DoIT is reporting a known issue for campus users trying to access the private, UMBC-authenticated version of iTunes U, including links to associated Blackboard course sites. As of September 20, 2013, faculty and students can no longer access the associated iTunes U space. Recorded media can still be uploaded to the area but only DoIT system administrators can access it. When you try to open the iTunes U link, the browser opens a new window and displays a blank page. This is the same symptom when using Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Google Chrome. The public, unauthenticated version of UMBC iTunes at itunes.umbc.edu is not affected.
DoIT has been working to resolve this issue with Apple and Vanderbilt University, developers of the 3rd party “building block” plugin that allowed faculty to automatically publish recorded screencasts from our Camtasia Relay lecture capture software and link these to a current Blackboard course. To date, we have not been able to resolve this issue.
As a work around for publishing Camtasia Relay screencasting recordings for a class, DoIT has configured UMBC's Box.com to receive all recordings from the Camtasia Relay server. For specific instructions please visit:
https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Camtasia+Relay.
Instructors: If you would like to recover your course content saved in iTunes U, please enter a Request Tracker (RT) help ticket via the myUMBC help menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help (please include the full name of the instructor and course). A DoIT admin will work to recover your files for you, and place them into a UMBC box.com folder as described above.
To help evaluate clickers as a possible alternative to scantron “bubble sheet” assessments, DoIT partnered with Dr. Tamara Mendelson in BIOL 142 “Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution” to conduct a five-week pilot of the Triton Data Collection System (DCS) by Turning Technologies. Mendelson and her teaching assistants from all four sections of the 295-student course will share their experiences during an informal brown bag lunch on Friday, November 22, at noon. A box lunch will be provided for registered participants.
The goal of the pilot was to see if and how students might accept clickers as an alternative to Scantrons when given a choice between the two. During the first two weeks of the pilot that began just after the 10th day of classes this semester, students were only given Scantron bubble sheets for their weekly discussion section quizzes led by one of Dr. Mendelson’s TAs: Archer Larned, Michael Martin, Karan Odom and Tracy Smith. In the next two weeks, TAs asked students to only use the Triton DCS clickers. In the fifth and final week, students were given a choice between the two methods. The results? Overall, 88 percent of students chose the Triton DCS clickers over Scantrons, though individual sections ranged from a low of 81 percent to a high of 95 percent. Individual student comments included the following:
“clickers are easier to use than scantrons, clickers are a better quiz method”;
“I would like to continue using clickers because it is much more faster since we do not have to fill in a bunch of bubbles or waste paper. It is more fun!”;
“clickers are easy and efficient”;
“I would like to continue using clickers because once you get used to them they are very easy”.
As many of you know, UMBC has had a large number of phishing attacks in the past few weeks. This has resulted in a number of compromised accounts which the attackers are using to setup fake web pages and send out large volumes of spam. In an attempt to better protect accounts from fake web pages, DoIT will be removing permissions from user AFS web volumes for accounts not currently using their web space (http://userpages.umbc.edu/~username).
This will not affect anyone who currently has a web page or stop anyone from creating a web page, but will stop automated attacks and make it more difficult for attackers to setup web pages on people’s accounts. The permission change is minor, and can be easily reversed by anyone wishing to use their web space moving forward.
Directions for how to re-enable your web directory, as well as general information regarding using userpages, can be found at https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=31195980. If you have questions or concerns please contact the Technology Support Center (x53838) and they will be happy to assist you.
To learn more about Baltimore GiveCamp, visit http://www.baltimoregivecamp.org, or connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (@BmoreGiveCamp). To learn more about or register for Seminar Saturday, visit http://www.seminarsaturday.org. To find out more about the national GiveCamp movement, visit http://givecamp.org/.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAjbDyCHUNY
Press release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/10/prweb11202568.htm
]]>A new phishing scam is attempting to fool people into providing personal information by claiming that there is a Blackboard notification waiting for them, and provides a link for logging into Blackboard. Do not click this link.
Blackboard email notifications do not require you to sign in to Blackboard to read them, the information is provided in the email itself. Always visit http://my.umbc.edu directly to log into Blackboard or by typing it in the address bar, or using your own bookmarks/favorites.
Here is an example of the phishing email to watch out for:
Good Morning,
Your school has posted an important information regarding a course for you.
You are required to immediately sign in to Blackboard Learn.
Click here to sign in to Blackboard Learn
Thank you.
Blackboard Learn Notifications.
Here is another example:
]]>Good Morning,
An important course form has been posted to you on the Blackboard Learn System.
Click here to confirm the form
Thank you.
Blackboard Learn Notifications.
The Division of Information Technology has been working with Turning Technologies to determine the optimum channel for clicker use so as avoid conflict with our campus wireless network, which was greatly enhanced this summer.
As a result of this review, please be advised that DoIT changed the Turning Point clicker channels on lecture hall computers on Friday afternoon, September 19. The new channel will be posted on the PC monitor and there will also be a sign facing the students. The channel was changed to reduce the possibility of RF interference with the system.
DoIT set the receivers in the lecture halls to channel 25 except ITE102 (LH8) which was set to channel 50. The reason for setting LH8 to a different channel is because of the proximity to LH7.
Instructors using their own receiver and laptop should select a channel between 74-82.
Turning Technologies has reviewed our recommendation and concurred.
Instructors:
To change/verify the channel on a computer (also found in Turning Point documentation):
1. Select the Polling tab in the TP software
2. The Receiver icon is located on the upper gray bar. If the PC channel does not match the posted channel, click on the icon.
3. Select the recommended channel. Laptop TP users should use a channel between 74 and 82.
4. Close the window.
Students:
To change the channel on a clicker (also found in Turning Point documentation):
1. Press the CH or Channel button (older response cards have a 'Go' button).
2. Enter the two digit channel for your location.
3. Press CH, Channel, or 'Go' again.
4. When the ResponseCard receives the new channel, the the light will turn green.
The reason for this change is that clickers use 1MHz channels within the 2.4GHz frequency band. On campus, we primarily use channels 1, 6 and 11 for wireless, which is occupied by the clicker channels 1-23, 26-48, and 51-73. To ensure that there is minimal interference, Turning Technologies recommends that devices are programmed on channels 24, 25, 49, 50, and 60-82.
More information from DoIT:
https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=41190437&src=search
https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=27297178&src=search
More information from Turning Technologies:
For questions or concerns, please contact AV Services (X52461).
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