Key Dates for Course Availability in Blackboard Learn

As you prepare for the 2017 Summer and Fall Sessions, please be aware of the following dates for course availability and student data in Blackboard Learn.

May
Friday, May 26th	Summer session students will be loaded in Blackboard Learn
Fri. May 19th – Wed. May 31st	New account creation will be suspended due to Account Center 1 implementation Faculty, staff and students with existing accounts should not be impacted.
June
Thursday, June 1st	All accounts loaded in Account Center
Monday, June 5th	Summer session starts
Tuesday, June 13th	Fall session courses/faculty loaded in Blackboard Learn

If you have questions on Blackboard Learn dates, please contact the Technology and Learning Program at 898-6167 or email tlp@csuchico.edu.

¹ If you have questions regarding the Account Center Identity & Access Management Initiative, please refer to the Enterprise Applications and Data Services website.

New year, slightly new look for Bb Learn

On January 2, 2017, Blackboard Learn will have a new look and feel. Although the new “theme” is fairly subtle, it will enable a much more responsive design for students accessing their courses through their mobile devices.

What will it look like?

• The Blackboard Home page will have a 2-column layout (see Figure 1 below)
• The Blackboard Home page separates organizations on their own tab (see Figure 1 below)
• The Blackboard Home page includes links for the Bookstore, Mobile Access and Career Center (see Figure 1 below)
• The course menu is now white, with limited ability to customize  (see Figure 2 below).

Can I customize my course menu at all?

No. The new theme will override any customization to your course menu, including background colors and buttons. You can however, change the title colors for names of folders, files and items in the main content area.

Questions or Feedback?

If you have questions about how the new look and feel impacts your course, contact the Technology and Learning Program at 898-6167 or send an email to tlp@csuchico.edu.

 

Figure 1: Blackboard Learn Home page with new Organizations tab and 2-column layout. Click on the screenshot to zoom in.

Figure 2: Blackboard Learn Course menu is now white; with no ability to customize color. Click on the screenshot to zoom in.

Bb Learn Faculty Support tab

The Blackboard Learn Faculty Support tab has slimmed down for the new year.

• You can search the TLP knowledge base, create a help ticket in Team Dynamix, or contact a TLP Instructional Technology Consultant; all from one location.
• The Self-Service tool is also available from the Faculty Support tab. The  Self-Service tool lets you add a guest instructor, create a prep area, or apply a template to your Blackboard Learn course.

Click the image below to check it out.

Bb Learn Faculty Support tab

 

Problem with Blackboard Learn YouTube Mashup and Video Everywhere

We continue to experience an issue in Blackboard Learn with the YouTube Mashup and Video Everywhere tools.

Issue

You get an error when you try to:

• Record a video using Video Everywhere.
• Add a YouTube video to Blackboard Learn using the YouTube Mashup.
• Access YouTube videos after the course copy process.

Projected Date for Fix

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Temporary Workarounds

Copy and Paste a YouTube Embed Code into Bb Learn:

Copy and paste the embed code to your YouTube video within the Bb Learn Content Editor using the HTML view. This method plays the video within Bb Learn.

1. From YouTube, access your video’s watch page.
2. Click on Share just below the video.
3. Click “Embed” to get the embed code..
4. Copy the embed code.
5. From Bb Learn content editor, select the HTML button and paste your embed code into the HTML view.
6. Save.
   

Copy and Paste a YouTube Link into Blackboard Learn:

This method plays opens a new browser and plays the video on YouTube.

• Copy and paste the link to your video as web link within your content folder by choosing Build Content and then selecting Web Link; or
• Copy and paste the link to your video as web link directly within an item, discussion board post, etc., using the hyperlink button in the Content Editor.
  • Select the text you want as a hyperlink.
  • Click the link button in the content editor.

 

Temporary Workaround for Recording Webcam Video

 

To record a video directly on YouTube:

If you were trying to record a YouTube video using the Video Everywhere tool, you can  record your video directly on YouTube. Then use any of the methods above for copying and pasting the YouTube video link into Blackboard Learn.

Alternatively, you can use the Kaltura Media mashup and record your webcam that way.

Need Additional Help?

Please drop by or call the TLP lab  to have us walk you through these options if you need additional help.We are glad to assist. Our phone number is (530) 898-6167. We are open Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00.

 

Bb Learn will be down Thurs., July 16, 2015 for upgrade to Kaltura

Bb Learn will be down on Thursday, July 16, 2015 – 5:00AM to 8:00AM.

