Teaching & Learning Technology at UIC
Designing Learning Spaces
October 2009

Teaching & Learning Technology at UIC - a Mid-Fall Update

• Blackboard Learn 9 Next-Generation pilot underway
  • for more info, visit ITL home at www.accc.uic.edu/itl
  • click on Blackboard Learn 9 Next-Generation under ITL News
  • click on Blackboard 9 Next-Gen faculty Intro sessions
    
    
• new ACCC Flash Media Streaming Server (FMSS) - available campus-wide
  • visit the ITL Flash Streaming Support Website
    
    
• campus-wide access to the entire library of Lynda.com online training tutorials
  • see www.accc.uic.edu/training.html
  • see also www.accc.uic.edu/itl/lynda (unannounced)
    
• new UIC Student Multimedia Lab (SML)
  • essentially, an ITL for students
  • SML Website: www.accc.uic.edu/sml (unannounced)
    
    
• support for student Response Systems (aka "clickers)
  • ITL support Website: www.accc.uic.edu/itl/clickers.html
    
    
• support for campus-wide lecture capture systems
  
  
• personal and group blogs and wikis (outside of Bb course sites)
  • aka same Blackboard site blogs and wikis UI
  • ITL support Website
    
• Next up: ACCC Fusion (ETA: 1Q2010)
  • a social networking environment for UIC faculty, staff and students
  • akeen of a private, semi-private, semi-public or public Facebook
  • providing a rich Web 2.0 communication & collaboration environment
  • email itl@uic.edu if interested in testing it in January

With the transitioning from the Realmedia Streaming server to the Flash Media Steaming Media Server certain file types will no longer be supported.

To find out more please visit the Adobe support page.

ACCC is pleased to introduce its new Blackboard Learn 9 Next-Generation Pilot System, available today.

Blackboard Learn 9 is a totally redesigned/rewritten Blackboard teaching and learning environment with an intuitive Web 2.0 interface, drag-and-drop simplicity, context-sensitive menus, notification dashboards, new collaborative learning tools, blogs, journals, enhanced homework assignment collection, personalized customization, opt-in email notifications, Facebook and iPhone alerts, and significant accessibility improvements.

We urge all UIC faculty and teaching staff to familiarize yourselves with Blackboard 9 this Fall, before we switch the entire campus to Blackboard 9 in late December.  Blackboard 9 looks very different than all previous Blackboard systems you have ever used.

For more information, Blackboard 9 training and a demo site, please visit the ACCC Instructional Technology Lab (ITL) Blackboard Learn 9 Next-Generation support Website at www.accc.uic.edu/itl/bb9.html or contact the ITL at itl@uic.edu, 312-996-9824 or preferably at bb9@uic.edu.

See also, Blackboard's own www.blackboard.com/release9 Website for on-demand system overviews and tutorials.

Blackboard 9 is really cool.

ACCC e-Rooms (aka Centra) Web Conferencing - Troubleshooting Tips

What do I need to participate in an e-Rooms session?
You will need to install the Centra java client.  The Centra java client is supported on Macs and PCs.

My Centra client software doesn’t load, what should I do?
If this is your first time, you will get a pop-up message asking you to install the Centra client software.  If you did not receive a pop-up message, make sure you have pop-up blockers turned off for http://erooms.uic.edu.

Also, ensure that your Web browser is configured with Java and JavaScript enabled (this is true for most Web conferencing systems, for Blackboard and most other complex Web-based environments).

Windows Vista users, check to have “Access Control” to allow the Centra java client to load.

How do I participate in an e-Rooms session?
Most likely, you are given a participant's e-Rooms URL (which is the easiest) or instructions to find the event directly on the ACCC e-Rooms Centra server and self-enroll for the e-Rooms session using your CentraOne account.  

Some intructors at UIC like to pre-enroll their entire class to their Centra sessions.  If you need a CentraOne account and don't have one, create yourself an account at http://erooms.uic.edu.  CentraOne accounts are not automatically created like you do with Blackboard.

