[BB] Internet Explorer 9 problem with UM Blackboard system

Blackboard users,

Based on our current testing, it appears that Internet Explorer 9 cannot be used to login to Blackboard. We are working on this problem. In the meantime, you might try a different browser such as Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.

We will update you tomorrow on the status of this issue.

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

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

[BB] Blackboard maintenance completed

Dear Faculty,

Please be advised the Blackboard system is now available and you can access it again at https://www.courses.miami.edu

We greatly appreciate your patience,

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

[BB] Blackboard maintenance

Dear Faculty,

 

Please be advised the Blackboard system is now unavailable. For updates on the current status go to the following web site: http://upgradenotes.weebly.com/

 

We will inform you if we encounter any issue and another notification will be sent once the system will be back up.

 

We greatly appreciate your patience,

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

 

[BB] Maintenance on the Blackboard System

Dear Faculty,

 

Please be advised the Blackboard system at the University of Miami will NOT be available starting Friday July 20^th 2012 at 10 PM, It will be back on-line on Monday, July 23, by 7:00 am. We will be performing an upgrade of our current version of Blackboard SP5 (service pack 5) to SP8. The look and feel will remain the same at this moment.

 

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://upgradenotes.weebly.com/

 

Thank you,

 

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Subscribe

 

 

Barbara A. Wood, MLIS

Librarian Assistant Professor

Department of Health Informatics

Calder Memorial Library

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

P. O. Box 061950 (R950)

Miami, FL  33101

Phone: (305) 243-3999

bwood@med.miami.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BB] SNEAK PEAK - New Bb features for this fall

Blackboard users at UM,

Want to see the new features that will be in Blackboard at UM for this Fall?  Watch 15 minutes of a video and learn about the following:

• New "Look and Feel" - Will roll out at UM on Wednedsay, August 8, 2012, two weeks before fall classes begin
• New "Course Merge Tool" for administrators (me)
• Shortcut between the same areas in your various courses
• Negative and Weighted marks in assessments
• Standards Alignment and Reporting within a course
• Activity Report of student activity in your course
• Regrading of assessments
• Course Themes

To view the relevant 15 minutes of this video, do the following.

1. Go to http://goo.gl/2TmeZ in your browser- This should load a java player for Blackboard Collaborate. The player window will open. Along the bottom you will see an indicator that the presentation is loading. (Called a "thermometer" because it looks like the mercury rising in a thermometer.) Make sure that you have speakers or a headset, since this video has audio, too.
2. Click on the "play" arrow, to the left of the loading indicator.
3. Drag the little button along the timeline to 16:00 (16 minutes). That is when Liam Ferris from Blackboard takes over.
4. Watch until the 31:00 (31 minute) mark. After that it is just questions and answers.
5. If you are really impressed and excited, drag back to the 16 minute point and watch it again and again!

REMEMBER: 

• Blackboard will be taken off-line on Friday, July 20, after 7:00 pm for the upgrade from SP5 (service pack 5) to SP8. It will probably be back on-line on Sunday, July 22, in the afternoon. It will definitely be back on-line on Monday, July 23, by 8:00 am.
• The new "Look and Feel" (2012 Theme) will be turned on Wednesday, August 8.
• More information, including training opportunities, will be send on this, the bb@listserv.miami.edu mailing list.

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

[BB] SafeAssign Critical Maintenance Upgrade - Service will be unavailable from 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday, June 29, 2012.

Hello,

 

SafeAssign service on Blackboard will be unavailable on Friday, June 29, 2012 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM US Eastern. SafeAssign is being taken offline for a critical maintenance upgrade. If you have any questions please contact us via email at blackboardhelp@miami.edu or call us at 305-284-3949

 

Respectfully,

 

Alex Zaldivar

Department of Information Technology

Instructional Advancement Center

Blackboard System Manager

Email: azaldivar@miami.edu

Phone: 305-284-3949

 

 

[BB] Blackboard Maintenance

Hello Bb Users,

 

Please be advised, Blackboard will be down for maintenance on the morning of Saturday April 28, 2012 between 1 AM and 3 AM.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Department of Information Technology

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

[BB] Blackboard Tip

Hello Bb Users,

 

