Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tip #47: Alter Assessment Settings

You can alter assessment settings even after you’ve initially released an assessment. This ability allows you to release results, answers, and feedback only after all students have completed the assessment.

Here’s how to do it:
1.Go to the Blackboard Control Panel and click on the Content Area where the assessment is located.

2.Click on the Modify button to the right of the assessment. This will take you to the Modify Test page.

3.Click on the Modify the Test options link.

4.Scroll down to the Test Feedback subsection, and check boxes correlating to the kind(s) of test feedback you want to make accessible.
•Score
•Submitted answers
•Correct Answers
•Feedback

5.Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Submit.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Voicemail Tip of the Week: Phone Forwarding

TWU has a new voicemail system for all permanent faculty and staff. The new system integrates voicemail with e-mail, delivering all messages to both telephone and e-mail. To request an account on the new system, e-mail voicemail@twu.edu and include your name, campus, and telephone extension.


Phone forwarding is the process by which an end user determines when voicemail answers calls. There are two types of phone forwarding available: all and partial. If all call forwarding is set, all calls to that extension are immediately forwarded to voicemail. If partial forwarding is set, voicemail answers after several rings or immediately if busy.

To set all call forward
Pick up the receiver.
Press * 1 81 4646.
Hang up.


To set partial forward
Pick up the receiver.
Press * 2 81 4646.
Hang up.

When using a display multi line phone, FWD SET will appear.

To clear all call forward
Pick up the receiver.
Press # 1.
Hang up.

To clear partial forward
Pick up the receiver.
Press # 2.
Hang up.

When using a display multi line phone, FWD CNCL will appear.

When calling campus extensions using a display multi line phone, the phone system will display the type of forwarding set.
FDB indicates that voicemail has answered the call due to busy status.
FDN indicates that voicemail has answered the call due to no answer.
FDA indicates that voicemail has answered because all calls are forwarded.

Voicemail is available for all permanent faculty and staff. To setup an account, e-mail
voicemail@twu.edu from your TWU e-mail account and include name, campus and telephone extension.
Want more information? Call the TWU Helpdesk (940) 898-3971

Monday, September 21, 2009

Microsoft Office Tip of the Week: Document Inspector

Applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Microsoft Office documents often contain data that should be removed before sharing. Word may have editing changes that appear when shared. Excel spreadsheets may contain hidden rows or columns of data that should not be viewed by others. PowerPoint files may have graphics or text that do not appear on the slide, but are available when the file is opened. For final proofreading before sharing a document, use the Microsoft Office Document Inspector.

NOTE: Before running the Document Inspector, save a copy of the document under a different name. Some changes made by the Document Inspector cannot be undone.

To run the document inspector:
1. Open the renamed/copy version of the Office document to inspect.
2. Click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Prepare, and then click Inspect Document.
3. In the Document Inspector dialog box, select the check boxes to choose the types of hidden content that you want to be inspected.
4. Click Inspect.
5. Review the results of the inspection in the Document Inspector dialog box.
6. Click Remove All next to the inspection results for the types of hidden content that you want to remove from your document.


The following links provide more detail on aspects of the Document Inspector for individual programs:

Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA100744351033.aspx?pid=CH100996521033

Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA100744381033.aspx?pid=CH100648291033

PowerPoint:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/HA100744371033.aspx?pid=CH100673541033

Looking for more information?
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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Archiving your course in Blackboard 7

Archive your Blackboard course:
  1. Access the course you want to archive
  2. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Archive Course (located in the Course Options category)
  3. Click the Archive button
  4. Click Submit
  5. After you receive the archive completion email, navigate to the Archive Course page again.
  6. Right-click the zipped course file and click Save Target As… to save the file to your computer
    • NOTE: If you are using Firefox, you will use the Save Link As… option instead
  7. Click OK

Monday, September 14, 2009

Web 2.0 Tool of the Week: Twitter

Twitter (http://www.twitter.com)

The world is tweeting with Twitter!
Twitter, a micro blogging tool, allows users to post messages of up to 140 characters. Users can post via the web, IM, or a mobile phone. Twitter requires users to sign up for a free account.

Considerations for using Twitter:
· Users can
“follow” you and you can “follow” them to receive twitter updates
· Accounts can be
public or private - you grant permission to allow viewing
· If you
block someone, that person won’t be able to follow you or send you any messages
· Posts can be
deleted, but not changed
· Users can post and receive tweets on their
mobile phone
· Twitter updates can be incorporated in your blog, website, or Facebook
· By using #hashtags you can sort, search, and filter posts. #Hashtags are commonly accepted search terms with a # sign in front. Some of our favorite hashtags relating to higher education and technology are #edtech, #highered, and #geekpoll

Possible uses of Twitter for educators include:
· Keep up with friends or colleagues
· Share updates or announcements
· Take notes that emphasize main ideas
· Send course updates or announcements
· Teach students to summarize ideas or to teach concise expression of ideas
· Share “aha” moments from conference sessions or meetings

There is a community forum available to users. On the forum you can find information on how to use Twitter, as well as contribute to the forum.

Ready to Twitter?
Sign up for an account here, check out this five step guide to getting started and follow us on Twitter

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Tip # 46: Limit dropped student access to the course

When students drop a class and are not automatically removed from Blackboard, you can limit their access to the course.

Limiting access to students who drop the course mid-semester
Students who have dropped a course mid-semester will not be removed from your Blackboard course roster. This is designed to allow instructors to keep records of all students in the course. Removing a student from the Blackboard course will delete all information, including grades for that student.


Here’s how to limit access and retain student information:
Navigate to your Control Panel and click the List/Modify Users link. Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster. Select properties next to a student’s name. Scroll down to Section 4: Role and Availability. Under Available (this course only) select No. Click Submit.

NOTE: Limiting access to students will not remove them from your grade book. However, the student will no longer be able to log into the course.

Removing Students from a Course
If a student was never enrolled in the course per your WebAdvisor roster, removal of the student may be appropriate. Keep in mind that all student data will be removed including grades, assignment submissions and course statistics.

NOTE: Blackboard roster updates occur several times a day through the twelfth class day. It is possible that during these first days of the semester, students removed from a course will be added back into the course when the roster updates occur. Removing students after the twelfth class day will be permanent.

How to permanently remove a student from the course
Navigate to your Control Panel and click the Remove Users from Course link. Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster. Place a checkmark next to the student’s name. Type the word Yes in the box and click Submit.

NOTE: Official student rosters can be obtained from WebAdvisor and compared with Blackboard. Students who are not listed in Blackboard but listed in WebAdvisor should call the Help Desk at 940-898-3791 for assistance.


Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at:
http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/faculty-support.asp
Visit our website:
http://www.twu.edu/blackboard, or call: (940) 898-3706.