Below are answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) instructors and teaching staff have at the beginning of every Fall semester:

1. I need help creating my class materials (HTML documents, svelte PDF handouts, using Blackboard, etc)
   Usually, the ACCC Instructional Technology Lab (ITL) can help you by phone or email (itl@uic.edu or 312-996-9824).  However, it is often best to meet in person at the ITL-East (on the first floor of the Main Library on the east campus) or at the ITL-West (in the Goldberg Building on the west campus) for more visual consultations, tool demonstration, help you using your notebook computer, UIC Wireless, or to use any of the software and equipment available in the ITL. 
   
   Faculty, staff and TAs can visit the ITL by appointment, or just drop in without an appointment during ITL Walk-in Hours:
   • ITL-East Walk-in Hours (east campus): Mondays through Thursdays, from 1-5pm
     During Weeks 1 to 3, ITL-East Walk-in Hours also are Mondays through Thursdays, from 9am-12pm.
     The ITL-East is on the first floor of the Main Library (Room 1-310), south wing, directly facing SEO
   • ITL-West Walk-in Hours (west campus): Thursdays and Mondays, from 1-5pm
     The ITL-West is at 1940 West Taylor, Room BGRC 181 (Benjamin Goldberg Research Center), on the first floor, to your left, as you enter BGRC. 
     
     
2. I cannot login to Blackboard or in the public computer labs
   Everyone needs to have an activated UIC netid and password to login.  People often incorrectly think that their UIC netid is their UIC email address.  If your UIC email address is hillaryclinton@uic.edu, then your UIC netid (login ID or user name) is just hillaryclinton (always entered in lower-case).  Your ACCC Common Password is always in upper-and-lower case.
   
   If you are having password problems, try the ACCC Password Recovery Tools at http://passwords.accc.uic.edu or see an ACCC Client Services Consultant (CSO) at SEL 2267, BGRC 181 or at most public computer labs (for a list of computer labs, see www.accc.uic.edu/pclabs).  Self-service UIC netid activation is done at http://activatenetid.accc.uic.edu.  
   
    
3. When will my students have access to my Blackboard course sites?
   For CRN-based Blackboard course sites, automatic student enrollment (based on Banner CRN student roster data) takes place twice a day: by 9pm and by 9am.  Both, the 9am and 9pm automatic student enrollment adds to Blackboard course sites students officially enrolled as of the day before, on the Banner overnight data exports.  The ITL Blackboard Tech Support will only add students programmatically, based on Banner, or only upon direct request from faculty members.
   
   
4. I am having problems using Blackboard, aka you are having Web browser problems
   Blackboard, Banner, the my.uic.edu portal are complex Web-based applications. To use them, please make sure your Web browsers have Java, JavaScript, Cookies and browser window popups enabled.  Preferred Blackboard Web browsers for Windows are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.  Preferred Blackboard Web browsers for Macs are Firefox and Safari 3 or newer.
   
   
5. How do I check who has access to my Blackboard course site?
   Very easy :: go in the Blackboard Control Panel <click> List / Modify Users (top right, under User Management) <click> List All tab and <click> List All icon.
   
   
6. How do I add another TA or instructor to my Blackboard course site?
   This is a quick two-step process: a) you find and add the individual to your Bb site, and b) you change his/her default student privilege to TA, instructor or course builder.  In the Blackboard Control Panel <click>  Enroll User (top right, under User Management) <enter> person's  last name <click> Search <click> checkbox next to desired name and  <click> Submit. To promote him/her to TA, <click> List / Modify Users (top right, under User Management) <click> List All tab <click> List All icon <click> Properties for the name of the person in question and <click> desired privilege you want to give him/her.
   
   
7. How do I make Web Accessible PowerPoint lecture presentations?
   ACCC has a university-wide license for a little Microsoft Office add-on that makes Web accessible publishing out of Microsoft Office a breeze, inc. PowerPoint presentations for Web delivery.  The free MS-Office add-on is called the Illinois Web Accessibiliy Wizard for Microsoft Office.  UIC faculty, staff and students can download it from the ACCC e-Sales Website. Once installed, simply save Web accessible HTML directly from MS-Office, for instance, from PowerPoint presentations, by selecting Save Web Accessible HTML... from the PowerPoint File pull-down menu.
   
