An essential major update for GCULearn is taking place Christmas holidays. This will mean that the service will be unavailable for users between 26 December and 28 December. If you think you will need to access any material over this period, then we recommend that you download it now.
The Turnitin service will also be unavailable on Saturday 5 January from 4pm (UK time) to 11.59pm. This is for maintenance on Turnitin servers and we have no control over these systems or dates.
Over 2019, our VLE, GCULearn will be migrating to the new Ultra version of Blackboard Learn. This means that there will be quite a change in the user interface (UI). The Academic Development Team have been running a number of consultation sessions with staff and students. Last week we had our first student facing consultation, and we were delighted to welcome Ashley Wright (Senior Solution Engineer) from Blackboard to give us a bit of a preview of the new student view.
The new student UI is a far more personalised and hopefully useful and engaging experience. After Christmas we will be running more in depth consultations with staff and students as we customise the new system for GCU.
To find out more you can watch the recording of the session.
Earlier this week we were delighted to have Gillian Fielding and Emma Thompson-Chesters (Blackboard Client Success Advocates) join us on campus in Glasgow to run a workshop on Blackboard ALLY. ALLY is a new accessibility feature that focuses on making module content accessible.
Once a file is uploaded into GCULearn, ALLY automatically creates up to six alternative file formats, and students can choose which format – for example an audio or HTML file – to download and then engage with the content.
For a lecturers ALLY provide an accessibility rating of a file and step by step guidance on how to improve its accessibility. For example, many of us forget to use formatting in word documents. Just by taking a few minutes more to properly format a document can make a significant impact on its accessibility.
During the hands on workshop, Gillian and Emma demonstrated just how easy it was to use ALLY and led a number of discussions on the opportunities it could provide for both students and staff.
ALLY will be available in GCU Learn over the coming weeks, but in the meantime you can get an overview from the workshop slides. If you would like to know more, then please don’t hesitate to contact the Academic Development Team, or share thoughts/questions here.
Some you may have spotted that over the summer there have been some changes to W201. The room has undergone extensive refurbishment and has been transformed into an interactive, collaborative space.
Over Trimester A, Academic Development will be running a series of CPD sessions for staff in the room on Wednesday afternoons from 1-2pm. These session will initially be quite informal to allow staff to have “a play” with the equipment and room set, and illustrate some potential uses of the room. We are also very keen to get feedback from staff on the design and functionality of the new space. Sot here will be plenty of scope for discussion.
There is no need to book a place, just drop in.
Our very own Linda Creanor was awarded the highest honour from ALT (Association of Learning Technology) that of Honorary Lifetime Member at the association’s annual conference in Manchester last week.
Linda accepting her award from the Chair of ALT (Sheila MacNeill) and President of ALT (Professor Martin Weller)
The award is given to individuals nominated by Members who have made an outstanding and sustained contribution to the advancement of ALT’s aims for the development of learning technology in a regional, national or international context through research, practice, policy-development, leadership, or a combination of these.
Reflecting on the important contribution Linda Creanor has made to ALT and the wider development of Learning Technology, Dr Maren Deepwell, chief executive of ALT, added, ‘Linda has played a significant role in ALT becoming the organisation that it is today. After giving a significant amount of time to the organisation in her roles as Trustee, Vice Chair, Chair and President, Linda has continued to play a significant role in the growth of the organisation – particularly through the development of the ALT Scotland Members Group. Linda’s community spirit, combined with with active research profile, sharing of practice and her overall enthusiasm for supporting and developing the effective use of learning technology, is an inspiring example of the impact of empowered professionalism’.
We all extend our congratulations and thanks to Linda for all her work here at GCU which has contributed to national and international level impacts through ALT.
As the start of the new Trimester approaches, it’s a good time to brush up on some blended learning and digital skills. Elizabeth McGlone and Gary Smith (Learning Technologists, GSBS) are leading a series of their popular and informative Better Blended Learning sessions. The sessions focus on a number of key areas around blending learning and digital assessment..
All of the sessions are open to any staff member in the university. You can see details of all the sessions by following the link below.
GCULearn is getting its annual update over the coming weekend so there will be some disruption to service. It will be unavailable from 9pm on Saturday 14 July until 2pm on Sunday 15 July. Normal service will resume at 2pm on Sunday 15 July.
The marking period may almost be finishing for most of our staff, however, throughout June and August, Steven and Rachael will be running a series of webinars on digital assessment and feedback. The series starts this Friday, 1 June 2pm – 3pm with a getting to grips with Grade Centre session. You can join the session here (remember to use an up to date version of either the Chrome or Firefox browser when you are accessing the webinars)
Whether you are still in Trimester C and about to start marking online or wanting to find out some helpful information for the next Trimester, join us weekly as we cover keys areas of digital assessment and feedback; from the basics of Grade Centre and Turnitin to using alternative, faster methods of feedback. We will also have the opportunity to cover other related topics at the end of August on request.
Won’t have the opportunity to join our webinars? Not to worry. We will have all sessions recorded and available to watch whenever on our Feedback and Assessment Hub via GCULearn.
We’re looking forward to seeing many colleagues online over the summer.
You can download the full schedule of webinars from the link below.
Post from: Rachael Magennis, Learning Technologist in the Academic Development Team
From an Academic perspective, what are the phrases that send you in a frenzy during the end of the Trimester?
Marking? Deadline? Feedback? How about ‘Marks Integration’?
If you’re in a panic as to what that means; do not fear. Marks Integration has meant that once all marks are inputted into their weighted columns, finalised grades can be transferred directly into the student record system.
Setting up Grade Centre correctly is important. Like organising your kitchen cupboards or sorting through your mail; it’s a little annoying for a few minutes but once completed, it makes life run so much smoother. Same with Marks Integration; by organising the Grade Centre correctly, it makes the whole process far easier.
To help you make sense of the Grade Centre and how to set yours up correctly, why not come along to to our next workshop on May 17.
Next workshop (click on the link below to register)
This workshop covers:
There’s also the opportunity for questions and any hands on help during the workshop.
If you are already using, or are keen to find out more about to use, Collaborate Ultra then you may well be interested in the up coming “Ten Tools in Ten Days” webinar series being run by Blackboard, starting next Monday, 14 May.
Each session will last for 30 minutes and will focus on a different aspects of the tools available in Collaborate Ultra
You can find our more and register by following this link.
GCU Digital Learning Innovation Blog 