We know, we know: summer isn't over yet—and we certainly don't want to rush it! This issue of our eLearning newsletter, though, is filled with information for those wanting to get a jump on the Fall.
In this issue:
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Fall Courses Now Available!
Faculty who are assigned as the instructor of record in Banner now have access to their Fall courses in Blackboard. Contact your departmental coordinator if you do not see your Fall courses.
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Resources to help you prepare your Fall courses!
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Join an FTLC Summer Blackboard Ultra Working Group
Blackboard Ultra Working Groups are facilitated by an expert graduate of the ACUE course on effective teaching strategies who is also an Ultra early adopter. The group will work together to move to the Ultra course view, aligning with the best and most effective teaching practices.
This group will meet virtually on the following Wednesdays from 12–2pm:
July 12, July 19, July 26, and August 2
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Frequent New Semester Requests
We would like to highlight a few frequent requests that you can submit for assistance via our service portal.
Course Restore Request
(Use this to restore a course from Blackboard archives that is no longer available online in Blackboard)
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Sample Ultra Course Tours
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BRAND NEW! Search and Easily Add Library Content Directly from Blackboard!
Did you know you can now search and add library content directly from within Blackboard? As you prepare content for your fall courses, consider refreshing some of your resources. The library search tool is found under the content market in your Blackboard course and can be used to search and add library resources. See this Knowledge Base article for more information on getting started with the library search tool.
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Your Library Liaisons
The University libraries and your instructional liaison librarians are vital resources in curriculum design and assignment construction. Librarians can also help with research strategies, create research guides or design customized supporting materials that can be added to your Blackboard courses. Watch this video to learn more about the importance of collaborating with your librarian liaison.
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What's New in the July Blackboard Ultra Release
Each month, Blackboard Ultra brings a range of exciting new features that can enhance the teaching and learning journey. For the complete list of releases, see the July 2023 release notes. In this edition, we are focusing on four feature enhancements.
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- Define a positive percentage value to award credit for a correct answer(s)
- Enter a negative percentage value to subtract for an incorrect answer(s)
- Allow a negative overall score for the question
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Resizing images/media
Media items have handles which allow users to resize the media by dragging a corner handle. Media types available for resizing include images, videos, and media inserted via URL.
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Accessibility Resources
To support faculty with Digital Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning, GVSU has implemented the following solutions:
- Blackboard Ally supports inclusive education through accessible content. Ally automatically checks all content uploaded into Blackboard for accessibility issues. In addition, Ally automatically creates alternative formats of files, including Electronic braille, audio, immersive readers, PDR, OCR, PDF, Tagged, HTML, ePub, Translated Versions, and BeeLine Reader.
- Panopto supports accessibility through video captioning. Panopto will automatically create caption files for videos added to the system. Faculty can edit these captions for 100% accuracy.
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Virtual and In-Person Office Hours for Ongoing Support
Have a Blackboard Ultra question? Need some advice? Virtual office hours are back this summer semester from 12–1pm.
- July 12, 18, 20, 24, 26
- August 1, 3, 7, 15, 17, 21, 23, 29, 31
Stay as little or as long as you need in one of our upcoming sessions. Registration is not required. Use this Zoom meeting link to access our office hours.
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Join the eLearning Technologies team to learn how to set up your course in Blackboard Ultra. The session will provide dedicated time for guided hands-on practice. Stay as little or as long as you need in this virtual session.
Additional webinars can be found in Sprout.
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Sincerely,
Kim Kenward
Director of eLearning Technologies
GVSU Information Technology
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