We are reviewing classroom technology standards and would like your input. Please take a few moments to complete a four-question Classroom Technology survey.  This is your opportunity to share configuration recommendations and any new technologies you would like to see in the classroom. Your feedback will help us in our planning efforts and in meeting your academic technology needs.

Please share your input today or by May 24.

 >> Click Here to Start the Survey <<

Thank you for your time,
Information Technology and Computing Services
www.ecu.edu/itcs

ECU Faculty: As we approach the end of the semester and final exams, it’s the perfect time to share Assessment Creation Best Practices and Information. This blog post reviews a list of tutorials and best practices for both building and taking Blackboard exams. If you ever experience any issues with students taking your Blackboard exams, please report these problems to the Help Desk (www.help.ecu.edu) as soon as possible. When reporting these issues please include the following information.

• Course ID
• Test location and name
• Student email ID
• Symptoms (behavior/details, browser, PC or Mac)

Important Reminder: The planned downtime for the Blackboard update will start at 1 pm on May 11th (grades due at 12 noon). During this downtime period you will not have any access to the ECU Blackboard system. Please consider getting your Summer 1 and Full Term Blackboard sites ready before this downtime starts.

Beginning May 13th, you will have access to new features in Blackboard, which will make your Blackboard experience that much better. We invite you to visit the Blackboard 9 Service Pack 9 blog post to learn more about this update and the new features.
As always, if you have any questions please call or email Matt Long, Cindy Bowers, or Allen Dennis.

longm@ecu.edu / 328-9074
bowersc@ecu.edu / 328-9167
dennisa@ecu.edu / 328-2841

This is the time of the year when we upgrade our learning platforms to provide new functionality for faculty and students.  The time period in between spring and summer semesters is the optimal time for us to release new features and updates that will enhance your teaching and learning environment. In May, you can expect to see new features in Blackboard, SabaMeeting (formerly Centra) and TurningPoint.

 Blackboard: May 11^th

 Beginning May 13^th, you will have access to new features in Blackboard, which will make your Blackboard experience that much better. We invite you to visit the Blackboard 9 Service Pack 9 blog post to learn more about the new features.

 New Feature Summary:

 Course to Course Navigation – You will be able to quickly jump back and forth between your courses.

• Auto Regrading – Have you ever found an error in a test (after students took it) and you had to manually change each student’s grade? With “Auto Regrading” you can correct the error in your test, and Blackboard automatically gives those extra points to each user who requires a grade change.
• Copy and Paste from WORD option – How many times have you heard us say that copying/pasting from Word can cause problems? Another new feature is a cleanup tool; it strips html code that comes from pasting from a Microsoft Office document.
• Course Structures – choose between a wide variety of pre-built course structures.  These course structures have a predefined navigation setup, such as menu tool links and content area. They “add” to your course and never overwrite anything (e.g. a menu item you created).

 **Please note that planned downtime for Blackboard will start at 1 pm on May 11^th (after grades are due). You will receive notification when the Blackboard update is complete.  Please contact us at ecublackboard@ecu.edu if you have any questions.

SabaMeeting (Centra) Upgrade: May 25^th  

 We are upgrading from SabaCentra 7.7.2 to SabaMeeting 8.1.1 during first summer session. This upgrade will introduce several new product changes and enhancements. One of the biggest changes that users will see is the change in the name of the program. Saba has changed the name of their web conferencing program from SabaCentra (which we’ve always just called Centra) to SabaMeeting. After this upgrade, the Resource Center will be located at http://www.ecu.edu/sabameeting/, the login page will be located at: https://sabameeting.ecu.edu/ and our e-mail address will change to sabameeting@ecu.edu.

 Another of the big changes in this release is that of a fully functional browser client. Saba is continuing movement from a client that has to be downloaded and installed to a version that runs within any browser. With this release, the browser client will have all of the capabilities of the desktop client and more because the browser client is where Saba will now be placing all of their new features. It’s important to note, that even after the summer 2013 upgrade, the desktop client that everyone is familiar with using will still be available for everyone to use alongside the browser client, so you will have plenty of time to get comfortable with the browser client.

 Just a few of the additional changes and enhancements include:

• Ability for ECU faculty/staff to create their own meetings
• Android client release
• Option to make one primary live video large
• As well as several more…For a full list of product changes and enhancements with descriptions of each, please visit: http://www.ecu.edu/sabameeting/upgrade2013.cfm.

This upgrade is planned for Memorial Day weekend (May 25^th through the 27^th).  Please contact us at centra@ecu.edu if you have any questions.

