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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="56092" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/56092">
<Title>Blackboard Upgrade Scheduled Dec. 24, 12:30 AM - 12:30 PM</Title>
<Tagline>System-wide update planned</Tagline>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><span><p><span>Blackboard engineers will perform a system upgrade and maintenance on Thursday morning, December 24, 2015 from 12:30 AM to 12:30 PM. </span><span>Blackboard will be offline during this period.</span></p><p><span>As previously announced at the </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/53576" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>start of the FA2015 semester</span></a><span>, </span><span>UMBC’s Blackboard server will be upgraded in late December</span><span>. This will ensure UMBC is using the most recent and supported version of Blackboard while supporting <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/52797" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">the new Chrome-based Collaborate</a> web conferencing tool. </span></p><p><span>In preparation for this downtime:</span></p><ul><li><p><span>Instructors</span><span>: If you need access to your gradebook, please </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/b4B1AQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>review this FAQ</span></a><span> for information on downloading a copy of the Blackboard Grade Center to Excel.</span></p></li></ul><p><span>After Blackboard is back online, please clear your Internet browser cache and cookies before logging in using </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/gIAc" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>these step-by-step instructions</span></a><span>. </span></p><span>The UMBC Blackboard team identified a time period that should have the least impact on our users. If our Blackboard site is down longer than expected due to unforeseen circumstances, updates will be posted to this news article. We appreciate your patience as we continue to improve our systems to bring you a better Blackboard experience.</span></span></div>
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<Summary>Blackboard engineers will perform a system upgrade and maintenance on Thursday morning, December 24, 2015 from 12:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Blackboard will be offline during this period.  As previously...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/56092</Website>
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<Tag>bb-hosting</Tag>
<Tag>blackboard</Tag>
<Tag>collaborate</Tag>
<Tag>downtime</Tag>
<Tag>maintenance</Tag>
<Tag>ultra-experience</Tag>
<Group token="bbannouncements">Blackboard Announcements</Group>
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<Sponsor>Blackboard Announcements</Sponsor>
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<PostedAt>Tue, 24 Nov 2015 08:39:39 -0500</PostedAt>
<EditAt>Tue, 29 Dec 2015 13:02:50 -0500</EditAt>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="56207" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/56207">
<Title>Introducing the New Alternate Delivery Program</Title>
<Tagline>Three Skill Tracks Now Available</Tagline>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><p><span>The <a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/adp/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Alternate Delivery Program (ADP)</a> provides financial, technical, and pedagogical support to faculty who agree to redesign an existing face-to-face (F2F) course for online or hybrid (part online, part F2F) delivery in summer or winter session.</span></p><p><span>The expansion of the ADP includes three tracks: </span></p><p></p><p><strong><span>I. Skill Builder Track</span></strong></p><p><span>The Skill Builder track offers modular training in core components of Blackboard and supporting technologies (Bb Collaborate, TechSmith Relay, Box) to help faculty better utilize the features available in Blackboard and to prepare for the Course Designer track.</span></p><p></p><p><strong><span>II. Course Designer Track</span></strong></p><p><span>This track, which most closely resembles the "old" ADP, is available to faculty who have either completed the ADP Skill Builder track or demonstrated competency with the Skill Builder components. The Course Designer track typically requires at least a semester for course development before the redesigned course is offered in summer or winter session. It includes a one day training workshop and an opportunity to work one-on-one with an Instructional Technology Specialist in the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). Faculty who participate in the Course Designer track should have prior experience teaching in summer or winter sessions and convert courses that have a proven enrollment “track record” in Summer or Winter Sessions. </span></p><p></p><p><strong><span>III. Quality Booster Track</span></strong></p><p><span>The Quality Booster track is designed for faculty who are already offering hybrid or online courses, but who have either not previously participated in formal course redesign training through the ADP or participated in ADP prior to the </span><a href="https://www.qualitymatters.org/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Quality Matters </span></a><span>(QM) process integration. Quality Matters is an internationally recognized peer review process to assess the design quality of an online or hybrid course. The goal is to carefully evaluate the components of a hybrid or online course to ensure that it meets nationally identified quality standards. We are currently conducting a pilot of this track with 15 faculty.</span></p><br><p><span>The Skill Builder workshops will begin in the Spring 2016 Term; sign up for them now on the </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Instructional Technology Events page</span></a><span>. The next Call for Participation for the Course Designer Track will take place in mid-Spring 2016. We will be seeking participants for the next Quality Booster Track after the midpoint of the Spring 2016 term. Participation requirements for each track are provided <a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/adp/requirements/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">here</a>.<br></span></p><br><p><span>To learn more about the Alternate Delivery Program and Quality Matters, attend the </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/36691" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Quality Matters-Focused Course Design Workshop on January 13, 2016</span></a><span>.</span></p></div>
