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  <NewsItem contentIssues="false" id="67873" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/67873">
  <Title>Mariann Hawken Receives Employee of the Quarter Award</Title>
  <Tagline>Hawken helped lead the Course Materials Initiative for UMBC</Tagline>
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    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div>DoIT would like to congratulate Mariann Hawken, eLearning Coordinator for ITNM, on receiving Employee of the Quarter (EOQ). The program <a href="http://hr.umbc.edu/employee-of-the-quarter-program/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">recognizes the outstanding qualities and contributions of employees towards departmental and UMBC’s goals and mission</a>. </div><div><br></div><div>Terry Cook, Senior Associate Vice President for Administrative Services, nominated Hawken for the award. “I think it is noteworthy that her nomination is not submitted by someone in her own division,” said Cook. “This speaks volumes to the impressiveness of her qualities and contributions.” </div><div><br></div><h4><em>“...She did not hesitate to investigate the issue, identify options to solve them, and take the necessary steps to resolve the matter.”</em></h4><div><br></div><div>Hawken has been instrumental in spearheading the implementation of the Course Materials Initiative (CMI), an effort to provide students with more affordable course materials and integrating them via Blackboard. She took the lead working directly with Vital Source, the digital platform provider, in integrating the course materials from 4 different publishers in Spring 2016. Hawken also proactively developed and conducted training for faculty by creating a training webinar that was easily accessible for faculty members. </div><div> </div><div>“When issues arose, she did not hesitate to investigate the issue, identify options to solve them and take the necessary steps to resolve the matter.” said Cook. </div><div><br></div><div>In Fall 2016, CMI rolled out its second phase, extending from 12 courses to 23 courses, with multiple sections and nearly 30 faculty members. Hawken was there to provide the required training and technical support they needed. </div><div><br></div><h4><em>“...went above and beyond, and her participation enabled a successful launch of this initiative…”</em></h4><div><br></div><div>Hawken continues to make suggestions to improve the CMI, and her efforts have helped position UMBC to be ahead of the curve with digital content.  “Mariann went above and beyond, and her participation enabled a successful launch of this initiative to be achieved and be expanded,” said Cook. “The Bookstore could not have done so without her!” </div><div><br></div><div>Hawken will receive a check for $500, a special parking space, and one day of administration leave. Congratulations to Mariann Hawken on her EOQ award!</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/67873/attachments/24059" alt="Mariann Hawken holds the Employee of the Quarter award" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"></div><div><em>Pictured is Mariann Hawken holding her Employee of Quarter award. </em></div><div><br></div><div><em>For more DoIT Employee of Quarter recipients, read about <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/53533" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">David Sylva</a>, <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/58104" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Pamela Raley &amp; Ed Kelly</a>, and <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/65087" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Jeremy Gude</a>.</em></div><div><br></div><div><em><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Follow the DoIT myUMBC group</a> for more news &amp; updates.</em></div></div>
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  <Summary>DoIT would like to congratulate Mariann Hawken, eLearning Coordinator for ITNM, on receiving Employee of the Quarter (EOQ). The program recognizes the outstanding qualities and contributions of...</Summary>
  <Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit</Website>
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  <Tag>doit</Tag>
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  <Group token="doit">Division of Information Technology (DoIT)</Group>
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  <Sponsor>Division of Information Technology (DoIT)</Sponsor>
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  <ThumbnailAltText>Mariann Hawken holds the Employee of the Quarter award</ThumbnailAltText>
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  <PostedAt>Mon, 08 May 2017 13:08:53 -0400</PostedAt>
  <EditAt>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:43:07 -0400</EditAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="67826" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/67826">
  <Title>Blackboard Mobile Apps Available for Free Download</Title>
  <Tagline>Existing Bb Mobile Learn app discontinued in August 2017</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div>With the upcoming retirement of the Bb Learn mobile app in August 2017, we encourage UMBC students who wish to access their Blackboard courses via mobile device to download and use the Blackboard App (formerly Bb Student) mobile app. </div><div><br></div><div>The Blackboard App was specifically designed to provide a more user-friendly and modern experience for students. The app offers a "smart" activity stream of prioritized events, content, and actions from courses as well as push notifications to ensure students are updated when tests are coming, assignments are overdue, and grades are posted.<br><div><br></div><div><div class="embed-container"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iYO9y4j3njQ?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen="webkitAllowFullScreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowFullScreen="allowFullScreen">[Video]</iframe></div></div><div><span> </span></div><div><span>Other features include the ability to</span></div><div><div><ul><li>check grades on individual assignments or an entire course</li><li>join a Bb Collaborate session for virtual office hours, tutoring, or web meetings without a separate browser or mobile app</li><li>participate in discussions, create new discussion threads, browse and read posts from others, and craft a response --  from anywhere via mobile<span> device.