ECU Blackboard Blog » Uncategorized http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Turning Technologies Clickers 8/27/12 http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2012/08/27/turning-technologies-clickers-82712/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2012/08/27/turning-technologies-clickers-82712/#comments Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:33:55 +0000 Cynthia Bowers http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=1799 8/12/12

There is an issue with the integration of Turning Technologies (clickers) and Blackboard Learning Management System. Some users may intermittently receive a message that reads “Unable to Get Institutions.” We are working to resolve the issue.

]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2012/08/27/turning-technologies-clickers-82712/feed/ 0 Planned Downtime 3/11/2012 http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2012/03/08/planned-downtime-3112012/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2012/03/08/planned-downtime-3112012/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:01:18 +0000 Cynthia Bowers http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=1548 Scheduled Maintenance

Blackboard will be unavailable on Sunday morning for maintenance. This is a planned downtime for Sunday, March 11, 2012, from 7 a.m. until noon.

]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2012/03/08/planned-downtime-3112012/feed/ 0 Mashups in Content Area of Blackboard http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/12/22/mashups-in-content-area-of-blackboard/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/12/22/mashups-in-content-area-of-blackboard/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:29:03 +0000 Cynthia Bowers http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=1413 We noticed the Mashup selections in the build content area are not there by default in your spring courses, but there’s a quick work-around. Go to Control Panel > Customization > Tool Availability, then click the boxes in the far right column for Flickr, YouTube Video, and Slideshare if you want the tools available.

screenshot of toolstools

]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/12/22/mashups-in-content-area-of-blackboard/feed/ 0 Blackboard Catalyst Awards http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/11/01/blackboard-catalyst-awards/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/11/01/blackboard-catalyst-awards/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:40:45 +0000 Cynthia Bowers http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=1315 If you believe your Blackboard course is innovative, well-organized, and promotes engagement among your students — and is worthy of exemplary status — consider submitting your course to Blackboard, Inc. for their Catalyst Award nominations. On their website, you can also access past winners/courses. Submissions begin December 1, 2011. Categories are: Community Collaboration, Exemplary Courses, Innovative Development, Mobile Innovation, Staff Development, and Communications Strategy. You may also nominate a fellow instructor. Spread the word!

]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/11/01/blackboard-catalyst-awards/feed/ 0 Downtime for Maintenance http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/10/07/downtime-for-maintenance/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/10/07/downtime-for-maintenance/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:02:54 +0000 Cynthia Bowers http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=1286 Blackboard and Pirate Drive will be unavailable for a short period of time while we performance maintenance to the systems. The downtime dates are:

  • Saturday, October 8, 2011, 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, October 9, 2011, 9:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/10/07/downtime-for-maintenance/feed/ 0 Welcome to the Blackboard Blog at ECU http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/08/12/welcome-to-the-blackboard-blog-at-ecu/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/08/12/welcome-to-the-blackboard-blog-at-ecu/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:56:44 +0000 Cynthia Bowers http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=1241 Whether you are a faculty member or student, we have a multitude of resources available for you as a Blackboard user. Go to the tabs above to find useful information, hints & tips, and links to resources, including videos, PDF tutorials, and external sources.

]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/08/12/welcome-to-the-blackboard-blog-at-ecu/feed/ 0 Blackboard 9 Video Tutorials – Communicating & Collaborating http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/02/14/blackboard-9-video-tutorials-part-2-communicating-collaborating/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/02/14/blackboard-9-video-tutorials-part-2-communicating-collaborating/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:46:41 +0000 Laurie Godwin http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=672 The launch date of Blackboard 9 is rapidly approaching.  You may be interested in the quick video tutorials Blackboard has developed to help get instructors familiar with Blackboard 9.  There are 3 different parts: Understanding  & Building your Course, Communicating & Collaborating, and Assessing Learners.

Communicating & Collaborating

Using the Discussion Board

  1. Grading a Discussion Board Forum!
  2. Grading a Discussion Board Thread!

Managing Group Work

  1. Creating a Group!
  2. Creating Group Sets!
  3. Getting Started with Groups Read It!

Blogs and Journals

  1. Creating a Journal!
  2. Commenting on a Journal Entry!
  3. Creating a Blog!
  4. Creating and Editing Blog Entries!
  5. Commenting on a Blog Entry!