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<Summary>The Alternate Delivery Program (ADP) provides financial, technical, and pedagogical support to faculty who agree to redesign an existing face-to-face (F2F) course for online or hybrid (part...</Summary>
<Website>http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/adp/</Website>
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<Tag>adp</Tag>
<Tag>course-designer</Tag>
<Tag>quality-booster</Tag>
<Tag>quality-matters</Tag>
<Tag>skill-builder</Tag>
<Group token="instructional-technology">Instructional Technology</Group>
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<Sponsor>Instructional Technology</Sponsor>
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<PostedAt>Mon, 23 Nov 2015 14:08:23 -0500</PostedAt>
<EditAt>Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:57:18 -0500</EditAt>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="56143" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/56143">
<Title>WT/SP2016 Courses Created in Blackboard on 11/20/2015</Title>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><span><p><span>Blackboard course shells for WT2016 and SP2016 were created on November 20, 2015.</span></p><p><span>Bb shells are available for all courses (designated as lecture, lab, field or discussion) listed in the </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/schedule" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>UMBC Schedule of Classes (SOC)</span></a><span>, provided that there is an </span><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/blogs/oit-news/archives/2010/08/how_new_employe_1.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>instructor of record</span></a><span> listed. As new course sections and/or instructors are added to the SOC, corresponding Bb shells are automatically generated overnight. If you need a shell for a research or independent study course, please submit a </span><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/doit/blackboard/requestbbshell.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>new course request</span></a><span>.</span></p><p><span>Instructors who teach multiple sections of the same course will find those enrollments merged into one Bb course shell. These sections can be split upon </span><a href="https://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>request an RT ticket</span></a><span>. Student enrollment in Bb mirrors the official registration in SA and updates hourly. However, courses are not accessible to students by default until the instructor </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1867862" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>makes them available</span></a><span>.</span></p><p><span>If you are an instructor, and your name is not associated with the course you are teaching in the </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/schedule" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>SOC</span></a><span>, please see your departmental scheduling coordinator to resolve the issue. Once you are listed in the </span><a href="https://my.umbc.edu/go/schedule" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>SOC</span></a><span>, your Bb course shell will be created automatically.</span></p></span></div>
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<Summary>Blackboard course shells for WT2016 and SP2016 were created on November 20, 2015.  Bb shells are available for all courses (designated as lecture, lab, field or discussion) listed in the UMBC...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/56143</Website>
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<Tag>blackboard</Tag>
<Tag>course-creation</Tag>
<Tag>spring</Tag>
<Tag>winter</Tag>
<Group token="bbannouncements">Blackboard Announcements</Group>
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<Sponsor>Blackboard Announcements</Sponsor>
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<PostedAt>Mon, 23 Nov 2015 08:19:21 -0500</PostedAt>
<EditAt>Mon, 23 Nov 2015 09:53:14 -0500</EditAt>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="55497" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/55497">
<Title>DoIT Announces VoiceThread CFP</Title>
<Tagline>Test drive interactive tools for online discussions</Tagline>
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<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content">If you want to move beyond the traditional text-based discussion board, DoIT is looking for faculty volunteers to pilot <a href="http://www.voicethread.com" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>VoiceThread</span></a><span> (VT), a cloud-based application that takes an audio/visual approach to online discussions. Among other things, VT users can upload media such as images, video, and documents into a central screen or “deck” for asynchronous group conversation. VoiceThreads can contain over 50 different types of media and presenters can use one of five powerful narration and feedback options: microphone, webcam, text, phone, and audio-file upload. After sharing the initial presentation deck, others can contribute to the conversation. VT includes Blackboard integration for ease of collaboration and engagement experiences.</span><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>What can I do with VoiceThread?</span></div><div><ul><li><span><strong>Demonstrate</strong> procedures to help students prepare for a practical exam</span></li><li><span><strong>Explain</strong> decisions when selecting subjects for a painting’s composition</span></li><li><span><strong>Flip</strong> a classroom experience to support multiple learning styles</span></li><li><span><strong>Foster</strong> greater community in large, lecture-based classes </span></li><li><span><strong>Interpret</strong> linear composition of a painting or note other elements</span></li><li><span><strong>Debate</strong> the pros and cons of a controversial issue</span></li><li><span><strong>Practice</strong> foreign language skills during role-play</span></li><li><span><strong>Report</strong> on field experiences to a national park</span></li><li><span><strong>Critique</strong> a classmate’s composition</span></li><li><span><strong>Describe</strong> a story about a trip abroad</span></li><li><span><strong>Moderate</strong> questions in a topical sequence</span></li></ul><a href="https://vimeo.com/32856071#t=15s" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Watch Simply Speaking</a><span>, a short video from Penn State to learn more about the benefits of VoiceThread. [TIP: Pause around 1:28 when the video shifts into Penn State specific content.]