[BB] Blackboard upgrade to 9.1 scheduled for July 2-3

Blackboard list members,

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

If you have any serious problem with Blackboard being upgraded (and therefor unavailable) the weekend of July 2-3, 2011, please let me know NOW.

DETAILS:

Our Blackboard system is scheduled to be upgraded from 8.0 to 9.1 on Saturday, July 2nd, and Sunday, July 3rd of this year. That is the first weekend of Summer School 2. Our plan is to take the system down, have Blackboard upgrade it, and bring it right back up. Since the 4th is a holiday, that should give us some time in case we need it, before students will hit it on the 5th. The system will be completely unavailable during the upgrade. Faculty using the system will want to review their class sites on the 4th or early on the 5th to make sure everything is correct.

This will be an "in place" upgrade. All courses, accounts, content, grades, etc., will be there when the upgrade is completed. The two things that will happen are: (1) the system will be down on July 2nd and 3rd and (2) the system will come up with the new Blackboard 9.1 interface. Some things will look different and, especially for the instructors, some things will work differently. It will be better, MUCH better, than the current system.

Having been a faculty member years ago, I know how frustrating it can be to have something change and have to adapt to it. We will do everything that we can to make the change go as smoothly as possible. We will have an on-line course to certify people who want to learn all about version 9.1. We will have videos for people who just want to know how to do certain things. We will have training sessions where we demonstrate how to do things and then you can try it yourself. We will have handouts that cover certain common tasks. We will have special sessions just to show the three or four major differences between 9.1 and 8.0. We will have people standing by as soon as the system comes up on the 3rd to work with you and explain or resolve anything that you need.

We selected July 2-3 after careful review of alternatives. We can't do it between the spring and SS1 terms because there is only one day between them. Same thing between SS1 and SS2. There are two weeks between SS2 and the start of the fall semester, but I have a standing rule that we won't make changes to Blackboard during the two weeks before fall semester starts. That is the time that most faculty are working to create syllabi and get their class web sites set up on Blackboard. I won't make any changes then unless they are absolutely required for security or to fix some issue. SS1 has many more classes than SS2 so it would be better to do it during SS2 rather than SS1. It will still have an impact, but not as great. We have programs such as the Global Academy and EMBA that are year round, so no matter when we do the upgrade they will be affected. We hope that getting it done in two days will not adversely affect those programs. We also hope that by making the announcement as early as possible, they will be able to make alternative plans, if necessary. Given our analysis, we came to the conclusion that July 2-3, the first weekend of SS2, is the best time to do it.

So, if you have any serious problem with Blackboard being upgraded (and therefor being unavailable) the weekend of July 2-3, 2011, please let me know NOW.

Lots more information will follow. Once the date is decided, we can move ahead with other things.

Bill Vilberg
Instructional Advancement
Richter Library, Room 325
bill.vilberg@miami.edu
786-250-2255

http://iacinfo.org - Access to the information you need, WHEN YOU NEED IT.

[BB] Summer 1 Classes are now in My Current Courses

Blackboard users,

In order to support the EMBA class schedule, we have added to Blackboard the Summer 1 and Summer 2 classes for 2011. The 2011 Summer 1 classes (-113) have been added to your "My Current Courses" list, if you are teaching any of these and they have been entered into the course registration system. The 2011 Summer 2 classes (-114) are available from your "Courses" tab on Blackboard, with the same restrictions. You may begin setting them up at your pleasure.

Bill Vilberg

----- Call our Blackboard Help Desk (305-284-3949) for assistance -----

[BB] Blackboard Usage Numbers

Blackboard mailing list members,

Blackboard continues to be used at UM by an incredible number of students and faculty. For example here are some numbers from this week.

--> People who logged in on Tuesday: 8,756

If one person logged in multiple times, that person is counted ONCE in this report. Given the fact that Blackboard is used predominately by undergraduates, and that we have around 10,000 undergraduates, that is an amazing number, in my opinion.

--> Assessments taken on Tuesday: 4.318

This is the total number of assessments submitted. A student who is taking a self-assessment, and allowed multiple attempts, would increase this number once for each attempt. It is exciting to see how many of you are using the assessment tool in Blackboard as part of your course design.

