The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is conducting a comprehensive examination of our institutionally-supported lecture capture platform, Panopto. This project involves analyzing current usage patterns and user satisfaction to provide insights into existing strengths and potential areas for improvement. To gather feedback, we are asking all faculty and staff with any experience using Panopto or any other video recording application to please take 5 minutes to complete the following anonymous survey.
Thank you very much for your time and participation! Your insights will help assist DoIT better understand lecture capture needs at UMBC and improve our support moving forward.
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
As UMBC finalizes its migration to Ultra, more faculty opted to use the new course experience during FA2023. Specifically, of 1588 total available Blackboard shells, faculty have enabled 991 using Ultra, or ~62%, -- a ten point jump from last year. Although a broad spectrum of disciplines including seven departments and eight languages opted to use Ultra by default, more than half of active Ultra courses were converted from Original to the new format by faculty this semester.
Since instructors must choose to make a course available to students every semester, FA2023 also represents a notable increase in faculty use of Ultra courses at a much higher rate than their use of Original courses -- 89% of Ultra courses are available to students compared to 51% of Original courses. Additionally, Ultra adoption rose in STEM disciplines during FA2023. The College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences saw a 139% increase in Ultra courses from last fall while the College of Engineering and Information Technology increased by 55%.
Image 1: Comparison of active Original and Ultra courses over time (click to enlarge). For more information about Ultra adoption and course usage, please visit our Ultra course tracker.
With more than 200 enhancements and new features in the last year, Ultra courses offer more than 95% feature parity with Original including extensive updates to grading and assessment, content management, and course design functionality. Improvements to the gradebook, question banks, and groups management are key functional areas raised by UMBC faculty and addressed by Anthology. Ultra also provides exclusive progress tracking reports for learner engagement and new AI Course Design Assistant tools.
Next Steps for Ultra at UMBC
The growth in Ultra course creation and faculty adoption fulfills a longstanding promise to the UMBC community to provide a consistent learning experience for students and support Blackboard innovation, beginning in SP2018 when four faculty piloted Ultra. Since that initial exploration, Ultra adoption grew slowly and steadily as faculty opted in to the new version of Blackboard when they felt ready. The pandemic also provided many faculty with an opportunity to try Ultra and move their courses.
We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all departments and faculties.
Following this semester, two full terms remain (SP2024 and FA2024) before we finalize the Ultra migration at UMBC. All courses for CAHSS will be automatically created in Ultra for FA2024 and the entire campus will be on Ultra by WT/SP2025.
For departments or disciplines that want to adopt Ultra by default, Blackboard course shells can be designated as Ultra when courses are created. Please open an RT ticket to coordinate your request with Instructional Technology by November 1, 2023 for WT/SP2024 courses and by June 1, 2024 for SU/FA2024 courses.
In mid October, faculty who have not yet migrated to Ultra will automatically receive a development shell with a copy of their FA2023 course that is converted to Ultra. This copy will not have any student enrollments and will not impact the current term. Faculty are encouraged to review the copy and modify the course. If the course conversion is not the best path to Ultra, there are ample Blackboard resources at umbc.edu/go/ultra as well as Instructional Technology support over the next 15 months to build a new course.
Instructional Technology will also work with departments to customize Ultra workshops and provide dedicated support sessions according to faculty schedules or specific use cases for teaching with Ultra. Please open an RT ticket to schedule a training session or request a consultation appointment.
The campus community continues to play a vital role in championing change throughout our Ultra migration. Faculty and student feedback helps shape the ongoing development of Ultra and contributes to the dynamic platform students experience during their education at UMBC.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
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UMBC is committed to providing a consistent learning experience for everyone. The last day we will support Blackboard Original is December 31, 2024. Please check out our training and support: umbc.edu/go/ultra
]]>DoIT's Coordinator of Learning Analytics, Tom Penniston, recently presented his paper (UMBC login req'd), Toward a New Paradigm: Learning Analytics 2.0, at the 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI International 2023, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The conference focused on adapting design to meet the needs of our evolving world, from the rise of deep fakes and battling the spread of extremist propaganda, to the legal and social implications of large language model AI, to supporting the needs of the neuro- and ability- diverse populations we serve.
Penniston's paper analyzed ongoing UMBC efforts to leverage predictive machine learning models to inform empathetic behavioral nudges to support student success. He argues that through intentional, rigorous course design we can align intervention strategies with direct measures of learning at scale and thereby best support our students' individualized needs, while simultaneously improving institutional measures of success, such as reduced DFW and 6-year graduation rates.
Attending the conference was a great professional opportunity for Penniston, who was able to represent his department and the university, learn more from experts within the community, and network with peers. "It's really amazing and humbling to be surrounded at work by folks who encourage and support me to pursue these kinds of opportunities!" said Penniston.
“Catch the Match, It’s Back!”
· As of July 1, 2023, the State Match was reinstated for eligible employee deferrals/contributions to MSRP’s 457(b), 401(k), or 403(b) plans or State higher education institution's 457(b), 401(k), or 403(b) plan (MSRP, TIAA, or Fidelity Investments), up to $600 per eligible employee, for the fiscal year. Attend this webinar to learn how you may be eligible and additional details to qualify.
· Please note: eligible employees are those who are current members of the Maryland State Employee's Pension System. Employees enrolled in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) are not eligible for the Match.
“Frauds and Scams”
· Identity theft, fraud, and scams could derail your financial life if undetected. We cover what to look out for, including some lesser-known schemes, and what to do if it happens to you.
“Managing Market Volatility”
· A volatile market can make even the most seasoned investors unsure. However, navigating the ups and downs of the market doesn’t have to be so tricky and nerve wracking. This presentation will help you make sense of the recent market turbulence and discuss strategies to manage market swings in a portfolio, and what this may mean for your financial plan.
“Borrowing Against YOUR Future: What You Need to Know”
· Borrowing money from your MSRP 457(b), 401(k), or 403(b) plans before you retire is a big decision. It can affect your savings progress and long-term retirement goals. It’s important to learn about the impact of borrowing, terms and conditions, fees, and serious repercussions if you were to default on this obligation.
Click HERE to register for Featured Webinars
All webinars are approx. 45 mins in length
Enroll with MSRP Nationwide today at MarylandDC.com!