Once logged in, you will see “My Schedule” that list any pre-enrolled sessions you are enrolled in.  If none are listed, you can click on “Enrollment” and look for your instructor’s session.

I forgot my password, how do I retrieve it?
From the login screen click on the “Forget your password?” link to get an email of your lost password.

I cannot hear the presenter talk.
Everytime you launch the Centra client software, you must run the Centra Audio Wizard to check your speakers, headphones, microphone and/or headset with mic to verify that your personal computer's audio components are working correctly.  Run the Centra Audio Wizard ahead of time, at least a couple of hours before the actual e-Rooms session, to allow time to fix your computer if necessary.  Make sure you have not told Windows to mute your speakers either.

Why does my Centra client software keep crashing?
Close other CPU-intensive applications on your computer before participating in an e-Rooms session.

Also, use a hardwired Internet connection (especially, if you are one of the presenters!).  Wireless network connections can flake out at any moment - hardwired network connections are best when using real-time continuous network applications like Web and video conferencing during extended periods of time (i.e. more than just a few minutes).

Blackboard SafeAssign will be intermittently unavailable while undergoing maintenance on Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th.  Users will not be able to submit assignments to Blackboard SafeAssign, during this maintenance period.  No action is required by users during this period of unavailability. This proactive maintenance will improve the stability, capacity and performance of SafeAssign following this downtime. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Best Practices for Online Quizzing in Blackboard

Information for instructors

• Online tests (like Blackboard's) are not meant for high-stakes examinations!
• Instead, think of online quizzes as short "open book, open computers, cell phones on hand" end-of-chapter exercises designed to give students and instructors immediate feedback or for emphasizing some key concepts. An ideal Blackboard quiz should have just a few questions, only take a few minutes to complete and only have a very small grade value. Offer little online quizzes as often as you wish but don't misuse the technology
  
  

• Break a single long exam marathon into several shorter five-minute-long series of little online tests
  Doing so, minimizes the risk of problems caused by distant learners intermittently losing their Internet connections (which happens frequent enough).

• Do not use time limits on online tests at all
• Research shows that time limits are useless and unnecessarily stress the students.
  
  
  
• If a student grade shows up as an "!" mark or book icon in the Blackboard Grade Center, after the quiz is taken, it is probably because the student did not hit Submit or tried to back track on a question - students can not do this. If you continue to receive a "!" or book icon for multiple students consider using Blackboard's Multiple Attempts feature to display the grade for the last attempt (assuming the last attempt is not a locked "in progress" one.
  
  
  
• If a grade is a book icon, it is because on the most recent attempt, a completed quiz was not submitted.
• A Best Practice in online assessments is to allow enough time for students to finish the quiz without logging out.
  
  

Information to provide for students

• Avoid using the Back button, once a test has begun.
• Avoid using the navigation buttons on the left side menu once the test displays on your screen.
  
  
  
• Do not hit the Back button on your browser. The Blackboard system works best by utilizing the navigational elements within Blackboard.
• To move on to the next question click the arrowhead on the right bottom of the page (you do not need to hit Save).
  
  
• Students should take the quiz while on campus or at a location with a fast Internet connection. Students with a slow (dial-up) connection may face difficulities submitting a quiz. If you use a dial-up modem to connect to the Internet, turn off call waiting. If you receive a phone call and call waiting is on, Blackboard will assume that you have completed the quiz and erase any answers you have entered.
  
  
  
• Public Wi-Fi wireless connections are also extremely unreliable, expecially, when taking a long exam.
  
  
  
• Make sure your browser(s) are up to date.
• Avoid opening other browser windows while taking a Blackboard test.
  
  
  
• To minimize the risk of connection interruption, students can:
  
  • Open a second browser window and use it to generate some traffic every few minutes to keep the connection active. To open a second browser window go to the File Menu and select Open New Window. Open a site and then click in it every few minutes. That should keep your server from timing out.
    