--> Discussion Board posts in the past week: 1,938

Almost 2,000 posts are added to the Blackboard discussion boards in class web sites every week.

Congratulations to all of you for the excellent use you are making of the Blackboard class web site system at the University of Miami. You should be proud of these numbers. If you get the chance, please share them with your colleagues. There are still some people at UM who don't know what Blackboard is, or assume that no one is using it. These numbers tell a different story. The numbers might convince some people to consider using Blackboard or to begin using it in new ways.

If you are interested in learning to use assessments, discussion boards, or any other exciting part of the Blackboard system, please call the Blackboard Help Desk at 305-284-4949. The wonderful people there will be more than happy to help you

Bill Vilberg
Instructional Advancement
Richter Library, Room 325
bill.vilberg@miami.edu
786-250-2255

http://vilberg.com - Spreading seeds of education, technology, and more

[BB] SafeAssign Issue Fixed

Hello Bb Users,

 

Blackboard has fixed the issue with the safe assignment and you should now be able to review the reports.

 

Please give us a call if you are experiencing any problem at 305-284-3949

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] SafeAssign Update

Hello Bb Users,

 

Blackboard will reboot the Safe Assign Server tomorrow morning between 1AM and 2AM. You will still be able to access Blackboard but some tools such as collaboration will not be available.

 

Please call the Blackboard Help Desk if you have any question at 305-284-3949.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] SafeAssign update

Hello Bb Users,

 

The problem with SafeAssign has not been fixed yet and Blackboard explained that it will require a reboot of the server. They have a planned maintenance window set for Friday morning but we are trying to get it done tonight.

 

We will continue to update you if anything new comes up.

 

We again apologize for the inconvenience,

 

Sincerely,

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] SafeAssignment Still Down

Hello Bb Users,

 

The safe assignment tool is still not operational. Blackboard is working to resolve the issue.

 

We will let you know once the service is back up.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience.

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] SafeAssignment problem

Bb Users,

 

Please be informed SafeAssignment is generating an error when trying to submit or view a paper. The issues is not specific to the University of Miami, other Universities are affected as well.

Blackboard is working to get the service restored as soon as possible.

 

We will keep you informed of any update.

 

We apologize for the inconvenience,

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Respondus Lockdown Browser - Webinars

Blackboard users,

I just received word of a webinar on the Respondus Lockdown Browser. We have a site license for this browser at UM. You can set a quiz, test, or self-assessment in Blackboard so that it can only be taken in the Lockdown Browser. While the Lockdown Browser is in use the computer cannot go to other pages, print the test, copy the text, or do other similar things. It is not perfect, since the student can have another computer that they use to look up answers, or even use a smart phone, but it helps. And it means that everyone is using the same browser for the activity, which reduces the number of problems that might occur.

If you are interested in learning more about the Respondus Lockdown Browser, watch the video we have posted at http://tinyurl.com/lockdownvideo or else sign up for one of the webinars from the Respondus company as listed below.

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

----- BEGIN INSERT -----

Hello,

Join this free, live demonstration and learn how to reduce student cheating during online tests in Blackboard, ANGEL, Moodle, or Desire2Learn. See why so many institutions are using Respondus LockDown Browserwith online tests to prevent students from printing, copying, going to other URLs, accessing other applications, or exiting the test before it has been submitted.

Introduction to Respondus LockDown Browser (45 minutes)
- Tuesday, February 1st at 4 pm ET (1 pm PT) – Register
- Wednesday, February 2nd at 1 pm ET (10 am PT) – Register

Space is limited for each session, so register soon!

For additional information on Respondus LockDown Browser, visit our website at http://www.respondus.com/lockdown.

Regards,

The Team at Respondus
www.respondus.com

----- END INSERT -----

[BB] Jennifer Clister

Blackboard List Members,

We recently celebrated Jennifer Clister's fourth year here at UM as manager of the Blackboard system. It is with mixed feelings that I tell you that she is leaving to take a job at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. as of the end of January.

She has done an incredible job here, so it will be impossible to replace her with anyone nearly as competent. I am certain of that, since, in the short term, I will be assuming her duties. She has taken on a wide range of tasks and done them impeccably. We will miss her greatly.