    
8. Help :: some of my students are not getting class-related email messages
   All UIC faculty, staff and students will get official university email sent to their UIC email address.  Everyone at UIC should make sure to get and read pertinent university email messages sent to their UIC email address.  
   
   By default, Blackboard-generated email messages are sent to people's UIC email addresses.  Blackboard users (inc. students) can easily instruct Blackboard to send Blackboard-generated email (like email sent by instructors or TAs to the whole class) to a preferred email address by changing their personal Blackboard settings :: on the Blackboard MyUIC tab <click> Tools <click> Personal Information <click> Edit Personal Information ...and change to preferred email address.
   
   
9. Help :: all my changes to the Grade Center gradebook appear not to be there 
   Relax. your Grade Center changes are saved.  They appear not to be there (for a few people) because of a pesky problem with certain people's Web browser settings. The grades and other modifications to the Grade Center are there,  but your Web browser is showing you a cached (i.e. an old version) of the Grade Center Web pages.
   
   Solution: tell your Web browser to always get and show you fresh/new Web pages from Web servers (like Blackboard), instead of old cached Web pages off your hard drive.  In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you make this minor configuration change if you... <click> Tools <click> Internet Options <click> General tab <click> Settings (under Browsing History), and then <click> Everytime I visit the webpage (under Temporary Internet Files).
   
10. How do I turn off the Visual Text Box Editor?
    ...and the answer is... <click> the Blackboard MyUIC tab <click> Tools <click> Personal Information <click> Set Visual Text Box Editor Options ...and turn it off or on, as you wish. Mac users might want to turn it off as Mac Web browsers might have problems with Java, which the VTBE needs.
    
    
11. Can I reuse a Blackboard course site in future semesters?
    ...and the answer is... absolutely. More than 70% of new Blackboard course sites created each semester are based on an earlier/previous version of a Bb course site.
    
    
12. Why do I need to request a new Blackboard course sites every semester?
    ...and the answer is... to preserve all the student grades and work done during class for the given semester. Besides new Blackboard course sites can be exact replicas (re-used copies) of your fully-developed Bb sites sans the student grades and student data for the elapsed semester.  ITL automatically adds new students into your Bb sites twice a day based on current Banner student information system rosters.
    
    
13. How do I remove students from my Blackboard course site?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
14. How do I collect homework assignments electronically
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
15. How do I use the SafeAssign plagiarism detection system?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
16. How do I see student usage statistics of my course sites?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
17. What are Wimba Voice Tools?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
18. How do I create and make available Podcasts?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
19. Can I have an online gradebook just for grades of traditional pencil-and-paper quizzes?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
20. How do I assign students to make a little Web page?
    ...and the answer is...
    
     
21. What is a blog?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
22. How do I facilitate collaborative writing or group assignments?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
23. What is RSS?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
24. How do I change my course title?
    ...and the answer is...
    
    
25. Can I hide a bunch of Blackboard student tools we will not use?
    ...and the answer is...

The ITL-East Walk-in Hours at the Main Library have been extended again.  Starting Tuesday 8/26, the ITL-East Walk-in Hours (when UIC faculty/staff and TAs can just drop in without an appointment) are:

           Mondays through Thursdays, from 9am-12pm and from 1-5pm

We are doing this to help UIC instructors with miscellaneous teaching and learning technology support (not just Blackboard) during Week 1 to Week 3 of the Fall semester (i.e through Thursday 9/11).

On Monday 9/15 and onwards, we will resume are regular ITL-East Walk-in Hours of 1-5pm on Mondays through Thursdays. The ITL-West Walk-in Hours remain the same: Thursdays and Mondays from 1-5pm.

previously, on the ITL Blog...

Starting Monday, August 18, the ACCC Instructional Technology Lab (ITL) is expanding the East campus ITL-East Walk-in Hours to Mondays through Thursdays, from 1-5pm.

We hope that by increasing the number of afternoons that UIC faculty and staff can just "drop in" without an appointment at our East campus location, we will better cope with the growing campus demand, and make it easier and more convenient for people to get help with teaching and learning technology, as well as all other ITL services, facilities and resources available.

The ITL-East is located on the first floor of the Richard J. Daley Library, in room LIB 1-310, on the south wing, all the way to your left as you enter the Main Library from the Lecture Center Quad, facing SEO.


The West campus ITL-West Walk-in Hours remain the same: Thursdays and Mondays, from 1-5pm.

