Center for Technology Enhanced Learning

On Sunday, September 23 during system maintenance a patch was applied to correct an instructors inability to grade random attempts in the grade center.  After the patch was applied, it was discovered that when trying to email the author of a discussion board post, the user will receive an error.

These are the steps to repeat the error (but to also make everyone aware should you think this affects you):

Click on the Discussion board tool
Click on one of the forums
Click on one of the threads
Click on a post
Click on the author’s name (a link)
Observe the error

Blackboard has been notified and is still working to identify the cause.  In the meantime, the email tool still works in Blackboard but not directly from a user link.  One work-around you could try is to use a text editor and make your feedback notes as you read the entries.  Then you could go into the email tool and compose a message to each student with those comments you took during reading.

As usual, my sincerest apologies for this inconvenience!

USM Online will cover registrations fees for USM faculty (full time, part time, or adjunct) and staff in the Sloan-C Online Workshops. Each workshop is developed by practitioners for practitioners, enabling thousands of colleagues worldwide to collaborate with peers and experts, via real-time and asynchronous meetings. These fully online workshops (with optional synchronous Collaborate sessions) are 10-15 days long (about equivalent to one full day face-to-face seminar), and have been widely acclaimed among professional development organizations in online education.

Upcoming workshops for October:

As of September 17, Blackboard changed their Mobile Learn app distribution model to a personal licensing option and updated their application to make it available to all iOS, Android, Blackboard and WebOS devices regardless of service provider.  As a result, it is NO LONGER FREE of charge.  The cost is $1.99 for a one-year license OR a one-time fee of $5.99.  (Note: the one-time fee assumes continued use of the same mobile platform.  The license is not transferable from iOS to Android and vice-versa.)

The free service was made available by the University of Maine system last winter, accessible via the app published by Blackboard, Inc.  The service was available in a limited, subsidized capacity at no cost to any Sprint device or iOS over wifi user.  Due to the new pricing model, I ask that you please read the information compiled about the change : http://usm.maine.edu/ctel/blackboard-mobile-learn.

***If you had the free Mobile Learn app already — the app will update for free on your device, but you will not be able to use without choosing a payment option after login.***

iPhone view:

iPad View:

To simply state the issue, Blackboard’s text editor is old, slow and needs to be replaced before formatting within a course works properly again.  The good news is that this is addressed with a new TinyMCE text editor, but not until the next service pack (potentially in summer 2013) install to our system.  This understandably has caused numerous headaches for faculty, as well as for students submitting assignments with text editor comments.  The systems office has repeatedly discussed this with Blackboard.  Due to the complexity of the editor and amount of locations it is found in the system, there is no patch or update Blackboard can provide that would correct these formatting issues.

In the meantime, I would suggest you refer to our CTEL resource page: http://usm.maine.edu/ctel/blackboard-wysiwyg-editor-formatting-issues for full details of the issue and work-around steps.

While conversations continue on campus as to whether it is fair to expect our students to use technology like Blackboard, web-conferencing, and social media, some faculty are evaluating students’ Klout with respect to social media sites. And  some hiring firms are paying attention! Thanks to Marketing Professor, Bob Heiser, for bringing this article to our attention.

This article in Faculty Focus describes Dr. Patrice Hallock’s use of “frameworks” in her college teaching. She uses visuals of square, triangular and circular frames to promote critical thinking in her students’ work.
“The shapes have three associated phrases: “Something that ‘squares’ with your beliefs,” “Three ‘points’ to remember,” and “A question ‘circling’ my mind.””

One of the interesting Emerging Technology for Online sessions surrounded the 2012 Horizon Report through the idea of F.A.C.E.S and Power tools.  The 6 areas discussed from the Horizon Report were:

1. Mobile Phones – how will they be used
2. Tablets – will they replace paper entirely?
3. Educational Games – the use of simulation and virtual reality in education
4. Learning Analytics – are we continually assessing what students are doing (i.e. evaluating activities in courses, evaluating how students are accessing courses, are we evaluating course scores, evaluating how often they are engaging through the use of discussion boards, blogs, journals) in an attempt to ensure the correct tool is being used?
5. Power Gestures – will the movement of ones body be used in education, how, when?
6. Internet of Things – how will non-computer based devices connect to applications, connect to the internet and store information (ex: Google TV, Nike+ sneakers)?

As a group, we were asked to think about how these 6 topics could lead to a better online learning experiences.  The presenters took these Horizon report topics and brought up a great acronym (F.A.C.E.S) as their way of creating a virtual classroom that has the same impact as face to face instruction.