Wikis

  1. Creating a Wiki!
  2. Editing a Wiki Page!
  3. Viewing a Wiki Page History – New!!
  4. Grading a Wiki!

Announcements and Scheduling

  1. Creating Announcements!
  2. Creating a Course Task!
  3. Creating a Course Contact!
  4. Sending Email!
  5. Sending Blackboard Messages!
]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/02/14/blackboard-9-video-tutorials-part-2-communicating-collaborating/feed/ 0 Blackboard 9 Video Tutorials – Understanding and Building Content http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/02/14/blackboard-9-video-tutorials/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/02/14/blackboard-9-video-tutorials/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:20:10 +0000 Laurie Godwin http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=660 The launch date of Blackboard 9 is rapidly approaching.  You may be interested in the quick video tutorials Blackboard has developed to help get instructors familiar with Blackboard 9.  There are 3 different parts: Understanding & Building your Course, Communicating & Collaborating, and Assessing Learners.

Understanding  & Building Your Course

  1. Your Course Environment – New!
  2. Select the Page Where Users Enter Your Course!
  3. Adding a Banner to Your Course Entry Point!
  4. Creating a Blank Page (for displaying content) on the Course Menu!
  5. Adding an Avatar to Personalize Your Course Environment!
  6. Make Your Course Available to Students!
  7. Using the Text Editor
  8. Building a Learning Module!
  9. Adding a Glossary Term!
  10. Creating a Blank Page!
  11. Creating a Tool Link!
  12. Adding a URL -New!!
  13. Creating a Mashup!
  14. Attaching Course Files to a Content Item!
  15. Tour the Course Files Feature!
  16. Adding Your Own Web Content Through Course Files!
  17. Create Multiple Rules to Release a Content Item!
  18. Searching for Standards!
  19. Aligning Content to Standards!
  20. Running a Class Coverage Report!
  21. Turning Tool Availability On and Off!
  22. Making Tools Available to Students!
  23. Changing the Course Language Pack!
  24. Changing the User Language Pack!
  25. Permitting and Restricting Guest and Observer Access!
  26. Turning On Statistics Tracking for a Content Item!
  27. Running a Report of All User Activity!
  28. Running a Report of User Activity by Forum!
  29. Running a Report of User Activity by Content Area!
  30. Running a Report of User Activity by Group!
  31. Saving a Course Report!
  32. Importing a Course Package!
]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2011/02/14/blackboard-9-video-tutorials/feed/ 0 Blackboard 9 Upgrade Information Page http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2010/12/17/blackboard-9-upgrade-information/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2010/12/17/blackboard-9-upgrade-information/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:31:50 +0000 Laurie Godwin http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/?p=629 Welcome to the Blackboard 9 upgrade project information page.  We will continually update this page through the upgrade process with news, information and links.

What: ECU is upgrading its course management system to Bb9 in May of 2011.  We have formed two groups to assist with these tasks.  The first group is the Steering Committee. This group is assisting in shaping the training, documentation and the look and feel of Bb 9.  The second group is the Pilot Group.  We currently have 21 faculty with 38 sections ready to teach, starting in the Spring 2011 semester.  This group has been trained. Support documentation has been created and provided to assist them using this new platform.

When: The Blackboard 9 pilot starts January 2011.  Other significant Bb9 pilot  dates are listed below.

  • 5/2010 – 8/2010  Bb 9 server propped up and configured.
  • 8/2010 Staging pilot group trained.  Two faculty teaching three sections.
  • 9/2010 Pilot group and Steering Committee formed.  Both groups have met and have been trained in Bb9.
  • 9/2010 ECU Instructional Technology Consultants training.
  • 9/2010 Yammer group created for both the Pilot and Steering Group.
  • 10/2010 Work was started on the Bb Faculty manual.  The document was completed 12/01/2010.  See the link below.
  • 11/2010 Training videos created.
  • 11/2010  Banner feeds have now created the Bb 2011 pilot courses; they are also populating them.
  • 11/2010  Blackboard section collapse tool was, and is, still being tested.
  • Faculty Manual Completed
  • 12/2010 Working on skinning the inside of Bb9 along with the login page before the end of the semester.
  • 12/2010 Working on getting all of the training dates on the books before we leave for break.
  • 12/2010 Bb Mobile is not working.  See all of the details here.  The mobile version ONLY works for Bb9 right now.
  • 1/10/2011 The pilot is now live.
  • 1/11/2011 Sent out the first of our weekly emails about Bb9 across the ECU community.  Click HERE to review a list of all of the email topics, videos and training dates available so far.
  • 1/12/2011 Our first of many open to the public Bb9 training sessions (Austin 309)  See the link above for more information.
  • 3/1/2011 Mid term survey sent out to the pilot group.  3/15/2011  Survey closed
  • 3/10/2011 Restore server is up and running
  • 3/12/2011 testing the course collapse tool on the Bb8 and Bb9 restore systems.
  • 3/15/2011 testing the course collapse tool on production Bb8
  • 3/18/2011  All summer Bb sites released into the system
  • 3/25/2011 All fall sites added into the system ( not enrollments)
  • 4/5/2011 Working with the multimedia center on the login page and color schema of Bb9
  • 4/10/2011  Working w/ Blackboard on a redbar error, login error and discussion grader error
  • 4/25/2011  Propped up a new Bb9 server and all of the errors have gone away. So far we have logged in and out 240 times w/ different users and browsers
  • 5/2/2011 Login page is about done and so is the skinning.  Looking good
  • 5/2/2011 Working on both the faculty and the student modules .  Right now we have Bb Mobile Learn, Student Bookstore, Support and Training, Updates, New Features and Disability Support Services
  • 5/10/2011 – Upgrade started.
  • 5/11/2011 Upgrade should be done today.  Once the upgrade is complete QA testing will begin.
  • 5/13/2011 WE ARE ALIVE.  Blackboard 9 is live !!!!!!!!!!!!  After 18 months of work we are officially a Bb9 campus.