TurningPoint Upgrade: May 11^th

We will be upgrading the TurningPoint Blackboard building block in May, which will allow you to begin using TurningPoint 5 software with Blackboard. TurningPoint 5 combines polling in PowerPoint, polling in any application, Self-Paced Polling and Results Manager all into one single program. Once we upgrade the TurningPoint building block, you must upgrade to version 5 of the software or you will no longer be able to upload clickers data into Blackboard.

The TurningPoint 5 software can be downloaded for free at Turning Technologies in the downloads area of the website. You are encouraged to download the “PC – No Install Version” or the “Mac – No Install Version” and install it directly onto your Piratedrive. By doing so, your program settings and clickers data will follow you to any computer that you use on campus, regardless of whether it is a computer in your classroom or the computer in your office. If you plan to use TurningPoint for Power Point to embed polling in your Power Point slides, you will also need to install and run TurningPoint 5 on your desktop. **Please note: student clickers data should only be stored on Piratedrive or a secure encrypted USB flash drive. Visit the ITCS Data Encryption page in the ITCS Service Catalog to learn more.

If you upload clickers data to Blackboard, we recommend that you go ahead and give the new version a try. Right away you will see the new enhancements and simplified interface changes between version 4 and version 5. The next training session will be offered on April 25th from 10:00 am to 11:30 am in Laupus Library Room 2502 G (West Campus). To sign up, just login to https://training.ecu.edu/ and locate the training titled “New TurningPoint 5 Clickers Training”.

 Please contact us at clickers@ecu.edu if you have any questions.

 ECU Faculty and Staff: You’re invited to attend the Sloan-C 6^th Annual International Symposium/Emerging Technologies for Online Learning virtual conference this week.  Attend one or all of the webcasts.  Dates and times are listed below and you can register on the ECU Training Calendar.

 Sloan-C 6^th Annual International Symposium
Emerging Technologies for Online Learning
April 9-11, 2013
Visit the conference website for a description of each presentation.

 A conference devoted to the emerging and innovative uses of technology designed to improve teaching and learning online

• Do you have just a few minutes to visit the Think-In?  Stop by and visit the poster area featuring 28 poster sessions by faculty, staff, and learning platform vendors.

• Do you have 40 minutes to listen to one of our concurrent sessions?  Enjoy one or more concurrent sessions presented by faculty, staff and learning platform vendors.

• Have more than an hour, then you will also have time for snacks and conversation too!

Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to learn about the innovative, creative and effective ways ECU faculty are integrating technology to support student learning.  Join us to discover new ideas to enhance your classroom, and enrich your teaching experience.    

Visit the Think-In 2013 website for the complete list of presentations and Register for the event. We’ll have great prizes and refreshments too

 We look forward to seeing you on April 3^rd!

 Questions about Think-In 2013? Contact Ginny Sconiers at sconiersg@ecu.edu.

Think-In 2013
April 3^rd, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Joyner Library

You are invited to Think-In 2013.  This Teaching with Technology showcase highlights the innovative, creative and effective use of technology in education with presentations and poster sessions by ECU faculty and staff.

 Think-In 2013 is your opportunity to:

• Meet colleagues from other disciplines
• Discover how ECU faculty are integrating technology to support student learning
• Generate new ideas for your own teaching
• Ask questions in an informal environment

This year’s presentation topics include collaboration technologies that enhance instruction, managing DE student expectations, enabling student centered learning, delivering short lecture ‘bytes’, collaborating for retention and engagement, and much more.

Visit the Think-In 2013 website for the list of presentations and Register for the event.

We look forward to seeing you on April 3^rd!

Please contact Ginny Sconiers at sconiersg@ecu.edu if you have any questions about Think-In 2013.

In May we will be upgrading the TurningPoint Blackboard building block which will allow you to begin using TurningPoint 5 with Blackboard. TurningPoint 5 combines polling in PowerPoint, polling in any application, Self-Paced Polling and Results Manager all into one single program. Once we upgrade the TurningPoint building block, you must upgrade to version 5 of the software or you will no longer be able to upload clickers data into Blackboard.

 The TurningPoint 5 software can be downloaded for free at http://www.turningtechnologies.com/ in the downloads area of the website. You are encouraged to download the “PC – No Install Version” or the “Mac No-Install Version” and install it directly onto your Piratedrive. By doing so, your program settings and clickers data will follow you to any computer that you use on campus, regardless of whether it is a computer in your classroom or the computer in your office. **Please note: student clicker data should only be stored on Piratedrive or a secure encrypted USB flash drive. Visit the ITCS Data Encryption page in the ITCS Service Catalog to learn more.

 If you upload clickers data to Blackboard, we recommend that you go ahead and give the new version a try. Right away you will see the new enhancements and simplified interface changes between version 4 and version 5. Additionally, ITCS will be offering 4 trainings on TurningPoint version 5 in March and April on both East and West campus. To sign up for one of these TurningPoint 5 trainings, just login to https://training.ecu.edu/ and locate the training titled “New TurningPoint 5 Clickers Training”.