</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>DoIT is sponsoring a limited number of pro accounts for the pilot so faculty can evaluate the effectiveness of VoiceThread for engagement and discussions. We will host a kickoff and introductory session on </span><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/36385" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Wednesday, December 2, 1015 at 2 PM in ENGR 023</a></span><span>. Light refreshments will be served.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>If you would like to join this pilot, <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">please open an RT ticket with VoiceThread Pilot in the subject line</a>. Include the following information: </span></div><div><ol><li><span>Name</span></li><li><span>Course information (CourseID, name, section) and expected number of students</span></li><li><span>Describe how you will use VoiceThread in your course to support student engagement and assessment. How will VoiceThread help solve a problem you are experiencing with discussions as you currently use them?</span></li><li><span>Identify your training preference (online, in person) or if you prefer to view recordings or FAQs</span></li></ol><span>Terms of VoiceThread pilot</span></div><div><ul><li><span>The pilot is scheduled to take place from January 18 - May 31, 2016.</span></li><li><span>Our pilot license supports a maximum of 450 students. Therefore, the number of participating courses depends on the number of students enrolled.</span></li><li><span>Faculty who participate in the pilot will receive one pro VoiceThread account linked to a Blackboard user account and course site.</span></li><li><span>Faculty participants will need to provide feedback to DoIT and the UMBC campus community about their experiences.</span></li><li><span>Feedback may be provided via survey response, panel discussion, focus group, interview, etc.</span></li><li><span>VoiceThread system analytics will be reviewed monthly to measure the frequency of use</span></li></ul><span>For more information about VoiceThread:</span></div><div><ul><li><a href="http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7050.pdf" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>7 things you should know about VoiceThread from EDUCAUSE</span></a><span> (pdf)</span></li><li><a href="http://blog.voicethread.com/webinars-all/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">View VoiceThread recorded webinars</a></li><li><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/36385" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">RSVP to attend our kickoff &amp; information session</a></span></li></ul></div></div>
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<Summary>If you want to move beyond the traditional text-based discussion board, DoIT is looking for faculty volunteers to pilot VoiceThread (VT), a cloud-based application that takes an audio/visual...</Summary>
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<Sponsor>Instructional Technology</Sponsor>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="55463" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/55463">
<Title>Celebrate National Distance Learning Week</Title>
<Tagline>November 9-13, 2015</Tagline>
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<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content">In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, November 9-13, 2015, we invite faculty, teaching assistants, and students to join us for these free webinars from the <a href="http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Online Learning Consortium</span></a><span>, </span><a href="http://www.qualitymatters.org" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Quality Matters</span></a><span>, and Pearson. The National Distance Learning Week honors the tremendous growth and accomplishments occurring in distance education, while showing appreciation to those who make an indelible mark in the field and upon students.</span><div><span><br></span><div><a href="https://www.qmprogram.org/qmresources/registration/index.cfm?sid=6300" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Providing Accessible Web Content to Students on the Autism Spectrum</a></div><div><span>November 9, 2015 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm (ET)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>This session will help faculty understand how different Quality Matters (QM) Standards support diverse students and show how QM helps to achieve good universal design. While the </span><span>session will present information on QM and universal design for all students, the session will focus in particular on the needs of students with Autism Spectrum disorder and on how QM, effectively applied, helps meet their needs.</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://go.onlinelearningconsortium.org/i1XF0jT20ZS00z000001K00" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Best Practices Panel: Distance Learning Advising In a Technology-Driven Environment</a></div><div><span>November 10, 2015 – 12:00pm – 1:30pm (ET)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Join panel of experts in the field of distance learning advising for a discussion on the characteristics of students in online and blended programs, as well as approaches to creating an effective advising environment for distance learners. </span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2295127538591886082" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Using Blogging in Teaching</a></div><div><span>November 11, 2015 – 12:00pm – 1:00pm (ET)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>For many faculty, a primary objective in teaching is to facilitate students’ active consideration of how the studies, phenomena, and theories they read about apply to their daily lives. This presentation explores how blogging can further this goal. Advantages, challenges, and assessment will be discussed, as will applicability for both in-person and online courses.