Important UT webpages
MyUT https://myut.utoledo.edu
- submit midterm and final grades
BlackBoard http://blackboard.utdl.edu
- upload syllabus, student gradebook, can link to MyMathLab/MyLabsPlus.
There is also a link to BlackBoard from MyUT.
IT HelpDesk
If there is a problem with your office computer, or a computer or projector in a classroom, here is who you can contact:
Syllabi and Syllabus Templates
Pearson's MyMathLab and MyLabsPlus
The difference between MyMathLab and MyLabsPlus is that MML requires students to know their CourseID, while MLP automatically registers students.
The latter also integrates nicely into BlackBoard and is also a bit more expensive for students.
MyMathLab http://www.mymathlab.com
MyLabsPlus http://utoledo.mylabsplus.com
Basic BlackBoard Tasks
UT has a collection of guides that may help you: LINK
BlackBoard is full of little gotchas. For example, make sure that "Edit Mode" (see upper left corner) is ON to be able to make edits.
Uploading a Syllabus
The area for a syllabus (once called "Public Area") no longer exists, so first create a location for the syllabus to go.
- Find the '+' on the upper left.
- Click on it and select "Content Area"
- Name it Syllabus and make it available to the users by checking the box.
- Follow this guide (with pictures!) to upload your syllabus: LINK
Using the GradeBook in BlackBoard
Each of these show how to access the Grade Center in the first place, which is under "Coruse Management" on the left hand side of your course. The students will see their grades show up under the "My Grades" area.
Creating a new assignment (column): LINK You can also set the type of assignment is it (Test, Homework, Quiz) for later analysis.
Entering Grades: LINK
Creating a column which computes the average (or total) Test/Homework/Quiz/etc: LINK You also have the ability to do things such as not including the lowest assignment, and more.
Creating a weighted column, like how the overall course grade would be calculated: LINK
Adding a Student Grader into Blackboard
- Under "Users and Groups" on the left side, select Users
- Click on "Find Users to Enroll" at the top
- Click "Browse" unless you know the username
- Change Search to "Last Name", "First Name", or "Email" and search for your grader.
- Click on checkbox associated with the correct individual and select "Submit"
- Change Role to be "Grader" and select "Submit"
Written and Other Types of Homework Submitted Through BlackBoard
Rather than using email, all homework is located in one place and you can see when it was submitted.
- Create a "Written Homework" content area.
- Under "Assessments" add an assignment, also set its score and due date.
- After the due date, all student assignments can be found under "Grade Center" in the "Needs Grading" area.
- optional : Under "Submission Details" change "Number of Attempts" to Unlimited, as some students make a mistake and try to upload again
- Here is a guide you can give to students on how to create a PDF if needed: LINK
Adding a MyMathLab or MyLabsPlus Bridge inside of BlackBoard
For MyMathLab see this link: LINK It also includes information about how to create a MML course to begin with. Also:
- Important Note: This procedure creates a new course, you cannot link an already created course.
- (Optional) Video on pairing a course:
- The 1st in a series for creating a MyLabsPlus course in Blackboard: YouTube LINK
- Unlike the video, "Course Tools" is 3rd option under "Course Management" at UT.
- Or the direct method:
- In the Course Management pane, click "Customization" then "Tool Availability"
- Locate "Pearson MyLab and Mastering" and click the first checkbox to the right to make it "Available" and click "Submit"
- To create the link for students, first click the "+" in the top left.
- Select "Tool Link", name it "MyMathLab" and for "type" select "Pearson MyLab and Mastering" and make it available to users.
For MyLabsPlus:
- In the Course Management pane, click "Customization" then "Tool Availability"
- Locate "MyLabsPlus Bridge" and click the first checkbox to the right to make it "Available" and click "Submit"
- To create the link for students, first click the "+" in the top left.
- Select "Tool Link", name it "MyLabsPlus" and for "type" select "MyLabsPlus Bridge" and make it available to users.