 

Bb Learn and sharing video with Kaltura

 

The Kaltura Application Framework (KAF) is an extensible, feature rich, UI based configurable framework that streamlines the integration of Kaltura’s rich media capabilities into different publishing applications. The framework is constructed of modules that provide a packaged workflow and functionalities that can be easily embedded in another application as an iFrame, instead of integrating directly with the Kaltura APIs. The framework can decrease the integration time with your application dramatically and allow you to always get up to date new functionality by decoupling the added features from the integration itself. The embedded iFrames are all based on a responsive design to ensure that the integrated pages are displayed properly on any given area.

Benefits include

• Staying current with the vendors development and release cycle
• Small feature changes mitigating impacts to the functional use experience
• Enhanced web-cam upload functionality
• Improved interface with Blackboard Learn
• Additional features and functionality include:
  • Video editing
  • Presentation integration
• Precursor to additional feature sets delivered via new continuous development model

 

Window of downtime for this upgrade: Thursday, July 16, 2015, 5:00AM to 8:00AM.

 

Bb Learn Workshop, Saturday, August 22

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in attending a Saturday workshop? Come join us Saturday, August 22, 2015.

• Introduction to Blackboard Learn 10:00a.m. to 11:30a.m.
• Bring Questions, Get Answers. Open workshop 11:30a.m.-1:00p.m.

Send an email to:  csharrio@csuchico.edu if you plan on attending.

 

Textbook Alternatives Project (TAP 3) applications open to faculty

Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) is a CSU program to help save students money by looking at alternatives to the high cost of textbooks. At Chico State we call it CALS, and our yearly project to do so (TAP) just received $20,000 to work with Chico State faculty to reduce costs to students for the 2015-16 academic year. Textbook Alternatives Project (TAP) is in its third year of providing alternative choices and support to accomplish changes in one course of your choosing. It has a simple goal = save students money!

Applications are now available for TAP, year three (or TAP3). Find the application packet online, http://www.csuchico.edu/cals/tap/index.shtml.  Be sure to look over the website and see the year one and year two projects for TAP.

If you have questions about the process or application, you may contact Laura Sederberg (Manager of TLP) who coordinates this project with the CSU. Faculty Learning Community is formed for each year’s cohort and we bring in guest speakers, faculty librarians, instructional technology consultants, bookstore representatives, and members from CELT to help you think through what you would like to accomplish to save your students money. Applications are due by September 11, 2015, submit to Laura Sederberg in TLP, zip 005.

Those of you willing to write your own textbook or other online resources may decide to try producing them with assistance from an application called SoftChalk. It helps you author materials that can then be put into Blackboard Learn rather easily. You may choose to build your own e-Book, or other Open Education Resources (OER). For questions, contact Laura Sederberg, manager of the Technology and Learning Program (TLP), by phone 898-4326 or campus email.

Streamlined the default Bb Learn course template by removing “Notifications”

What changed?

There is no longer a link to the Notifications module page on the default Bb Learn course template automatically created for you at the beginning of the each term/semester.

Why did it change?

• To simplify the default course template since the same information can also be found on the Bb Learn Home page.
• Feedback from faculty indicates the “What’s New” module contained too much distracting information at the beginning of the semester.

Who is impacted?

• Faculty are planning to assemble their course(s) from scratch using the default template.
• Course copy is not impacted. If you have a Notifications page on the previous semester’s course, it will come over during Course Copy.

How can I add the Notifications module page back on my course menu?

1. Select (+) above the course menu, and select Module Page.

2. Enter Notifications as the name.
3. Select Available to Users and click Submit.
4. Click Add Course Module.

5. Click Add next to the modules you want displayed (previously these were My Announcements & What’s New).
6. Click Ok

We’ve Updated our Blackboard Learn Workshops…enroll now for January!

Start your new year with a Blackboard Learn workshop from TLP!

We often hear instructors say that spending just 60-90 minutes in one of our face-to-face workshops saves them hours of work later in the semester. Plus, it provides an opportunity for you to meet some of our Instructional Technology Consultants, including Christine Sharrio, the newest member of our TLP team.

Not sure if you need to attend?

View the workshop descriptions and objectives and enroll only in the ones you need. Then sign up on the Workshop Calendar, linked from TLP’s homepage, www.csuchico.edu/tlp.

 

Aug. 5, 2014 Blackboard Learn Update: Student Preview

What is changing?

This version replaces the old “Student View” with Blackboard’s new “Student Preview.”

Why the change?

The old Student View and its corresponding Demo User were developed by a 3^rd party, and are no longer supported by Blackboard.

How will this impact me?

• The interface to access student preview has changed slightly
• Grade Center shows PreviewUser account instead of Demo User account
• When exiting Preview mode, you must choose to keep or delete your student preview data.
• If you want the same functionality as the old Student View,  choose the option
  “Keep the Preview User and all Data.”
  

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact TLP at 530-898-6167.