Helpful Online Copyright Education Tools for Faculty

The Office for Information Technology Policy (part of the American Library Association) has recently released two online tools that can help faculty evaluate potential use of copyrighted content. The first tool, the Fair Use Evaluator, can help you better understand how to determine the "fairness" of a use under the U.S. Copyright Code, as well as collect, organize & archive the information you might need to support a fair use evaluation. The second, the Exceptions for Instructors eTool, guides you through the educational exceptions in U.S. copyright law, addressing the performance and display of copyrighted content in traditional, distance and blended formats.

The Fair Use Evaluator is available at: http://librarycopyright.net/fairuse/

The Exceptions for Instructors eTool is available at: http://librarycopyright.net/etool/

Tip: Exam Settings

When defining exam settings for a Blackboard test, many instructors make the mistake of selecting "Hide the score of this test from the Gradebook" in the Self-Assessment Options in an attempt to hide the score of the test from the students in the student My Grades tool. This is not what this option does! Instead, this option turns the test into a self-assessment and hides the grade of the exam from the instructor in the Gradebook. Students are still able to access the test and grade from the student My Grades tool (unless related options in the exam settings area have been deselected).

To hide a test score from students (after the test is added to a content area), go to the Gradebook and click on the column header link for the test in question. Select the "Modify Gradebook Item" option. In the "Options" section, select "No" to "Make item available to users".

September training dates announced

The September 2009 Blackboard Learn version 9 training dates are now scheduled. Please go to the training calendar, http://www.jsu.edu/distance/fac_res/training_calendar.html , to view the scheduled dates/times and to register. Note: A registration form must be completed for each session you wish to attend.

New software applications for faculty who use Blackboard

The Office of Distance Education is excited to announce that we have obtained a campus-wide license for the Respondus and StudyMate Author software applications.

Respondus is a Windows application that enhances the functions and features of Blackboard’s exam and survey tools. Respondus allows faculty to author exams offline, import existing questions from a word processing file, and publish the quizzes directly to the Blackboard course(s).

StudyMate Author is an authoring tool that lets faculty create 10 Flash-based activities and games using four simple templates. The Flash activities can be published directly to the Blackboard course(s).

Both Respondus and StudyMate Author allow faculty to download publisher test banks for textbooks that have been adopted. Information about the Respondus Test Bank Network -- and the Respondus and StudyMate Author software applications -- is available at http://www.respondus.com .

In the coming weeks, faculty will receive an email with information detailing how to download and install both Respondus and StudyMate locally using our JSU license key. The email will also include instructions on how to locate training guides for using Respondus and StudyMate. We hope faculty will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and that the Respondus and StudyMate Author software useful to all.

Note: Respondus and StudyMate are software applications from Respondus, the company. Neither product requires the use of and are not related to the Respondus LockDown Browser.

Tips and reminders

Each semester we usually come up with a few tips and reminders that will help save you and your students time (and possibly a headache). I have a few to share with you now:

1. Related to Internet Explorer 7 and 8 and Blackboard - In Internet Explorer 7, usually immediately after logging into Blackboard, users see the following Security Information message:

We recommend that users click "Yes" and proceed along with their work.

In Internet Explorer 8, users see this Security Warning message:

Pay careful attention to the difference in wording. If Internet Explorer 8 users click on "Yes" portions of the web page will not be displayed. So when using IE 8 and Blackboard, click on "No" for this security warning. We have already had reports of course hyperlinks not functioning and the Distance Education staff were able to determine this problem was due to the fact that the user clicked "Yes" for this security warning, effectively displaying only content delivered with an HTTPS connection.

2. Also related to Internet Explorer 8 - if you require the use of the LockDown Browser on your Blackboard exams, students must ensure that their Internet Explorer 8 is configured for compatibility view before using the LockDown Browser to log into Blackboard and access the exam. While the LockDown Browser is indeed a separate browser, it is reliant on the settings in Internet Explorer 8. Internet Explorer 8 is not a certified browser with Blackboard 7.3 and may not function as expected unless used in compatibility view.