</span></li><li><span>review course content and materials</span></li><li><span>connect Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive to easily submit cloud content for class assignments</span></li></ul></div><div><span>UMBC students can download the </span>Blackboard App<span> from the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bb-student-by-blackboard/id950424861?mt=8" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Apple</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blackboard.android.bbstudent&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Google</a>, and <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/bb-student/9nblggh08j8w" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Microsoft</a> app stores for free. Please note: Due to licensing restrictions, access is limited to UMBC's Blackboard site only. Additionally, summer courses will not be available on the mobile app until after spring grades are submitted (around May 25).</span></div><div><br></div><div>Faculty will not be left without a mobile option. The <a href="https://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/69570" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Bb Instructor mobile app</a> will be released in July 2017 for faculty. It will be optimized for phones and tablets, allowing faculty to:</div><div><ul><li><span>preview course content, tests, and assignments;</span></li><li><span>participate in discussions and post announcements;</span></li><li><span>join Bb Collab sessions with the ability to view/draw on the virtual whiteboard, chat with students, share audio and video, and record sessions.</span></li></ul></div><div><span>Grading functionality should be available in the Bb Instructor mobile app in late 2017. </span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:</span></div></div><div><div><span><ul><li><span><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/faq" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Check our extensive FAQ collection</a></span></li><li><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Open a ticket via RT</a></span></li><li><span>Follow the</span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> Instructional Technology</a> &amp;<a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> DoIT</a><span> myUMBC groups</span></li><li><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/staff/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Request a consult</a><span> with instructional technology staff</span></li></ul><div><strong>UPDATE: July 1, 2017</strong></div><div><span><em>Based on global client feedback, Blackboard will change the name of its student app from Bb Student to simply “Blackboard” to better reflect how users refer to the mobile applications and what they are searching for in app stores.</em></span></div></span></div></div></div></div>
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  <Summary>With the upcoming retirement of the Bb Learn mobile app in August 2017, we encourage UMBC students who wish to access their Blackboard courses via mobile device to download and use the Blackboard...</Summary>
  <Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/67826</Website>
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  <Tag>bb-instructor</Tag>
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  <Group token="instructional-technology">Instructional Technology</Group>
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  <Sponsor>Instructional Technology</Sponsor>
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  <PostedAt>Mon, 08 May 2017 11:55:11 -0400</PostedAt>
  <EditAt>Thu, 31 Aug 2017 08:01:19 -0400</EditAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="67670" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/67670">
  <Title>7 Things to Remember During the Bb Cloud Migration</Title>
  <Tagline>Essential tips for summer faculty</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><span><p><span>This summer, UMBC </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/66298" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>takes Blackboard to the cloud</span></a><span>. Summer courses will be hosted <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/67520" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">in a separate environment</a> while we prepare for the migration of our main site. Here are seven important things to remember during the migration.</span></p><p><span><strong>(1) Export &amp; Import Content</strong></span></p><p><span>Since summer courses are on a separate site, you will need to </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/FIBaAQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>export</span></a><span> your content from our main Blackboard site and </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/HYBaAQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>import</span></a><span> to your summer course shell in the cloud. Please review the FAQs for more information or </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>open an RT ticket</span></a><span> for support.</span></p><p><span><strong>(2) Third Party Integrations</strong></span></p><p><span>The summer environment supports all current integrations with some differences because it is separate from our main site. </span></p><ul><li><p><span>Clicker students will need to </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=66159040" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>synchronize their devices</span></a><span> and Turning Technologies accounts through the summer Blackboard site. If/when students use clickers again, they will need to repeat this process to re-associate the devices and accounts on the main Blackboard site after the migration.</span></p></li><li><p><span>If your class participates in the Course Materials Initiative, you can </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/WojNAw" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>add the book link</span></a><span> directly into your summer course shell or contact the bookstore for support.</span></p></li><li><p><span>If you use a publisher integration such as McGraw-Hill Connect, Cengage Mindtap, etc., please contact your publisher’s technical integration specialists for support.</span></p></li></ul><p><span><strong>(3) Improved Bb Collaborate Dashboard</strong></span></p><p><span>A new Bb Collaborate dashboard in your course allows you to schedule sessions, assign roles, and view reports. Please review </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/CxPSAQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>the FAQs</span></a><span> for important information about these improvements and configuration updates such as setting browser cookies.</span></p><p><span><strong>(4) SafeAssign</strong></span></p><p><span>Your summer courses cannot reference UMBC’s existing SafeAssign archive since the Blackboard sites exist on separate servers; fortunately, the tool will continue to check submissions against the ProQuest ABI Inform database and the internet. </span></p><p><span>As a workaround, you may log into UMBC’s Blackboard site before or after the downtime to </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/ygORAQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>use SafeAssign’s Direct Submit tool</span></a><span> to upload an archive (*.zip) of submissions to SafeAssign for (a) processing for plagiarism and/or (b) archiving to the institutional database.