JOY: Her husband is already in D.C. at his new job there, and Jennifer is anxious to join him. She has a wonderful new position, and I am happy for her. I also am proud to have a UM employee hired at another institution of higher education. One of the ways that our prestige grows at UM is by people learning more about us. Jennifer will be a wonderful ambassador.

I wanted to let you know so that you could share in her joy and perhaps let her know how much we appreciate her work here and how proud we are to have worked with her here at UM.

Have a great semester.

Bill Vilberg
Instructional Advancement
Richter Library, Room 325
bill.vilberg@miami.edu
786-250-2255

http://vilberg.com - Spreading seeds of education, technology, and more

[BB] Blackboard Training

Hello Bb Users

 

We are pleased to announce we have scheduled several Blackboard trainings in the upcoming weeks. For a list of dates, please visit our web page at www.miami.edu/iac then click on “Events”.

 

If you have any question, feel free to call our help desk line at 305-284-3949 or email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu

 

Thanks,

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

Re: [BB] Blackboard Up and Running

Bb Users,

 

Some people were still having problems after my message that Blackboard was back up. This issues should be resolved for everyone in the next 24-48 hours, but if you still see a message that Blackboard is down, here is a fix that should work:

 

I think we have a temporary fix that will work until everything is updated.  

You will have to type a command into the MS DOS command line.

1. Go to the Start Menu.
2. Choose Run.
3. Type "cmd" and click OK.
4. Type this in the MS Dos window that appears: "ipconfig /flushdns"
5. You should get a message that says: "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache."
6. Try to access Blackboard again: www.miami.edu/blackboard

 

I apologize for the inconvenience, and I will be in the office tomorrow to deal with any problems.

 

-Jennifer

 

___________________________

JENNIFER CLISTER

Blackboard System Manager

University of Miami IAC

305-284-3949

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: UM Blackboard Announcements [mailto:BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Clister, Jennifer R
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 7:48 AM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: [BB] Blackboard Up and Running

 

Bb Users,

 

Blackboard is up and running again. Blackboard upgrading our environment, and we had some issues making sure our URLs were pointing to the right places, but we believe the problem is resolved now, and I sincerely apologize for any issues caused by this extended downtime.

 

-Jennifer

__________________

JENNIFER CLISTER

Blackboard System Manager

University of Miami IAC

305-284-3949

________________________________________

From: UM Blackboard Announcements [BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Vilberg, William R. [bill.vilberg@MIAMI.EDU]

Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 5:17 PM

To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU

Subject: [BB] Blackboard still unavailable

 

The Blackboard system is still down. There are some issues that may not get resolved before tomorrow. We will keep you posted.

 

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

 

http://vilberg.com - Spreading seeds of education, technology, and more

[BB] Blackboard Up and Running

Bb Users,

Blackboard is up and running again. Blackboard upgrading our environment, and we had some issues making sure our URLs were pointing to the right places, but we believe the problem is resolved now, and I sincerely apologize for any issues caused by this extended downtime.

-Jennifer
__________________
JENNIFER CLISTER
Blackboard System Manager
University of Miami IAC
305-284-3949
________________________________________
From: UM Blackboard Announcements [BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Vilberg, William R. [bill.vilberg@MIAMI.EDU]
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 5:17 PM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: [BB] Blackboard still unavailable

The Blackboard system is still down. There are some issues that may not get resolved before tomorrow. We will keep you posted.

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

http://vilberg.com - Spreading seeds of education, technology, and more

[BB] Blackboard still unavailable

The Blackboard system is still down. There are some issues that may not get resolved before tomorrow. We will keep you posted.

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

http://vilberg.com - Spreading seeds of education, technology, and more

[BB] Blackboard Maintenance

>
>  
<excerpt><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><bigger><x-tad-bigger>

</x-tad-bigger></bigger></fontfamily></excerpt><excerpt><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller> </smaller><bigger><x-tad-bigger>

</x-tad-bigger></bigger></fontfamily></excerpt>Blackboard users,

Blackboard is currently down, as scheduled, so that some maintenance activities can be performed. It went down on Sunday around 10:00 pm and is scheduled to be back up today, Monday, after 4:00 pm.