If the ITL-East or ITL-West Walk-in Hours don't work for you, please request an ITL appointment, as usual, by clicking Making Reservations at the top left of the ITL home page -- http://itl.accc.uic.edu. ITL consulting is also provided by phone and email, respectively, at 312-996-9824 and itl@uic.edu.

Overview of the Academic Computing and Communications Center (ACCC) and the ACCC Instructional Technology Lab (ITL) for new faculty and staff members.

Welcome to UIC! 

• Academic Computing and Communications Center (ACCC)
  ACCC is a campus-wide service organization providing a host of services to UIC faculty, staff and students.  ACCC runs the campus network, the telephone system, UIC email services, teaching and learning technology support, the Blackboard teaching and learning system, Web services, general consulting, public computer labs and computer training workshops, among many other services, resources and facilities.
  www.accc.uic.edu
  
  
• ACCC Instructional Technology Lab (ITL)
  The ITL provides campus-wide services and consulting to UIC faculty and staff, including teaching and learning technology support, faculty development, assistance with multimedia design, development and distribution, collaboration technology, Web conferencing, social networking, classroom technology, mobile computing, UIC Wireless (Wi-Fi), and support for a variety of other computer/technology university applications of interest to faculty, staff, TAs and students employed by faculty/staff. 
  http://itl.accc.uic.edu
  http://itl.accc.uic.edu/blog
  Email: itl@uic.edu
  Phone: 312-996-9824
  
  
  ITL-West (West campus): Golderg Building, Room BGRC 181
  ITL-East (East campus): Richard J. Daley Main Library, Room LIB 1-310
  
  
  • Blackboard teaching and learning system
    Blackboard makes it extremely easy for instructors to have a class Website for posting class announcements, sending email to the class, making available syllabi and all sorts of class materials, maintaining a secure online gradebook, administrating end-of-chapter exercises and online assessments, collecting homework assignments, running term papers through the SafeAssign plagiarism detection system, providing class wikis, blogs, voice recordings, Podcasts, narrated PowerPoint presentations, links to external content and multimedia, and a number of other course management system tools and Web activities.  
    http://itl.accc.uic.edu/blackboard
    
    
  • ITL Walk-in Hours and ByAppointment
    ITL-West Walk-in Hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 1-5pm
    ITL-East Walk-in Hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 1-5pm 
    
    
  • Blackboard Intro, Refresher & Grade Center training sessions
    http://itl.accc.uic.edu/bbtraining
  • Personal and class WebDisks - http://webdisks.uic.edu
    WebDisks support page: www.accc.uic.edu/itl/webdisks
  • ITL Blog --  http://itl.accc.uic.edu/blog
    
    
•  Miscellaneous ACCC Services & Things To-Know
  • UIC netids, computer accounts and passwords
    http://www.uic.edu/depts/accc/home/ACCTS.html
    http://activatenetid.accc.uic.edu
  • UIC Email, Calendar and Mass Communication
    http://www.uic.edu/depts/accc/home/EMAIL.html
    
    
  • ACCC Client Services Office (CSO)
    www.accc.uic.edu/cso
    Email: consult@uic.edu
    Phone: 312-413-0003
    CSO Help Desks: BGRC 181 (West campus), SEL 2267 (East campus, main office), and at most computer labs
    
    
  • ACCC public computer labs
    www.accc.uic.edu/pclabs
  • Reserving an ACCC computer lab
    www.accc.uic.edu/pclabs/reserve
  • e-Sales site-license software and software sales
    http://esales.accc.uic.edu
    
    
  • ACCC Computer Training Workshops
    www.accc.uic.edu/workshops 
  • FaCT :: Faculty Computer Trade-in program
    www.accc.uic.edu/hardware/fact/
  • UIC Multimedia Classrooms & Lecture Centers
    www.accc.uic.edu/elc
    
    
  • ACCC Complete Directory of Consulting Services
    http://www.uic.edu/depts/accc/home/HELP.html
  • REACH :: Department Resident Computer Experts & ACCC Liaisons
    www.accc.uic.edu/reach  

<< this ITL Blog article will be available by Tuesday 9/2 >>
<< click the RSS button (right column) to get automatic updates>>

 Okay, you know your stuff, you have been teaching it for years and you know how to teach it. So... what should you do next, as you increase the use of teaching and learning technology in your classes?  Below are just a few of my top recommendations :: as always, if you need help with any of this, contact the ACCC Instructional Technology Lab. The ITL will gladly assist you in exploring and implementing these and many other teaching and learning technology applications that match your pedagogical style and curriculum needs.