    
    
• Pop-up blocker software may block a quiz from opening. If an assesment is set to open in a new window, pop-up blocker software prevents a new window from "popping up."
  
  
  
• To minimize the risk of connection interruption, students can
  
  • Open a second browser window and use it to generate some traffic every few minutes to keep the connection active
  • Contact their ISP to understand the time-out restrictions
  • Refer to their modem or Dial-up Settings documentation to learn how to disable call-waiting or other services that may cause interruption
    
    
    
• If the connection is terminated a student should
  • NOT close the assessment browser window
  • Attempt to re-connect immediately
  • If the browser is not closed and the connection can be re-established, the student may be able to successfully submit the quiz. Obviously, this would not apply to a power failure or system crash.
    
    
    
• A student may be locked out of a test if:
  
  • the Internet connection fails
  • your computer is accidentally turned off (e.g. power failure)
  • you are inactive during the test for too long– After a period of inactivity the test will time out.
  • you press the Back button on your browser
  • you resize your Browser window
  • call-waiting during the assessment
  • any number of other errors occur
    
    
    
• Obvious, but, after completing online quizzes, remember to hit Submit.

A Weighted Grade is a Calculated Column that displays the calculated result of quantities and their respective percentages. Instructors control the visibility of the column in the Grade Center as well as controlling the release of the column to students and other users. For example, an Instructor may create a Weighted Grade column that calculates a quarterly grade (grade for one quarter of the year), in which each Category, such as Test, Survey, and Assignment are given a certain percentage of the final quarter's grade. Alternatively, the Instructor may create a Weighted Grade that is the final grade for a course, with the quarters and exams included in the Weighted Grade.

Instructors can create a Weighted Grade based on any column, or any Category in the Grade Center. Instructors can create any number of Weighted Grade columns, including Weighted Grade columns that include other Weighted Grade columns. For example:

• (Quiz = 20%) + (Homework = 10%) + (Participation = 20%) + (Exam = 50%) = (Quarter Grade)
• (Quarter 1 = 25%) + (Quarter 2 = 25%) + (Quarter 3 = 25%) + (Quarter 4 = 25%) = (Year Grade)

Best Practice: if you typically include multiple columns as a total percentage for a weighted total (for example there are a total of 20 columns for participation points) the best solution is to use categories and tag each of these columns as "participation". Then when you set-up your weighted total you can simply select the category "participation" and indicate the total percent this category will be worth based on 100% total.

ACCC e-Rooms Best Practices

Here are some tips to help you get a better experience out of using ACCC e-Rooms (aka Centra) Web conferencing:

1. The Centra client allows you to test out your microphone and speakers.  It always best to make sure your equipment is running properly before a live event.  Nothing distracts from things more when one is fumbling to get the audio working. 
   
   
   
2. The eRooms sessions is readily avaible for use and testing up until the event session expires.  What does that mean? Well, you can login and pull up the Centra client and practice your presentation if you were so inclined.  You can also load up the presentation sides beforehand.  This helps reduce the amount of time and effort in prep-work right before the event is about to start.
   
   
   
3. The presenter should always use a hardwired internet connection.  Using a wireless network to present on can lead to fustration as the signal goes in and out.

There are a variety of options available if you would like to incorporate audio into your online course:

1) Built in audio components within Blackboard (Wimba Voice Tools).

If you are using Blackboard maybe you are already familiar with some of these tools, if not take a minute to check them out because they are very easy to use and extremely useful.

• Voice Authoring: to easily record and add audio file(s) to post for students
• Voice Email: to record audio file to be sent via email through Blackboard
• Voice Board: to create an audio enhanced discussion board
• Voice Presentation: to create an audio presentation
• Wimba Podcaster: to create an audio podcast directly within Blackboard

All of these audio options can be located from the drop down menu within a content area (Assignments for example). Record directly into the Blackboard system, all you need is a functioning microphone, and your students will hear the audio presented through the easy to use user interface tools within Blackboard and the given voice tool.

