Technology at UMBC

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is responsible for administering all technology functions at UMBC, including support for use of Instructional Technology. Please refer to the following Instructional Technology resources for answers to questions about classroom technology, Blackboard, clickers, and multi-media production services:

Additionally, through the Technology Support Center, DoIT provides help in the form of help desk and drop-in sessions (online and in-person).

myUMBC

myUMBC is the University’s centralized site for access to resources such as your UMBC email, calendar, Blackboard course shell, Google Drive, and groups. Once you are in the UMBC system, use the instructions on how to create a myUMBC account. You will need your campus ID, which you can request from your department administrator.

Classroom Technology

UMBC classrooms are equipped with technology to support you in your teaching. However, not all classrooms have the same technology. Please see this list of computing and technology FAQs to determine what technology is available to you in the particular room in which you will be teaching. If you need help or would like to request additional technology for your classroom, contact the A/V Services Office located in Engineering 020 at 410-455-2461 or submit an RT ticket directly to A/V services.

Mac Users: Make sure to bring an adapter to use your computer for sharing presentations, videos, music, etc.

Student Administration (SA)

SA is the software that UMBC uses to register students for classes and track their progress. Please visit the Registrar’s Student Administration (SA) website for “how to” documentation. If you have a myUMBC account but do not have access to your class roster, please click on the “records and registration” form on the SA access forms page. See the Teach a Class Wiki for guides on how to view a class roster, understand waitlists and class permissions, and submit grades at the end of the semester.

A word of caution: The How-To’s include topics such as “Granting Permission” and “Granting Exceptions.” These topics are useful if you need to over-enroll a student or allow a student to enroll without prerequisites. It is strongly recommended that you check with your department for departmental policies before over-enrolling or enrolling a student without a prerequisite.

Blackboard

Blackboard Ultra is UMBC’s learning management system (LMS), a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of course content and materials. Please see these frequently asked questions about Blackboard:

The Instructional Technology team offers support and resources on Blackboard Ultra including training webinars and programs and individual consultations. They have an extensive FAQ page for Blackboard for both faculty and students that has helpful articles (browse the menu on the left), including articles in the “Getting Started in Blackboard” section. If you have a specific question or would like to request a consultation, please submit a RT ticket for Blackboard support and someone will reach out to you.

If your name (not generic STAFF) is not associated with the course you are teaching in the Schedule of Classes (SOC), please see your Departmental Scheduling Coordinator to resolve the issue. If your course was recently assigned to you in the SOC, please allow up to 48 hours to see the Blackboard shell. If you and your Department Scheduling Coordinator believe you are correctly assigned as the instructor of record in the SOC, submit a RT ticket via my.umbc.edu/help.

A Blackboard shell is automatically created for every course at UMBC. Instructors who teach multiple sections of the same course will see a separate Blackboard course shell for each section or course component.

Course shells may be merged or removed upon request using the Blackboard Course Merge or Removal form (UMBC login required). Please submit this form at least one week before the semester starts, if not sooner. Please note that courses should not be merged or split after student grade data and engagement activity is recorded, since it will be purged as part of the separation process.

Of course, instructors are not required to use Blackboard, but you might find that there are some good reasons for using it, such as:

  • Blackboard is supported by DoIT.
  • It is easier for students if they only have to visit one site for all their courses.
  • Using a site on the internet-at-large tempts students to go wandering around to other sites (email, facebook, etc.).
  • Blackboard tracks activity so students can see how they compare with peers in terms of how much they are engaging with materials online.
  • Blackboard offers a grade book so that students can see how they are doing in class.
  • Blackboard has many tools available with a good amount of flexibility. Chances are, Blackboard can help you do what you want it to do.

In fact, Blackboard offers so many choices that sometimes it can seem overwhelming. It may be easier, then, to start with the question, What do I want students to do? Once you know the answer to that, then consider if Blackboard might have a way to make it easier, faster, or simply better.

If you would like help thinking through a teaching issue or a teaching with technology issue, contact the FDC.

Akindi Bubble Sheets

Instructors can score objective tests using Akindi Bubble Sheets (a Scantron Alternative). This flexible, easy to use tool allows instructors to print and score bubble sheets from any local printer/scanner. This can be particularly useful for faculty who are teaching large classes. For more details, please see DoIT’s dedicated FAQ page for Akindi. If you have questions, please contact the Instructional Technology team via RT.

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