• Keep things simple and organized
  Your class home page, be it on Blackboard or elsewhere, should be easy to use. Organize your class materials in folders by chapter, by week, by subject, by something, but make it easy for students to navigate their way through your Website and to easily find class notes, assignments and anything else you want students to see.
  
  
• Provide your content preferably in HTML, PDF or plain-text
  HTML is the universal language of the Web.  It is always best to create all Web content, including class materials, in HTML, ...in Web accessible HTML, using LessonBuilder, Dreamweaver, or any other Web authoring tool.  Microsoft Word is not a Web authoring tool, but it can also save documents in HTML.  Why HTML? Because all Web browsers can display HTML pages without the need for plug-ins or Web browser add-ons.
  
  PDF documents are the 2nd best option, especially, for class handouts that will most likely be printed. Note: scanning or photocopying handouts into PDF generally produces huge (read: the worst) PDF files, which take long time to download and print. If you are scanning paper documents to create PDF, make sure you compress the PDF documents in Acrobat Standard or Acrobat Professional.  Compressing PDF files is a five (6) mouse click process that can easily bring down a 50MB PDF document to 2MB or something a lot more reasonable.
  
  The third best choice is to make your class materials available in plain-text.  Why not?  Easy to author, easy to read, easy to print, 100% Web accessible.  A lot of UIC instructors choose this route :: they go into Blackboard and instead of uploading files into their organized folders (hint hint), they simply type away or copy-and -paste. Also, note that Blackboard's text-input Web screens also accept HTML ("smart text" in Blackboard's parlance); thus, with a couple of HTML tags for setting heading styles, bullet lists and hyperlinks, for example, you can easily compose compelling syllabi and class materials directly on Blackboard.
  
  HTML, PDF or plain-text -- those should be your options.
  I purposely do not suggest distributing Microsoft Word (.doc) files, PowerPoint (.ppt) files, or other proprietary file formats that not only give your intellectual property away (in editable source format to boot), but MS-Word, PowerPoint and vendor-specific file formats sometimes pose difficulty for students to open these files.  Students may have old or very old versions of MS-Office, or your MS-Word document might be incompatible with the student's Mac or Windows versions of MS-Word. 
  
  
  As last resort, use Microsoft Office built-in Web publishing capabilities; Word might generate terrible HTML and PowerPoint creates HTML that is not very Web Accessible, but this is still better than simply uploading .doc and .ppt files.  Fortunately, Microsoft Windows users can download the free Illinois Web Accessibility Wizard for Microsoft Office which produces very good HTML, and HTML that is 100% Web accessible -- get this free MS-Office for Windows add-on at ACCC's e-Sales.  In any event, do your best not to publish class documents in proprietary file formats. 
  
  
• Try something new
  Incorporating new materials, new ideas and Web activities, as simple as these may be, can energize your class and engage students in learning. So, after you have used Blackboard for a semester, and after you have easily mastered how to post announcements, email your class, publish the syllabus, class materials and external links, and post grades in the Grade Center, what else should you do?
  
  
  
  • how about narrating (with your voice) a couple of review presentations prior to exams for on-demand use?
  • or... synthesizing your lectures in short mini-lectures (7 minutes or less) with voice for on-demand reinforcement (remember to also provide presentation handouts in PDF in case students want to take some notes as they listen or watch your multimedia presentations)
    
    
  • slightly redesign your class to incorporate significant use and participation in class discussion forums
  • invite a colleague or subject expert to hang out on your class discussion boards for a couple of weeks
  • upload old exams so students can practice or see the type of quizzes to expect
    
    
  • make available short end-of-chapter self-assessment exercises online (5 questions, 5 minutes to complete)
  • use your own class blog (like this one)  to maintain a class journal and keep your students informed
  • assign students to build their own blogs for a journal project, modern progressive term papers, so to speak. Podcasts optional
    
    
  • assign collaborative writing projects to groups of students, using wikis
  • speak into the mic - use Wimba Voice Tools to directly record voice announcements, voice recordings or short Podcasts on Blackboard. You can also record your audio offline and simply upload the MP3 files onto Blackboard.
    
    
  • use audio Podcasts - record your lectures (some or all) and upload them easily to a class WebDisk for only your students to hear
  • use LessonBuilder or StudyMate to author interactive Web activities, like image or word drag-and-drop exercises, word puzzles, etc.
    
