Tuesday 12 September 2017
Learn.UQ Christmas upgrade 2017
Blackboard will be unavailable due to maintenance from 27 to 29 December, during the mid-Summer Semester recess. During this period, the upgrade originally intended for July will be applied along with some other changes required to maintain key functionality such as Blackboard assignment annotations. For more information, please refer to the Learn.UQ upgrade timeline 2017 project webpage.
Minimum presence policy update
An updated Minimum Presence in Blackboard policy (3.80.01) has been approved by the Teaching and Learning Committee. Blackboard course sites should now be made available to students one week prior to the first teaching activity, with at least a welcome message. Full minimum presence requirements should be met before the first teaching activity.
Grade security tips
The use of a central system such as Blackboard Grade Centre improves the security of your grades, as there a number of in-built security features provided by ITS; such as logging and monitoring of activity.
There are also number of practical strategies you can employ to improve grades management and security:
1. Follow general computer security guidelines such as using strong passwords.
2. Record reasons for changes to marks or grades.
3. Review the history of mark changes to identify potential manipulations and errors before transferring grades to SI-net.
For step-by-step instructions refer to guides on Grades security, UQ Password, Edit a mark and record a reason and Grade history report.
Order your Summer Semester and Semester 1 courses now
You can request your Learn.UQ course for Summer Semester, 2017 and Semester 1, 2018 now!
1. Use the online Site Request form located on the Staff tab in Learn.UQ. This form also allows you to request a copy of course content from a previous semester.
OR
2. Publish your Electronic Course Profile (ECP) for a blank course template to be created automatically within 48 hours. For content to be copied, request a 'copy' through the Staff tab mentioned above.
For step-by-step instructions refer to the guide on Course Requests.
Early commencement of Semester 1, 2018
A decision was taken by the University to commence Semester 1 classes one week early, on 19 February 2018 rather than 26 February 2018. This early commencement enables the Semester 1 mid-semester break to be extended to two weeks instead of one week, from 2 April to 13 April 2018, thus aligning with the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games being held from 4 to 15 April 2018. Please ensure you factor these changes into your schedule for 2018. If you have any questions or concerns in relation to the above, please contact the Office of The Academic Registrar.
Open Course Scheme
Visit a class in the Open Course Scheme to see colleagues in action and witness some of the great teaching that happens within UQ. A selection of courses have been opened for those who wish to observe. Book a visit to see what others do well, pick up new ideas, see different strategies, rediscover old favourites, and reflect on personal teaching. For more information, please refer to the Open Course Scheme webpage or contact Peter Rutherford.
Lecture Recording Enhancement 2017
Transition to a new version of the Lecture recording service (Echo360) will take place between the end of Semester 2 and the start of Summer Semester this year. While workflow changes are expected to be limited for instructors, eLearning Systems and Supportwill communicate with each Summer Semester instructor to offer support in using the new system. Links to guides and support resources will also be available. The new version of Echo360 has improved features such as an instructor dashboard with engagement statistics and personal contextual notes for students within the presentation. For more information, please refer to the Lecture Recordings Enhancement 2017 webpage.
ITaLI TeachAssist
TeachAssist is provided by ITaLI for the UQ community to offer support for their teaching and learning. If you are considering changing your curriculum, its delivery or assessment, evaluating your teaching or perhaps even educational research then get in contact through the ITaLI TeachAssist website. Assistance is available on a range of pedagogical, teaching professional development, evaluations, learning analytics and online learning development activities.
Custom workshops for teaching staff, tutors and professional staff
Custom workshops on centrally supported eLearning tools are available on request for faculties, schools and/or courses. Laptops are provided for the sessions and course coordinators only need to book a meeting room. Contact elearningtraining@uq.edu.au with details of the preferred date, time, room booking and approximate numbers.