As a reminder, the USM OnTrack initiative is covering the costs of using Labster this year as part of their commitment to supporting faculty. There is no cost to UMBC or to students to use Labster. The agreement lasts this full calendar year (fall, winter, spring, and summer terms).

If you are interested in learning more for winter or spring semester, please attend one of the upcoming Labster live demo sessions:  

• Biology:  Tuesday, October 13, 2020 | 3-4 p.m. - Register 

• Chemistry: Thursday, October 15, 2020 | 9-10 a.m. - Register 

• Physics: Friday, October 16, 2020 | 9-10 a.m. - Register 

• Biology: Wednesday, October 21 | 9-10 a.m. - Register 

The beta release of a new Chromebook extension for Respondus LockDown Browser is currently available for assessments in Original Blackboard courses. This version of the Chromebook extension also supports Respondus Monitor. 

Please note: This is a beta extension, which means it will have some limitations.

• It is ONLY available for Original courses/tests AND it must be enabled on a per test basis.
• Students must click on the click on the same RLDB download link as the Windows/Mac versions to obtain the extension link for installation. 
  
• Instructor-created passwords passwords for assessments are NOT currently supported. Please do NOT remove the automatically generated passcode set by Respondus to secure the test environment.
• The “Early Exit” feature in LockDown Browser isn’t currently supported.
• LockDown Browser’s Calculator and Spreadsheet features aren’t currently supported.
• The extended keyboard functions (for adding symbols and special characters) isn’t currently available.
• LockDown Browser’s internally linked “Help Center” is currently unavailable.

The how-to instructions for faculty and for students are posted to the FAQs. To report a bug/issue with the Chromebook beta, please open a support ticket with Respondus directly so your feedback is escalated with their developers. Be sure to indicate you are using LockDown Browser for Chromebook. 

At this time, the Chromebook extension does not support Ultra tests. UMBC continues to monitor development of this functionality.

As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:

Blackboard has announced a webinar series to help faculty transition to remote teaching. Click here to sign up for the options described below or access this link: https://go.blackboard.com/Instructor-webinar-series.

Who are these webinars for?

This webinar series is designed for Instructors who are just getting started with teaching using Blackboard Learn and Blackboard Collaborate, as well as those who have started to transition to deliver instruction remotely and are looking to make some improvements.

About the webinar series

Many of you had to quickly transition to remote teaching in response to growing concerns on the spread of the coronavirus. The journey to teaching remotely is a process, and we want to ensure you have the tools you need to be successful for both you and your students.

Whether you are brand new to teaching online or looking to make some improvements to what you have started, we designed a set of webinars from basic topics to advanced. We added more topics to help you as you prepare for your next semester.

Getting Started with Blackboard Learn Original Course Experience - Do I have Learn Original?

This webinar is designed to provide you easy step-by-step instructions on how to upload course content, create discussion boards for students to communicate, and provide an overview on the types of online assessments available in Blackboard Learn’s ORIGINAL course experience.

Getting Started with Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Experience - Do I have Learn Ultra?

This webinar is designed to provide you easy step-by-step instructions on how to upload course content, create discussion boards for students to communicate, and provide an overview on the types of online assessments available in Blackboard Learn’s ULTRA course experience.

Getting Started with  Blackboard Collaborate

Moving from in-classroom instruction to the virtual classroom does not have to be difficult or stressful. Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a web-based communication tool that allows you to continue to engage with your students in real time or even to record sessions for students to watch at a later time. In this 30-minute session, we will review the Collaborate interface and tools that support engaging teaching online.

Getting Started with Bb Annotate: Inline Assignment Grading in Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn’s inline assignment grading functionality, currently delivered through a technology called New Box View, will be replaced over the next few months with a new tool called Bb Annotate. Created in partnership with clients around the globe, Bb Annotate will offer a more robust feature set to provide customizable feedback to learners, including a sidebar summary view, freehand drawing tools, various color selections, and much more. Join this webinar to see a demonstration of the new tool and get your questions answered by Blackboard experts.

