2017 Module Rollover Complete

The Module Rollover for 2017 has been completed, and modules have been released to instructors. All modules due to run in 2017/18 have been rolled over.

To see your 2017/18 modules, change the display of modules to Showing: Everything (you may have to scroll through the list/use the Search to find them). We will switch the default displayed year on the Modules tool to 2017/18 after resit examinations.

Instructors should be aware that not all content types can be rolled forward and will need tweaks or rebuilding for the new semesters.  Content items may need reordering and adaptive release rules will need to be checked, particularly if you have used dates.

A manual load of staff and student enrolments has been processed today, based on Banner data from Thursday 15th June. Automatic feeds for 2017/18 will be enabled from Monday evening.

Please refer to the VLE Service Rollover guide for guidance on next steps and a list of FAQs.

Please note:
Organisations aren’t rolled, organisation spaces for 17/18 need to be requested. Further information is available in the Rollover guide.

From 27th July, the VLE and Portal will be combined into one service called Minerva, which will look and feel different to the current Portal. This is the new way in which you will access your VLE modules. The Library Blog has the latest posts and information regarding the new service.

2017 Module Rollover

The Module Rollover for 2017 has been completed.

All modules due to run in 2017/18 have been rolled over, with content copied from the previous year. Any new modules will be empty but have the standard VLE template.

Please note: Staff and Student enrolments have yet to be added to the new modules. We anticipate that enrolments will be added and maintained from some point next week. We will update you on our Blog: https://vleservice.wordpress.com, our mailing list, and our twitter feed. https://twitter.com/leedsvlesupport.

2017 VLE Summer Upgrade

We are planning to upgrade the VLE this summer during the agreed maintenance period:

Tuesday 11th July until late Wednesday 12th July*

*Additionally, Thursday 13th July may be used for upgrade contingencies if necessary.

While the VLE is being upgraded it will not be available, hence no content will be accessible.

Staff: Do not schedule formative or summative assessment or electronic assignment hand-ins through the VLE for the above dates (including the contingency day).

Students: Plan for the VLE downtime by retrieving material you know you will need.

Please do blog, repost and publicise this message widely, using the permalink to this post:

https://vleservice.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/2017-vle-summer-upgrade/

Resolved – Turnitin receipt issues

From the 02/05/17 to 31/05/17 some users may not have received email receipts for assignments submitted to Turnitin. This has now been resolved.

Any receipts that students have not received via email up to 31/05/17 will not be resent. Students can still download the digital receipt manually, information on how to do this can be found in our previous blog posting: https://vleservice.wordpress.com/2017/02/14/intermittent-email-receipts-from-turnitin/

If students don’t receive an email receipt within 24 hours of a submission on or after 01/06/17 then please contact the IT Service Desk so we can follow up the issue.

Comments are welcome, however if you need help or advice please contact the IT Helpdesk on tel (0113) 343 3333, via the online contact form, or helpdesk@leeds.ac.uk.VLE Service

Bringing you a new Portal and VLE

Summer will bring a major new development from the Library and University IT services. A new University portal is being built in Blackboard, the existing VLE platform, and the two are merging to form a new service called Minerva.

The launch date for the new Minerva Portal and VLE service is 27th July.

Minerva will continue to provide much the same functionality as the existing Portal but will have a more modern design and will be mobile responsive. Module areas in the VLE will not change, but they will be accessed through a new interface, including an updated list of modules and organisations with some new functionality.

The staff experience of the module interface will be largely unchanged, and we’ll update you here with the changes and fixes expected in this year’s Blackboard upgrade.

For students, we’re bringing together your Portal and VLE tools into a task-based design which we hope will put the tools and services you need most in easy reach.

Administrative staff preparing materials which reference either the Portal or VLE  will need to review documentation for students which refers the portal or the VLE . For more information see https://blog.library.leeds.ac.uk/blog/portal-help/post/533

As we get closer to the launch date you’ll start to see familiarisation guides for staff and students, hints, tips and screenshots, so check back here or subscribe to our Twitter feed to stay up to date.

How can non paid, external staff or PhD students get staff access to modules?

Non paid, external staff or PhD students often need staff access to modules to teach or grade and must get a staff IT username to use specialised tools such as Turnitin.

They will get a staff IT username which needs to be associated to a staff ID number, meaning they can be enrolled via Banner.

Faculty IT need to approve the IT user account and Central HR will have to provide the user with a Staff ID. Once this is finalised, enrolments will come from Banner overnight.

We recommend the Teaching Assistant module role for PhD Students. This allows them to edit the module/access the Grade Centre. Other roles are described in our roles guide.

Remember that if someone needs to see a module but not edit or grade, staff on the module can enrol them as a student.

Comments are welcome, however if you need help or advice please contact the IT Service Desk on tel (0113) 343 3333, or helpdesk@leeds.ac.uk.