We are approaching the end of the semester and we wanted to share a few tools Blackboard has available in case you did not know about them. I have attached  handouts for the following options:

 

• Voice Announcement: Voice Announcements are a unique means of vocal communication that only appear within the Announcements Area.
• Voice Email: The Voice Email feature gives instructors and students the ability to send voice email directly from a Blackboard course to anyone enrolled in the course. Voice Emails can be sent to either individual users, or to everyone registered in the course.
• Download Grade Center: Full or partial data can be downloaded from the Grade Center.
• Grade History: The Grade History page in the Grade Center acts like a log file that records all of the changes that occur to grades within a Course. The Grade History page displays all the data for grade submissions within a set date range. It is possible to manipulate the view and export the information

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

 Thank you,

 Rick Ramos

Manager of your Blackboard Support team

 

 

 

 

[BB] Blackboard Tips

 

 

Hello Bb Users,

 

Blackboard 9.1 comes with the Notification Dashboard. It is aimed at increasing communication and workflow efficiency within Blackboard. The Notifications Dashboard is divided into Student Notifications and Instructor Notifications.

 

The data presented within Notifications are aggregated from all courses and organizations for which an Instructor is teaching or a Student is participating.

 

The Dashboard is divided in four different modules where you will receive information about events occurring in your courses sites.

 

Here are the four modules and what information you should expect:

 

• What’s New: The Communication area displays the number of unread Discussion Board posts for each forum, the unread blog entries, and the unread journal entries. The Materials area displays any updated, submitted, or created content, tests, assignments, and surveys.
• Needs Attention: Only instructors will receive notifications. Any submitted item by a user for review. Categories of the possible notification types:

• Grade Tests: The tests and the corresponding users who have submitted the tests.
• Grade Assignments: The assignments and the corresponding users who have submitted the assignments.
• Grade Surveys: The surveys and the corresponding users who have submitted the surveys.

• Alerts: Only instructors will receive notifications. The Past Due area displays any assessment, assignment, or survey that has passed its due date with no submission by the student. The Early Warning System area displays any rule and the list of students who have violated that rule.
• To Do: Only Students will receive notifications. The What's Past Due area displays any assessment, assignment, or survey that has passed its due date with no submission by the student. The What's Due displays information about any assessment, assignment, or survey that contains a due date.

It is also possible to have the notifications sent to your preferred email address either in an individual email or a Daily Digest email (for information on this see our handout “Notifications Dashboard Settings”).

 

I have attached a series of handouts that will help you better understand the Notification Dashboard and how to use it.

 

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; and you can email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu.

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Manager of your Blackboard Support team

 

 

 

 

[BB] Blackboard Tips

Hello Bb Users,

 

With so many different computers, OS, and browsers it is sometimes difficult to expect the same results across all these different systems. You might be familiar with what I mean if you have given a test using the Test Tool in Blackboard.

 

A test submitted by a student in Blackboard can fail for different reasons such as wireless failure or browser compatibility. Respondus Lockdown Browser is a tool available that can help reduce the issues associated with browsers during a test. This tool will not prevent issues from, for example, dropped wireless connection or power outage but it creates a unique point of access for the test. The Lockdown Browser is available and ready to use by the instructor, all it takes is a simple download and install from the students on their computer.

 

We have created steps by steps on how to use it and set it up in your class site. Click the following links for more information:

 

Download Respondus Lockdown Browser: http://goo.gl/0kmKb

 

Setup Respondus Lockdown Browser: http://goo.gl/tKs2L

 

Respondus has also a video available showing what the students will experience when using the tool:

 

Respondus Lockdown Browser Intro video: http://goo.gl/WHJj0

 

Note: The Lockdown Browser does not prevent cheating on the test but it reduces the risk by preventing students from browsing the web and the computer or access messengers.

 

TRAINING:  We offer instructor led trainings and workshops in the Faculty Exploratory at the Richter Library. You can register for any of our events by going to our Registration site and clicking on the title of the session:

 

Registration Site: http://goo.gl/0Wjee

 

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; and you can email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu.