WebAssign
To create a course linked to Blackboard:
- First create it in Webassign - Important! You must set it that students can ONLY be registered from Blackboard.
- Link it to your Blackboard course for student acces via these steps:
- Click on the circle with the plus sign in it above "Course News"
- Add a Content Link, named "WebAssign" or "Online Homework" for example.
- Under the "Partner Content" tab select "Content Market"
- Select "Cengage".
- Select one of the choices, for instance "Add Homework Platform"
- Search for your subject area, like calculus, and find the matching textbook/course.
- "Link to an existing course" and select the course.
- Now back in Blackboard, just select "Submit" at the bottom.
- Again, under the "Partner Content" tab select "Content Market" and this time select your course.
- Add what you wish to be visible to students, from assignments (later on?) to "Cengage Technical Support", etc.
- Select "Continue" then "Submit" again.
Adding a TA
- Under the desired course, select "Edit Class Settings"
- Under Access, select "Add Additional Access"
- Click the "Help me add TA/Additional Instructor(s)"
- Download and fill out the xls form. You probably want the "account" type.
- Upload the file and submit
Forwarding "Ask Your Teacher" questions to your email:
- Under the desired course, select Communications
- Under "Ask Your Teacher", select Unanswered
- On the right side of the page, select Settings
- Check the notification for requests to be forwarded to your email, and Apply
Applying automatic extensions with or without late penalties:
- Under the desired course, select Communications
- Under Extensions, select Unanswered
- On the right side of the page, select Settings
- Class Default: Automatic (then you don't get emails!)
- You will probabily want to change the Quiz and Test policy to None
Online Courses
The department is offering many online courses. Good luck.
NOTE: For some courses there is both a synchronous component (you meet the students live) and and asynchronous component (you make prerecorded videos). See the "Recording Videos" section if this pertains to you.
Tablets and Headsets
- You need a tablet and headset, get these from the department office
- There are two types of tablet: large and small. The small one only requires small wrist movement, but some prefer the larger area of the other tablet.
- See the office or me for the disk with the drivers for the tablet, otherwise it just acts like a mouse.
- If you get an annoying circle, your writing is being degraded by the Windows driver! Go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services and disable "Tablet PC Services" so that only the Wacom drivers are active.
- Instead of a tablet, you may opt for using an iPad as a second display and use its touchscreen. The software to do this is called Duet. See https://www.duetdisplay.com for details.
Method for Meeting Your Students Online
The now prefered way is to use BlackBoard Collaborate Ultra, and BlackBoard Collaborate and Big Blue Button are now discontinued.
Here is the setup for BlackBoard Connect:
To set it up initially:
- Click the + on the upper left corner above the menu and add a "Tool Link", call it "Live Online Classroom"
- Click on "BlackBoard Collaborate Ultra"
- (Optional) Still under the first box of the previous step click "Edit Room" Here you can make changes to things, for example if you are recording your lectures.
- Set up your classroom meeting times as a repeated event. You can delete individual classes or reschedule them outside of the designated pattern.
When you or a student logs wants to log in, you will access BlackBoard collaborate under "Live Online Classroom"
(Incorrect) If you wish to post recordings, links to them can be found under "Course Tools" -> "BlackBoard Collaborate" -> "Recordings". You will have to copy the links to a different content area.
Recordings will be found in the same BlackBoard Collaborate Ultra area as where your class is hosted.
If you prefer Big Blue Button it may be discontinued, try https://bbb.utoledo.edu/
If you have questions about it let me know.
Where the Math goes for an Online Class
Both BlackBoard Collaborate and Big Blue Button have an integrated whiteboard.
You can draw, erase, and go to a new page.
If this is good enough for you, then go this route.
A more advanced route would be to use Xournal LINK.
Other instructors like using Inking in MicroSoft Word.
Unlike a whiteboard, you can scroll a document which looks like a sheet of notebook paper (in Xournal) or use a prepared document (in Word).
