Summer 2013 D2L course requests are now available in the D2L Course Request application.

As a reminder, course requests for a semester become available on the first day of priority registration for students, and course shells for D2L need to be requested for every semester you plan on using D2L.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

On Thursday, January 31st, Desire2Learn Inc. deployed the two latest Service Packs to our D2L learning environment. Unfortunately, along with the deploying the Service Packs, Learn@UW has reported a new issue that affects copying grade items. Instructors cannot copy gradebook items and/or categories from any previous offering of the course using Copy Components. Currently, the workaround is to use Export and Import Components functions instead. Learn@UW is pushing for a fix to have the Copy functionality restored for Gradebook items. However, these Service Packs included several fixes to existing issues with two prominent issues being resolved:

• ePortfolio: Users no longer encounter an error when they push a presentation to a course. Presentations can be successfully pushed to a course without having to create a Sharing Group.
• Minibar: Users can now receive and access alerts. Minibar alerts should no longer be blocked by unsubmitted quizzes after a quiz is no longer accessible to a user.

In addition to those fixes, there are several others in various tools as follows:

• Calendar: Due dates displayed in Calendar for Checklist items no longer display as UTC time. The time now correctly converts and displays in the user’s time zone. Offsetting dates in Calendar now calculates times correctly when the offset spans a daylight savings time shift.The Calendar widget and the Upcoming view in Calendar now only show events for the current day if they are still occurring. Previously, current-day events that ended were still displayed.
• Classlist: Online status in Classlist now displays correctly across different time zones.
• Competencies: After copying a Learning Objective with a Manual Rubric activity without receiving errors.
• Content: Content user progress was not updating when viewing sequenced SCORM 2004 packages. Visits to these topics are now correctly tracked.
• Dropbox: The notification now correctly displays the number of submissions to the assignment folder in Dropbox. Word wrap is now working correctly for Feedback in Dropbox.
• ePortfolio: News feed load time is now improved, users with a large amount of shared activities will notice a faster load time.
• Grades: In a student view, when users click on the calculator icon for a calculated grade item, they can view the results of what grade items were included. They will no longer encounter an error.
• Homepages: Shared widgets now properly display on new homepages that have been copied via Copy Course Components.
• HTML Editor: If a custom widget contains a <form> tag it will now be wrapped in an iFrame. This prevents the <form> from getting stripped out of the custom widget.
• Minibar: When a user has visited 50 courses or more, the course selector now correctly displays the order of the results when sorted by last accessed course.
• Quizzes/Question Library: If a random section is deleted from a quiz, it will allow users to successfully import questions from that random section back into the quiz. The Quiz Attempt Log now records any changes, saves, and submissions made by the user. Users can now access the Edit and Preview actions from the context menu of a question within a random folder without receiving an error.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

While we were all enjoying the Thanksgiving vacation, Desire2Learn (D2L) was hard at work deploying Service Pack 5 (SP5).  This update brings some important bug fixes to our D2L system!

Most importantly, some of the annoying bugs users were experiencing with dropbox submissions running through TurnItIn. All dropbox submissions since January 2012 will be reviewed and automatically processed if they are still in queue for TurnItIn.

In addition, some other important changes to note are:

• Gradebook: Logging now tracks who creates, deletes, and restores grade items.  Instructors can restore, review and recover all deleted items and student grades from the Event Log, accessible through “Manage Grades.”  Also, a confirmation dialog box now displayed when a user clicks “Clear” from the Grade Item page to avoid accidental clearing and saving of grades.
• TurnItIn Submissions: Two bugs that have prevented some Dropbox submissions from processing through TurnItIn appear to be fixed in SP5. Some submissions not processing because of a third error are still being investigated by Desire2Learn support.

Winterim Instructors:  D2L is scheduled to be unavailable on the first day of Winterim classes beginning at 9:30pm on Wednesday, January 2nd 2013 until 10:30am on Thursday, January 3rd 2013 for file server storage migration.  Please plan your work accordingly.  There will be more information and a formal campus announcement are in the works for the coming weeks.

Course Request Application:  We have overhauled the course request application and a number of new features are available.  For more information see: D2L Course Request Enhancements Now Available.

Winterim & Spring 2013 course requests are now available.  To request for your courses, go to: D2L Course Request Application.