ECU Faculty: Every year we purge old Blackboard courses. We do so to stay within our storage goals and business policy of keeping two years of Blackboard sites in our production system.  In a few short weeks, we will be purging the following courses (all of them) unless you submit a request to have your courses saved.

>>>>>The purge date is March 11th, 2013 <<<<<

• 2009 Fall semester
• 2010 Spring semester
• 2010 Summer #1 semester
• 2010 Summer #2 semester
• 2010 Full Term Summer semester
• 2010 Fall semester
• 2011 Spring semester

You have 2 choices for saving your course site:

1. Submit a request for us to save your Bb sites in Blackboard. If you choose this option you will need to list all FULL COURSE ID’s in your request submission. Here is the link to submission site:
   —>>>   https://ecu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8wyHalKtQRLOzlP
2. Export or Archive your courses offline.  This is a suggested best practice for all Blackboard courses at the end of the semester.  Make sure you save all exported or archived sites on your ECU Piratedrive.

If you’d like to export or archive your own courses, it’s easy.

 Export: Only course content
Archive: All course content, student interactions and gradebook data

In either an export or an archive you will be saving a .zip offline for your records. Please save these files in a secure location like Piratedrive.

1. Go to the Control Panel in your Blackboard course, click Properties and Utilities.
2. Click Archive course.
3. Include Grade Center History if you want to save student work.
4. Click Submit.
5. Wait for an email confirming the archive process.
6. Once you receive the email, go back to Export/Archive Course under the Control Panel. Click to download to a secure location (e.g., Piratedrive).

Please download the one-page PDF, How to Archive Your Course for further details, including FERPA and HIPAA regulations regarding privacy. Note: The .zip file is only useful once uploaded to the Blackboard environment.

Questions? Contact Matt, Cindy, or Allen

longm@ecu.edu or bowersc@ecu.edu or dennisa@ecu.edu

Blackboard Support Email: ecublackboard@ecu.edu

ECU Faculty and Staff: We have received a number of great proposals so far and there’s still one more week to go. Some of this year’s Think-In buzz words include community-engagement, transformation, interaction, collaboration technologies and assessment strategies. The call for proposals is open until February 22^nd, and you are invited to participate in this exciting event.  The Think-In is a great opportunity to network with colleagues and see some of the innovative strategies and learning technologies faculty are using to teach.

Think-In 2013 will be held in Joyner Library on April 3^rd from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The event will showcase faculty who use technology to enhance their teaching in both face-to-face and distance education courses. This year’s format will include poster sessions, 40-minute presentations, and a few un-conference events.

The Think-In always proves exciting and draws a crowd. Comments from your peers illustrate the value of the Think-In technology showcase:

• “There was a useful focus on specific innovation/applications, and very engaging, helpful presenters.”
• “One of the obvious strengths was in networking and learning about the work of the other presenters.”
• One of the strengths of the Think-In…“Diversity and collaboration of technology use. The chance to share my experiences and learn from others.”

 Mark your calendars and submit your proposal today!  To learn more, please visit Think-In 2013.  Presentation proposals are due February 22^nd, and you can access the proposal form here.  If you have any questions, please contact Ginny Sconiers at sconiersg@ecu.edu. If you are new to ECU or have never attended a Think-In, check out the highlights and webcast on the Think-In website.

ECU Faculty and Staff: Information Technology and Computing Services would like to invite you to submit a proposal for the eighth annual Think-In! This is a great opportunity to network with colleagues and see some of the innovative strategies and learning technologies faculty are using to teach.

Think-In 2013 will be held in Joyner Library on April 3^rd from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The event will showcase faculty who use technology to enhance their teaching in both face-to-face and distance education courses. This year’s format will include poster sessions, 40 minute presentations, and a few un-conference events.

The Think-In always proves exciting and draws a crowd. Comments from your peers illustrate the value of the Think-In technology showcase:

• “There was a useful focus on specific innovation/applications, and very engaging, helpful presenters.”
• “One of the obvious strengths was in networking and learning about the work of the other presenters.”
• One of the strengths of the Think-In…” Diversity and collaboration of technology use. The chance to share my experiences and learn from others.”

 Mark your calendars and submit your proposal today!  To learn more, please visit Think-In 2013.  Presentation proposals are due February 22^nd, and you can access the proposal form here.  If you have any questions, please contact Ginny Sconiers at sconiersg@ecu.edu. If you are new to ECU or have never attended a Think-In, check out the highlights and webcast on the Think-In website.