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

Manager of your Blackboard Support team

305-284-3949

 

 

 

 

Re: [BB] You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th

June,

I understand your confusion. This is the second version of the announcement. The original version had the RSVP email wrong. This is the one with e.johnson5@miami.edu which is correct. The first one didn't have the "5" in the email. That is the only difference. 

I was told that the person listed on the original notice, sent out by the Provost's office, was NOT happy at seeing all the RSVPs coming into her mailbox about something she knew nothing about. The Provost's office withdrew that notice. I would guess that they sent out another, but I don't know. I am not faculty so I do not get any of those email messages from the Provost's office.

Sorry for the confusion. I REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ATTEND THIS LUNCHEON. IT SHOULD BE GOOD!

Bill

From: "Dreyer, June Teufel" <jdreyer@MIAMI.EDU>
Reply-To: "Dreyer, June Teufel" <jdreyer@MIAMI.EDU>
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:10:01 +0000
To: Bb Bb <bb@listserv.miami.edu>
Subject: Re: [BB] You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th

I'm confused. Isn't this the invitation that was pulled back earlier?

 

Professor June Teufel Dreyer金德芳

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 Seaman, Kelley Shannon
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:59 AM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: Re: [BB] You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th

 

Dear Blackboard users:

 

The Office of the Provost and UM Faculty Learning Community

cordially invite you to a lunch presentation by

 

Dr. Philip Turner

Professor Emeritus, College of Information, University of North Texas

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project

Wednesday, April 4^th, 2012

12:00-2:00PM

Hurricane 100 Room at the Bank United Center

University of Miami

 

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project at the University of North Texas aims to redesign undergraduate classes to enhance student learning outcomes.  At the heart of the Next Gen Project are interdisciplinary faculty learning communities in which faculty nurture, mentor, and encourage each other.  NextGen courses are a blend of lecture, online, and experiential learning and are designed on a foundation of Student Learning Outcomes.

Dr. Phil Turner has been a classroom teacher, a librarian, a college professor, and the owner of an information company.    He served simultaneously as an academic dean and the lead administrator for distance and distributed learning for fifteen years at two institutions: The University of Alabama and the University of North Texas. Dr. Turner is currently serving as Professor Emeritus in the College of Information at the University of North Texas, and serves as a consultant to UNT's Next Generation Course Redesign™ Project. 

He has written extensively on the subject of the application of technology to the teaching and learning process, especially in the area of planning and policy. In 1994, he was the second academic to receive the Annual Award for Achievement in Managing Information Technology sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University and American Management System.

 

 

Please RSVP by March 28 to e.johnson5@miami.edu or 305.284.3356

 

 

Re: [BB] You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th - RSVP LINK CORRECTION!

Please RSVP for the event using:

 

e.johnson5@miami.edu

 

We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

 

Kelley Seaman

 

University of Miami

Instructional Advancement Center

Richter Library, 325 (LC 0320)

305-284-2008 P

305-284-3865 F

                                                                                       

 

From: Seaman, Kelley Shannon
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:59 AM
To: Bb Bb (bb@listserv.miami.edu)
Subject: re: You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th

 

Dear Blackboard users:

 

The Office of the Provost and UM Faculty Learning Community

cordially invite you to a lunch presentation by

 

Dr. Philip Turner

Professor Emeritus, College of Information, University of North Texas

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project

Wednesday, April 4^th, 2012

12:00-2:00PM

Hurricane 100 Room at the Bank United Center

University of Miami

 

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project at the University of North Texas aims to redesign undergraduate classes to enhance student learning outcomes.  At the heart of the Next Gen Project are interdisciplinary faculty learning communities in which faculty nurture, mentor, and encourage each other.  NextGen courses are a blend of lecture, online, and experiential learning and are designed on a foundation of Student Learning Outcomes.

Dr. Phil Turner has been a classroom teacher, a librarian, a college professor, and the owner of an information company.    He served simultaneously as an academic dean and the lead administrator for distance and distributed learning for fifteen years at two institutions: The University of Alabama and the University of North Texas. Dr. Turner is currently serving as Professor Emeritus in the College of Information at the University of North Texas, and serves as a consultant to UNT’s Next Generation Course Redesign™ Project. 

