Pew Campus & Online via Zoom
Discover new ways to elevate your teaching at Speed TECHing, an exciting professional development event for faculty and staff. Explore innovative tools and strategies, expand your teaching toolkit, and connect with campus experts—all in one dynamic session. Choose between two dedicated spaces: one offering personalized, one-on-one support and the other featuring quick, interactive technology demonstrations designed to inspire and empower your teaching and learning practices.
eLearning Technologies will be hosting virtual drop-in assistance on Friday January 3, 2025, from 9am – 11am. No reservations needed.
Winter Semester Prep
- Review our New Semester Checklist to help make sure you have everything ready to go for your students!
- Course Copy. Use this Knowledge Base article to learn how to copy content from one course to another.
- Visit the IT Service portal for eLearning Technologies resources using Blackboard and other supported technologies.
- Note: Tickets submitted while the University is closed (12/23/24 – 1/1/25) will be processed in the order received. Please refrain from sending follow-up emails; they create duplicate tickets and may delay processing.
Panopto Video Retention Policy
Beginning on January 1, 2025, Panopto videos that have not been viewed within 13 months will automatically be transferred to the Panopto Archive. This process will continue on the 1st of each month. This means that beginning on February 1, 2026, videos that have been in the Panopto Archive for 13 months and unwatched for 36 consecutive months will be automatically deleted from our system. This process will also take place on the 1st of each month.
Join our Faculty Learning Community!
Whether you've been teaching online or hybrid courses for several years or are just getting ready to start your first semester teaching hybrid or online, all levels of expertise are welcome to join our Online & Hybrid Faculty Learning Community.
Join us each month to:
- Support new and experienced online/hybrid faculty through dialogue and samples
- Explore best practices associated with online/hybrid teaching and learning
- Identify emerging technological needs to support online teaching and learning
- Share collective expertise across disciplines
Join us:
- December 12 @ 3pm: Quality Matters; Blackboard exemplary course rubric; Anthology Exemplary course awards; Zoom link
Learn More about Blackboard's AI Rubric Design Assistant
This summer, eLearning introduced Blackboard's AI Rubric Design Assistant, a tool to help instructors create grading rubrics more efficiently. In this video testimonial, Krisanne Chapin from the Department of Movement Science shares how it has streamlined her process. Check out the Knowledge Base article or sign up for a webinar for guidance on using this feature.
Microsoft's Azure OpenAI powers the Assistant and does not collect personal data. All course information remains stored within Blackboard, and none of the data is used to train the AI or shared externally. For more details on data privacy, refer to Microsoft's Azure OpenAI privacy policies and Anthology’s Trustworthy AI Approach.
eLearning Monthly Newsletter
Every month the staff of eLearning Technologies puts together an email newsletter featuring announcements about what's new in campus instructional technology, along with timely hints and tips for your digital teaching journey. You'll also want to stay tuned each month to find out what new features have been added to Blackboard.
If you're not receiving our monthly newsletter, please take a moment to sign-up.
Consult with your eLearning Liaisons
We welcome faculty to contact their dedicated eLearning Liaisons whenever you have questions regarding Bb Ultra features. Feel free to set up a consultation for additional guidance or troubleshooting assistance. Our top priority is timely support, and your feedback is essential.
Make the Most of Blackboard Ultra
Monthly Release Schedule and Release Notes
Blackboard releases new features and functionality on the first Friday of each month. See the Release Schedule and the Release Notes for monthly and upcoming features and improvements.
Help Shape the Future!
Anthology, Blackboard's parent company, loves hearing from its users. They've created a website where the community can share their thoughts on Blackboard's future. We encourage all faculty to sign up for the Idea Exchange so they can add their own suggestions and vote on ideas offered by others. Anthology staff regularly interacts with the Idea Exchange, providing updates on if and when new features and changes will be added.
Join now and help shape the future of Blackboard!
What Works Better in Ultra
Sure, Blackboard Learn Ultra has a new and improved interface. More importantly, though, Ultra also works better than Blackboard Classic. Take a look at our list of "What Works Better in Ultra."
What your Students Say about Bb Ultra
At the end of the fall semester, Anthology and Information Technology teamed up to host an Exam Cram event, distributing over 2,000 donuts and hot chocolate to mark the transition to Bb Ultra across the Health, Devos, and Allendale campuses. Students expressed their satisfaction with Ultra, highlighting its user-friendly navigation, simplified assignment submissions, and modern design. Review their additional feedback with associated resources to help you maximize Blackboard Ultra.
Remember the following:
- Every faculty member has their own "Ultra Practice Test Course" where they can explore new Ultra features.
- Faculty can request "template sites" to help with early curriculum development or special projects.
- All faculty have been enrolled in a Blackboard site named "Blackboard Learn Ultra Self-Paced Training." Use this site to familiarize yourself with Ultra Course View at your own pace.
- You can find many additional resources on our Instructor Resources for Blackboard Ultra page in the Service Portal Knowledge Base or the Student Resources for Blackboard Ultra page.
- eLearning has put together some tips and tricks for how to best copy content from your Classic courses to your Ultra courses
- See this knowledge base article for best practices and tips for course design in Bb Ultra.
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New to Ultra? Check out our Ultra Care Package for important resources and tips for getting started.
About eLearning
eLearning Technologies provides a wide array of services and resources designed to facilitate a cohesive and seamless digital learning experience for students at GVSU - through supporting faculty in delivering high-quality, high-impact, high-engagement innovative teaching.
We support faculty, contribute to teaching excellence, and enhance student success through:
- IDeL
Exemplary Instructional Design for Online and Hybrid Courses - Teaching with Technology
Effective Application of Instructional Technologies - Blackboard
Learning Management System Enhancement - The Bridge
Interactive Digital Media Development - We also partner with the Atomic Object Technology Showcase to bring innovative emerging technologies to GVSU.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
Email Us: [email protected]
Call: (616) 331-2101
Hours: 8:30 am - 4pm, Monday through Friday
24x7 After Hours Support is Available
"Supporting faculty pursuing innovation in teaching and learning."
Credits: Bird Tangram Puzzle by irene hoffman from NounProject.com ; Light Bulb by Numero Uno from NounProject.com ; newsletter by Ethan from NounProject.com ; Parachute by Kmg Design from NounProject.com