2) Record, edit and produce audio files independently from Blackboard (Audacity).

There are a large number of options available to work with audio. At the ITL we recommend a software called Audacity. It is a free download and allows one to record, import, edit and export necessary audio files which can be burned to CD/DVD, emailed to interested parties and even uploaded to a web server (including Blackboard).

The one important piece of information regarding Audacity is to know about the third party plug-in which allows you to export MP3 files. Without this plug-in you will only be able to export .wav files etc. and not the standard MP3 format which reduces file size dramatically. From the download page provided below, download and install the necessary version of software based on your operating system, but also note the "LAME MP3 encoder" which is required to export MP3 files. You can place this file anywhere you like (I typically place it in the software program file) just remember where it is so you can tell the Audacity where to locate the file later (this is only a 1 time chore).

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download

Having your PowerPoint presentations packaged right along with other lesson materials, simple student assessment activities, and so forth can be very useful.  SoftChalk LessonBuilder lets you do this very easily.

Importing Your PowerPoint Slides into the SoftChalk Slide Show

There are several ways to bring the content from your PowerPoint files into a SoftChalk lesson. One way is to import the slides into the SoftChalk Slide Show.
 
If you have PowerPoint 2007, you can do the following:
 
1.       Within PowerPoint 2007, open a presentation. 

2.       Choose Save As.

3.       At the bottom of the window for the Save as type, select JPEG (*.jpg). 

4.       Click Save.

5.       At the next window asking what to export, click Every Slide.

6.       A folder will be created with each slide appearing as an image.

7.       Quit PowerPoint.

8.       Start LessonBuilder.

9.       Choose Insert/Activity/Slide Show.

10.     Click Select Folder.

11.     Select the folder with the slide images you created earlier. Click Open.

12.     Click OK to close the Slideshow Activity window. 

What is OpenOffice?
OpenOffice is a good office suite (available as a free download at www.openoffice.org) that can do most of what is offered in Microsoft Office.  OpenOffice equivalent components to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access are OpenOffice Writer, Impress, Calc and Base. (OpenOffice does not have an Outlook equivalent).

Microsoft Office and OpenOffice Differences
Newer features of Microsoft Office, particularly, multimedia-related features, spiffier templates, presentation transitions, document themes, and the like are the sorts of things OpenOffice lacks, but most people don't use those or will not miss them. 

One Microsoft Office feature missing in OpenOffice that some instructors will miss is the ability for creating narrated presentations; that is, lecture presentations synchronized with voice narration, which add significant value over lecture presentations without voice.

On the other hand, OpenOffice HTML Export produces nice HTML, Web accessible HTML, built-in.  For Microsoft Office, one needs to install the Illinois Web Accessibility Wizard for Microsoft Office, a free Microsoft Office add-on available to the UIC community at the university Web store - http://webstore.illinois.edu.

Also, since smartphones like the iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Palm devices do not have (today) built-in support for viewing OpenOffice document file formats, it is recommended to save OpenOffice documents in Microsoft Office file formats so they can be opened on smartphones.

The biggest difference, of course, is that OpenOffice is free, whereas Microsoft office costs money. 

Campus units can purchase Microsoft Office from the Urbana General Stores, under the Microsoft Select program.  Microsoft Office 2007 Standard Edition (Outlook, Word, Excel & PowerPoint) costs $45, whereas Microsoft Office 2007 Professional (MS-Office 2007 Standard Edition plus Access and Publisher) costs $55.  Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac is also $45.  Microsoft OneNote is $9.99.

Trying out OpenOffice
In general, most people who voluntarily want to play with or start using OpenOffice will do fine with it, especially, if they have access to Microsoft Office in case they run into compatibility or functionality issues.

