Important update for Mac and Re/Play Desktop Recorder users.

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In the autumn Apple are releasing the latest version of their operating system ‘Catalina’ as part of this release they are withdrawing support for 32bit applications. At the current time the Re/Play Desktop recorder is one of these applications. We have been informed by the supplier that they are developing a new version and this should be with us by the end of TB1.

In the interim we would advise staff to not update the operating system until this is release if they wish to use the Desktop Recorder. If you have any questions please email digital-education@bristol.ac.uk

 

 

 

Changes to Blackboard for 2019-20

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New tool in Blackboard to batch upload feedback 

In response to suggestions from staff users, the Digital Education Office has worked with Blackboard to develop an extra tool to make marking quicker by batch uploading feedback documents. To find out more about the tool, see this three-minute video: https://youtu.be/VdRdH8ylB5Y. For further information, or to arrange a demonstration, please contact the Digital Education Office.

New assessment, submission and feedback area in all Blackboard courses

The new assessment, submission and feedback area in all Blackboard unit courses is now available. It provides students with a consistent one-stop-shop for assessment information, online submission, and access to marks and feedback on each of their units. Information can be added and updated at faculty, school or unit level. Where added at faculty or school level, the information needs only to be updated in one place and will then be visible in all units within a faculty or school. If you wish to start using this facility, FEMs, SAMs or GAMs should please nominate two colleagues in the school or faculty to be editors, informing the Digital Education Office, who will then provide training and assign permission to edit.

Non-SITS courses changing to organisations

In order to support the introduction of the Student Lifecycle Support Programme, Blackboard courses that are not linked to a specific unit in SITS are being changed into Blackboard organisations. The content and functioning of these are unaffected, but staff and students will now find them in the My Organisations area rather than My Courses.

If you have questions about any of these changes, please contact digital-education@bristol.ac.uk. For additional information, please see the Digital Education Office website.

Re/Play adding and reusing content.

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Following the changes made to the unit codes as part of the SLSP project we are currently investigating a problem where the search functions will not return results for the new unit code catalogs.

There are two ways we would recommend reusing or adding recordings in to Blackboard  –

Add Presentation tool –

  • Navigate to the content area in the Blackboard course where you would like to add the recording
  • Ensure Edit Mode is ON and then select Build Content
  •  Select Mediasite – Link to presentation(s)
  •  Enter the name of the presentation you wish to add and select Search Presentations
  •  tick the box to the left once located and then Submit
  •  Click OK
  •  The recording will now be at the bottom of the page and can be moved as required.

Embedding –

  •  Open Blackboard and select the My Re/Play Tab
  •  Scroll down and select Share Presentation
  •  Select Copy if you want to add a link or select Embed and then Copy if you wish to add a responsive video player
  • Navigate to the content area in the Blackboard course where you would like to add the recording
  • Ensure Edit Mode is ON and then select Build Content
  •  Select Item
  •  Give the Item a Name
  •  To add a link simply paste in to the editor and add descriptive text so your students know what they are looking at and select Submit
  •  To Embed Select HTML from the bottom row of icons in the editor. If you can not see this click the arrows in the top right. Paste in your Embed code and Update
  •  Add anything else you want in to the text editor and select Submit

If you do need to add a recording to the catalog for the 19/20 academic session please email digital-education@bristol.ac.uk and we will be able to assist.

New Questionmark service now available

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Questionmark has now been upgraded to version 6 and the new cloud-based On Demand service is available for use.

Users can log in using the links at:

www.bristol.ac.uk/digital-education/support/tools/questionmark/

Existing content, schedules and users have been migrated into the system.

Support materials are available at:

www.bristol.ac.uk/digital-education/support/tools/questionmark/

If you have any queries please contact the Digital Education Office.

digital-education@bristol.ac.uk

Blackboard upgrade completed, 30 July 9am

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The Blackboard upgrade has been completed ahead of schedule, and Blackboard is available again now. The Digital Education Office has tested all key functionality, and is continuing with further in-depth testing.

If you come across anything that isn’t behaving as you expect it to, please email digital-education@bristol.ac.uk.

Further details of the upgrade, and other DEO developments, can be found on our website.