</span></p><p><span><strong>(5) Use Box for Media &amp; Large Files</strong></span></p><p><span>Please use </span><a href="http://box.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>UMBC Box</span></a><span> or Google Drive to host <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/fIopB" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">all multimedia and any large files</a>.</span></p><p><span>Large files (e.g., 500+ MB) cannot be uploaded to the new Blackboard cloud environment and multimedia will cause performance issues. Therefore, you should NOT upload any multimedia files (audio, video, narrated PowerPoints, etc.) to Blackboard. </span></p><p><span>TIP: Download all of your course files </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=51413496" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>from your course’s Content Collection</span></a><span>, then remove large files and multimedia from your course before exporting. In the process, you might also discover unnecessary duplicates from repeated imports or course copies, which impacts your course quota. Removing these files will improve your course’s performance.</span></p><p><span><strong>(6) Course Retirement</strong></span></p><p><span>During the summer of 2016, Blackboard archived our complete site, which saved individually backed-up copies of every course and organization through SP2016. As </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/60586" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>previously announced</span></a><span>, courses from AY12-13 and AY13-14 </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/62178" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>will be retired</span></a><span> during the cloud migration. Organizations larger than 2.5 GB will also be retired.</span></p><p><span>You can </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/FIBaAQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>export</span></a><span> (course content) and/or archive (course content &amp; student data) your courses. You should also </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/b4B1AQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>download a copy of your grade book</span></a><span>. We recommend saving these files to your</span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=31916892" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span> UMBC Box</span></a><span> account to ensure long-term access in the event you change computer systems.</span></p><p><span><strong>(7) Essential Downtime</strong></span></p><p><span>UMBC’s primary Blackboard site has a lot of content and data to preserve, and moving all of this takes time. As such, we will be offline for up to 7 days during the summer transition. We have identified June 30 - July 8, 2017 as the downtime period. Since the <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/blackboard-sas" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">summer Blackboard site</a> is separate from our primary Bb site, summer courses will not experience any disruption. However, please </span><span>make sure you have your summer content exported before the downtime. </span></p><p><span>For more information about the cloud migration, please review DoIT’s </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/umbc.edu/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Bb migration FAQ</span></a><span> for complete details about:</span></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.9wbyn3861m12" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Migrating to Blackboard’s cloud environment (SaaS)</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.z1xdi4r9nzk" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>The migration timeline</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.st65s22dohxn" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Working in the new cloud environment</span></a></p></li><li><p><span><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.63eq4jg2z1rk" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">General course access</a></span></p></li></ul><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><span>Follow the</span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span> Instructional Technology</span></a><span> &amp;</span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span> DoIT</span></a><span> myUMBC groups</span></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/staff/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Request a consult</span></a><span> with instructional technology staff</span></p></li></ul><p><span>Thank you for your patience while we bring you a better Blackboard experience!</span></p></span></div>
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  </Body>
  <Summary>This summer, UMBC takes Blackboard to the cloud. Summer courses will be hosted in a separate environment while we prepare for the migration of our main site. Here are seven important things to...</Summary>
  <Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/67670</Website>
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  <Group token="instructional-technology">Instructional Technology</Group>
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  <Sponsor>Instructional Technology</Sponsor>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="67658" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/67658">
    <Title>Spring Student Course Evaluations Available May 3 - May 16</Title>
    <Tagline>Access your evaluations online through Blackboard or email</Tagline>
    <Body>
      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><div>The student course evaluations for Spring 2017 are now available to complete online between May 3 - May 16.<strong> Please note, you will not be able to change your answers after you submit, or access the evaluations after the time window closes.</strong> </div><div><br></div><div>Course evaluations are used to help improve, not only courses, but the quality of instruction at UMBC. The online survey includes both Likert scale responses and open-ended Direct Instructor Feedback Form (DIFF) questions. Instructors will only see aggregated responses to the survey questions. They will also see responses to open-ended questions but will not be able to connect those responses to individual students. You can <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=68583700" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">see what the survey looks like here</a>. </div><div><br></div><div>In Fall 2016, UMBC made the move away from paper scantrons for student evaluations and toward an online system, allowing more opportunity to complete evaluations.