</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.usdla.org/events/ndlw/ndlw-2016-webinar-schedule-registration/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">10 Signs That the Shift to Digital Is Underway – and 5 Ways to Get Ahead of the Curve</a></div><div><span>November 12, 2015 – 1:00pm – 2:00pm (ET)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The impact of technology on every aspect of our lives has accelerated and multiplied over the past few years, changing the way we communicate with our families, buy groceries, catch a ride to the airport, and even plan for our deaths. Two leading digital education experts talk about the evidence they’re seeing across the U.S. that technology is taking root – and pinpoint the gaps that remain.</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/webinar/propelling-learning-beyond-national-distance-learning-week-professional-development-opportunities-olc/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Propelling Your Professional Development Learning Beyond National Distance Learning Week</a></div><div><span>November 13, 2015 – 12:00pm – 1:00pm (ET)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>In this webinar, participants will learn about learning opportunities available through the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Institute including 1-3 day workshops, master series, and certificate programs, as well as advisory services available to institutions. Join OLC staff in this interactive webinar so that you can better understand how OLC offerings can assist you and UMBC.</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.qmprogram.org/qmresources/registration/index.cfm?sid=6303" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Feeding Many Birds With One Piece of Bread: Process and Impact of Providing Accessible Multimedia Course Materials</a></div><div><span>November 13, 2015 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm (ET)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>To promote compliance with accessibility mandates, San Jose University developed a workflow to provide timely, accurate, and cost-effective closed captioning for instructional materials. They will share details about this process and data about significant benefits of the captioning for all students.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Another great resource to support your online and blended learning initiatives is the </span><a href="http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/online-learning-journal/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>newly published special issue</span></a><span> of </span><span>Online Learning</span><span>, which features invited papers selected from the nine best presentations at the </span><a href="http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2014/ALN/welcome" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>20th International Conference on Online Learning</span></a><span>: “Driving Innovation with Online Learning.” The journal promotes the development and dissemination of new knowledge at the intersection of pedagogy, emerging technology, policy, and practice in online environments.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:</span><ul><li><p><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/faq" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Check our extensive FAQ collection</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Open a ticket via RT</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts?tag=dropins" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Drop-in to one of our walk-in clinics</span></a></p></li><li><p><span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/staff/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Request a consult with a member of the instructional technology team</a></span></p></li></ul></div></div></div>
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<Summary>In celebration of National Distance Learning Week, November 9-13, 2015, we invite faculty, teaching assistants, and students to join us for these free webinars from the Online Learning Consortium,...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/55463</Website>
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<Group token="instructional-technology">Instructional Technology</Group>
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<Sponsor>Instructional Technology</Sponsor>
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<PostedAt>Thu, 29 Oct 2015 14:26:45 -0400</PostedAt>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="54350" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/54350">
<Title>Blackboard Downtime Scheduled Sat. Morning, Oct 3rd, 2-5 AM</Title>
<Tagline>Essential system updates &amp; routine maintenance expected</Tagline>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div>Blackboard engineers will perform essential system updates and routine maintenance on Saturday morning, October 3, 2015 from 2 AM - 5 AM. <strong>Blackboard will be offline during this period.</strong><span> </span></div><div><br></div><div>This maintenance will also update t<span>he Mobile Web Services integration, which supports the <a href="http://help.blackboardmobile.com/customer/portal/articles/1263160-downloading-and-installing-the-app" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">existing Mobile Learn app</a>, the <a href="https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Bb_Grader/010_Get_Started/020_Download_and_Install_the_App" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Bb Grader app</a> for instructors, and the <a href="https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Bb_Student/020_Quick_Start" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">new Bb Student app</a> for students. All of these apps are <strong>free for UMBC users</strong> to download. No license is required to</span> <span>connect to the</span><span> </span><strong>UMBC Blackboard site</strong><span>.</span><span> </span></div><div><br></div><div>In preparation for this downtime:</div><div><ul><li><span><strong>Instructors</strong>: Please refrain from assigning any work that is due on Blackboard during this maintenance window. When the system is offline, students cannot submit their work.</span></li><li><span><strong>Students</strong>: Please be sure to save or submit any work before this time. Any unsaved or unsubmitted work will immediately be lost when the system shuts down.</span></li></ul></div><div>After Blackboard is back online, please clear your Internet browser cache and cookies before logging in using <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/gIAc" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">these step-by-step instructions</a>. </div><div><br></div><div>The UMBC Blackboard team identified a time period that should have the least impact on our users. <span>If our Blackboard site is down longer than expected due to unforeseen circumstances, updates will be posted to this news article.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Our next downtime is anticipated for late November, followed by the end-of-the-year upgrade in late December. </span><span>We appreciate your patience as we continue to improve our systems to bring you a better Blackboard experience.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><strong>Update</strong>: Maintenance was completed and Blackboard service restored within 2 hours.</span></div></div>
