- July 2nd, 2024
- inAnnouncements
Hello from your colleagues in CIT! Below, you’ll find announcements and events to assist you with teaching and learning needs.
Join CIT for the 2024 Faculty Prep Days, August 15 & 16
Save the date to join The Center for Instructional Technology to get your Fall courses polished and ready to go. CIT is hosting two days of workshops (both in-person and virtual) and one-on-one technical and pedagogical assistance to get you ready for the Fall semester. Watch for the complete schedule in the August newsletter.
A Busy Blackboard Summer
Meet the new Blackboard! UA instructors can now explore and teach with Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View, and CIT and OTIDE have established a goal of having all courses designed and delivered in “Ultra” by Spring 2026.
Summer is a great time to explore the simpler, more modern Blackboard or prepare to teach with Ultra in the fall! Request a live course or request a practice course if you need a space to build or play, and follow along in our Ultra Team as we share tips, tricks, and things to try in Ultra this summer. We’ll invite you to the Team when we create your course.
Changes to Blackboard Learn Courses page
A June update brings changes to the Courses tab you see from the Base Navigation menu where your name appears after logging into Blackboard Learn.
Some highlights:
- Anthology removed the carousel for navigating between terms. There is now a term selector and filter you can use on its own or with other filters.
- You can set filters, make term choices, and add text searches. All of these are clearly displayed below the search box. Remove these search settings or filters to see more courses or organizations. Remove them by selecting the close icon “x” on each.
- Your selections and filters are remembered automatically even if you log out or switch devices.
For more on the Courses page, check out this CIT knowledge base article: How do I find my courses?
Action Required for Blackboard Learn Mobile App
Instructors use the Blackboard app to create content, post announcement, grade student work, and much more (see Teaching a course with the Blackboard app to learn more!).
After the Blackboard Learn App 9.6 is released (July 2024), users will be required to update the app on their devices to ensure proper functionality. Users who do not update after the release will see a red banner informing them that their session has expired.
Panopto Changes Underway
Retention Policy Updates
To ensure that The University of Alabama’s Panopto storage quota is not exceeded, a new Retention Policy has been created. Panopto recordings will be archived 2 years after their last viewed date. Recordings will be permanently deleted 2 years after they are archived. Read complete details here: Panopto Retention Policy
Blackboard and Panopto Integration Changes Under Review
CIT has updated the method used to connect Blackboard and Panopto. We are currently reviewing the changes and making adjustments to folder structure. While this work is underway, the Panopto folder and embedded Panopto videos in your course may not look or function as expected. Please contact us if you need help, and we’ll share an announcement when the work is complete.
This change will also enable the ability to use Panopto content and folders with Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. We’ll share more information after the update, but, for now, you can see a preview here: How to Use Panopto with Blackboard Ultra for Instructors
Upcoming UI/UX changes
Panopto will soon release Panopto 15.0, which includes changes to the appearance and management of folders. No downtime is expected with this release.
For example, a new drop-down menu will be added to folder headers to allow highly used folder functions (Rename, Move, Share, Delete) to be accessible without having to open folder settings:
Read more about the changes to Panopto’s look and feel: What’s new: UI/UX Changes coming in Panopto 15.0 This update will also bring improvements to keyboard accessibility, screen reader support, and language support for Arabic. A full list of the features coming in 15.0 will be shared in Panopto’s release notes forum when the update is underway.
CIT Technology and Tool Highlights
Welcome Perusall
Perusall, an interactive social learning platform, is now integrated with Blackboard Learn, making it easier to create assignments, sync student groups and rosters, and sync your gradebook. Learn more.
Flip Changes
Effective July 1, 2024, the Flip platform is no longer available in mobile app stores, and the Flip website has transitioned to view-only mode. Users will still have access to download existing Flip videos until September 30, 2024. Locate video and text-based discussion alternatives to Flip on the CIT website.
Turnitin Enhanced Similarity Report
Instructors can now choose between new and classic views of the Turnitin Similarity Report. While the classic view offers familiar match types and interface, the Enhanced report has a redesigned look and feel and match groups such as “Not Cited or Quoted” or “Missing Citation,” making it easier to interpret and use as a formative learning tool to strengthen academic writing skills.
Video: Understanding text similarity for instructors: Enhanced similarity report
Read more at Turnitin Help: Using the New Similarity Report and see the new similarity report in action.
Upcoming Learning Opportunities
New to one of our instructional tech. tools? We would love to guide you step-by-step or provide tips and ideas for using technology in your class. Just let us know how we can help!
07.09 | People.ua.edu Workshop
07.09 | Getting Started with Panopto
07.12 | Meet the New Blackboard: Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View
07.25 | Doing more with Panopto
