Think Inside of BOX!

Did you know that "Box" is now available to all UNCG users? Box is an online file storage service, and many faculty and staff are already finding it to be a valuable resource for both teaching and office/organization management. Some of the features of Box include:

• unlimited for every user.
• Configured to meet the “2-Lock rating” requirements for storage of “Moderate risk data” according to the new Data Classification Policy for UNCG.
• Web and mobile access to your files anywhere you have an internet connection.
• Ability to selectively “sync” files and folders to your computer (similar to DropBox).
• Ability to share files with other users inside and outside UNCG.
• Keeps track of multiple versions of your files automatically.
• Ability to “lock” documents while editing them, so others cannot accidentally overwrite your work.
• Ability to see who has edited and viewed documents you share.
• Integration with Microsoft Office to download, edit and upload new versions.

With the move to Canvas, we no longer have unlimited file storage for our courses, but Box's ability to share files with other users provides the option for instructors with very large courses to use Box to house some of the larger course files (such as videos), and still be able to share those files with students. In fact, you have the ability to embed shared Box files/folders directly inside of Canvas.

For more information on Box and how to access your UNCG Box account, please visit:

http://its.uncg.edu/box

Check the workshops calendar for dates and times of Box workshops (if you don't see any listed, you can contact 6-TECH and request a workshop be added):

https://workshops.uncg.edu/

Canvas Training is Coming!

As you all know, UNCG is in the process of migrating from Blackboard to Canvas for the University’s learning management system. The ITS Department expects everyone to be transitioned to Canvas before Spring 2016. With that as the goal, I have scheduled some initial training sessions for this Fall (to be offered in McIver 140). Because I am the only primary support person for all of the College during this transition, I will not be able to meet with everyone individually, so my hope is that departments can receive training around the same time and then help each other somewhat in making the transition. An initial group of departments has been selected and notified to attend Fall training. Additional training sessions will be scheduled throughout next year for the remainder of the departments. If your department was not among those notified about the Fall trainings, please rest assured that your department will be covered next year, most likely in Spring, though it is possible some many have to carry over into summer or Fall 2015.

Last Call: LMS Study Feedback

The LMS (Learning Management System) study is drawing to a close, and the committee is set to make a recommendation to the Provost's Office at the end of April or very early May. Desire2Learn has been eliminated from consideration, and of the remaining two systems under consideration--Blackboard Learn and Canvas--Canvas is emerging as the clear preference. More detailed minutes of the committee meeting minutes have been distributed via department heads, but so far the only repeated concern to have emerged about Canvas is that the grade center is not as sophisticated as that of Blackboard. ITS is in communication with Canvas reps to get a roadmap of their planned development for the grade center over the coming years. If you have questions or would like to provide any feedback before the final recommendation is made, please directly contact me or Associate Dean Bob Hansen.

Interested in Exam Proctoring?

Update: For anyone interested in webcam proctoring for tests and quizzes in online classes, G.A. is sponsoring a webinar on Wednesday March 5, from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. You can sign up at this link.

Have you considered requiring your students to use a proctor to take online exams? The process of proctoring an exam can be difficult and confusing for everyone involved, including the students, faculty, and even the proctors. In an effort to streamline the proctoring process, The University of North Carolina Online website has created The UNC Online Proctoring Network, a website "designed to enhance the academic integrity of online courses by providing students with an easily accessible pool of qualified proctors. These qualified proctors will be available for students who are taking online courses at any of the constituent universities of the University of North Carolina."

The website serves as a gateway for UNC system students to find a local proctor (or nominate a proctor for approval). Faculty are responsible for logging into the system and providing the conditions of the proctoring location, such as the length of exam, if a computer is required, and the level of supervision that is required. It is important to note that some proctoring sites charge a fee. If you are interested in exploring this option further, please make sure to read the guidelines for becoming a proctor (linked directly in the "For Proctors" section) so that you will have a better idea of what is involved in the process.

Here is the direct link to the UNC Online Proctoring Network website:

http://online.northcarolina.edu/exams/overview.htm

Learning Management System (LMS) Study Underway

Many of you may be aware that an LMS study is currently underway on campus. Blackboard has been the LMS on campus for many years, but after a significant number of UNCG faculty expressed concerns regarding the features and available support for Blackboard, Provost David Perrin & Vice Chancellor Jim Clotfelter charged the Academic Technology Coordinating Committee (ATCC) with carrying out an LMS study with the goal of determining which product would best meet faculty and student needs. The Committee determined that, in addition to Blackboard, UNCG would pilot Canvas and Desire2Learn (D2L) this Spring Semester. The ATCC is set to make a recommendation to Provost Perrin and Vice Chancellor Clotfelter on April 30th, 2014. Additional information regarding the LMS study can be found here: http://lms.uncg.edu   If you would like to provide feedback, specific or very general, on the LMS study, you can find a survey link to do so on the right of the LMS web page, under the section titled "Things to Do Right Now." Also, please take a second to answer my LMS poll to the right.

A call for volunteers to test Canvas and D2L went out to faculty across campus. Elizabeth Tomlin agreed to share her impressions of Canvas so far, and William Hart shared his experiences so far with Desire2Learn.

Elizabeth Tomlin- Canvas

The home page of BIO-477 in Canvas

The first thing that I loved when I started using Canvas was the ability to produce an attractive, inviting layout to my course. The navigation is very intuitive, and the linkages between the assignments, grade book and calendar are fantastic. The second thing that I fell in love with was the grade book. It is so easy to set up quizzes and assignments and arrange the weighting of the grades, which then magically appear in the syllabus and calendar.  The ability to copy the calendar from one semester to the next will be a huge time saver. I teach a writing-intensive course so Speed Grader and the annotation feature are a really exciting feature, especially in a course that is team-taught and more than one person is commenting on assignments. Canvas also facilitates peer review of online submissions, which will provide very valuable feedback to my students. The structure of Canvas also makes it really easy to arrange students in groups and have them turn in group assignments. I have not had a single student complaint or problem with Canvas. The user statistics are much easier to use in Canvas than Blackboard. Far fewer steps are involved and it is much quicker. Overall I have found Canvas much easier to learn than Blackboard. I have been using Blackboard for 16 years and have attended many training sessions. I feel that after only two months of using Canvas that I am about equally proficient in each LMS. I truly believe that if Canvas were adopted, users would become comfortable with it very quickly and never want to leave it.

William Hart- Desire2Learn

REL-324 in Desire2Learn

With the exception of PowerPoint's functionality within Desire2Learn, I find it to be superior to Blackboard in every respect. I especially like the simplicity of the interface and the way that most of the things I (and my students) need is organized in the "Content" area. I have not used the grading application yet but from the demonstrations I saw in various workshops, I suspect that I will like it as well. The portfolio tool is superior; there is nothing like it in Blackboard. I am not testing Canvas but hear that it is excellent too. If the choice were between retaining Blackboard or changing to Desire2Learn, I would support the change.