F = Facilitated: how is the course facilitated?  Learning Management system using weekly modules?
A = Assessed: how is student comprehension being assessed?  Are there online quizzes and exams similar to an in-class component?
C = Communicate/Collaborate: how will students communicate and collaborate online?  Will there be a tool for online collaboration such as Blackboard Collaborate, Adobe Connect or a Google+ Hangout option?
E = Engaged: how are the students engaging in the course?  Will discussion boards or blogs be used, will commenting in these tools be used?
S = Student-Centered Learning: are the tools being used appropriate?  Don’t give the students a discussion board when you want them to chronicle their learning for the week; use a journal instead.

This concept was present as an idea for attendees to take back and use when viewing their course.  The idea is to have an online course that is as engaged and personalized as a face to face course.  One way to conceptualize F.A.C.E.S in your course, is through the use of some tools.  While Blackboard provides most of the tools you would need to keep the content inside of the course, the following tools are a way keeping the data current in only one location.  Links to the tools would reside in Blackboard.  Updates would be done once and available from wherever the link lives.

Power tools:
Instructor information: ePortfolio.org or Google Sites – create a portfolio of your infomation
Course: Blogger or WordPress – use a blog for the description of the course
Objectives: SnagIt – repeat, repeat, repeat
Resources: Spreadsheets, Wix – comprehensive list of tools, apps and accounts that will be used in the course
Schedule: Google Calendar, Zoho Calendar – it is important to physically display the dates of assignments, etc.
Teaching: Blackboard Collaborate, Adobe Connect, Camtasia or Captivate videos – how will the course be facilitated; asynchronous or synchronous?
Assessment: feedback on the course (USM has course evaluations to be used)

Remember, Blackboard offers built in tools similar to those listed above.  Use of tools should ONLY occur when you find the need arise, and should seek out any support from Course Designers in CTEL.  The easiest way is not always the best way!!

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to attend my second Sloan-C/MERLOT Emerging Technologies for Online (ET4Online) conference.  The conference was previously held for 4 years in San Jose where innovation and technology are center stage in the Silicon Valley.  This year (and already planned for next) the conference was moved to the city of sin, Las Vegas – where brutally dry and hot temperatures of 105 degrees made for some exciting adventures.  Luckily, the conference was held in the Venetian Resort & Casino (I only lost $4!!) with an ample supply of air conditioning.

I was joined by Sue Goodrich (CTEL Course Designer) and Lucille Benedict & Sharon Timberlake (CTEL Faculty Ambassadors) for this conference.  In a true tag team effort, we divided and conquered the large array of sessions offered to the over 700 on-site attendees.  Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be posting session recaps to this blog…so stay tuned!

….that’s a wrap!

Seriously, the Blackboard upgrade went very well from a logistical and technical standpoint.  Many bugs were identified prior to upgrade and patched, but a few (as usual) reared their head after the system came back online.  Blackboard has been very responsive to our reports and have issued patches to correct these issues.  As always, the sincerest apologies come from our whole team and go out to anyone temporarily unable to perform certain Blackboard actions.

Over the next few weeks, additional issues will continue to be found and corrected.  If you should happen to come across a function or tool not working properly in your course, please report it.  You can contact the Help Desk or email me directly with the issue.

Documentation on the newest features can be found on the Blackboard Support page.  All previous pages will be undergoing updates throughout the remainder of the summer.  Images will be replaced with ones displaying the new theme.  Tutorials will be updated or recreated.  This is going to take some time, so I again ask for your patience.  If you should have any support questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your patience and understanding over the past week!
Shane

My daughter has a marked preference for black and white photography. The photos I share are mostly vibrant with color. When I’m making art with my grandchildren, I like the 48 Crayola box. But I shy away from the jumbo box of 128. There are times when I see too many colors as a problem. One of those times is in Blackboard sites.

Blackboard allows us to sprinkle color all over our sites. We can choose different colors for text, titles, or navigation buttons, and in another week, you will find a whole new garden of color schemes and backgrounds with the new upgrade to our Learning Management system. The thing we need to remember is that, on the web, color isn’t just a way of expressing ourselves. Color holds meaning. Today’s web surfers still know that if something is blue and underlined, it is likely a link. Even when pages are coded with CMS to appear differently, while browsing pages, we quickly scan for those clues that say “Hey! Click me! I’ll take you away from this!” or “Nah, don’t bother! You’ve seen this one before.” I’d be the last person to say we should leave everything at DEFAULT. But when you choose colors, keep in mind that there should be some meaning — some form of organization — behind your choices.

CTEL’s recommendations for a Consistent Learning Experience (CLE) for our students go beyond color, but there is an argument for having a consistent appearance for courses within a program or cohort. Something that says to students “You’re in the right place. You’ve seen this before.”

When you are feeling the urge to colorize, consider coding for visual clues. Perhaps assignments could be one color, discussions another. Maybe everything for Week One should be one color, and Week Two another. Perhaps course and unit objectives should have a common color code. Just keep in mind that your users will be searching for some meaning behind your choices.