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<Summary>Blackboard engineers will perform essential system updates and routine maintenance on Saturday morning, October 3, 2015 from 2 AM - 5 AM. Blackboard will be offline during this period.      This...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/54350</Website>
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<Tag>bb-hosting</Tag>
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<Tag>downtime</Tag>
<Tag>maintenance</Tag>
<Group token="bbannouncements">Blackboard Announcements</Group>
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<Sponsor>Blackboard Announcements</Sponsor>
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<PostedAt>Mon, 21 Sep 2015 11:30:32 -0400</PostedAt>
<EditAt>Mon, 05 Oct 2015 10:03:23 -0400</EditAt>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="false" id="53581" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/53581">
<Title>FA2015 UMBC Blackboard Update</Title>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><p><span>UMBC Blackboard Update is provided by the </span><a href="http://umbc.edu/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Division of Information Technology</span></a><span> for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Blackboard" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Blackboard Help tab</span></a><span> inside Blackboard or directly at </span><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help</span></a><span>. You can also contact the </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/tsc" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Technology Support Center</span></a><span> at 410.455.3838 or </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1867859" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket</span></a><span> via the </span><a href="https://rt.umbc.edu/UMBC/RequestHelp.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>myUMBC Help Menu</span></a><span> or directly at </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>my.umbc.edu/help</span></a><span>.</span></p><div><br></div><strong>HEADLINES</strong><ul><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=52804" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>FA2015 Bb Courses Created on 7/15/2015</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=53476" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Faculty Can Make Bb Courses Available in 2-Clicks</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=53576" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>New Bb Upgrade Planned for Winter 2016</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=53172" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>DoIT Updates Regular Bb Maintenance Schedule</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=51766" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>FYI: Using Bb Badges to Drive Student Engagement</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/events/34767" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>FYI: A Bird’s Eye View of Bb @ UMBC (11/4, Noon)</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=53021" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Instructional Technology Training Scheduled for Fall</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=52191" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>UMBC Now Offers Microsoft Office</span></a></p></li><li><p><span>New UMBC App Now Available for </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=52769" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>iOS Devices</span></a><span> and </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=53141" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Android Devices</span></a></p></li></ul><br><p><span>As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:</span></p><ul><li><p><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/faq" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Check our extensive FAQ collection</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Open a ticket via RT</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=53398" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Drop-in to one of our walk-in clinics</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/staff/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Request a consult with a member of the instructional technology team</span></a></p></li></ul></div>
]]>
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<Summary>UMBC Blackboard Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help tab inside...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/53581</Website>
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<PostedAt>Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:38:05 -0400</PostedAt>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="53476" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/53476">
<Title>Faculty Can Make Blackboard Courses Available in 2-Clicks</Title>
