TELU

Assessments in the Blackboard VLE

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Choosing assignment submission tools within Blackboard Ultra.

It can sometimes be difficult to determine which is the best submission tool to use when creating assignments for your students in Blackboard.

We have the following advice and guidance for lecturers to help with your choice. We recommend different tools depending on the assignment needs and have submission workflows which your students can follow.

The flowchart below summarises the most suitable assignment software for each submission type:

Assessment flow chart -Essay/Report: Turnitin; Group, Exam/Test, Blackboard tools: Blackboard assignment; Portfolio/Practice assessment: PebblePad; Audio/Video: Panopto

Our Blackboard Ultra Manual includes instructions for the different Assessments within the VLE and how to provide Grading and Feedback.

Turnitin Assignments

Turnitin is most appropriate for word-based assignments or those which contain a large amount of text. Submissions can be checked for originality against the global database.

We have a Turnitin staff manual and a recent Turnitin assignments blog post, which includes all relevant links and tips for tutors.

Blackboard Assignments

If large files, multiple files, zip files, or files which contain mostly imagery, need to be uploaded for an assessment – a Blackboard assignment can be used to manage submissions.

Please see our Blackboard Ultra Manual: Learn Ultra Assignments.

Panopto Assignments

If students are creating video or audio, for example, as part of a presentation – a Blackboard assignment which uses the Panopto integration is normally most useful.

We have a Panopto manual for Staff and a helpful blog post for tutors with further advice: Panopto Assignment Submission Points

PebblePad Assignments

The Ultra VLE manual includes information about PebblePad Assessments. If you require support with PebblePad, please contact the TEL Unit tel@worc.ac.uk.

We also have student FAQs for common PebblePad queries.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of the team about upcoming assessments, you are welcome to contact us at tel@worc.ac.uk.

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Blackboard Analytics

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As we progress through Semester 2 towards assessment time it’s important to keep an eye on how your students are engaging with your module and identify any who might be struggling – you can then provide support and guidance before the crucial assessment to ensure your students remain engaged, motivated and succeeding. 

You can easily track what your students are doing in a Learn Ultra site in a number of different ways. From gaining an overall idea of how long students are spending accessing a particular course site, to getting more targeted information on each resource or activity. This data can then be used to set up alerts for students that might be struggling, and help you provide useful interventions to keep them on track.

You can find more information and practical guidance on how to set up and use these features in our Blackboard Ultra Manual: Analytics and Alerts

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Managing your Blackboard Dashboard and Notifications

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With both staff and students accessing Blackboard every day, we thought it would be useful to share some handy hints and tips about managing announcements, module (course) lists and profiles in Blackboard.

Profile and Activity Stream

We have a useful informative video for students about customising Blackboard, with an overview of the main profile and activity stream settings which can be applied:

Please see a link to the video below which can be shared with your students if you wish:

Customising Blackboard Ultra Link

Blackboard also provides an overview of the Activity Stream for users here: Activity Stream – Blackboard

Module Lists

How to select favourites

If your students are finding it tricky to find a module they need due to similar module titles / codes, or if they have more than one occurrence visible on their dashboard, they can favourite modules by selecting the star icon:

The favourites star brings the module to the top of their list, which is useful when assignments are due, and students need to locate the correct module quickly. This reduces the chance of a student accidentally submitting to an incorrect assignment submission point in another module occurrence.

Finding Missing or Hidden modules

You can use the search bar and filters on your ‘Courses’ page to find modules. If you discover that a module is missing as a staff member, you can enrol again using the Blackboard Access forms. Your access will then be granted within an hour and, as a staff member, it is possible to use the list at the bottom of the form to remove your own access too – so that you can hop on and off modules as necessary when supporting colleagues.

However, sometimes users inadvertently hide a module from their list in Blackboard. If this has happened, you will see the ‘Hidden from me’ option in the filter choices.

You can reveal the hidden module so it appears again in your list by using the three dots in the corner of the module tile → ‘Show Course’.  

Announcements

Blackboard has the following guidance for instructors about announcements:

Creating announcements in Blackboard Ultra

It is possible to save drafts of announcements ahead of when you need to send them, or to schedule announcements so that they are delivered to your students on a particular date and time.

Blackboard also has a student-orientated announcements help page, which you may find useful: How students view announcements

Reports of unwanted Email Announcements:

If any of your students have changed course or have completed earlier undergraduate study but are still receiving email notifications, these are most likely to be coming from a Blackboard organisation page. We can remove staff or students’ enrolments from any historic organisation pages. The unwanted messages will then stop clogging up inboxes.

Staff or students can contact us at tel@worc.ac.uk, to inform us about any announcement issues.

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Blackboard Enrolments for Semester 2

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Following on from our recent blog post regarding preparing your modules for Semester 2 Updating Your Blackboard Courses for Semester 2! – Technology Enhanced Learning Unit we are pleased to confirm that students are now being enrolled on to their semester 2 modules in readiness for teaching next year.