</div><div><br></div><div>As a student, you can go to your evaluations anytime during the open window and even save your responses to come back to later. To access them through Blackboard, <a href="http://blackboard.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">log into your Blackboard account</a> and click the MyBlackboard tab. There you will find a section with the heading “Online Student Course Evaluations.”</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/67658/attachments/23988" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"></div><div><em>Screenshot of Blackboard and where to find the student course evaluations link. </em></div><div><br></div><div>Students will also receive an email from <a href="mailto:StudentCourseEvaluations@umbc.edu">StudentCourseEvaluations@umbc.edu</a> where they can access the evaluations with the link provided. You might notice a question mark next to the sender name. This happens when UMBC Gmail detects an email that was not sent by UMBC Gmail servers. In this case, the emails are being sent by eXplorance Blue, the online service used to administer the Student Course Evaluation program. The link in the email is safe to click with.</div><div><br></div><div>If you’re an instructor, you will also receive an email communication from <a href="mailto:StudentCourseEvaluations@umbc.edu">StudentCourseEvaluations@umbc.edu</a> with a link to a list of your courses. This link can be used for both monitoring response rates throughout the evaluation process, and reviewing survey results after final grades have been posted.</div><div><br></div><div><em>If you have any questions, you can <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Student+Course+Evaluations" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">check DoIT’s extensive FAQ collection here.</a> Be sure to <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/student-course-evaluations" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">follow the Course Evaluations myUMBC group</a> for important updates as well. </em></div><div><em><br></em></div><div><em><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Follow the DoIT myUMBC group</a> for more news and updates.</em></div></div>
      ]]>
    </Body>
    <Summary>The student course evaluations for Spring 2017 are now available to complete online between May 3 - May 16. Please note, you will not be able to change your answers after you submit, or access the...</Summary>
    <Website>https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Student+Course+Evaluations</Website>
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    <PostedAt>Wed, 03 May 2017 09:30:46 -0400</PostedAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="67520" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/67520">
  <Title>SU17 Courses Created on Separate Bb Server on April 18</Title>
  <Tagline>Summer courses using new cloud environment</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><span><p>Blackboard course shells for SU2017 <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/eYHGAw" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">were created</a> on April 18, 2017, on a separate Bb server.</p><p>Why? In preparation for <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/66298" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">UMBC’s migration to Blackboard’s new cloud infrastructure</a>, summer courses will be hosted on a separate server during the transition, similar to UMBC’s previous delivery model for <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/34302" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">hosting winter courses</a><span> during system upgrade periods. </span></p><p><strong>Why Are We Hosting Summer Separately?</strong></p><p>Since DoIT and Blackboard must migrate UMBC’s current Blackboard site to the cloud over a seven-day downtime (June 30 - July 8, 2017), we are hosting summer courses in a separate cloud environment to ensure continuity of services for faculty and students. However, only SU2017 courses will be available on the summer server; all other courses prior to and after SU2017 will remain on our current site and only<span> faculty who are teaching and students who are enrolled in summer Blackboard classes will see courses on the SU2017 server. </span></p><p><span>Since summer courses are on a separate site, faculty will need to </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/FIBaAQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">export</a> content from our main Blackboard site and <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/HYBaAQ" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">import</a> to summer course shells in the cloud. </p><p><img src="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/67520/attachments/24101" alt="Look for the summer banner on the MyBb dashboard to access your summer courses" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"><br><em>Look for the summer banner on the MyBb tab in Blackboard to access your summer courses</em></p>
    
    <p><span>Please review DoIT’s </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/umbc.edu/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Bb migration FAQ</a><span> for complete details about:</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.9wbyn3861m12" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Migrating to Blackboard’s cloud environment (SaaS)</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.z1xdi4r9nzk" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">The migration timeline</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.st65s22dohxn" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Working in the new cloud environment</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I__5xmGWtT-1xoip6u821qGq-Mqsf8HQG6zr9N89n4g/edit#heading=h.63eq4jg2z1rk" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">General course access</a></li></ul>
