Bb SP 10 Updates

From Sandy Cook. . .

Greetings DL Peer Team:  We’ve had a few discussions among the DL Peer Team this week, and I wanted to provide information and an update.  Thanks so much for your  continued efforts and support for your faculty and students.  Please keep me posted if you need help

1.       Blackboard Learn SP 10:   KCTCS Technology Solutions/Distance Learning, CRD, and Blackboard Support staff members have met this week to discuss the application server/database issues in preparation for first day of class January 14.  Blackboard Support has their top team working through the weekend to identify and resolve two major issues:

a.       Application Servers where a server suddenly becomes inactive.  That’s why some faculty report “no response” while others will have “response” when in Blackboard.

b.      Database where spikes in activity cause slow performance for Blackboard Learn.  This also impacts the course copy progress/queue.

2.       Proctored Exam Journal Process to Delivering Colleges for Financial Implication to Home Colleges Assessment/Proctor Center:  This issue is a broad one to include Business Directors, Chief Academic Officers, Assessment Centers, and DL Peer Teem.   As the DL Peer Team members have discussed for a number of months, the increasing numbers of courses that require proctored exams has impacted the staffing needs of Assessment/Proctor Centers at some colleges.  While faculty members directly oversee assessments with face-to-face classes, increasingly the assessment oversight for online exams has been shifted to Assessment/Proctor Centers.  Fall 2011, DL Peer Team, Business Directors, and Assessment/Proctor Center staff members were invited to a systemwide meeting at Elizabethtown CTC to discuss the increasing demand on Assessment/Proctor Centers for online classes.  That meeting resulted in a number of recommendations to the guidelines that would help to alleviate the impact on Assessment/Proctoring Centers.  These guidelines and meeting notes have been communicated (see attached and posted here, http://kctcs.edu/en/Students/LearnByTerm/Proctor_Exams.aspx..  Colleges do have the approved option to charge back for the costs of administrating an assessment for another college -- see approved KCTCS charge below.   We’ll be involved in future discussions.

Proctored Tests: KCTCS classes If a student takes a proctored test required by a KCTCS course at a KCTCS Assessment center, and if the test is taken during the normal operating hours (as posted) for that Assessment Center, the student may not be charged for that test. However, the Assessment Center may charge the Academic department requiring the proctored test through a journal process. 3.        KCTCS Blackboard Technical Help Desk:  Please use the KCTCS Blackboard Technical Help Desk for issues to be reported and investigated.  Issues reported via emails can be lost among all of our increasing email traffic.  While email may be the easier method to talk about an issue, it’s not the effective method to use to report a serious Blackboard issue. Feel free to email the issues to everyone; however, please also submit a ticket or report to the Help Desk.  Let me know if you or your faculty/students have not received good service from the Help Desk. KCTCS Blackboard Technical Help Desk link is here:   http://elearning.kctcs.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_16_1