He has written extensively on the subject of the application of technology to the teaching and learning process, especially in the area of planning and policy. In 1994, he was the second academic to receive the Annual Award for Achievement in Managing Information Technology sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University and American Management System.

 

 

Please RSVP by March 28 to e.johnson5@miami.edu or 305.284.3356

 

 

Re: [BB] You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th

I'm confused. Isn't this the invitation that was pulled back earlier?

 

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 Seaman, Kelley Shannon
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:59 AM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: Re: [BB] You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th

 

Dear Blackboard users:

 

The Office of the Provost and UM Faculty Learning Community

cordially invite you to a lunch presentation by

 

Dr. Philip Turner

Professor Emeritus, College of Information, University of North Texas

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project

Wednesday, April 4^th, 2012

12:00-2:00PM

Hurricane 100 Room at the Bank United Center

University of Miami

 

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project at the University of North Texas aims to redesign undergraduate classes to enhance student learning outcomes.  At the heart of the Next Gen Project are interdisciplinary faculty learning communities in which faculty nurture, mentor, and encourage each other.  NextGen courses are a blend of lecture, online, and experiential learning and are designed on a foundation of Student Learning Outcomes.

Dr. Phil Turner has been a classroom teacher, a librarian, a college professor, and the owner of an information company.    He served simultaneously as an academic dean and the lead administrator for distance and distributed learning for fifteen years at two institutions: The University of Alabama and the University of North Texas. Dr. Turner is currently serving as Professor Emeritus in the College of Information at the University of North Texas, and serves as a consultant to UNT's Next Generation Course Redesign™ Project. 

He has written extensively on the subject of the application of technology to the teaching and learning process, especially in the area of planning and policy. In 1994, he was the second academic to receive the Annual Award for Achievement in Managing Information Technology sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University and American Management System.

 

 

Please RSVP by March 28 to e.johnson5@miami.edu or 305.284.3356

 

 

Re: [BB] You are invited to a faculty luncheon presentation on April 4th

Dear Blackboard users:

 

The Office of the Provost and UM Faculty Learning Community

cordially invite you to a lunch presentation by

 

Dr. Philip Turner

Professor Emeritus, College of Information, University of North Texas

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project

Wednesday, April 4^th, 2012

12:00-2:00PM

Hurricane 100 Room at the Bank United Center

University of Miami

 

The Next Generation Course Redesign Project at the University of North Texas aims to redesign undergraduate classes to enhance student learning outcomes.  At the heart of the Next Gen Project are interdisciplinary faculty learning communities in which faculty nurture, mentor, and encourage each other.  NextGen courses are a blend of lecture, online, and experiential learning and are designed on a foundation of Student Learning Outcomes.

Dr. Phil Turner has been a classroom teacher, a librarian, a college professor, and the owner of an information company.    He served simultaneously as an academic dean and the lead administrator for distance and distributed learning for fifteen years at two institutions: The University of Alabama and the University of North Texas. Dr. Turner is currently serving as Professor Emeritus in the College of Information at the University of North Texas, and serves as a consultant to UNT’s Next Generation Course Redesign™ Project. 

He has written extensively on the subject of the application of technology to the teaching and learning process, especially in the area of planning and policy. In 1994, he was the second academic to receive the Annual Award for Achievement in Managing Information Technology sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University and American Management System.

 

 

Please RSVP by March 28 to e.johnson5@miami.edu or 305.284.3356

 

 

Re: [BB] REMINDER - Electronic Course Pack training from XanEdu Publishing today!

Dear BB Users,

 

**This is a reminder of today’s event starting @ 12 pm in the University Center, Ballroom A**

**Refreshments will be served**

 

Join Rodney Sims, Account Executive of XanEdu Publishing, Inc., for an overview of the Digital Transformation Spectrum of best practices. You’ll learn:
• practical “how-to” advice for advancing to the next level(s)
• View iPad demo using course packs
• real-world examples of how leading institutions have engaged students, faculty and IT departments around common digital initiatives.

 

**Tuesday, March 20^th, 12:00pm to 4:00pm

 

For more information on this event contact Rodney Sims 734-476-4933, e-mail rsims@xanedu.com or visit XanEdu’s web site www2.xanedu.com/folio-x. To register for this event please visit http://www.iacmiami.org/a/events.

