Instructional Media Lab Temporarily Relocated Morning of Monday, May 15 On Monday, May 15, W.E.B. Du Bois Library will be closed…
From Idea to Innovation: Introducing TECHSPRESSO Retreats Next week we will launch new TECHSPRESSO Retreats: Drop-in events where faculty can…
Moodle Unavailable Thursday, March 16, 2017 During Spring Break, on Thursday, March 16, 2017, UMass Amherst Information Technology will perform…
Reminder: Removal of Old Moodle Courses On February 15, 2017, access to Moodle courses taught up to and including Spring…
Check if your i>clicker software is current: If you’re using i>clicker 7 software, please run the “Check for Update” feature to download…
Instructional Media Lab Temporarily Relocated Morning of Monday, May 15 On Monday, May 15, W.E.B. Du Bois Library will be closed until noon. We will be able to take appointments in LGRC A210 between 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., and in Du Bois Library, Rm.765 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. on May 15. Note this is…
From Idea to Innovation: Introducing TECHSPRESSO Retreats Next week we will launch new TECHSPRESSO Retreats: Drop-in events where faculty can work with key Instructional Innovation staff, resources and campus partners to bring instructional ideas to life. Transform your course completely, or simply add a new component. Drop by to see the latest in instructional technology…
Moodle Unavailable Thursday, March 16, 2017 During Spring Break, on Thursday, March 16, 2017, UMass Amherst Information Technology will perform a scheduled maintenance on Moodle. Moodle will be unavailable beginning at 7 a.m. (for as long as 5 hours). Please plan accordingly. Removal of Old Moodle Courses On Feb. 15, 2017, access ended to…
Reminder: Removal of Old Moodle Courses On February 15, 2017, access to Moodle courses taught up to and including Spring 2015 will be removed from Moodle at UMass Amherst. Please backup any course content you do not wish to lose, including course materials, grades and student submissions. For help, see Backup a Moodle Course. To…
Check if your i>clicker software is current: If you’re using i>clicker 7 software, please run the “Check for Update” feature to download the most recent version of i>clicker 7. Staying current with the latest i>clicker release helps your classes run smoothly. The newest available release is version 7.10. This is an optional update, however, updating to this version…
In mid-January 2017, Turnitin in Moodle at UMass Amherst will get a new look and feel. Basic functionality will remain the same, and the Submission inbox will remain the same, but once instructors open a submission they’ll see a new, more compact interface for grading, providing feedback, and viewing originality reports. Dubbed “Turnitin Feedback Studio,”…
With Spring 2017 classes set to begin on Monday, Jan. 23, we have some information to help make sure you are ready for the start of the semester: Most Moodle courses open to students on Friday, Jan. 20; Make sure your TAs have access to Moodle; How to request your Spring 2017 on-campus Moodle courses;…
Registration: https://etna.it.umass.edu/public/workshops. When you get to this registration page, click on “Winter 2017 Workshops” above the calendar. If you are asked to create an account, remember to register for the workshop after that! Lecture Capture Information Session (Echo 360) Tuesday, Jan. 10, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Registration: https://etna.it.umass.edu/public/workshops Please join us for a discussion of the new, next-generation…
UMass Amherst instructors with Echo360 accounts can now use their UMass Amherst NetID and password to log in to the Echo360 server and Personal Capture software. This blog post describes these changes and provides information on how to use the new login process. Echo360 Server To log in to the Echo360 server and access your instructor…
Turnitin Scheduled Downtime Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 On Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Turnitin will be unavailable while Turnitin performs maintenance on internal network hardware to increase capacity and ensure continued dependable service. No submissions or grading will be possible during the downtime. We advise instructors to set submission deadlines be…
Turnitin Scheduled Downtime Saturday, Nov. 5 On Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Turnitin will be unavailable while Turnitin performs maintenance on internal network hardware to increase capacity and ensure continued dependable service. No submissions or grading will be possible during the downtime. We advise instructors to set submission deadlines be…
For the Fall 2016 semester, UMass Amherst has 10 new classrooms with integrated Echo360 lecture capture technology: Ag Engineering 119 Arnold House 120 Furcolo 101 Furcolo 102 Draper 124 Herter 225 Marcus 131 Morrill IV N201 Stockbridge 301 Totman 156 To request Echo360 for these or any of our other classrooms with integrated lecture capture technology, see our Request…
Turnitin Downtime – Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016 On Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016 from from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Turnitin is scheduled for system maintenance. Turnitin may be temporarily unavailable during this time. Moodle Downtime – Monday, Aug. 22, 2016 On Monday, Aug. 22 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Moodle will be unavailable while UMass…
Moodle will be unavailable on Monday, Aug. 22 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. while UMass Amherst IT moves the system to new infrastructure. Please plan accordingly.
