News

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The following page serves as a record of administrative notices, updates, or news related to Learning Platforms.

2023

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  • Preparing for the Fall 2023 Semester: Training and Guides - 8/7/2023

    Faculty and Staff

    With Fall 2023 course sections available to course instructors in Blackboard, we have prepared additional resources to support you as you plan and organize your Blackboard courses for the upcoming semester.

    Students

    Please see the following quick tips to get started for the Fall 2023 semester:

    • Ensure your browser is compatible with Blackboard, use the browser checker. 
    • Set up your login experience. Use the Duo mobile app (available via the App Store or Google Play) to  generate a passcode and authenticate with your CaneID and password. Learn more at it.miami.edu/studentresources. 
    • To locate your courses, select ‘Courses’ from the left-hand menu, and use the Current Courses drop down menu to select the appropriate term. 
    • If you are having trouble accessing a course, ensure it’s available! Courses are by default listed as private and unavailable until opened by your professor. 
    • View additional  help guides and frequently asked questions. 

  • New Course Tools and Features! - 8/7/2023

    New Tools

    Course instructors now have access to three new tools to support teaching and learning activities in Blackboard. Here's a brief run-down: 

    Qwickly Attendance Classic is an attendance-taking tool, where students can take attendance manually or enable students to check on their own browser using a PIN and a countdown timer for added security.


    Qwickly Course Tools offers a range of features that streamline tasks for instructors and perform bulk actions, making it easier to manage courses, communicate with students, and perform administrative functions.


    Ally: Ally is a tool available within Blackboard that provides insight into the accessibility of course materials and content and populates alternative materials for students.

     

    New Features

    Profile Customization: Students, faculty and staff can now customize pronunciation information when editing their profile. This allows you to add a phonetic spelling and short audio recording of how to pronounce your name. Edit your profile to make the change.

    Student Profile Images: Student images are now attached to student profiles, and you will be able to view it in your courses on the roster, discussions, messages, and groups.

    Flexible Grading (Ultra Course View): Flexible Grading is a new, efficient assessment grading experience available to course instructors using Ultra Course View. View the helpguides to get started.

     

  • Archiving of Courses and Organizations - 7/28/2023

    As part of our regular archiving schedule, on Monday, August 28, 2023, Summer 2019 Blackboard courses, and any sites (organizations, templates, or sandboxes) that have not been accessed in 2 years will be removed from Blackboard and backed up offline for two (2) additional years. 

     View the informational guide to learn how to export, or access archived content.

  • Fall 2023 Courses Created After June 7, 2023 - 1/6/2023

    Fall 2023 course sections will be made available to course instructors in Blackboard after June 7, 2023. This date is subject to change, depending on University and external events. We recommend faculty access Fall 2023 courses from June 8 onwards. Courses are listed as private and unavailable to students until opened by the instructor. Faculty can access this checklist to prepare for teaching in the Fall 2023 semester, and view additional help guides and frequently asked questions.

  • Introducing Ally: A New Content Accessibility Tool Available Now - 5/11/2023

    Ally, a new Blackboard tool that promotes inclusivity for all learners, will be available in Blackboard starting Thursday, May 11, 2023. Ally provides students with real-time, downloadable alternative formats of course content. Additionally, Ally provides guidance and tips for faculty and staff in making lasting improvements to content accessibility in their courses.

    Access the informational guide.

  • Update Respondus and Use Firefox/Chrome for Courses in Ultra Course View - 5/4/2023

    Update your version of Respondus: Before taking an exam that uses Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor, students must ensure they have updated to the latest version of Respondus. Please use this link to learn more about how to update their version. To download Respondus, access this link for University of Miami students.

    Use Chrome or Firefox for Respondus-Enabled Tests in Ultra Course View: For students taking courses in Ultra Course View (see example below), taking a test that uses Respondus LockDown Browser will require using a browser FIRST to launch the Respondus Lockdown Browser. Please use Google Chrome or Firefox as the starting browser (Safari is not fully supported for this workflow). View the full guide here.

    Image of a Ultra Course View

  • File Upload Size Updated to 500MB - 4/19/2023

    Due to the increasing use of Blackboard, available cloud-based integrations, and to support daily, and long-term archiving of courses, the file upload size will be limited to 500MB.

    Here are the details:

    • Starting May 15, 2023, the file upload size limit will be 500MB.
    • Students, faculty, and staff can continue to upload individual files as large as 500MB to Blackboard.
    • If a file larger than 500MB is uploaded, you will receive a pop-up message with suggestions on other ways to upload the file (e.g., with Kaltura). 
    • Existing files larger that 500MB will remain, however, we recommend review and clean-up of large files via the content collection.

     

    View the informational guide for ways to upload large files and reduce content in your course.

  • Improve Course Accessibility with Ally (Virtual Event) - 4/13/2023

    Ally, a new Blackboard tool that promotes inclusivity for all learners, will be available in Blackboard starting Thursday, May 11, 2023. Ally provides students with real-time, downloadable alternative formats of course content. Additionally, Ally provides guidance and tips for faculty and staff in making lasting improvements to content accessibility in their courses.

    Join us for a virtual training session taking place via Zoom on Thursday, April 20 from 12-1 p.m. where you will be able to learn more about Ally and ask live questions to Ally experts.

    Register Here

  • Archiving of Courses and Organizations - 4/12/2023

    As part of our regular archiving schedule, on Thursday, May 18, 2023, Spring 2019 Blackboard courses, and any sites (organizations, templates, or sandboxes) that have not been accessed in 2 years will be removed from Blackboard and backed up offline for two (2) additional years. 

     View the informational guide to learn how to export, or access archived content.

  • Preparing for the Summer 2023 Semester - 4/6/2023

    Preparing for the Summer 2023 Semester

    Summer 2023 course sections are now available to course instructors in Blackboard.  Courses are listed as private and unavailable to students until opened by the instructor. 

    Access our checklist  to prepare for teaching in the upcoming semester. Don't forget to access help guides, and frequently asked questions. 

    Note - Fall 2023 course sections are available to course instructors in early June.  

  • OneDrive / Microsoft Teams Integrations Now Available in Blackboard - 1/17/2023

    OneDrive / Microsoft Teams Integrations Now Available in Blackboard

    Blackboard now supports multiple Office 365 integrations such as Microsoft Teams and OneDrive allowing for collaboration between instructors and students.

    View the informational guide to learn how to add these tools to your course.

    OneDrive

    • Attach Office 365 files including Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel from the Rich Text Editor
    • View and organize your personal Microsoft office files
    • Create collaborations where members of your course can engage together in real-time
    • Create read-only access to embedded Office 365 files in your course


    Microsoft Teams

    With this integration, you can automatically create a team based on your class roster, upload class materials, set up a class notebook, start a video conferences, or chat.