    <p><strong>About Course Creation</strong></p><p>Bb shells for SU2017are available for all courses (designated as lecture, lab, field or discussion) listed in the <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/schedule" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">UMBC Schedule of Classes (SOC)</a>, provided that there is an <a href="http://www.umbc.edu/blogs/oit-news/archives/2010/08/how_new_employe_1.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">instructor of record</a> 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 <a href="http://www.umbc.edu/doit/blackboard/requestbbshell.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">new course request</a>.</p><p><span>Instructors who teach multiple sections of the same course will find those enrollments merged into one Bb course shell. These sections may be split upon </span><a href="https://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">request by an RT ticket</a>, which we recommend <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/d4HGAw" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">submitting at least one week</a> before the semester starts, if not as soon as courses are created in Blackboard.</p><p>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 of record <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1867862" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">makes them available</a>.</p><p>If you are an instructor, and your name is not associated with the course you are teaching in the <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/schedule" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> SOC</a>, please see your <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/umbc.edu/document/d/1rwm_adJUvAP3cxL-QCrb56n9ql4xrR8FHd9_1Cw0vJI/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">departmental scheduling coordinator</a> to resolve the issue. Once you are listed in the<a href="https://my.umbc.edu/go/schedule" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> SOC</a>, your Bb course shell will be created automatically. If not, please submit a<a href="https://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> support request by an RT ticket</a>.</p><p>As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:</p><ul><li><span><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/faq" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Check our extensive FAQ collection</a></span></li><li><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Open a ticket via RT</a></span></li><li><span>Follow the</span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span> Instructional Technology</span></a><span> &amp;</span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span> DoIT</span></a><span> myUMBC groups</span></li><li><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/staff/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Request a consult</span></a><span> with instructional technology staff</span></li></ul></span><span>Save</span><span>Save</span><span>Save</span><span>Save</span></div>
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  </Body>
  <Summary>Blackboard course shells for SU2017 were created on April 18, 2017, on a separate Bb server.  Why? In preparation for UMBC’s migration to Blackboard’s new cloud infrastructure, summer courses will...</Summary>
  <Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/67520</Website>
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  <Tag>summer</Tag>
  <Group token="bbannouncements">Blackboard Announcements</Group>
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  <Sponsor>Blackboard Announcements</Sponsor>
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  <PostedAt>Fri, 28 Apr 2017 15:56:05 -0400</PostedAt>
  <EditAt>Tue, 30 May 2017 10:33:18 -0400</EditAt>
</NewsItem>
  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="66749" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/66749">
  <Title>REX Tools for Teaching Available to Instructors</Title>
  <Tagline>Get a Bird's Eye View of Your Course Across Campus</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><span><p><span>In recent years, the </span><a href="http://oir.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support</span></a><span>  (IRADS) has installed or built a nifty set of “bird’s eye view” reports about teaching &amp; learning in the campus’ </span><a href="http://rex.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Report Exchange</span></a><span> (REX) data warehouse that any instructor might find useful. These include but are not limited to various campus-wide Blackboard usage reports such as the following: </span></p><p><span><em>Blackboard</em></span></p><ul><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Analytics%20for%20Learn%20Reports/Learn%20Course%20Use%20By%20College" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Bb Learn Course Use By College</a></span><span> (shows Bb use by students across campus)</span></p></li><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Analytics%20for%20Learn%20Reports/Instructor%20At%20A%20Glance" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Bb Instructor At A Glance</a></span><span> (shows overall use for each instructor’s courses)</span></p></li><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Analytics%20for%20Learn%20Reports/Details/Student%20At%20A%20Glance" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Student At A Glance</a></span><span> (shows individual student activity across all Bb courses)</span></p></li></ul><p><em><span>G</span><span>rade Comparison and Distribution</span></em></p><p><span>Similarly, the following "summary level" REX reports could be interesting to instructors who want to benchmark their own courses with peers from any discipline or department across campus:</span></p><ul><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Student%20Records%20and%20Enrollment/Course%20Enrollment/Grade%20Comparison%20-%20Course%20to%20Course" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Course to Course - Grade Comparison</a></span><span> (inspired by Dr. Hrabowski's definition of student success: "not only passing a course but also the next one that requires it.").<strong>*</strong></span></p></li><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Student%20Records%20and%20Enrollment/Course%20Enrollment/Outcomes%20After%20Course%20Completion" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Outcomes After Course Completion</a></span><span> (includes retention and graduation)</span></p></li><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Student%20Records%20and%20Enrollment/Course%20Enrollment/Grade%20Distribution%20by%20Organization" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Grade Distribution by Organization</a></span><span> (by college and campus-wide).</span></p></li><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Student%20Records%20and%20Enrollment/Course%20Enrollment/Courses%20by%20DFW%20Rate%20and%20Average%20Grade" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Courses by DFW Rate and Average Grade</a></span><span> (by course view only)</span></p></li><li><p><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Reports%20About%20Reports/Most%20Popular%20Reports" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Most Popular REX Reports</a></span><span> (see what reports others are using)</span></p></li></ul><p><span>The aggregate data these summary REX reports provide could provide useful context for understanding any course, but by default, none of them will have “drill to detail” student ID information.