OFFICE HOURS: Ask the Experts About Blackboard Learn and Collaborate

Have a question on how to do something in Blackboard Learn or Blackboard Collaborate? Join this live Office Hours session where Blackboard experts will be on hand to answer questions, demonstrate workflows and provide guidance on teaching remotely.

Intermediate/Advanced Topics

Assessment & Assignments in Blackboard Learn (Original Course Experience)

This intermediate session will provide a deeper dive into setting up assessments, utilizing different types of assessments and creating gradable assignments within a Blackboard Learn Original experience course. 

Guide to Building Mobile Content (Original & Ultra Course Experiences)

Many students prefer to consume course content on their mobile phone. This webinar is designed to provide you with basic fundamentals for preparing online course content for mobile delivery. Additionally, we will review Blackboard mobile apps and provide you with a helpful worksheet on mobile content development. 

Improving Student Engagement (Original Course Experience)

In the new world of social distancing and limited interaction with others, instructors and students may be missing some accustomed modes of interpersonal communication in courses.  Join a team of Blackboard experts who understand first-hand the demands of a fully online teaching environment—we are eager to help you discover how utilizing tools within Blackboard Learn can encourage meaningful engagement among students and between your students and you!  Effectively use discussion boards, engage students with interactive lectures and quizzes and challenge them to collaborate together in teams and then present their work back to the larger class.  Blackboard’s team of academic professionals have plenty of ideas to share with you and are eager to support you as you consider different ways to promote communication, get your students involved, and to keep them engaged in online classes. 

Setting up the Gradebook  (Original Course Experience)

As you prepare (or continue) to deliver instruction remotely this summer, empower yourself to do so with maximum efficiency by understanding Blackboard Learn’s powerful Grade Center. The Grade Center is more than just a location to record students' grades--it is an interactive tool that allows faculty to filter, sort, and access data , calculate grades, and monitor student progress. Join this session to learn the basics of efficiently managing your students’ work and grades. 

Grading Workflows for Discussions, Assessment  & Assignments  (Original Course Experience)

Let’s face it – grading is possibly one of the least ‘fun’ parts of teaching.  However, now that you’ve created assessments, assignments, and quizzes in Blackboard Learn, the grading process can be easier than ever.  In Blackboard, instructors can provide feedback, post grades, and check the originality of student work with ease.  Discover how much easier it can be to grade papers when you can annotate right within the online course.  You can even provide audio feedback to the student, helping them understand areas of the paper that may need some attention.  Want to set up a quiz to be automatically graded?  You can do that too!  Join us in this informative session on how to use Blackboard’s course tools to make your online teaching experience more efficient, more engaged and less time consuming!

Collaborate Ultra - Beyond the Basics

This webinar will help you move beyond the basics of Blackboard Collaborate and provide an overview of specific use cases and features that will facilitate synchronous interaction with your students. Some features include using breakout rooms, sharing content through your camera, polling, and other features that will help you engage your learners and empower student success.

Click here to register for any of the sessions.

Session Dates

Getting Started with Blackboard Learn Original Course Experience - Do I have Learn Original?

Getting Started with Blackboard Learn Ultra Course Experience - Do I have Learn Ultra?

Getting Started with Blackboard Collaborate

Getting Started with Bb Annotate: Inline Assignment Grading in Blackboard Learn

OFFICE HOURS: Ask the Experts about Blackboard Learn & Collaborate

Assessment & Assignments in Blackboard Learn (Original Course Experience)

Guide to Building Mobile Content (Original & Ultra Course Experiences)

Improving Student Engagement (Original Course Experience)

Setting up the Gradebook (Original Course Experience)

Grading Workflows for Discussions, Assessment & Assignments (Original Course Experience)

Collaborate Ultra - Beyond the Basics

Click here to register for any of these sessions or access the following link: https://go.blackboard.com/Instructor-webinar-series.

Looking for recordings?
Click here to watch past webinar sessions.