Streaming Video Updates:  We have updated the underlying code that powers the streaming videos produced by the Learning Technology Center to now support playback on iOS devices.  For more information see: Streaming Video Support for iOS.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

Winterim 2013 and Spring 2013 D2L course requests are now available in the D2L Course Request application.

As a reminder, course requests for a semester become available on the first day of priority registration for students, and course shells for D2L need to be requested for every semester you plan on using D2L.

Also, as per some of our previous announcements, the D2L course request application has been updated to make the process much more streamlined. For more information on these changes, please see our related blog post.

The LTC has overhauled the D2L Course Request Application and the new version is now available!  There are a number of changes and enhancements in the new release:

• New title format for courses! Courses by default will now be named using the following convention: Introduction to Programming (Spring 2013)
  Instructors can also rename their course in D2L if desired
• We reduced the number of screens and clicks needed to request a course
• The application now directly pulls cross listed and combined sections from WINS, to eliminate confusion
• The site design is optimized for mobile devices, allowing you to request your courses when you’re “on the go”
• Authentication upgraded to use Single Sign On (Shibboleth).  Remember, to logout of the application you will need to close your web browser.

The application can be accessed from the “Instructors” page on the D2L login page, from the “Quick Tools” listed on the sidebar in D2L, or by the direct link D2L Course Request.

We have also created a short video that will walk you through a WINS timetable course request, and explain some of the new features.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

The D2L course request application will be unavailable between 6am and 7am on Thursday, November 8^th while we deploy the new version of the application.  We will open course requests for the Spring 2013 semester starting Monday, November 12^th.

A few of the key changes in the process are:

• New title format for courses! Courses by default will now be named using the following convention: Introduction to Programming (Spring 2013)
  Instructors can also rename their course in D2L if desired
• We reduced the number of screens and clicks needed to request a course
• The application now directly pulls cross listed and combined sections from WINS, to eliminate confusion
• The site design is optimized for mobile devices, allowing you to request your courses when you’re “on the go”
• Authentication upgraded to use Single Sign On (Shibboleth)

We are excited about these changes and we hope that this makes your course request process easier.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

The D2L-based “Instructor Resources Course,” a course originally designed to provide instructors with D2L content templates and other standard course materials, has been retired and will no longer be available beginning June 1, 2012.

Over the years the majority of the content in the course had become outdated, and the organization of instructional technology resources has evolved.

Relevant content from the course has been re-tooled and moved to other resource areas including the “D2L Starter Course” and the LTC Instructional Resources wiki (see https://wiki.uww.edu/dept/instructional/).  The “D2L Starter Course” provides a D2L course template for use in online course development, and the wiki is an online repository of instructional technology best practice examples, and other resources.  For more information about the “D2L Starter Course” please contact Karen Skibba (skibbak@uww.edu).

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Instructor Resources course and/or its retirement, please contact UW-W D2L Support.

In order to maintain optimal storage capacity and ensure the ongoing smooth operation of D2L, the LTC conducts an annual purge of older courses from the system. We have begun to prepare for this year’s D2L course purge that will take place on June 15th, 2012.  On June 15th, 2012, courses from Fall 2007 through Summer 2008 will be purged from the D2L system.

If you do not need to retain information from these courses, simply do nothing.  The courses will automatically be removed; no action is needed on your part.

If you need to retain information from these courses, please read on for more information.

• The D2L course cleanup process will begin June 15th, 2012.
• If you do not need to keep course materials or student information from courses offered Fall 2007 through Summer 2008, do nothing.
• If you need to keep course materials or student information from courses offered Fall 2007 through Summer 2008, consult documentation on the D2L Cleanup Resources site or contact D2L Support for assistance.
• If a special circumstance exists where a course must remain in D2L, please complete and submit the Course Cleanup Retention Form before June 1st, 2012. LTC staff will contact you for further information within five business days.
• Please review the “Frequently Asked Questions” section below before contacting D2L support.  The information in this section may answer the questions you have.

Thank you in advance for your attention and cooperation in the D2L cleanup process!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to clean up D2L courses?
The cleanup of older D2L courses refers to the complete removal and deletion of that course with no way of restoring it. The D2L courses slated for purge will be permanently deleted. All files and student records will be deleted.