 

Best,

 

Kelley Seaman

 

University of Miami

Instructional Advancement Center

Richter Library, 325 (LC 0320)

305-284-2008 P

305-284-3865 F

                                                                                       

 

Re: [BB] Electronic Course Pack training from XanEdu Publishing

Dear BB Users,

 

Integrating digital course materials into curriculum in meaningful ways requires assessing a vast array of options and selecting the right one(s) for your institution. Determining your “digital readiness” is a key starting point for building and implementing a well-defined strategy.
Join Rodney Sims, Account Executive of XanEdu Publishing, Inc., for an overview of the Digital Transformation Spectrum of best practices. You’ll learn:
• practical “how-to” advice for advancing to the next level(s)
• View iPad demo using course packs
• real-world examples of how leading institutions have engaged students, faculty and IT departments around common digital initiatives.

**The event will be held in the University Center, Flamingo Ballroom 226A

**Tuesday, March 20^th, 12:00pm to 4:00pm

**Refreshments will be served**

 

For more information on this event contact Rodney Sims 734-476-4933, e-mail rsims@xanedu.com or visit XanEdu’s web site www2.xanedu.com/folio-x. To register for this event please visit http://www.iacmiami.org/a/events.

 

Best,

 

Kelley Seaman

 

University of Miami

Instructional Advancement Center

Richter Library, 325 (LC 0320)

305-284-2008 P

305-284-3865 F

                                                                                       

 

[BB] Bb tips - updated

Hello Bb Users,

 

Managing the Grade Center: the Blackboard Grade Center is a great way to manage your grades and keep your students informed of their progress.

We have come up with some instructions to get you started with it and a link to some videos:

 

• Grade Center Instructions: http://goo.gl/olTvi
• Videos:

• Customize Grade Center View: http://goo.gl/fyV9i
• View Grade Details: http://goo.gl/u60N7
• View and Downloading Grade History: http://goo.gl/B0oje
• Working Offline with Grade Center: http://goo.gl/KHhPS

We are offering a Grade Center training on April 9^th 2012 from 12:20PM to 1:20PM. To Register or to see other trainings we offer, please go to our event page at the following link:  http://goo.gl/0Wjee

 

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; and you can email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu.

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

 

Manager of your Blackboard Support team

 

 

 

 

[BB] Bb Tips

Hello Bb Users,

 

Managing the Grade Center: the Blackboard Grade Center is a great way to manage your grades and keep your students informed of their progress.

We have come up with some instructions to get you started with it and a link to some videos:

 

• Grade Center Instructions: http://goo.gl/olTvi
• Videos:

• Customize Grade Center View: http://goo.gl/fyV9i
• View Grade Details: http://goo.gl/u60N7
• View and Downloading Grade History: http://goo.gl/B0oje
• Working Offline with Grade Center: http://goo.gl/KHhPS

 

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; and you can email us at blackboardhelp@miami.edu.

 

Thank you,

 

Rick Ramos

 

Manager of your Blackboard Support team

 

Rick Ramos

Blackboard Help Desk Supervisor

305-284-3949

 

 

 

 

[BB] Email from Blackboard was filtered by Spamblock - FIXED (?)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

1) Email sent from Blackboard may have been filtered out as Spam at UM.
Students only knew they got Blackboard messages if they reviewed their
daily End User Digest of suspected spam.

2) We don't know when this started happening.

3) We believe we have corrected the situation, but we need to hear from
you to find out if everything is working correctly now.

DETAILS:

We discovered today that email from Blackboard was being caught, at least
for some students/classes, in the Spamblock system at UM. Students could
only find it by reviewing the End User Digest. We believe we have
corrected the problem. But you and your students really judge whether the
problem is solved.

If you send an email, through Blackboard, to your students, anytime after
2:40 pm on Wednesday, March 7th, please ask them in the next class how
many got the email. If they didn't all get it, the problem might still
exist. Please let us know. If the message is still listed in the End User
Digest, we DEFINITELY still have the same problem.

To notify us of your findings, or if you have questions, contact us at
either blackboardhelp@miami.edu or 305-284-3949 (8-3949 on campus).

Bill Vilberg