3. Related to the LockDown Browser - if you require the use of the LockDown Browser on your Blackboard exams, please remind your students to use the LockDown Browser when logging into Blackboard and attempting to take an exam. If students report that they are being prompted for a password, but you have not set a password for the test, the first thing you should suspect is that the student is using a browser other than the LockDown Browser to access Blackboard.

4. When naming assignments, SafeAssignments, and exams, please avoid using any special characters (#, &, etc.) in the name of the assessment. These special characters can cause many problems for your students in their effort to submit the assignment and/or begin/take/submit an exam and for you when trying to retrieve/view the student submission.

5. Please remember to make your current courses for Fall 2009 available . Also, do not forget to make your Spring and Summer 2009 courses unavailable. Students get very upset and flustered when courses they are currently registered for do not appear in the My Courses module. The same is true when courses they have already completed are still showing in their My Courses module.

Please feel free to pass along these tips to your colleagues who utilize Blackboard for their courses as well as your students.

The first week of Blackboard Learn version 9 training has been completed. The sessions overall were well attended and session evaluations were very positive. Let me share with you some feedback that I was given:

• Great workshop - very helpful.
• I will need reinforcement once this goes live.
• Nice overview of layout and features. The examples that were provided were clear.
• This training has (also) helped me with the current version (Blackboard 7.3).
• You (the session instructor) help us feel like we can do it!
• This is important and complex stuff.
• The discussion really helps - hearing other instructors discuss their problems helps in understanding mine.
• Quite effective.
• You (the instructor) do a very good job explaining the importance of using the things our students are comfortable with.

I might also add that session participants seemed to find greater value and even a sense of urgency to be trained. I hope these feelings and perceptions are communicated to others!

I made some discoveries as well. I will have to make some adjustments to the training schedule as well as to a few sessions as well. Look for these changes on the training calendar next week. Also, Carey Smouse, the Distance Education Specialist, will be conducting some training next week. Please sign up for Carey's sessions. She is outstanding in her work and I expect you will be very impressed with her.

Let the training begin

As you know, the we have been VERY busy preparing to upgrade to Blackboard Learn version 9 in December 2009. We have been getting ready for this upgrade since January 2009 and we are excited about the many changes and improvements that have been made. Our desire is to do all we can to help you be prepared for the upgrade, to understand the magnitude of the coming changes, and to make the transition as seamless as possible. To help we have developed a “significant changes” document for your review. Additionally, we are offering training on Blackboard Learn version 9 starting Tuesday of next week. The August training dates are scheduled and available for your review at http://www.jsu.edu/distance/fac_res/training_calendar.html. We encourage you to review the scheduled session dates and times and register for sessions as soon as possible, as space is limited. Please note that new sessions will be scheduled in September so check the site monthly for the updates. Key facts about training and access/use of Blackboard Learn version 9 are below.

Key Facts:

• Blackboard Learn version 9 will be at JSU for faculty and student use January 2010.
• Training for Blackboard Learn version 9 will be conducted beginning August 4-December 3, 2009 on our Test and Development server. Prior to January 2010, faculty will only be able to access Blackboard Learn version 9 in scheduled training sessions.
• Faculty who attend scheduled training sessions will have extended access to Blackboard Learn version 9 on a first-come-first-served basis in the Instructional Technology and Design Laboratory, 174 Self Hall. Information related to the extended access, which we are calling “Blackboard Fridays”, will be distributed in scheduled training sessions only.
• According to Gartner Research, every hour of information technology training provides 5.75 hours of increased employee productivity. Simply put, if a faculty member can reduce the amount of time needed to perform a given task, more time and effort can be placed on content development, instruction, and interaction with your students.
  
  

To LockDown or not to LockDown...that is the question

There are several things that you must remember and consider when deciding whether to require students to use the LockDown Browser on an exam.

