What’s New in Blackboard October 2024 

The October Blackboard Update includes generating question banks from course materials and more  customisation options for email notifications. 

Generate question banks from course materials 

Related Blackboard Guidance Topic: Question Banks 

Creating questions is time consuming. Instructors now have the option to generate questions in a question bank. Generating question banks from course materials provides inspiration and saves time.  

To generate a question bank, select the Auto-generate option from the + on the Question Banks page.  

Image 1. Auto-generate a question bank 

Question bank main screen with the dropdown selected and Auto-generated appearing

From the menu, instructors can select content items. These content items provide context for the questions. Instructors can further refine the questions they ask by entering a description of the learning objectives or topic.  

Image 2. The context picker for creating new questions 

Selecting items with the context picker 

Instructors can select the type of question to generate, such as multiple choice or fill in the blank. The complexity of the questions can also be adjusted. Instructors choose which questions to include in the question bank.  

Image 3. The Auto-Generate Question Bank page

Question bank generation page, showing options on the left and questions on the right 

Email notifications for followed discussions 

Related Blackboard Guidance Topic: Discussions  

To encourage participation in discussions, Blackboard have expanded notifications to include email. Emails are sent when users opt for Email me right away notifications.  

Key Enhancements: 

User Notification Settings: New notification options allow users to manage their emails for discussions they follow. To help with consistency, these settings align with the user’s settings for their activity stream.  

  • Activity on my responses  
  • Activity on responses I have replied to  
  • Responses from instructors  
  • Responses for followed discussions  
  • Replies for followed discussions  

How to access your Email notification settings: 

  • In Blackboard go into your Profile 
The Blackboard navigation menu with the user profile highlighted  
  • Under Global Notification Settings click on Email notifications  
Email notifications highlighted under Global Notification settings 

Email notifications highlighted under Global Notification settings 

  • Adjust your settings as you prefer 
Notification settings for emails 

Image 2. An example of an email for discussion activity 

Example email notification of discussion activity 

Weekly Resource Roundup – 9/10/2024

As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery. 

Online events and webinars

October

November

December

Resources and publications

Resources on Generative AI

Other resources

Other

  • Call for proposals (open dates) Unfiltered by EmpowerED: A Podcast Series where educators share unedited stories of inspiration and challenge
  • Call for proposals (open dates) Future Teacher Webinars
  • Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
  • Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
  • Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.

Panopto

As teaching starts, you may find this information about Panopto useful. These are the answers to our most frequently asked questions about Panopto over the last few weeks.

Linking to All Panopto Recordings

You can create a link to the Panopto folder in your Blackboard course. This means that students will be able to see the recordings for the course all in one place.

Finding your Panopto folder

Panopto folders for all this year’s modules are in the 2024-25 folder.

To find the Panopto folder you want to record into:

  • Click the dropdown button on the right-hand side of the Folder box.
  • Click the dropdown arrow to the left of the academic year folder to expand it.
  • Select the Panopto folder you want to record into.

You can also search for the Panopto folder you want to record into:

  • In the Folder box start typing the module code or name of the Panopto folder you want to Record into
  • Select the folder you want to record into.

What to do if you can’t see your Panopto folder

In a small number of courses, the Panopto folder wasn’t created over the summer. If you can’t find your Panopto folder using the steps above, you can create a folder from Blackboard:

  1. Login to Blackboard and find your course
  2. Click on Books and Tools > View course and institution tools
  3. Click on Holl Fideo Panopto / All Panopto Videos

You should then be able to find the Panopto folder to make a recording.

Introducing the New Panopto Archiving Rules

In accordance with the Lecture Capture Policy all Panopto recordings are retained for 5 years before they are deleted. This will not change. However, to cut down considerably on storage costs, the University needs to make use of the Archive function of Panopto. 

From 1st November 2024, all Panopto recordings that have not been viewed in 13 months will be moved to the Panopto Archive, from where they can be restored should they be needed. 

Restoring an archived recording: 

As a member of staff or as a student, you can restore an archived recording if you need to access it for any reason, as long as you had permission to access the recording before it was archived. Please be aware that it can take up to 48 hours for a recording to be restored. When the recording has been restored, the original creator of the recording will be notified that it is available as will the person requesting the restoration (if different). 

How Retention Rules will change in our Panopto storage environment: 

Currently: 

Every month; Recordings that have not been viewed in 5 years are deleted. 

What will change: 

At the start of every month; Recordings that have not been viewed for over 13 months will be moved to the Archive. 

Also at the start of every month; Recordings that have not been viewed in 5 years will be deleted. 

If you have any questions, please contact elearnining@aber.ac.uk 

Weekly Resource Roundup – 1/10/2024

As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery. 

