Category: Replay

During Teaching Block 1, we have seen a huge shift not only in the use of Re/Play – 1,000,000 views of content in October this year, compared to 180,000 last year, which equates to over 18 years of video watched in a 30-day period – but in the way we have created content.

Previously, 95% of our content came from equipped rooms and 5% was uploaded, but that is now switched round. This shift has meant that the DEO has been working with the supplier, Sonic Foundry, to review how our system is set up to absorb and stream content. Based on the feedback we have received, we are making some changes to the service to improve the experience of using it.

1. We are monitoring playback and, in particular, buffering problems for students, and are looking to improve how the system delivers uploaded content to them.
2. We have made some small adjustments to the way video is uploaded, so that this will be quicker for staff. These changes will also improve playback for students.
3. Where students are reporting problems with playback, we are updating the video player to enable staff to give students permission to download content. We are currently testing this to ensure it will work, but are hopeful this will be in place in the next week.

If you have any questions about any element of this service, please email digital-education@bristol.ac.uk.

In order to mitigate a repeat of the problems we encountered in Week 1 with Re/Play affecting Blackboard performance, IT Services and the Digital Education Office will be updating the connector at 8 am on 3rd November.

We do not expect there to be any disruption of service to users, but there may be a slower-than-normal connection to the service while the connector is installed.

If you have any questions, please email digital-education@bristol.ac.uk.

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.

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.

The Re/Play service is experiencing problems when members of staff are attempting to edit recordings.

After completing the edits on the timeline and clicking ‘Commit’, only ‘Commit to New’ is visible rather than the expected three options. The Digital Education Office has raised this with the software supplier. The problem has been identified and a fix is being prepared. We are now awaiting final results of the testing and a date for installing it on to our system.

We would advise staff not to attempt editing of recordings until this is in place. If your recording contains anything sensitive that should not have been recorded, please contact digital-education@bristol.ac.uk.

 

We have had the following communication from IT services that is of note to all those intending to use the PCs in lecture theatres this coming week, particularly if you are going to be using files from your shared drive for the lecture.  If you have any questions about this upgrade please contact IT services.

We would like you to be aware that the majority of the Lecture Theatres and Teaching and Study Space PCs have now been updated to Windows 10.

In order to simplify the structure of our network storage, which provides various benefits to the organisation, we no longer connect people to specific filestore folders (network/mapped drives).

We STRONGLY advise anyone who uses a machine of this type to check prior to use that they can access any files they need.

Various methods can be used to access files :

•             OneDrive is easily available on all Windows 10 machines

•             Network folders are available in File Explorer under : This PC / UoB network folders (you will have to navigate from here to your own area)

A USB stick can be used as a fall back, however the methods above are preferred as they are more secure.

More information about finding your files can be found at:

https://www.bristol.ac.uk//it-services/about/projects/windows10/using.html