You need to share your desktop or, better yet, share only the application to the students.
You can also save these notes as a PDF and post them.
PowerPoint presentations and more can also be given online.
Start the application up first and have it ready to go, then use application sharing.
Recording Videos
Your course may require an asynchronous component for delivering classroom content as a prerecorded video.
Also, BlackBoard Collaborate can allow you to record your courses as you give them, and you can post these recordings later.
Echo360 for recording your own videos
- You need an Echo360 account, and have to request it from (person).
- Log into https://electure.utoledo.edu:8443/ess/login.jsp. Go to "DownLoads" and get Echos Personal Capture.
- Recording in Echo360 includes the whole desktop, so have Xournal or your PowerPoint presentation fullscreen.
- When starting the recording, you have a 5 second window before it actually starts. Then use Alt-F2 to stop it or Alt-F3 to pause it.
- You can edit the finished recording by cutting out parts if needed.
- After uploading you will get an email with a link to the video.
Blackboard Collaborate Recordings of Classes
On the lower left panel expand "Course Tools" and select "BlackBoard Collaborate". Under the first box (the main course) select "Edit Room" and enable recordings. It is a good idea to let the student names be hidden.
If you wish to post recordings, links to them can be found under "Course Tools" -> "BlackBoard Collaborate" -> "Recordings". You will have to copy the links to a different content area.
The links are the purple icons, so right click and select "Copy Link".
Attendance
In BlackBoard Collaborate, create a quiz or survey. Implementation details to follow.
In Big Blue Button, you are supposedly able to extract this information easily.
Setting your Students up to take DL Tests Elsewhere
You the instructor need to fill out this form:
http://www.utdl.edu/lv/proctor/instructor.php
Give this link to your students, and put it in your syllabus:
http://www.utdl.edu/lv/proctor/student.php
As each test date approaches, Maureen will email you to get a copy.
The copy has to be sent in 1 week before the test.
After the due date, the tests will be scanned and emailed back to you.
Even if you teach a DL class you need to talk to Shirley when you know the days for the exams so that she can get the rooms scheduled for proctored exams given at UT.
Personal Web Pages
There are two ways to set up a website. Suppose your UTAD username is zsmith12
- host it on euler, it would exist as http://math.utoledo.edu/~zsmith12
- host it at UT, it would exist as http://homepages.utoledo.edu/zsmith12
To host it within the math department, I (or IT) would first have to create a linux account for you on euler.
Your website would then be a directory (www) inside your account. Other things can be stored there too outside the www folder.
There is a program which can be used to copy files to your website: WinSCP (free!)
Here is a link to the portable version you can copy anywhere: https://winscp.net/download/winscp575.zip
It works like an FTP client.
You can only edit your webpage from within UT, as access is blocked from outside unless you have VPN access set up.
The other way is to set up a website on UT's hosting. It will appear under your H-drive.
The setup is done this way: https://www.utoledo.edu/it/NS/Web_Hosting.html
As an example, Dr. Stein has a webpage there: http://homepages.utoledo.edu/istein
Other Technology
- Euler is a fast machine which is there for faculty research and student use.
- You can request VPN access from home which allows you to access euler from home and allow you to download journal articles which are IP restricted.
- You can access a virtual computer at UT by accessing https://vlab.utoledo.edu
- Clickers made by Turning Point are used in some classrooms to get instant feedback from the entire class.
Setting up Voice mail to send you an email notification on a missed call
- Go to https://unity.utoledo.edu and login with your UTAD credentials.
- Click the settings tab
- Click the Notification Devices menu and select View Notification Devices
- Click the link HTML Missed Call
- Check the Notification Enabled box
- Enter your email address in the To: box
- Click the Save button at the bottom of the page
Setup for submitting material to the Testing Center (FH 1080) using RegisterBlast
- Professor Enrollment and Submission Insructions LINK
- How a Professor Creates a Submission LINK