If you haven’t already, please update your modules with your teaching materials for the new semester.

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Important Information: December Assignments & TEL Opening Times

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By epiximages Adobe Stock

Please be advised that the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) unit will be closed for the Christmas break from end of day Friday, 20th December 2024, until Thursday, 2nd January 2025.

If your students have assignments due during this period or on the close of day on the 20th of December, TEL support will not be available. We kindly ask that you plan accordingly to provide any necessary support to your students during this time.

To ensure a smooth and stress-free submission process:

  • Establish a clear plan for assisting students with any submission issues.
  • Communicate this plan to your students in advance, emphasising that the TEL inbox will be unmanned over the break.

Resources for Support

Guidance on Turnitin and Panopto submissions is available on our webpage and in these blog posts:

It has been a pleasure supporting you with learning technologies at the University of Worcester this year, particularly as we’ve worked together on the implementation of our new VLE.

The TEL Team wishes you a wonderful festive break, and we look forward to collaborating with you in the new year!

Warm regards,
The TEL Team

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Blackboard Ultra Implementation Feedback

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To All Blackboard users,

Phase one of the implementation of the new Blackboard Ultra VLE is now completed and the platform has been in use for learning and teaching since the beginning of this semester. The project team would like to get some feedback on how staff and students have been getting on with Ultra and have put together a very short feedback form to gather your thoughts and feelings about the new system.

The form should take no longer than five minutes to complete and any feedback you provide will be fed into the evaluation report and next phase developments. You can choose to remain anonymous.

You can access the form here.

Many thanks for taking the time to contribute.

Organisations in Ultra

Phase two of the Ultra implementation includes reviewing the use of Blackboard organisation sites. As a first step we are looking at which sites are no longer being used, and will be carrying out a housekeeping exercise to remove any organisations which have not been accessed within the past 12 months. If you have Blackboard Organisation sites you still wish to use, please contact e.symonds@worc.ac.uk and we can arrange a discussion about future provision.

Blackboard Ultra Implementation Feedback Read More »

Turnitin assignments and submissions

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With various assessment deadlines approaching soon, you may wish to refamiliarise yourself with our new guides and resources for Turnitin, and your submission points within Blackboard Ultra.

Our new Ultra manual includes settings for Turnitin Assignments. You can use this to check through the recommended settings, to ensure that everything is as it should be ahead of your students’ submissions. 

We have new guidance for Grading Turnitin assignments. In Ultra, there is no longer a need to manually hide the grade centre column, ahead of marking commencing. However, if this is within an older module, which uses our original Blackboard VLE, this action will still need to be taken.

Once marking has been completed, grades are automatically posted on the feedback release date, for Turnitin assignments. We have further details about releasing grades in Blackboard Ultra within our manual, and Blackboard also have additional advice for instructors: Assign Grades (blackboard.com)

You are most welcome to share our new Ultra Resources and FAQs with your students. Please see our Turnitin video below, which includes a demonstration of the submission process for students.

Here are some quick reference tips – if your students have any queries about their submissions:

  • Students can resubmit work to the submission point as many times as they like, until the due date if  ‘Generate reports immediately (students can resubmit until due date): After 3 resubmissions reports generate after 24 hours’ is selected:
Generate reports immediately
  • After the 3rd upload, there will be a delay of 24 hours until the next similarity report is received.
  • We recommend using ‘allow late submissions’ as a setting. Once the due date has passed, students who have already submitted ahead of this date and time, will be unable to resubmit again. However, if they have not made a submission until after the due date, a single attempt will be allowed, and this will appear as a late submission, highlighted in red.
  • Resubmissions, resits and mitigating circumstances, will require a new Turnitin submission point to be created in the original module.
  • Grades and feedback are automatically released to students, on the ‘Feedback Release Date’ and ‘Time’, for Turnitin assignments. Grades will then be visible within the Blackboard Ultra grade centre – where you will be able to see whether grades have been released, as these will have the label ‘Posted’ next to them.
  • You may wish to share relevant student support sources, in the run up to submissions, and to clarify with your students the title & location of the submission point.

Turnitin assignments and submissions Read More »

A new version of our VLE, Blackboard Ultra

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Image ©The KonG

Further Blackboard support from the TEL Unit

Now that term is well underway and many of you have completed Blackboard training, here’s a reminder of where and how to access continuing support for using Ultra.

We have an Online Training session scheduled, which is available to book through your MyDay page: ‘Training Resources’ tile → ‘Staff Development’ booking system. We will then send out invitations via Teams.

Blackboard Ultra Staff Training

Wednesday 9th October 14:30 – 16:00

This session is an overview of the main features within Blackboard Ultra and is suitable for members of staff who for one reason or another, have been unable to attend previous training – or for anyone who would like a brushup on their skills.