</span></p><p><span><strong>Background</strong></span></p><p><span>UMBC faculty may recall that DoIT used to publish a list of </span><span><a href="https://doit.umbc.edu/most-active-bb-courses/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">most active Blackboard courses</a></span><span> for every term. However, we discontinued this after Spring 2013, when we completed our transition to </span><a href="http://www.blackboard.com/education-analytics/blackboard-intelligence.aspx" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Blackboard’s Analytics for Learn</span></a><span> (A4L) product that UMBC’s own experience helped influence. A4L reports for students and faculty are now embedded in every Blackboard course (see Control Panel → Evaluation → Analytics), but there is still nothing that provides a “bird’s eye view” of Bb usage across campus -- except the </span><span><a href="https://rexprd-ssrs1.rex.aws.umbc.edu/Reports/report/Analytics%20for%20Learn%20Reports/Learn%20Course%20Use%20By%20College" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Bb Learn Use by College Report</a></span><span> mentioned above.</span></p><p><span>Why might this be important? </span><span>Increasingly, UMBC and other institutions are looking at institutional Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Blackboard as </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=65634" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>a real-time indicator or even predictor of student engagement</span></a><span>, not just a static content repository of syllabi and powerpoint presentations. If so, then understanding </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=66129" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>effective design of LMS courses</span></a><span> -- as measured, in part, by students’ use of them -- could be helpful as well. </span></p><p><span><strong>Accessing REX</strong></span></p><p><span>Until recently, access to REX itself was granted “</span><a href="http://rex.umbc.edu/rex-access/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>upon request</span></a><span>,” so one might first want to know what lies beyond the login screen before doing so. However, the summary reports above offer a sneak peek at what REX can do, and are now available to any instructor with access to the PeopleSoft advising system by default.<strong>**</strong></span></p><span>To request more granular, drill-to-detail REX access, visit </span><a href="http://rex.umbc.edu/rex-access/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>rex.umbc.edu/rex-access</span></a><span>. For more information about learning analytics at UMBC, see this <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/doEpB" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">"Course Analytics" FAQ</a> or visit </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/analytics/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>doit.umbc.edu/analytics</span></a><span>. </span></span><div><span><span><br></span></span></div><div><span>------------------------------------------</span></div><div><span><span><br></span></span></div><div><span><strong>*</strong> </span><span>This report has been demonstrated </span><span>at the </span><a href="http://www.screencast.com/t/A0aljyyW" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>2015</span></a><span> and </span><a href="https://umbc.box.com/v/plts16rex" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>2016</span></a><span> Provost's Teaching &amp; Learning Symposia.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><strong>**</strong> </span><span>Reminder: All employees must </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=61700" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>annually acknowledge</span></a><span> their obligations to protect student educational records under the Federal government’s </span><a href="http://www2.ed.gov/ferpa/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act</span></a><span> (FERPA).</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><br></span></div></div>
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  <Summary>In recent years, the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support  (IRADS) has installed or built a nifty set of “bird’s eye view” reports about teaching &amp; learning in the campus’...</Summary>
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  <Tag>analytics</Tag>
  <Tag>blackboard</Tag>
  <Tag>rex</Tag>
  <Group token="instructional-technology">Instructional Technology</Group>
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  <Sponsor>Instructional Technology</Sponsor>
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  <PostedAt>Tue, 28 Mar 2017 14:09:38 -0400</PostedAt>
  <EditAt>Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:56:21 -0400</EditAt>
</NewsItem>
  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="66298" important="true" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/66298">
  <Title>UMBC takes Blackboard to the cloud</Title>
  <Tagline>Summer migration for improved services &amp; next gen tools</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div>During the Summer 2017 term, UMBC will migrate its learning management system currently hosted by Blackboard to Blackboard’s new cloud infrastructure known as Software as a Service (SaaS).</div><div><br></div><div>DoIT expects increased quality of service with this transition to the cloud. Our current delivery model through managed hosting ensures 99.9% uptime, but we still had to schedule Blackboard downtime for upgrades and essential fixes. With the new SaaS model, Blackboard can update our system with little to no downtime. Further, the new platform allows UMBC and Blackboard to scale the system in response to load, increasing services when demand is high.</div><div><br></div><div>The migration also prepares UMBC’s Blackboard infrastructure for the new Ultra Experience (UX), a completely redesigned Bb Learn system. Optimized for desktop and mobile devices, the Ultra Experience features a personalized activity feed and streamlined workflows to reduce clicks and increase efficiency. </div><div><br></div><div><img src="https://blackboard.umbc.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/doitnews/Ultra-course-view.png" alt="Bb Learn Ultra Experience" width="400" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><div>All UMBC users can get a visual feel for the Ultra Experience whenever they access the <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Blackboard+Collaborate" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">new browser-based version of Bb Collaborate</a> through their courses and students can experience the Ultra aesthetic now by using the <a href="https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Bb_Student" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Bb Student mobile app</a>. Although the Ultra Experience is available as soon as we migrate to the SaaS infrastructure, UMBC will continue to evaluate the new Learn as more tools and features are released.