Lynda.com, available to everyone at UIC, has several three-hour long self-service online tutorials on each of the OpenOffice components; for Lynda.com on-campus and off-campus access links for anyone at UIC, visit:  www.accc.uic.edu/training.html.

Students can subscribe to a Blackboard discussion forum and/or thread. This would result in them receiving either a link to a discussion forum and/or thread post or the body of the new post in their email. The reason you might want to enable subscription for students when you create a discussion forum and/or thread is to simply provide students with the option of receiving email notices when new stuff is posted to Blackboard. In other words, students wouldn’t need to go to their Blackboard course site to see if anything new has been posted to a discussion forum. To enable the subscribe feature in a forum or thread, here’s all you need to do:

1. Go to Control Panel -> Discussion Board and then click your course discussion board (the same name as your course) to open it.
2. Click the +Forum button at the top left of the window to create a new discussion forum.
3. You will then need to name your discussion forum and decide upon how you want it to look and behave for your students. One of the choices is 'Subscribe'

By default, Blackboard has the “Do not allow subscriptions” radio box selected. However, you can choose between the following:

1. Allow members to subscribe to threads
2. Allow members to subscribe to forum (with the additional options of (a) include body of post in the email or (b) include link to post.

If you select “Allow members to subscribe to threads,” then any threads in that post will have a little button at the top right of the discussion thread view that says “Subscribe.” When the student clicks this button, they are automatically subscribed to that thread, with any new posts being sent to their email. If you select the second choice, “Allow members to subscribe to forum,” then that forum will have the “Subscribe” button for the student to select and all new postings to that forum would either be (a) posted in its entirety to the students’ email or (b) posted as a link (less text in the student’s email message, since it would just be a link to the discussion forum.)

Students who have officially dropped a class ...and... who are no longer listed on the official student class rosters of the UofI Banner student information system should no longer be re-enrolled/added to Blackboard course sites after the UIC add/drop period ends.

(Add a couple of days for the last adds and drops to make it through the systems)

Please double-check that the student in question has officially dropped the class by looking at the official Banner class rosters -- the ITL has a link to UIC Class Rosters on the top right of the ITL home page (www.accc.uic.edu/itl) under the blue tab labeled "UIC in Session!".

The last day to add/drop classes at UIC is the 10th day of instruction (last Friday 9/4 for this fall 2009 term).

I would imagine that by now (a week later) if you make a student unavailable or otherwise un-enroll/remove a student from your class because he/she has dropped the class, such a student should no longer be re-enrolled/added again automatically.

*** Be very careful when removing students from Blackboard course sites because doing so effectively deletes the students grades and any record of activities that the student did in the Blackboard course site. When one removes a student, Blackboard posts a warning message and asks that you type "Yes" just to make sure that removing students and erasing all their associated data is what you really want to do.

It is in fact better and recommended that instead of removing the students you make them unavailable for your course, preserving their student data.

To make a student unavailable for your course:

1. Click on the “Control Panel”
2. Click on “List/Modify Users” located under “User Management”
3. Search for the user’s name either by last name, user name (UIC NetId), or email and click “Search”
4. Click on the “Properties” button next to the user’s name.
5. Under “#4 Role and Availability” select “No” located under “Available (this course only)” and click “Submit”

Making the student unavailable is very useful because if you ever need to give the student access to the course in the future, all you have to do is follow the directions given above and change “No” back to “Yes” and everything associated with the student will still be available.

Our Oracle database was recently upgraded to a newer version, more secure, more reliable and much faster, also now correcting a bug which prevented creating empty forums/threads/posts.

The Campus Pack was recently upgraded to version 3, which fixed the current (and future) year setting, along with some useful improvements according to the official Learning Objects release notes.

The quiz timer bug was fixed last week for those that were using Internet Explorer 8 while taking quizzes in Blackboard. IE 8 will still remain not supported until we upgrade to Blackboard Learn 9.