Blackboard staff present

Steven Clarke – solutions manager UK HE/FE

Sarah Alton

Andy McNab

Institutional summaries:

Updates from institutions

Jo (Univ Leicester)

Turnitin update – anonymous marking

JB to focus on safeassign and compare to turnitin again report back to Rob

Julian - Lincoln

valuation of use of Bb to start with bB over the last year, using the LO plug in

wide thin uptake

DMU

John Taylor

• looking at bb 8 – needed to move to sql2005 so moved live 7.3 to sql2005 large 64 bit os with 8 processors, increased file store, 10 Gb memory, 1 Tb store, removed SAN, now on new dedicated box
•  new archive system on a single box, also 10 Gb 1 Tb
• new development system for real test environment for Bb8, allows live testing and giving people to test particular functions from list of known tasks
• resilience – single database box, database is now backed up mirror to media drive – can pull new system from this back up (nightly at 4am). Saved time to go back to back up for maintenance etc.
• full streaming video system now in operation from basic helix server, video library ldap authentication
• plans – upgrade to bb 8 in sumer, move development system to Bb 9 (waiting for service pack one on 9)
• massive staff retraining – intuitive – have shown people already, not sure how staff retraining is going to be approached.
• safeassign trials – thinking about safeassign (saving money on turnitin) 

• number one problem is new support structure, teared level support not working. Need to recognise that problems are usual ly severe when taken to Bb not trivial.
• ssl problems, overcome – ask for help from DMU if needed
• version 9 show stoppers – wyswig editor, add file, submit button outside window, not easy to find and add

Blackboard response to support issue (Sutherland) – use escalation process (DMU thinks takes 2-3 weeks to escalate not time to wait,need it now)

support – move away from TSM to Sutherland – now teared support, responsive, greater quantity of tickets. Escalation process if not happy, and need to establish relationship with Sutherland to know level of support required .

Derby

Sandra

VLE genius were doing SSO now fixed SSO without VLE genius

portfolio tool, pebble pad and mhara (PDP)

looking at building blocks,

v 8.5 or V9.1 (only when service pack 1 comes out)

Blackboard response to waiting for service pack 1

9.0.3 current, further 9.0 updates

waiting for 9.1 – targeted for last quarter 2009

information in management centre, decide on basis of 9.0 not 9.1

University College Birmingham

now on 8 – new BB building blocks LO, campus pack, expo LX for eportfolio system

CWDC PGCE distance modules

implement 8.5 this summer, looking for 9 on test server to test

content system – 18 months, not much uptake in institution

also looking at eportfolio system

content system – experts – York.

backpack - agilex

Warwickshire

staff training focus, often one to one

DB boards, assessment online taking off

using safeassign (had 404 error pages)

have content system but not used much

reverted to 6 from 8!!

problems with role out, allocations of roles on the system

looking at eportfolios

Northampton

hosted 99.97% uptime since hosting (better than internally!)

now on 7.2 looking at 8 or 9

LO, Turnitin, wimba/ classroom

blog more used than db

looking at pronto as help desk support tool

esubmission and assessment, turnitin in grademark

scholar

PDP – no content system, so using expo tool in LO

helix server for videos

main worry over 9 is staff training

going over to 9 on test server next week (two periods 7-8-9)

Aston

Tai Luong

previous webct 4 and bb 6

now moved to single version of bb8

respondus access to lockdown browser for e-assessment

Worcester

Elizabeth

looking to move to 8, need db server upgrade

media streaming server

off air recordings made avail on BB via media server (ERA pus license)

wimba

turntitin

pebblepad

changes in structure and strategy for elearning

Updates from blackboard

version 9 – live

blogs included but not wikis

moodle integration is possible – connects to moodle interfaced – lists moodle courses within Bb environment

content system

uk english language pack

BB learn for academic collaboration (content system)

drag and drop personalise homepge

notification dashboard on next tab – whats new, including assignments submitted, early warning system rules set up can be pulled up (students never logged on)

content system – Bb push strategy for management

content system looks pretty similar in nine

no modify buttons – now just context related menus on drop down squares

Andy McNab

Sheffield Hallam building block

feedback, reflection, prior to grade receipt

Blackboard own the copyright on this, allow other people to see if they want to use it

Three seminars a year i the UK by Stu Hepplestone, demonstrate the system and pedr background, then talk to Bb and see if you need same thing, services engagement, proposal to develop for own institution (PAY)

case use for placement students (midwifery, Liverpool john moores)

out on placement isolation

students need to look at grey data – gov reports, dull

linking level one and three assessments

'stork talk community'

competitive about research papers on questions and assignments

extended to placements as rep for the hospital to support lower years through community

next meeting

End of october 09