If you go to http://miami.edu/blackboard a web page appears that says the system "should be restored after 08:00 am on Tuesday, May 16th." This is the notice that was used last summer during our summer maintenance. We forgot to update it. Please don't be confused by the date. The system is really scheduled to be restored after 4:00 pm on Monday, December27th.

Bill Vilberg
bill.vilberg@miami.edu
786-250-2255
AIM: bvilberg

[BB] Blackboard Holiday Downtime

Bb Users,

 

Blackboard is doing some maintenance and upgrades over the holidays. Here are the dates and times you need to be aware of.

 

1.  Blackboard will be DOWN from Sunday, Dec. 26^th at 10pm through Monday, Dec. 27^th at 4pm.

2.  Blackboard may be subject to intermittent downtime during these timeframes:

o         Tuesday, Dec. 28^th from midnight until 9am

o         Thursday, Dec. 30^th from midnight until 9am

 

 

Hopefully this won’t interrupt anyone’s holiday Blackboard fun or festivities.

 

Best wishes for a safe and restful winter break,

Jennifer

 

_____________________________________

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

 

[BB] Bb 9.1 Live Demo

Bb Users,

 

We are planning on upgrading to Blackboard 9.1 this summer (2011). Blackboard is coming to give us a demonstration tomorrow (Dec. 7^th) in Learning Center room 184 at 11:00am. The session is scheduled for an hour, but the Blackboard people are planning on staying for another hour to cover more details and questions for those who want to stay.

 

This version of Blackboard has a lot more differences than we are used to seeing from one version of Blackboard to another, but Bb 9.1 has a lot of great features and functionality that many of us have waited on for a long time. This is a great chance to get a sneak peek and have Blackboard representatives available for questions.

 

Register here: http://www.iacmiami.org for the “Blackboard 9.1 Sneak Peek” event.

 

Hope to see you there,

Jennifer

 

_____________________________________

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

 

[BB] Blackboard training

Hello Bb Users,

 

We have two blackboard training coming up this month and if you are interested space is still available. The dates are:

 

Tuesday November 16^th, 2010

Introduction to Blackboard

10am – 11am

Richter Library room 305

 

Monday November 29^th, 2010

Grade Center training

10am – 11am

Richter Library room 305

 

To check for future trainings and to register please go to www.iacevents.org

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Archiving & Removing '07-'08 Bb Courses

Bb Users,

 

It is time to start the annual archival/removal of old courses from Blackboard.

 

Every year we archive and remove old courses. This time we will be removing the 2007-2008 (Fall 2007 – Summer 2008) courses from the Blackboard system (ending with 080, 081, 082, 083, 084). Courses from the 2008-2009 (090-094) school year will be made unavailable to students, but will still be accessible to faculty for another year. You can find your old courses in Blackboard by going to the Courses tab.

 

I will begin disabling these courses so that they can be archived and removed on Monday, November 22.

 

Attached is a document that explains how to archive and save your courses to your computer or disk if you would like to maintain your own archive. (We maintain an archive at the Instructional Advancement Center.)

 

QUESTIONS:

1. WHAT IS ARCHIVING?
   Archiving means we take your entire course and save it to a disk. Then we remove it from the Blackboard system. If we ever need to restore the course, we can, but it may take a while for me to dig it out of the archive since we maintain over 100,000 courses.
2. CAN YOU ARCHIVE AND SAVE YOUR OWN COURSE?
   Yes, you can! Attached is a document that explains how to archive your course and how to download a great tool that will make navigating archived courses easier. You can also access these instructions through the Support tab in Blackboard.

 

If you need any more information, please let me know or open a ticket: Blackboard Help Desk.

 

Best wishes for a smooth end-of-the-semester/year,

Jennifer

 

_____________________________________

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

 

[BB] Blackboard Updates: Maintenance, Slow SafeAssign

Bb Users,

 

On Friday morning from 2am-6am, Blackboard will be doing some preventative maintenance which *could* impact service intermittently during that time. Please plan accordingly.

 

Just a reminder, Safe Assignment is slow this time of year. They are experiencing very high traffic, and it could take longer than usual to generate the Safe Assignment reports.

 

Thank you for your patience.

 

-Jennifer

 

_____________________________________

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