QuestionMark Perception is currently unavailable, due to a hardware failure on the server. IT Services are working to resolve the problem, and we will post updates here as we have them.
Many apologies for any difficulties caused by this.
Update – Blackboard running as expected
The earlier problems with the underlying database have now been resolved and Blackboard is running as normal.
Thank you for your patience
Joseph Gliddon – TEL team
Questionmark Perception unavailable – 7th January – All Day
Questionmark Perception will not be available to users on the 7th January 2014.
During this time we will be applying a fix to the system to address a problem with students results being passed back to the Grade Centre in Blackboard.
If you have any questions please email TEL-Help@bristol.ac.uk.
Blackboard unavailable – 16th January 6 – 10am
On Thursday 16th January Blackboard will not be available to users between 6 and 10am. During this time our colleagues in Information Services will be undertaking vital work on the storage systems that underpin Blackboard, see:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/it-services/news/2014/san13jan.html
This date was partly selected based on the critical dates information provided by our faculty colleagues. If you have not informed us of your key or critical dates, eg submission deadline or online exam, please email us.
If you have any questions please email TEL-Help@bristol.ac.uk or contact Hilary.Griffiths@Bristol.ac.uk.
Please accept our apologies for any disruption caused by the work today.
Turnitin service problems fixed
Turnitin have reported that the earlier problems with the service have been fixed, and the system is operating normally now.
IMPORTANT NOTICE re: Wimba Create
Dear colleague
Blackboard (who own Wimba) recently announced that they will cease to support Wimba Create on 31 December 2014. Development of the product has already stopped and the final version of the software has been released.
Please visit the webpage below for information on the significant implications of this for users. We hope to identify and implement a suitable replacement product so the web page also explains:
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how you can follow progress with the replacement activity
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how you can feed in your requirements for a replacement product
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who to contact for further information
http://www.bris.ac.uk/esu/e-learning/projects/wimbareplacement/eolnotice.html
Best regards
Technology Enhanced Learning Team
Service problems with Turnitin – 10th December
There are currently problems with the Turnitin UK service and some users may be receiving error messages and having trouble completing submission.
Turnitin have confirmed they are aware of the problem and are working on it.
If you have students submitting directly to Turnitin, please ask them to try again later. You may also want to consider extending the deadlines for submissions due today.
We will keep you informed, as we receive information from Turnitin, via this blog.
If you have any questions, please email TEL-Help@bristol.ac.uk
Turnitin scheduled maintenance on Saturday December 21st 3 -7pm
The Turnitin service may be intermittently unavailable during a scheduled
maintenance period on Saturday, December 21st, 2013, from 3 – 7pm
maintenance period on Saturday, December 21st, 2013, from 3 – 7pm
An announcement will appear for users within Turnitin in advance of when
the system will be unavailable for this scheduled maintenance.
the system will be unavailable for this scheduled maintenance.
Instructors are encouraged to modify assignment due dates either before or
at least several hours after the scheduled maintenance window.
Blackboard unavailable – Tuesday 10th December 5 – 8pm
On Tuesday the 10th December our colleagues in Information services will be undertaking work that will affect Blackboard. This work is scheduled to take place between 5pm and 8pm and during this time the Blackboard service will not be available for users.
More information about this work can be found on the Information Services web site here
If you have any questions please contact the main service desk service-desk@bristol.ac.uk
Mobile Authentication improvements
Dear Students and Staff
We are happy to announce the following improvements to the Blackboard mobile app:
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You will now login to Blackboard using the Blackboard Mobile app, which means the login boxes will be the proper size (no more zooming in on your phone, just type in your username and password)
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The app can remember your login (removing the need to login on your phone over and over again). One small caveat, if you are using a mobile device that you share with others (ie a tablet) you should disable this – click Settings, Privacy, Remember password
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Push notifications which alert you when … will work more effectively. When you get a mobile notification and click on it – you will be taken to the app, and directed to the part of Blackboard that generated the notification (until now clicking on a notification took you to the main menu of Blackboard.)
If you are able to edit Blackboard courses or organisations you will now be able to add announcements and items to your course using your mobile.
Announcements – Simply click “Add”, give it a subject and description, then click “Post” to submit it to the course.
Items – exactly the same as Announcements but you can also click attach to add files (you have lots of options of where to get things to attach – your phone, dropbox, google drive etc. It copes with most files and will convert unusual things (Google docs etc) into a pdf.