How do I know which of my courses are scheduled for cleanup after June 15th, 2012?
First, login to D2L and look at your courses in the “My Courses” widget. Courses are identified by semester and year. In the upcoming purge, courses from Fall 2007 through Summer 2008 will be removed if no action is taken.

Please note that courses under the “ONGOING” or “OTHER” designation are NOT slated for cleanup. If you have courses under those designations, they will NOT be removed.

Why are we limiting the course cleanup process to only older D2L courses?
Recent courses (those after Summer 2008) are not included in the purge because, 1) students need sufficient time to finish incompletes and challenge grades, and 2) instructors need sufficient time to reoffer their course. Retaining recent courses is consistent with the guidelines and policies of the UW Records Officers Council.

What if I reoffer my course on a regular basis?
In most cases, when a course is reoffered by the same instructor, the instructor copies some or all of the content, files, gradebook and discussion structure from a previous course offering into a new offering. Once that copy process is complete, the earlier version of the course offering can be deleted without affecting the new course offering.

If a course periodicity spans several years, steps must be taken to ensure the original course offering is not deleted too soon.  If this is the case with one or more of your courses, please contact D2L Support.

I need to retain my gradebook so I can review student performance several years after the course ends.
The D2L gradebook can be exported to a CSV file that can be opened with Excel and other applications. How do I export my gradebook to CSV?

When downloading or saving a gradebook or student submission, it is important to maintain the privacy of those records. They should be saved on password protected campus network storage rather than on local hard drives.

Questions about how long grade books and student records may be retained should be forwarded to the UW-W Records Officer.

What about my content files, quizzes, etc. in my old courses?
Content, course files and quizzes can be copied into a newer offering of the same course. This is very common, especially when the same instructor teaches both offerings. Also, course files can be easily downloaded to be uploaded back into a course later. How do I download my course files?

Why not just leave old courses on D2L?
A course cleanup policy was established in 2009 by the UW System, and the process is imperative to ensure the ongoing smooth operation of D2L.  The main reason for deleting old courses is to manage and contain the growth of D2L storage and operating costs as well as to lessen negative impact on performance and user experience as use of D2L continues to grow.

Can I archive my old courses? (Can I save a complete copy of my course?)
Instructors can export their content files, gradebook, and student files from a dropbox folder and retain them locally. How do I download data and student submissions from various areas of my course? (Goes to How-To’s page of Cleanup site)

What if I do nothing?
Your courses will be permanently deleted after June 15th, 2012. In most cases, you will not need these courses and do not need to take any action.

Who can I talk to if I need help?
Your UW-Whitewater D2L support staff members are familiar with the course cleanup process and are prepared to answer your questions and provide assistance as needed. Contact D2L support if you need assistance with any of this process or your circumstances are unique and are not addressed here.

Complete information on the cleanup process can be obtained from the D2L Cleanup Resources web site (http://www.uwsa.edu/d2l/cleanup), or by contacting D2L support.

The D2L Starter Course includes a number of useful templates and other resources that you may copy and modify for use in your own course, and it is now in version 2.1 with new and improved content. In addition, many of the resources and templates now also help courses meet Quality Matters standards for online and blended courses.

Some of the new updates include:

• Student resources provide useful information on Turnitin (anti-plagiarism detector), “clickers” (student response devices), D2L assistance, technology help, and university policies.
• Time-saving templates present easy to edit electronic D2L rubrics, activities, assignments, topic overviews, discussion starters, and more.
• Quizzes help students prepare to use LockDown Browser, to find out “Are You Ready for Online?”, and to learn helpful tips and success strategies.
• A mid-course student evaluation survey gauges whether the course is meeting your (and your students’) expectations.
• News announcements offer suggested wording to post in online, blended/hybrid, and web-enhanced courses.

Would you like to review these new items or add them to your own course? To access and register for the D2L Starter Course, please login to D2L and use the link “register here” provided in the “D2L Resources and Training Available” news announcement. When the registration form appears, simply click on the “Register” button at the bottom right of the screen, and then click “submit and finish.”  Once you are registered, the D2L Starter Course will be listed within your “Instructor tab” in the folder labeled “OTHER – Courses With No Semester.”

Please remember that these resources are used by instructors across campus. Do not edit any of the items found in the original D2L Starter course!