    
  • create short video clips or link to videos from other experts in the field to add yet another element of engagement
  • authoring video, however, is not easy :: narrating PowerPoint presentations can be just as effective and it is infinitely easier to do
    
    
    
• Build it and they will not come
  Putting a class Website up is not enough.  You need to nurture your class home page (or Blackboard course site).  Post class announcements regularly, add some external links from time to time, use the discussion board regularly to answer questions and provide further guidance and mentoring, hold virtual office hours, run review sessions... there is a rather large number of things that instructors, faculty (not just TAs) can and should do to stay involved and in close contact with the students.  Students need to feel your presence to remain engaged. 
  
  
• Know your technology
  Whether it is during a traditional on-campus lecture or online, do your best to know the technology and to be comfortable with it.  The ITL can certainly help you with all of that. Why, if you are tenured, or tenure-track, ITL consultants will even come to your office or meet you anywhere on campus to help you with anything we do, and we do quite a lot.  Knowing and embracing the technology that you use is important because you don't want to waste precious lecture time, contact time, but also because students can get disenchanted fairly quickly when they see instructors and TAs struggling with technology -- understandable, really, since most of our students started using computers before Kindergarten.      

New Blackboard 8 documentation and tutorials We strongly recommend that anyone with instructor, TA, course builder or grader privileges in one or more Blackboard sites takes a good look at the new Blackboard 8 Documentation and short self-service multimedia mini-tutorials we have added to the ITL Blackboard Support Website (http://itl.accc.uic.edu/blackboard) :: click the link labeled Documentation.    In particular, take a closer look at the following documents:

• Print the 4-page Getting Started with the Grade Center Quick Start Guide (PDF, 4 pages)
  
  
• Review the Blackboard 8 Grade Center Manual (PDF, 78 pages) 
  
  
• Look at the various short Grade Center multimedia mini-tutorials (Flash movies)
  These average about one-minute each and show you exactly how to do the most common tasks using the new-and-improved yet quiet different Blackboard gradebook.
  
  
• Read the Organizing your Course Quick Start Guide (PDF, 2 Pages)
  
  
• Look at the Presenting Content to Students Quick Start Guide (PDF, 2 pages)
  ...and look at all the other Quick Start Guides at the bottom of the Blackboard Documentation page.
  
  
• Skim through the Blackboard 8 Instructor Manual (PDF, 386 pages)
  Look at the Instructor Manual's Table of Contents to find answers to what you are looking for quickly. Ignore references to the Blackboard Community System and the Blackboard Outcomes System, which we do not license at UIC.  Also, handling course site creation, bulk enrollment of students and course cartridges, for example, can be safely ignored since these tasks are done at UIC by the ITL Blackboard SysAdmin staff. 

Here is another way of getting to the Blackboard Documentation page:
starting on the UIC home page, click Computing -> Instructional Technology Lab (ITL) -> Blackboard -> Documentation

Students were added today (Sunday 8/17/2008), for the first time, to existing Blackboard course sites. 

Students enrolled in Fall 2008 course reference number (CRN)-based classes were added today (Sunday 8/17) to all Fall 2008 Blackboard course sites, created thus far. Automatic student enrollment add-ons into Fall 2008 Blackboard course sites (based on exported Banner CRN student rosters) will take place twice a day between 6-9pm and between 6-9am through the last day of instruction.  This also applies to new Blackboard course sites requested late, which will be created in the future: these course sites will get their students added the next time the 6-9pm/6-9am automatic student enrollment jobs run after the course sites are created.

Please note the following additional points related to student enrollment into Blackboard sites: 

• Automatic Blackboard student enrollment only applies to classes that are assigned university CRNs.
  
  
• Blackboard course sites for classes without CRNs need to have their students added differently, either by the ITL Blackboard SysAdmin staff (in bulk) or manually by the course instructors, program directors, course coordinators or TAs.
  
  
• When adding students on your own, first check that the students are not already enrolled on your course sites. On the Blackboard Control Panel, click List / Modify Users (under User Management), then click the List All tab, and then the List All button to see who exactly already has access to your Blackboard site. 
  
  To add a user: click Enroll User (again, under User Management) and then enter the individual's last name or UIC netid and click Search; check the appropriate Add checkbox next to the desired name and click Submit.  You could try the List  / Modify Users steps again to ensure that the student has been indeed added.
  