1. Students must actually download and install the LockDown Browser in order to use the LockDown Browser. This means that in most situations, students must be on their own computer - not a work computer. Additionally, the student must be using an administrative login on the computer or the browser will not install.
2. The student cannot use any other browser to complete a test when you have opted to use the LockDown Browser. Refer back to number 1 - students must access Blackboard using the LockDown Browser, not Internet Explorer, AOL, Firefox, or Safari.
3. Help a student out. Provide the link to the Blackboard Student Guides on the Distance Education Website: http://www.jsu.edu/distance/blackboard/bb_student_guides.html On this page students will find the guide we have created for using the Respondus LockDown Browser. This guide contains instructions for downloading and installing the LockDown Browser and lists locations on the JSU campus where the LockDown Browser is already installed. If students will read this, they are less likely to have problems that end up as an email or a phone call to you or us.
4. We suggest helping your students by reminding them that Internet Explorer (for PC) or Safari (for Mac) must be set as the default browser for Respondus LockDown Browser to function properly.
5. Additionally, we recommend that students not install Internet Explorer 8. If Internet Explorer 8 is installed on the student’s computer, the student must put the browser in compatibility view before launching the LockDown Browser. Students may need help with setting Internet Explorer 8 to this view, so please share this link with them: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/features/easier.aspx
6. Offer a practice test that requires the LockDown Browser before each real exam. The exam should contain the same settings as the real exam (i.e., if the test is forced completion, set the practice test as forced completion; if the test questions are presented one at a time, with backtracking prohibited, set the practice test to present questions one at a time, with backtracking prohibited). If the student can successfully complete the practice test, then in theory they should not have problems taking the real deal. (The reason you should give a practice test (or reopen the same practice test each time) is that most all computers install software updates often times without the knowledge of the user. The state of the computer two weeks ago on "Exam 1" may no longer be the same state when getting ready to take "Exam 2".
7. Try installing and using the Respondus LockDown Browser youself. We've created a guide for LockDown Browser as well as guides for using Blackboard. These guides are available to you in the MyJSU DE Faculty Group (you must be a member of the group in order to have access to the files).

Please note that while we have personally had success in the use of the LockDown Browser, many students report legitimate issues they have experienced when trying to download, install, and use the LockDown Browser. The potential for such problems must be considered when deciding whether to require the use of the LockDown Browser.

We have identified one change you can make in the test settings that has helped reduce the probability of students experiencing certain types of issues with LockDown Browser - do not select the “Set Timer” option. The timer that displays for students can create issues when used with Internet Explorer or the LockDown Browser (which runs partially based on Internet Explorer). Firefox does not have this issue, but that is not a solution when the LockDown Browser is required. With the timer option disabled, you can still impose expected completion times on tests. Note that the LockDown Browser provides a timer for the student even when the “Set Timer” option is not selected. On the other hand, you will not have a calculated time stamped on the completed exam. Instead, you must calculate the amount of time students used to complete the test based on the “Creation Date” and “Last Submitted/Modified Date” time stamps for the students' test submissions in the Gradebook.

Course duration feature

Some faculty may find it beneficial to set a course duration end date so that the course is automatically unavailable to students at the end of a term.

Please note when selecting dates for the course duration that the end date is not inclusive in the date selection. Consider this example. The Summer 2 2009 term begins on July 8 and ends on August 4. If you desire to set course duration so that the course is no longer available after August 4, set the end date to August 5.

Use of the Course Duration setting is not necessarily recommended. Even if you use it, we prefer that you still set the Course Availability setting to "No" at the end of the term. The reason for this is because the Course Duration setting does not toggle the availability setting. For various reasons which I will not go into in this post, it is important that courses are made availalbe only during the term and set to unavailable when the term is over.

Giving bonus points in Bb 7.3

Many times faculty may have a need or desire to offer bonus points in their courses and list those points in the gradebook on Blackboard, which is great! In my opinion every class, whether online or not, should utilize Blackboard. That is another post unto itself, so I'll try to stick to the reason for this post.

When adding bonus points as a gradable item in the Blackboard gradebook, be sure to assign a point value of zero to the column! When a point value other than zero is assigned to the column, the point value is added to the total points possible.

Consider this example. A bonus activity is worth 10 points and a student earns five out of ten points. If the bonus activity's point value is ten, the student is negatively affected for earning only five of ten points. Setting the point value to zero results in the student earning five out of zero points possible.

If you still have questions, please let me know.