Category: Update

Striving and Thriving: The New and Improved VoiceThread

Striving and Thriving: The New and Improved VoiceThread

This blog entry is about VoiceThread – a collaborative multimedia slide tool that enables users to upload multimedia in slides where their peers can interact asynchronously – and it’s new and improved interface. The best tools for asynchronous learning are the ones that can most effectively facilitate learning outside of the course meeting times while also consistently striving to deliver a more engaging, user-friendly, and inclusive experience for all students. With a brand-new look and many enhancements, VoiceThread stands out as a high-caliber tool that keeps getting better.  

As one of the many technologies available to members of the LUC community, VoiceThread displays a strong dedication to constant improvement in their new and improved interface. The following improvements make for an even better experience using VoiceThread: 

  • Screen-reader accessibility 
  • Simplified conversation structure that is more user-friendly 
  • Zoom & Pan controls for moving as you add a comment 
  • Easier slide navigation for viewing and commenting 

The new interface is available to you now and can be toggled by logging into VoiceThread and going to the Display Preferences page. For anyone who prefers the legacy interface, please keep in mind that it will still be available until summer of 2024. 

For more information, be sure to take a look at the ITRS VoiceThread Page and VoiceThread Documentation. 

For assistance with VoiceThread, feel free to book an appointment with an ITRS Team member. 

Christmas is around the corner, and so is Sakai 22!

Christmas is around the corner, and so is Sakai 22!

Don’t let final exams put a damper on your holiday spirit! Instructional Technology & Research Support (ITRS) is hard at work and preparing to unveil a new version of the Sakai LMS just in time for the holidays. Loyola will upgrade to Sakai version 22 on Wednesday, December 21st. During the upgrade process, Sakai will be unavailable (approximately 7am-11am Central Time). Faculty, staff, and students are not required to make any changes for the upgrade; all course and project sites will be intact and ready for use in Sakai 22. 

The annual Sakai upgrade ensures that Loyola can take advantage of the latest Sakai features and functionality, and we can eliminate pesky software bugs that have been squashed by the Sakai community. A few highlights you can anticipate in Sakai 22 include:

  • A new tool, Conversations, allows for threaded Q&A and discussions. Conversations enables users to filter and bookmark posts so it’s easy to find the content that matters most. 
  • New page layout options in the Lessons tool. 
  • A new integration with Gradescope, an AI-supported grading platform that streamlines grading of paper-based, bubble sheet, and coding assessments. 

Want to learn more? Visit Sakai 22 Upgrade. Here, you’ll find registration links for informational sessions conducted by your friendly ITRS colleagues, a promotional video highlighting new Sakai features, and more! 

Panopto: New & Improved

Panopto: New & Improved

video cameraPanopto has updated with many significant enhancements! The experience in recording, editing, and sharing asynchronous video content is now more intuitive than ever. The following are just a few examples:

              • Speed – After recording content, video processing speed enables the user to quickly make edits with little to no wait time!
              • Smart Chapters – When recording your screen in a session without slides, Smart Chapters (a table of contents feature) is enabled by default.
              • Interface – Accessing recordings and folders has gotten even easier with a more intuitive layout!
              • Captions – Creators can now use a “find & replace” option for quick edits, specify caption end time, and find support for caption translation!

For a complete list of enhancements/updates, see the Release Notes.

To request assistance with Panopto, contact the Help Desk and/or book an appointment with a member of the ITRS team!

 

Are you ready for Sakai 21?

Are you ready for Sakai 21?

Sakai 21 is coming to Loyola, fittingly, on December 21st, 2021. This change is an upgrade-in-place, meaning that Loyola faculty, staff, and students do not need to make any changes to their Sakai sites or accounts. All good things take time, so Sakai will be unavailable from approximately 7am to 12pm on 12/21/21. 

When Sakai returns, better than ever, here are a few things to look forward to: 

  • Dark Theme (also known as Dark Mode) to give tired eyes a break 
  • Enhancements to Lessons (e.g., a reorganized Add Item dialog), Gradebook (e.g., message students directly from the Gradebook), and Rubrics (e.g., search for rubrics by title) 
  • Certifications, a new tool for awarding micro-credentials 

Intrigued? Check out the Sakai 21 Upgrade page to learn more and to register for an upcoming infosession. This page also includes a promotional video showcasing the most exciting improvements, complete Sakai 21 release notes, and other resources. 