Why: Blackboard 9 offers new features what will enrich the experience for both faculty and students.  Some of the new features include Blogs, Journals, Wikis, drag and drop and new Group Features. If you want a full list of the new features click THIS LINK to review and download the Bb9 faculty manual.

Where: The pilot server URL is http://bbdev.ecu.edu. All spring sites are loaded on this server, BUT you should not use these sites for teaching in any circumstance unless you are in the pilot.  See the list of the pilot participants.

Questions: If you have any questions about Bb9 or the pilot, do not hesitate to call or email Matt Long at longm@ecu.edu / 252-328-9074  or Cindy Bowers at bowersc@ecu.edu 252-328-9167 .

]]> http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2010/12/17/blackboard-9-upgrade-information/feed/ 0 Spring 2010 Welcome and a thanks http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2010/01/08/spring-2010-welcome-and-a-thanks/ http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/blackboard/blog/2010/01/08/spring-2010-welcome-and-a-thanks/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:06:21 +0000 longm http://ao.ecu.edu/blackboard/?p=423 Hello ECU Faculty -
I hope you all had a fantastic winter break. I know I did (besides the ice storm in Boone,NC and no power for 2 days but that’s another story). :-)
Below you will see a checklist of sorts for the beginning of the semester. Please review and email me if you have any questions. Welcome back !

  1. Make your course available – Be sure to do this.  If you don’t your students will not see your Spring 2010 Bb site.  Here is how.  Control panel / Click Settings / Click Course Availability / Toggle to YES /  Click Submit. You will need to do this for each of your Spring 2010 sites
  2. Enrollments – We will be  updating Bb with enrollments multiple times each day through the drop add period.
  3. Course Content - If you still need the Blackboard Team to rollover content or collapse sections you can request that process here.  http://ecu.edu/blackboard
  4. Fall 2009 Sites - I will make all of these unavailable this weekend.
  5. Problems - If you have any questions regarding Blackboard you can contact your Instructional Technology Consultant for local support or contact my team for phone or email support. (Matt Long – longm@ecu.edu / 252-328-9074 or Matt Powell – powellma@ecu.edu / 252-7371264) More on this topic in a moment.
  6. Training - I will be announcing training over the weekend. We plan to do group training in Austin 309 and Centra training throughout the semester. If you are interested in my visiting your unit for training  please email me and we will schedule a date and time.
  7. Bugs - If you notice any odd behaviors in Bb please report them to me.  I’m working closely with systems to review these “bugs” and search for a fix with Blackboard.
  8. A huge thanks !! - James Cook was provided a career opportunity that he could not pass up near the end of 2009. I’m sad to report that he no longer works at ECU.  He will be missed and his contributions will not soon be forgotten.  If you would like to say “thanks” do so in the comments area of this blog post. His position will be filled in the coming weeks. I will keep you all posted on this subject.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well, I guess that’s about it.  I will be updating this blog site weekly with any news that I think will be helpful in your use of Blackboard. I will do my best to limit the amount of emails I send out.  But, you will be getting a good amount as we launch into the Spring 2010 semester.   Thanks so much and welcome back !

Matt Long
http://twitter.com/ecubb

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