  
• The ITL Blackboard SysAdmin staff will be happy to add a list of students to your Blackboard course sites that don't have a CRN associated with them.  Just email us at blackboard@uic.edu the list of UIC netids to add (listed, one UIC netid per line) and the complete name of the Blackboard site onto which they need to be added, ...but note that given the Fall Rush (during August and September) we will not be able to do add your students in less than three working days, at best.
  
  
• In order to be given access to Blackboard sites, students (faculty and staff) need to first have their UIC netid activated.  Netid activation establishes an individual's UIC account and password, his/her UIC email address, and other accounts, including a Blackboard account. Blackboard accounts are created within an hour after the UIC netid has been activated.  To activate a UIC netid, direct students and colleagues to: http://activatenetid.accc.uic.edu.
  
  People having problems activating their UIC netids should see an ACCC Client Services Office (CSO) consultants, available in most of the ACCC public computer labs (www.accc.uic.edu/pclabs) or by contacting the CSO at consult@uic.edu, 312-413-0003 or visiting the CSO helps desks at SEL 2267 (East campus) and BGRC 181 (West campus).  Please note that the ITL staff does not deal with UIC netid activation, issuing UIC netids or any problems associated with UIC netids and passwords.  Please contact the CSO instead.
  
  
• Note: unfortunately, we cannot yet automatically remove students that drop the course from CRN-based Blackboard course sites.  As a work-around, please use the new feature of the Blackboard Grade Center to hide a student from the gradebook.  See our Blackboard Grade Center Mini-Tutorial for hiding students.
  
  
  Also, once students are officially removed from the Banner student rosters, instructors and TAs could optionally remove these students from Blackboard, but please be very careful as removing a student from a Blackboard course site effectively deletes all his/her grades, completed assignments and anything else that the student might have done in our class.  Removing a student from Blackboard is irreversible.  Once the student data is gone, it is gone!

Starting Monday, August 18, the ACCC Instructional Technology Lab (ITL) is expanding the East campus ITL-East Walk-in Hours to Mondays through Thursdays, from 1-5pm.

We hope that by increasing the number of afternoons that UIC faculty and staff can just "drop in" without an appointment at our East campus location, we will better cope with the growing campus demand, and make it easier and more convenient for people to get help with teaching and learning technology, as well as all other ITL services, facilities and resources available.

The ITL-East is located on the first floor of the Richard J. Daley Library, in room LIB 1-310, on the south wing, all the way to your left as you enter the Main Library from the Lecture Center Quad, facing SEO.

The West campus ITL-West Walk-in Hours remain the same: Thursdays and Mondays, from 1-5pm.

If the ITL-East or ITL-West Walk-in Hours don't work for you, please request an ITL appointment, as usual, by clicking Making Reservations at the top left of the ITL home page -- http://itl.accc.uic.edu. ITL consulting is also provided by phone and email, respectively, at 312-996-9824 and itl@uic.edu. 

Below is our schedule of Blackboard Introductory, Blackboard Refresher (aka Intro II) and Blackboard Grade Center sessions for faculty and teaching staff for August - September of 2008. All three sessions are 50 minutes long. Blackboard Intro sessions are designed for instructors that are new to Blackboard. Blackboard Refresher sessions are also introductory, but designed for faculty/staff who have already used Blackboard. Refresher sessions are still introductory sessions, but we might cover additional material as a faster pace depending on the audience. Blackboard Grade Center introduces the totally re-done Blackboard gradebook.  A separate set of intermediate/advanced Blackboard sessions will be scheduled for starting on Week 4. Check the ITL Blog regularly for up-to-date information.

Fall 2008 Week 2 :: Tuesday 9/2 - Friday 9/5

• Tuesday 9/2  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/2  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/2  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/2  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/2  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/2  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/2  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/2  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/2  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/2  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/3  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/3  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/3  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/3  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/3  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/3  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/3   2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/3   2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/3   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/3   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/4  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/4  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/4  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/4  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/4   1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/4   1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/4  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/4  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/4   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/4   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  

Fall 2008 Week 3 :: Monday 9/8 - Friday 9/12

• Monday 9/8  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 9/8  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
  
  
• Monday 9/8  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 9/8  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Monday 9/8   2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 9/8   2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Monday 9/8   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 9/8   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
   