As always, ITRS is here to help Loyolans make the most of Sakai 21. Schedule a virtual consultation to work one-on-one with ITRS staff. 

Panopto 10: Coming Soon

Panopto 10: Coming Soon

Panopto

Panopto 10

Greetings from ITRS! We are pleased to announce the arrival of Panopto 10, Loyola’s official lecture capturing platform. The new version will be available on December 20th, 2020 and will include several new and improved features:

  • Tags — Panopto’s video library has a new way to support content organization and discovery: #tags.  Users can now add tags to their recordings from the video settings, the editor, or in Panopto Capture. 
  • Smart Chapters — The new Smart Chapters tool automatically creates a table of contents for any recording with a screen capture, including recordings from Zoom.
  • Delete Streams in the Editor — Users can now delete or replace video streams in the editor, allowing for greater flexibility in making changes to recordings.
  • Share interesting points in a video — This feature enables viewers to easily share a link to a specific point in the video with others.
  • Audio Normalization — Users can now make audio levels consistent throughout their recordings with the audio normalization feature in the editor.
  • Updated Mobile apps — New updates to the Panopto app (coming soon) will provide users with enhancements for recording and uploading content from their phones.
Coming Soon: Panopto 9

Coming Soon: Panopto 9

 

Panopto 9.0

Greetings from ITRS! We are pleased to announce the arrival of Panopto 9, Loyola’s official lecture capturing platform. The following features and enhancements are now available to all Loyola users:

  • Panopto Capture – An exciting new web-based recorder that allows users to easily capture video, audio, screens, and applications using a web browser (no software download required).
  • New Mobile Apps – Recently updated apps for Android and iOS provides users with an enhanced and user-friendly experience in Panopto on mobile devices including support for offline recordings, a personalized homepage, an improved search experience, and the ability to record and upload content from your phone.
  • Multi-language captions – Tracks for captions in specific languages are now available in recording settings. Creators can add captions in multiple languages and viewers can easily switch from one language to another.

For more information on Panopto, please visit this guide.

ITRS Updates: February 2020

ITRS Updates: February 2020

Greetings!  

Here is a list of upcoming events, services, and other updates from the ITRS team.  

Upcoming Events

The 5th Annual Information Technology Showcase will take place on February 20th from 9am to 3pm in the Damen Student Center on the 2nd floor. Stop by for a program featuring optional breakout sessions and service provider partner presentations on Zoom, LOCUS, Top Hat, VoiceThread, and many more. We encourage you to register for the showcase for free catered lunch and prize opportunities. 

Training & Support

We offer training sessions for SakaiPanopto, and Zoom.  

For 1:1 assistance, please feel free to utilize our drop-in hours or contact us to schedule an appointment: 

ITSservicedesk@luc.edu 

773.508.4487 

*No drop-ins will be available on February 18th and 20th due to staff conferences and events.  

Panopto Updates

Panopto Updates

Panopto 8.0

Panopto, Loyola’s official lecture capturing platform, now includes new features and functions. Users are now able to access deleted recordings through their Recycling Bin. When embedding video, there is the option to customize the embed size. Additional, the choice is now available for instructors to allow viewers to download their slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote. Coming later in the semester, users will have the option to create and edit videos through the web-based recorder, eliminating the need to install the desktop plugin.

For more information on Panopto, please visit this guide.

Preparing for Sakai 12

Preparing for Sakai 12

What’s New in Sakai 12?

On May 12th, Loyola’s learning management system will be upgrading to Sakai 12. In this upgrade, students, faculty, and staff will see a few updates. Some of these changes include:

  • Improved features in the Assignments, Gradebook, and Lessons tools
  • Accessibility improvements
  • Auto favorite new sites
  • An updated text editor

How to Learn More

Register for Training

If you would like to learn more about the Sakai 12 changes, please register for one of the “What’s New in Sakai 12?” training sessions. We will hold training sessions throughout the next few months. For dates and links to registration, please visit our Sakai 12 Upgrade page.

Attend an Open Forum Discussion

Join one of the Open Forum Discussions on the following dates:

  • March 29th, 2019 – 11:00am – 12:00pm
  • April 26th, 2019 – 11:00am – 12:00pm

To access the open forums join us online at https://luc.zoom.us/my/dropin. Registration is not required– just stop by!

If you are unable to make a training session or an open forum discussion, feel free to contact us at ITRS@luc.edu, so we can schedule another time to present the updates in Sakai 12.