<Tagline>Streamline Course Availability &amp; Announcement Postings</Tagline>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><p><span><a href="http://www.goqwickly.com/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Qwickly</a> is new tool deployed to faculty in Blackboard during the summer. It</span><span> was designed to dramatically simplify the workflow of common tasks frequently performed by faculty. </span><span>One great example is the simplified </span><span>way faculty can make courses available with just 2 clicks! </span></p><p><img src="https://wiki.umbc.edu/download/attachments/60294979/Qwickly_CourseAvailability.gif" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"></p><p><span>To access Qwickly, log into Blackboard and click on the My Blackboard tab. The Qwickly panel is available on the left side of the page. </span></p><div><div><br></div><div><img src="https://umbc.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/institution/images/Qwickly2.png" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"></div><div></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>These tools are restricted to faculty and TA roles and filtered to the current year (for example, SP2015, SU2015, and FA2015 semesters) for improved performance.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div>For more information about Qwickly:</div></div><div><ul><li><span>Review </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/QweYAw" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">the FAQ on using Qwickly</a></li><li><div><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/events?mode=upcoming&amp;amp;tag=qwickly" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Attend training</a></span></div></li><li><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Request support via RT</a></li></ul><div><em><br></em></div><div><em><br></em></div><div><em>A version of this article <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/53167" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">originally appeared in the DoIT myUMBC group</a></em></div></div></div></div>
]]>
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<Summary>Qwickly is new tool deployed to faculty in Blackboard during the summer. It was designed to dramatically simplify the workflow of common tasks frequently performed by faculty. One great example is...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/53476</Website>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="52756" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/52756">
<Title>Blackboard Downtime Scheduled Sat. Morning, July 18 2-5 AM</Title>
<Tagline>Essential system updates &amp; routine maintenance expected</Tagline>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div>Blackboard engineers will perform essential system updates and routine maintenance on Saturday morning, July 18, 2015 from 2 AM - 5 AM. <strong>Blackboard will be offline during this period.</strong><span> </span></div><div><br></div><div>This maintenance will update t<span>he YouTube Mashup and Video Everywhere tools, which allow instructors to integrate videos directly into their lessons and courses from YouTube. These tools are currently is not functioning properly due to Google’s retirement of the YouTube API used within the tool</span><span>. This maintenance will also address several other improvements to assignments, rubrics, and the grade center.</span></div><div><br></div><div>In preparation for this downtime:</div><div><ul><li><span><strong>Instructors</strong>: Please refrain from assigning any work that is due on Blackboard during this maintenance window. When the system is offline, students cannot submit their work.</span></li><li><span><strong>Students</strong>: Please be sure to save or submit any work before this time. Any unsaved or unsubmitted work will immediately be lost when the system shuts down.</span></li></ul></div><div>After Blackboard is back online, please clear your Internet browser cache and cookies before logging in using <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/gIAc" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">these step-by-step instructions</a>. </div><div><br></div><div>The UMBC Blackboard team identified a time period that should have the least impact on our users. <span>If our Blackboard site is down longer than expected due to unforeseen circumstances, updates will be posted to this news article.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>We appreciate your patience as we continue to improve our systems to bring you a better Blackboard experience.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><strong>Update</strong>: Maintenance was completed in 96 minutes.</span></div></div>
]]>
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<Summary>Blackboard engineers will perform essential system updates and routine maintenance on Saturday morning, July 18, 2015 from 2 AM - 5 AM. Blackboard will be offline during this period.      This...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/52756</Website>
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<PostedAt>Mon, 13 Jul 2015 10:53:35 -0400</PostedAt>
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<NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="51750" important="false" status="posted" url="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/51750">
<Title>Blackboard Downtime Scheduled Saturday May 23, 2 AM - 5 AM</Title>
<Tagline>Minor system updates &amp; routine maintenance expected</Tagline>
<Body>
<![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div>Blackboard engineers will perform minor system updates and routine maintenance on Saturday morning, May 23, 2015 from 2 AM - 5 AM. <strong>Blackboard will be offline during this period.</strong><span> </span><span>If our Blackboard site is down longer than expected due to unforeseen circumstances, updates will be posted to this news article.</span></div><div><br></div><div>In preparation for this downtime:</div><div><ul><li><span><strong>Instructors</strong>: Please refrain from assigning any work that is due on Blackboard during this maintenance window. When the system is offline, students cannot submit their work.</span></li><li><span><strong>Students</strong>: Please be sure to save or submit any work before this time. Any unsaved or unsubmitted work will immediately be lost when the system shuts down.</span></li></ul></div><div>After Blackboard is back online, please clear your Internet browser cache and cookies before logging in using <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/gIAc" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">these step-by-step instructions</a>. We appreciate your patience as we continue to improve our systems to bring you a better Blackboard experience.</div></div>
]]>
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<Summary>Blackboard engineers will perform minor system updates and routine maintenance on Saturday morning, May 23, 2015 from 2 AM - 5 AM. Blackboard will be offline during this period. If our Blackboard...</Summary>
<Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/news/51750</Website>
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<PostedAt>Tue, 05 May 2015 11:07:56 -0400</PostedAt>
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