  
• Tuesday 9/9  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/9  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/9  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/9  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/9  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/9  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/9  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/9  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 9/9  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 9/9  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/10  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/10  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/10  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/10  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 9/10   1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/10   2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 9/10   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
  
  
• Thursday 9/11  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/11  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/11  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/11  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/11   1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/11   1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/11   2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/11   2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 9/11   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 9/11   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181] 

Past workshops

Week of Monday 8/11 - Friday 8/15

• Wednesday 8/13  2pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/13  2pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/13  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/13  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/14  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
• Thursday 8/14  11am Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Friday 8/15  10am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Friday 8/15  10am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
• Friday 8/15  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Friday 8/15  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181] 

Week of Monday 8/18 - Friday 8/22 2008

• Monday 8/18  10am Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 8/18  10am Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Monday 8/18  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 8/18  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Monday 8/18  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 8/18  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Monday 8/18  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 8/18  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Monday 8/18  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Monday 8/18  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  

• Tuesday 8/19  10am Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/19  10am Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West:Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/19  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/19  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/19  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/19  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/19  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/19  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/19  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/19  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/20 10am Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/20 10am Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West:Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/20  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/20  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/20  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/20  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/20  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
  
  
• Thursday 8/21 10am Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 8/21 10am Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West:Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/21 11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 8/21 11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/21  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West:Room BGRC 181]
• Thursday 8/21  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West:Room BGRC 181]
• Thursday 8/21  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West:Room BGRC 181]
  
  

• Friday 8/22  10am Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Friday 8/22  10am Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West:Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Friday 8/22  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Friday 8/22  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Friday 8/22  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Friday 8/22  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Friday 8/22  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
  
  

Fall 2008 Week 1 :: Monday 8/25 - Friday 8/29

• Tuesday 8/26  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/26  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/26  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/26  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/26  1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/26  1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/26  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/26  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Tuesday 8/26  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Tuesday 8/26  3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/27  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/27  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/27  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/27  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/27   1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/27   1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/27   2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/27   2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Wednesday 8/27   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Wednesday 8/27   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/28  10am Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 8/28  10am Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/28  11am Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 8/28  11am Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/28   1pm Blackboard Intro [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 8/28   1pm Blackboard Intro [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/28  2pm Blackboard Refresher [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 8/28  2pm Blackboard Refresher [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  
• Thursday 8/28   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [East campus, ITL-East, Main Library, Room LIB 1-310]
• Thursday 8/28   3pm Blackboard Grade Center [West campus, ITL-West: Room BGRC 181]
  
  

Welcome to the ITL Blog :: a blog about teaching with technology at UIC.
The ITL is ACCC's Instructional Technology Lab.

I am regularly amazed by the number of UIC faculty and staff who have a mistaken impression of what the ITL is or what we do.  Many people think we only provide online learning support, advanced consulting or only help those using the Blackboard Learning System -- that is all incorrect.  The ITL's primary mission is to help all UIC instructors using a large variety of teaching and learning technology for traditional on-campus classes, as well as for online and hybrid (aka blended) learning.  The majority of the faculty and teaching staff that we help are involved with traditional face-to-face on-campus classes. Using Blackboard is not a requirement either.  We provide faculty support and development no matter what class Web pages are used.

More generally, the ITL supports UIC faculty and staff interested in using computer and Internet technology for teaching and learning applications, as well as in communication, collaboration, presentation, and other university applications.

The ITL helps faculty/staff at any level of expertise
We assist instructors new to using teaching and learning technology, as well as novice, intermediate and advanced users.  No question or technology application is too elementary or inappropriate to explore or discuss.  First steps usually involve getting a Blackboard course site to simply hold the syllabus, a couple of other class materials or hyperlinks, and to post class announcements or send email to your students.  Using the Blackboard gradebook (now called the Grade Center) is probably the next step, along with uploading PowerPoint presentations or additional class materials in HTML or PDF.  Don't worry, we will show you how to easily create educational content in HTML or PDF, and how to make them Web accessible, so that everyone can use them, even on small screen devices like smartphones or those new little laptops.

Sample list of ITL services, facilities and resources
Following is a list of things that we do or can help you do at the ITL.  If you don't find what you are looking for or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email us your questions at itl@uic.edu or call the ITL at 312-996-9824.

The ITL also supports:

• Going Digital  :: Web Design & Development
• Mobile Computing Support :: Communication and Collaboration Technology
• Multimedia Design & Development :: ACCC Video Services
• Miscellaneous ITL Services