We also have resources available for your day-to-day activities on Blackboard Ultra and guidance for how to support your students using the VLE on our website.

The site below from the TEL Team contains all you need to know about starting in Blackboard Ultra, Building your course, Tests and Assignments and Student Support. As well as the new Blackboard Ultra Manual.

Ultra Resources

If you have any questions or need any technical support when using Ultra, please do not hesitate to contact the TEL Team, tel@worc.ac.uk.

A new version of our VLE, Blackboard Ultra Read More »

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Panopto Assignment Submission Points

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Now there will be no need for tutors to take any additional steps when setting up a Blackboard assignment to enable Panopto functionality within Ultra. The assignments will work slightly differently to what was required in our original VLE. To create a submission point, a standard Blackboard Ultra assignment will enable students to submit text and attach files, or add Panopto video as content for their assignment. 

Our Blackboard Ultra Manual for staff has further guidance for video assignments and we have an updated Panopto Staff Manual

If you need to attach a rubric for any Blackboard Ultra assignments, please see further details here.

When your Students come to make a submission they will instead need to select the Panopto Submission Tool from the ‘Content Market’. We are recommending that lecturers provide students with details about the new submission process for Panopto assignments.

We have further guidance in our TEL Panopto Manual for students:

https://lttu.uk/support/Panopto/students/

The student manual includes details about how to create video using Panopto capture or PowerPoint, and information about how to submit / upload video assignments which have been recorded elsewhere. Students will need to access Panopto from their Blackboard assignment submission point to create or upload any work.

When using Blackboard integrations we recommend using Chrome as a browser and to check the permission settings for the Blackboard site, to ensure third party cookies are allowed.

If your students encounter any problems, the manual also has a troubleshooting section and where students can get help. We also have an additional Blog post for lecturers which includes Top Tips for your students when creating or submitting Panopto assignments in Ultra.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at TEL, tel@worc.ac.uk, if you have any questions or if you would like further support with Panopto.

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Panopto Video Support for your Students

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Panopto is the University’s main application used for recording, storing, or sharing video content. This cloud-based platform permits students to record or upload assignments and to view live lectures. For Blackboard Ultra assessments students can:

Create and submit videos using Panopto Capture

Record PowerPoint presentations

Upload and submit their own video files (which they have created elsewhere)

Depending on the video assignment type, you can use the most suitable link above and share these with your students.

If you have not yet created an Ultra submission point within a module, please see a link to our Video assignment submission point set up guidance for staff below:

Blackboard Ultra Video Assignments Guidance

Sometimes students may encounter technical issues when using Panopto for the first time or when submitting video assessments. We would recommend communicating with your students the creation and submission process for any upcoming video assignments you may have in Blackboard Ultra ahead of a due date. To help with any potential queries from your students, we thought it would be useful to summarise some useful TEL tips:

Tips for Panopto Assignments

  • Students can refer to our Panopto Guide as this includes advice about the different uses of Panopto when creating or uploading to a Blackboard Ultra submission point, and helpful troubleshooting solutions.
  • When using Panopto capture to make an in browser recording, please see further help and guidance directly from Panopto below. Each step is clearly explained and there is also a short informative video, for Chrome users:

https://support.panopto.com/s/article/How-to-Create-a-Video-Using-Panopto-Capture

  • Ahead of using the Panopto integration, users should remember to check their browser’s ‘permission’ settings. For example, if Panopto is blocked from using a device’s camera or microphone, it will not be possible to make a recording. Settings can be changed to ‘allow’, through ‘Privacy and Security’ within Chrome. (These options can be accessed via the three-dot, kebab menu, towards the top right-hand corner of the window.)
  • For Blackboard video assignment submissions, students should ensure they follow the correct submission process carefully, with use of their assignment submission text box, the Insert Content button, and the Panopto Submissions tool in the Content Market.
  • Students should allow themselves plenty of time to make a submission ahead of a due date.
  • Chrome works well as browser with the Panopto integration, when making a Panopto / Blackboard assignment submission, so we recommend using this if possible. The Blackboard browser checker can also be used to troubleshoot.
  • If a connection times out because a large video file is being uploaded there are additional things for your students to try:
    1. Check their internet connectivity.
    2. When uploading to Panopto, they can help their computer process the data contained in a video file, by closing down any additional applications, such as, PowerPoint.
    3. Check the size and type of video file they are attempting to upload, and then contact the TEL Unit with this information so that we can assist them further.
  • After submitting their work, your students will be given the option to download an Ultra submission receipt for their records.
  • The most important action after a student has made an assessment submission, is to go back to the assignment submission point, to check that they can view their Panopto video. Students should be able to see their video embedded to the submission page.

If your students have any concerns or queries about Panopto or a video assignment submission, alongside making their module leader aware of any problems or contacting the IT Service, they are always welcome to contact us, at the TEL Unit, for further technical support, tel@worc.ac.uk.

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