Uncategorised

PebblePad January Update – Part 2: Changes to the External Dashboard

Uncategorised /

The recent PebblePad update, as well as the changes to the ATLAS interface, will also include improvements to the External Dashboard. The process for sharing with external assessors – practice assessors, placement supervisors, professional partners etc. – has long been the aspect of PebblePad that has caused the most confusion for students. Often, they would perform the wrong type of share, meaning that external assessors could not access the restricted assessor fields to sign off workplace competencies.

The PebblePad team are resolving this with a series of developments, the first of which addresses the External Dashboard – what the external assessor sees. Previously it was impossible for the external assessor to tell what type of share that the student had performed with them. Now, these have been separated into shares for assessment and the read only option that they get when a student shares ‘with a person’. This distinction will make it easier for externals and students to identify the source of any sign off issues.

PebblePad have very helpfully prepared a guide, which is available on their Help Hub website. You may find it useful to share this with your external assessors or the organisations where they work. Please see the link below:

Help Hub – External Dashboard


Later this year, a further update will streamline the process from the student perspective.

If you have any further questions please contact us at TEL@worc.ac.uk

PebblePad Logo 2025

PebblePad January Update – Part 2: Changes to the External Dashboard Read More »

Cookies and computer keyboard. 'Cookie' © By poko42

Important Changes to Chrome

Blackboard, Collaborate, Panopto, PebblePad, Turnitin, Uncategorised /

Photo: ‘Cookie’ © By poko42

New Chrome changes and your use of online systems, including Blackboard VLE.

We recommend using Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers, when using the Blackboard VLE. However, you may be aware that Google Chrome have started testing a new feature, with the intention of protecting users from third-party cookie tracking. This will result in all third-party cookies being disabled, as a default setting. Initially a selection of Chrome users will be notified, but the intention is that all users will experience this change by the end of 2024.

Why you still need your Third-Party Cookies for the Blackboard VLE.

Third-party cookies are often used as an essential element for the functionality of different websites. Within Blackboard there are several integrated tools which require third-party cookies to be enabled. If you experience any issues with the Blackboard VLE, such as pages not loading correctly, even after a refresh – you may need to alter your third-party cookie settings.

How to change your settings:

  • Users who have been selected by Google Chrome, will have a notification, when they open their Chrome browser. If you are viewing the initial notification, it is possible at this stage, to click on the cog, to select and confirm your account third-party cookie choices.
  • Chrome users will be able to tell whether any cookies are active on a webpage, by looking for the ‘eye icon’ within the address bar, in the top right of the Chrome browser. If third-party cookies have been blocked, there will be a line through the eye. A click on the eye icon, will permit users to select and choose whether they wish to have third-party cookies enabled.
  • Alternatively, you can alter your Chrome account settings, as a whole, by selecting the three dots, in the top right-hand corner of the browser. A menu will appear, where you can select ‘Settings’ → ‘Privacy and Security’ from the left-hand side-bar menu, → then ‘Cookies and other site data’ to view all the possible cookie settings for your account.

To find out more, you make wish to read Google Chrome’s recent blog post:

https://blog.google/products/chrome/privacy-sandbox-tracking-protection/

Important Changes to Chrome Read More »

New Learning Technologist Andy Bright

TEL Update

Leave a Comment / Uncategorised /

We’re delighted to announce that Andy Bright has been appointed as our new Academic Learning Technologist. Many of you will already know Andy as he’s been our TEL Advisor and first point of contact for the team for the past three years. He has done a fabulous job in keeping our service running efficiently and the promotion is well deserved. Please bear with us while we are working to recruit a replacement TEL advisor.

Libby Symonds
Head of Technology Enhanced Learning

TEL Update Read More »

Speech bubbles containing question marks

To all Blackboard users – VLE Review

Blackboard, Uncategorised, VLE Review /

Our VLE will be changing from September 2024 and we would like to start the conversation with users now to gather feedback, which will inform how we move forward with this important platform.

As an initial step we have created a short survey to gather your thoughts on what features and tools you find useful and how you use the VLE in your learning and teaching. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and we would like to gather responses from as many users as possible so please follow this link to complete the survey https://ucw.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/virtual-learning-environment-review-2022

We will also be holding some open workshops for staff to come along to and take part in more detailed discussion. These workshops will be held on June 14th, 17th and 23rd and you can register your interest on the staff development booking system. The workshops will be face to face and facilitated by the TEL Unit and include a range of interactive activities and discussions so please come along and join us if you can.

Libby Symonds

Head of Technology Enhanced Learning Unit

To all Blackboard users – VLE Review Read More »

Fix your Content day on May 19th

Ally Training for Fix Your Content Day

Leave a Comment / Uncategorised /

Each year, the global accessibility community unites on the third Thursday of May for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) to highlight the need for more inclusive digital content. Blackboard seek to join the conversation by inspiring and motivating institutions across the globe to demonstrate how accessible content is better content.

As part of this initiative Blackboard are hosting a Fix Your Content Day which encourages academics to use Blackboard Ally to help make the content on their Blackboard pages more accessible.

To support this initiative we are hosting an additional Ally and Accessiblity workshop which will give your the tools and know-how you need to participate in Fix Your Content Day and contribute to an overall in improvement of accessibility.

The workshop will tale place on Wednesday, 18th May, the day before Global Accessibility Awareness Day so just in time to support you in fixing your content. You can sign up for the workshop on the staff development booking system and register for the Fix Your Content challenge with Blackboard from this link.

Ally Training for Fix Your Content Day Read More »

microphone

Auto-Captioning in Collaborate

Leave a Comment / Uncategorised /

Collaborate Virtual Classroom now offers options for providing captions on recordings, offering far greater accessibility for hearing-impaired students.

How to Create auto-captions

Collaborate is leveraging AI powered speech to text recognition to generate a transcription of what is said during the session. While automated captioning can’t match captions created by humans, it is an easy solution to start with.

The speech to text service and the resulting captions are hosted in the same data center as your Collaborate session.

Use the Auto-generate captions to have captions created for you, as the session owner:

  1. From Collaborate scheduler, select Recordings and find the recording you want.
  2. Select the Recording options menu and select Recording settings.
  3. Select Enable captions, if not already on.
  4. Select Create auto-caption and Save.

It may take time for the auto-captions to generate. You can leave the screen and come back later to view and share them.

Collaborate virtual classroom settings menu

After the captions are created, you’ll see that captions are available from the recording list. The captions will also immediately appear in the recording player for anybody having access to the recording.

Moderators can review the captions. If you want to improve or correct anything in the captions, download the caption file to edit. Upload the new file when you are done.

If you have any queries, please contact the Technology Enahnced Learning Unit at tel@worc.ac.uk

Auto-Captioning in Collaborate Read More »