</div><div><br></div><div>In preparation for this transition, the UMBC campus community should be aware of two key factors:</div></div><div><div><ul><li><span>Summer courses will be <a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/67520" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">hosted on a separate server</a> during the transition, similar to UMBC’s previous delivery model for hosting winter courses during system upgrade periods. </span></li><li><span>The main Blackboard site will be offline for up to 7 days during the summer transition, which will allow DoIT and Blackboard to migrate the entire system to the new infrastructure. </span></li></ul></div><div>Key dates and other frequently asked questions will be posted to our SaaS migration FAQ in early April.</div><div><br></div><div>As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:</div></div><div><span><ul><li><span><a href="http://www.umbc.edu/faq" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Check our extensive FAQ collection</a></span></li><li><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/go/request-help" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Open a ticket via RT</a></span></li><li><span>Follow the</span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span> Instructional Technology</span></a><span> &amp;</span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span> DoIT</span></a><span> myUMBC groups</span></li><li><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/staff/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Request a consult</span></a><span> with a member of the instructional technology team</span></li></ul></span></div></div>
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  </Body>
  <Summary>During the Summer 2017 term, UMBC will migrate its learning management system currently hosted by Blackboard to Blackboard’s new cloud infrastructure known as Software as a Service (SaaS)....</Summary>
  <Website>http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/66298</Website>
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  <Tag>bbmh</Tag>
  <Tag>blackboard</Tag>
  <Tag>migration</Tag>
  <Tag>saas</Tag>
  <Group token="bbannouncements">Blackboard Announcements</Group>
  <GroupUrl>https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements</GroupUrl>
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  <Sponsor>Blackboard Announcements</Sponsor>
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  <PostedAt>Wed, 08 Mar 2017 10:45:48 -0500</PostedAt>
  <EditAt>Wed, 10 May 2017 13:07:16 -0400</EditAt>
</NewsItem>
  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="66129" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/66129">
    <Title>UMBC Blackboard Course Design Featured in Educause Review</Title>
    <Tagline>Learning Analytics Research for LMS Course Design</Tagline>
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      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><p><span>Building on prior <a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/analytics" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">learning analytics research</a> at UMBC, DoIT's John Fritz has co-authored <a href="http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/2/learning-analytics-research-for-lms-course-design-two-studies" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">"Learning Analytics Research for LMS Course Design: Two Studies</a>" in the current issue of <em>Educause Review Online</em>. </span></p><p><span>The two studies focus on complementary findings from a sample of 1,530 courses in Fritz' 2016 <a href="http://umbc.box.com/johnfritzdissertation" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">dissertation</a>, and a sample of 70k Blackboard courses hosted by Blackboard itself. A key takeaway is the<a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=65634" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> importance of the Blackboard grade center</a>, which DoIT has recently been studying as well. </span></p><p><span>For more information about learning analytics at UMBC, see </span><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/analytics" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>http://doit.umbc.edu/analytics</span></a><span>.</span></p><p><span><br></span></p><p><br></p></div>
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    <Summary>Building on prior learning analytics research at UMBC, DoIT's John Fritz has co-authored "Learning Analytics Research for LMS Course Design: Two Studies" in the current issue of Educause Review...</Summary>
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    <Sponsor>Instructional Technology</Sponsor>
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    <PostedAt>Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:38:58 -0500</PostedAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="65634" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/65634">
  <Title>Predicting and Supporting Student Success</Title>
  <Tagline>Importance of the Blackboard Grade Center</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><p><span><strong>Update from 2/1/18 <a href="https://symposium.blackboardanalytics.com/2018-blackboard-analytics-symposium/agenda-at-a-glance/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Blackboard Analytics Symposium</a></strong></span><span>: Using Bb Predict and UMBC's FYI alert program together is <a href="https://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/65634/attachments/28158" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">more accurate</a> than using either service alone.</span></p><p><span>------------------------------------------</span></p><p><span>Recent high profile articles in both the </span><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-college-analytics-20160611-story.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Baltimore Sun</span></a><span> and the </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/education/edlife/will-you-graduate-ask-big-data.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>New York Times</span></a><span> have highlighted the important and growing role of analytics in higher education. UMBC in particular is working to develop accurate means to predict and subsequently support student academic success. Of particular interest is faculty and student Blackboard (Bb) Grade Center use. </span></p><p><span>Based on a pilot project looking at UMBC Bb data for the past two years, it is possible to predict with 83% accuracy whether or not a student will earn a C or better in any given course before the term begins using prior academic and demographic characteristics. </span><span>By the start of week 4, however, student grades in a Bb course become the most important predictor throughout the remainder of the term. The model was developed using an 80% random sample of all UMBC Bb courses, tested against the remaining 20%, and included several demographic and academic factors. It was 83% accurate thru week 3, 87% accurate by week 4, and 93% accurate by week 12 (final 20% of a 15-week term).