Online events and webinars

October

November

  • 21/11/2024 Compassionate Assessment Event 6 Dr. Juuso Henrik Nieminen, “Dr Nieminen has particularly focused on understanding the social effects of assessment on students’ inclusion, belonging and identities.”

December

Resources and publications

Resources on Generative AI

Other resources

Other

  • Call for proposals (open dates) Unfiltered by EmpowerED: A Podcast Series where educators share unedited stories of inspiration and challenge
  • Call for proposals (open dates) Future Teacher Webinars
  • Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
  • Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
  • Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.

Vevox: Polling Tool

Aberystwyth University uses Vevox, a Polling Tool, that allows you to get real time information from people in your teaching sessions or those in your meeting.

We’ve been using Vevox for over 3 years now and were pleased to see it being used in Welcome Talks offering students the opportunity to ask anonymous questions.

We are running some training sessions on using E-learning Essentials: Introduction to Vevox for Learning and Teaching:

  • 4 October, 10:10-11:30
  • 8 October, 14:10-15:30

These sessions will be taking place online via Teams.

In addition to our in house training sessions, Vevox are also running webinars sharing best practice and case studies from their other clients.

If you’re unable to join our sessions, Vevox host their own and you can register for those here: Getting started with Vevox I Your guide to Unmissable Classes

For further help using Vevox, take a look at our Support Materials.

Weekly Resource Roundup – 18/9/2024

As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery. 

Online events and webinars

September

October

November

  • 21/11/2024 Compassionate Assessment Event 6 Dr. Juuso Henrik Nieminen, “Dr Nieminen has particularly focused on understanding the social effects of assessment on students’ inclusion, belonging and identities.”

December

Resources and publications

Resources on Generative AI

Other resources

Other

  • Call for proposals (open dates) Unfiltered by EmpowerED: A Podcast Series where educators share unedited stories of inspiration and challenge
  • Call for proposals 27/9/2024 RAISE Network Student Engagement in HE Journal special issue on Engaging with Student Voice
  • Call for proposals (open dates) Future Teacher Webinars
  • Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
  • Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
  • Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.

12th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference Materials Available

Between the 10 and 12 September, the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit hosted the 12th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference.

The materials from the conference are now available on our webpages.

We would like to thank all of our contributors and attendees. The sessions were of such high quality.

We’re already heading into planning our 13th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference which is scheduled to take place in July 2025 (date TBC).

We hope to see you at a forthcoming event.

Weekly Resource Roundup – 9/9/2024

As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery. 

Online events and webinars

September

October

November

  • 21/11/2024 Compassionate Assessment Event 6 Dr. Juuso Henrik Nieminen, “Dr Nieminen has particularly focused on understanding the social effects of assessment on students’ inclusion, belonging and identities.”

December

Resources and publications

Resources on Generative AI

Other resources

Other

  • Call for proposals (open dates) Unfiltered by EmpowerED: A Podcast Series where educators share unedited stories of inspiration and challenge
  • Call for proposals 18/9/2024 Active Learning Network New ALN Co-created Book
  • Call for proposals 27/9/2024 RAISE Network Student Engagement in HE Journal special issue on Engaging with Student Voice
  • Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
  • Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
  • Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.

Blackboard Assignment with SafeAssign Pilot

A big thank you to all the staff who have signed up to the Blackboard Assignment with SafeAssign pilot. There’s still time to volunteer if you are interested (email elearning@aber.ac.uk).

Since the last blog post, we have made SafeAssign available for use in Blackboard Assignments. We have also held the first two training sessions. More training sessions will be organised for semester one – visit the Events and Training page to book a place.

We’ve been exploring some of the options for marking in Blackboard Assignment that staff might find useful:

  1. Delegated marking allows staff to mark essays by group. If you divide up marking in your modules between several members of staff, then delegated marking will help you.
  2. Parallel marking allows two staff to mark a piece of work independently without seeing each other’s comments or marks.
  3. Anonymous comments. By default, marking comments in Blackboard Assignment contain the name of the staff member marking. If this is not appropriate for your marking, you can make them anonymous (see below).

Please note that deleted Blackboard assignments can be recovered for up to 30 days after deletion. If you need deleted assignments restored, please contact elearning@aber.ac.uk as soon as possible, providing details of module and the assignment name.

Anonymous Comments

When you create a comment, click on the anonymous marking icon

Screenshot of a Blackboard Assignment comment box with the anonymous marking icon highlighted

You can edit existing comments to make them anonymous by clicking on the comment.  Click on the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the comment and then click on Anonymous.

Screenshot of a Blackboard Assignment comment box with the three dots and Anonymous option highlighted

For further information on the marking tools available in Blackboard Assignments, see Blackboard Annotate Guidance.

Supporting your students

To help your students use Blackboard Assignment to submit their work and find their feedback, we strongly recommend that you include the following FAQs in Assessment and Feedback Learning Module in your Blackboard course: