Category: Conferencing

Skype Retires

Reporting from Austin, Texas at the Mediasite Experience User Conference.

November 1, 2019, campus will switch from Skype for Business to Teams, Microsoft’s all-in-one, collaboration and communication replacement for Skype.

Microsoft Teams boasts many more convenient messaging features, like

  • Individual chat. Message any of your contacts and pick up the conversation anytime, anywhere even if it was last week, last month or this morning.
  • Teams chat. Create a “channel” within a project team so everyone can trade ideas together.
  • Office app integration. See this Microsoft article for both desktop and mobile app features.
  • Share Files. Just like Skype, you can attach files to a chat.

Everything you need to communicate and collaborate – all in one platform. Microsoft has taken the best of Skype and added many new features.

On November 1, rather than the usual Skype for Business login, you’ll see this dialog box announcing that ECU has made the switch from Skype for Business to Teams.

Just click the Go to Teams button to make the switch on your computer.

Click here for more information!

New Year, New Stuff – Skype vs Webex

Not really new but a good explanation of two tools available to use for “meeting online”.

With both WebEx Cloud and Skype for Business available to ECU users, how do you pick the right online meeting solution? Both tools share collaboration tools, audio and video options, scheduling through Outlook and a “Meet Now” feature.

Skype:

Skype is part of the Office 365 download and is available to students, faculty and staff. It is currently ECU’s standard for instant messaging and desktop sharing. It is used to determine another user’s “presence” through Outlook – not available (red), green (available), yellow (away from the computer).

Skype is an excellent choice for desktop sharing and is approved to discuss FERPA information – while holding online office hours, for example. But, Skype is NOT approved for HIPAA discussion. See these security considerations.

WebEx Cloud:

Faculty and staff log in to their virtual online room to create and schedule meetings. WebEx is browser based, and the virtual online meeting URL is specific to a user’s PirateID and never changes (ecu.webex.com/join/your-pirateID). This makes it easy for staff, students and non-ECU to join meetings from a Mac, PC, telephone or Android, Windows or iOS mobile device. Note: If your WebEx meeting will involve PHI (Protected Health Information), you are not permitted to record the meeting.

Visit the video and web conferencing website for more information.

One week

And finals begin.  As we all say where did the semester go?  Take note of what went well this semester and what did not.  Put a calendar reminder if you are not sure you will remember.  Ready to try something new for Spring Semester.  Various training’s are offered by OET and on Cornerstone.  Think about lecture capture and desktop publishing for those winter weather days!  Want to get students more involved try clickers, flipped classrooms or ?????

Let’s explore!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and

Fall Semester 2018 begins.  Some start up tips/reminders

How do I make my course available to students?
Control Panel > Customization > Properties > Set Availability > Yes

How do I copy my course from one semester to the next? Blackboard Course Copy Guide

How do I merge (or collapse) two or more course sections? Blackboard Course Collapse Guide

Why can’t students see a recently added course? 
Blackboard enrollments require 12-24 hours to update.

Is my class being recorded?  Have you submitted your lecture capture request? Lecture_Recording_Request_distributed Mediasite_Single_Rec_Req_distributed 

Embed Mediasite into Blackboard – click here

Reusing Mediasite Recordings? – go to Control Panel, Mediasite Options and Click Submit to update the Spring Semester Settings.

Want to use Mediasite Desktop Recorder check out it’s upgrade!

Saba Web Conferencing – click here

WebEx – click here

Turning Point Cloud – click here

Some tools to consider Voice Thread and Blackboard New Inline Grading Tool.

First week success check out this link!

Anything else?  Contact OET for assistance!

Welcome back!

Summer 1 is done, Summer 2 starts tomorrow and . . .

Fall Semester 2018 starts in just 2 months!!!!

Fall classes are available on Blackboard, rooms have been assigned.

Have you been thinking of trying something new?  Flipping the classroom, using clickers, webconferencing, or something really different.  Perhaps just a remodeling of your past course is something you would like to explore.

Contact this office to help get you started

 

Guest Speaker Tips and Tricks

As instructors you have a wealth of information but sometimes there is someone who may be an “expert” on a topic and having them share their experiences and knowledge can be priceless.  Some things to consider when hosting a guest speaker, first will they be lecturing on site or virtually.  Depending on their location please follow these guidelines –

On site – check if they are bringing their own laptop and whether it is a Mac or PC.  If the class content is to be lecture captured there are certain “dongles” which must be connected to do this.  Find out what else they might need in presenting their content.  Ask if they can arrive 15 minutes early so that we can help get them set up prior to the start of class.

Virtually – all general classrooms have microphones and cameras to connect virtually.  OET has webcams with tripods which also can be installed.  ECU supports the use of SABA and WebEx for virtual meetings.  Skype can be used with an online login and content can be presented using Skype.  If the speaker is initiating the call there are many systems that can be used.  Best practice have a practice call prior to the class session.

Need more information contact OET.

Working together?

At a recent meeting with the Instructional Technology Consultant’s (ITC’s) of the university we were introduced to Microsoft Teams.  Before I tell you what Teams can do think about this scenario you are involved in multiple projects with multiple people within and outside of ECU wouldn’t it be nice to have all correspondence, files etc in one spot which also allows you to quick chat/comment on something rather than sending emails? Well . . .

Microsoft Teams is a messaging app for teams where all conversations, meetings, files, and notes can be accessed by everyone, all in one place. It’s a place for collaboration and work to happen in the open.

Here’s why you should use it:

  • It makes communicating one-on-one and with groups a snap.
  • Collaboration happens in real time.
  • Everything your team cares about (all your files, docs, contact info, and more) is in one place.

One college has been using it and here is a quote from their ITC “Now that the planner can be integrated into Teams, it is a great way to use both tools at once. I have also integrated a notebook into the team, which also helps keep everything in one place. I haven’t gotten everyone into the chat feature, but the organization part seems to be a nice way to at least get people started in the right direction, at least for us.”

Since last week’s post was a repost you get 2 this week!

We are 3 1/2 weeks into the semester and here is a Best Practice that is included for Distance Education content but is a great idea for all classes to check in on “How is the course going?” and “Do you have any suggestions?“

Early feedback surveys or just informal discussions ask students to provide feedback on what is working well in a course and what might help them have a better course experience. This early feedback is done early in the course so corrections and modifications can be made. It is an easy opening for students who might have comments or suggestions or questions.”

You could use discussion board, or a doodle poll, or a round table discussion!

There have been a couple of emails inviting you to Mursion Demonstration. I went to one last spring and wrote about it https://sites.ecu.edu/OET/?p=2370 It is a very cool tool available to you.  “Mursion is a great opportunity we have available at ECU for students as well as for potential faculty and staff development. Come see what it is all about.”  and “Mursion is a tool you can use with your students to allow them to practice real-life situations in a variety of environments including education, business, hospitality and healthcare. Mursion is housed in the College of Education, but is available to the entire university. This semester we are providing sessions students can sign up for that are geared toward education students (please see attached handout), but a similar series can be arranged for other areas with interested students. We are looking forward to welcoming 2 new student environments and 10 new adults that can be mixed and matched in a conference room in sets of 3.”