Ramos, Ricardo" <r.ramos3@MIAMI.EDU> wrote:

 

Hello Bb Users,

 

CAS is now working and you should be able to log into Blackboard.

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

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