If you have concerns about this maintenance or if you are having trouble accessing Moodle after the upgrade, contact IT User Services at 413-545-9400.
For updates during the maintenance period, check the UMass Amherst IT social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.
For updates after August 22, 2016, check the IT website at: https://www.umass.edu/it
To register, please visit: https://etna.it.umass.edu/public/workshops When you get to this registration page, click on “August and September 2016 Workshops” above the calendar. If you are asked to create an account, remember to register for the workshop after that! Echo360 Lecture Capture Information and Q&A Session Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Please join…
Moodle 3.0 Upgrade On Thursday, July 7, 2016 UMass Amherst upgraded Moodle to version 3.0. This upgrade continues to make Moodle more usable and efficient. Some of the improvements include: New Editor Features: Better table editing, more text formatting options, right-to-left text option, full-screen editing, formatted HTML. New Activity Features, including: New Quiz question types: Select missing words,…
Bring a lunch, join the conversation! This July, we’re getting together over lunch to talk about technology and innovative learning and teaching practices at UMass Amherst. We invite anyone interested in these topics to join us for a series of brown bag lunches. Bring your lunch, your curiosity, your opinions, and any great stories you can share about these topics. If you…
Upgrade to Moodle 3.0 Scheduled for July 7 (Moodle unavailable) On Thursday July 7, 2016, between Summer Sessions, Moodle at UMass Amherst will be upgraded to version 3.0. Moodle will be unavailable beginning at 7 a.m. (for as long as 5 hours). Please plan accordingly. Overall, this upgrade will not result in significant changes to…
Need help with grading in Moodle? Grades need to be approved in SPIRE just before midnight on Tuesday, May 10th. If you would like to meet with a Moodle Gradebook expert to review your gradebook before the end of the semester please contact the Instructional Media Lab at 413-545-2823, or instruct@umass.edu. Final grades from the…
Moodle Course Requests for Summer & Fall 2016 Moodle course request for Summer and Fall 2016 opens in SPIRE on Monday, April 4. For detailed instructions on requesting a Moodle course please see: How to Request a Moodle Course in SPIRE. Reminder: How to Reuse a Previous Moodle Course When course requests get underway, the Instructional…
After Spring 2016, iPeer will no longer be available at UMass Amherst. The pilot of iPeer showed that, while peer evaluation tools are very valuable, iPeer itself did not meet our standards for stability and reliability. Instructors who rely on the features of a team formation and peer evaluation tool should consider using CATME, a…
This month’s announcements… Removal of Old Moodle Courses Moodle Course Request for Fall 2016 opens Monday, April 4 New Form for Allowing Another Instructor to Copy your Moodle Course VoiceThread Collaboration Tool Pilot Pilot New Features in Moodle February Moodle Update Honors student enrollment update Single-section course groups Box online storage integration Removal of Old…
Bring a lunch, join the conversation, shape the future Every other week, we get together over lunch and talk about innovative learning and teaching practices at UMass Amherst. We invite anyone interested in these topics to join us for a series of brown bag lunches. Bring your lunch, your curiosity, your opinions, and any great stories you can share about these…
Reminder: Removal of Old Moodle Courses On February 15, 2016, access to Moodle courses taught up to and including Spring 2014 will be removed from Moodle at UMass Amherst. Please backup any course content you do not wish to lose, including course materials, grades and student submissions. For help, see Backup Your Moodle Course. To…
The Spring 2016 semester is here, and you’re probably ready to jump into teaching. But first, you have to get your students’ attention! Here is something that could help – take a look at this advice from The Chronicle of Higher Education: Small Changes in Teaching: The First 5 Minutes of Class: Four quick ways to shift students’ attention from life’s distractions…