</span></p><p><span>These findings echo prior research on first year students in UMBC Bb courses. Specifically, when viewing student activity and if faculty enabled the Grade Center, students were up to two and a half times more likely to earn a C or better in Bb courses that used the Grade Center compared to courses that did not. The highest student activity and Grade Center interaction effect occurred among Freshmen (1).</span><span> These findings also complement research by the Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR) that students value faculty use of the grade center more than any other LMS function (2).</span><span> Finally, a recent Bb study found that students’ frequent checking their grades online was highly predictive of their course success (3).</span></p><p><span>By increasing the use of of the Grade Center, faculty can enhance students’ potential for self-efficacy while furthering the effectiveness of systematic efforts to enhance student engagement.</span></p><p><span> (1) Fritz, J. L. (2016). </span><span>Using analytics to encourage student responsibility for learning and identify course designs that help</span><span> (Ph.D.). University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States -- Maryland. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://umbc.box.com/johnfritzdissertation" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>http://umbc.box.com/johnfritzdissertation</span></a><span>, pp. 168-169.</span></p><p><span> (2) Caruso, J., &amp; Salaway, G. (2007). </span><span>The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology, 2007</span><span> (Key Findings) (pp. 1–15). Educause Center for Applied Research. Retrieved from </span><a href="https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0706/ekf0706.pdf" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0706/ekf0706.pdf</span></a><span>.  <br></span></p><p><span> (3) Young, J. (2016, September 7). What Clicks From 70,000 Courses Reveal About Student Learning. </span><span>The Chronicle of Higher Education</span><span>. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.chronicle.com/article/What-Clicks-From-70000/237704/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>http://www.chronicle.com/article/What-Clicks-From-70000/237704/</span></a></p></div>
]]>
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  <Summary>Update from 2/1/18 Blackboard Analytics Symposium: Using Bb Predict and UMBC's FYI alert program together is more accurate than using either service alone....</Summary>
  <Website>http://doit.umbc.edu/</Website>
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  <PostedAt>Fri, 10 Feb 2017 16:08:25 -0500</PostedAt>
  <EditAt>Fri, 25 May 2018 16:30:16 -0400</EditAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="64643" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/64643">
    <Title>UMBC Blackboard Update: WT2017</Title>
    <Body>
      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><span><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><p><span>HEADLINES</span></p><p><span>Blackboard &amp; Instructional Technology</span></p><ul><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/64298" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Blackboard Upgrade Scheduled Dec. 26, 6:30 AM - 6:30 PM</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/bbannouncements/posts/64293" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>WT/SP2017 Courses Created in Blackboard on 11/29/2016</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=53476" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Faculty Can Make Blackboard Courses Available in 2-Clicks</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=60586" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Archive of Old Blackboard Courses Complete</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/64407" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Take Attendance Qwickly with New Tool in Blackboard</span></a></p></li><li><p><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/64450" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Using Blackboard to Leverage Lynda.com</a></span></p></li></ul><p><span>Training &amp; Professional Development</span></p><ul><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/64294" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Beat the Next Snow Day with the Skill Builder Boot Camp</span></a><span> (January 24-25, 2017)</span></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/44864" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Hybrid &amp; Online Course Designer Workshop</span></a><span> (January 17-19, 2017)</span></p></li><li><p><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/64474" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">TechFest 2017 Coming Soon: Submit Your Proposal Today!</a></span></p></li></ul><p><span>Other DoIT News</span></p><ul><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/64256" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Nearly All UMBC Students Own Laptops AND Smart Phones</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/62366" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>UMBC Gmail Now Accessible Through Google Inbox App</span></a></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=61509" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>DoIT Supports Video Captioning and Transcription</span></a></p></li><li><p><span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/62359" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Kudos to Holly Owens on Her Clicker Advisory Board Appointment</a></span></p></li></ul><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><span>Follow the </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Instructional Technology</span></a><span> &amp; </span><a href="http://my.umbc.edu/groups/doit" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>DoIT</span></a><span> myUMBC groups</span></p></li><li><p><a href="http://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/staff/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"><span>Request a consult</span></a><span> with a member of the instructional technology team</span></p></li></ul><p></p><div><br></div></span></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>
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    <PostedAt>Tue, 13 Dec 2016 12:43:15 -0500</PostedAt>
    <EditAt>Thu, 31 Aug 2017 09:17:08 -0400</EditAt>
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