CSU Transitions to the New RamCT Blackboard

CSU is preparing to upgrade from RamCT to “RamCT Blackboard” for online teaching and learning at the start of the Summer semester in May 2012. See Transition TIMELINE

The current version of RamCT will no longer be used for teaching after the Spring 2012 semester. (It will be available for finishing grade incompletes and content reference through May 2013.)

A pilot of 50 courses is running in Spring 2012.

Migration of Courses brings previous content and files from RamCT into RamCT Blackboard.

Instructors will need time to explore and may move things around. As in any semester, instructors will need to perform semester preparations such as updating the due dates and setting adaptive release criteria. It is highly recommended that instructors plan ahead to learn the new system and develop content early. See:

• Instructor Checklist (roadmap)
• Where to Develop Content
• FAQs - (includes highlights of biggest differences)
• Instructor Resources (links to training, How-to's, and many online resources)

Instructor Checklist

CSU is moving to RamCT Blackboard in May 2012. All RamCT sections from Summer/Fall 2011 were migrated to RamCT Bb and are available in RamCT Blackboard. Spring 2012 migration will be completed at the end of May 2012.

If you need Spring 2012 content before the end of May so that you can prepare your content for a summer course, send an email to: ramctsupport@colostate.edu and include the specific RamCT section number (e.g. HIST-100 section 005).

It takes time to prepare to teach in RamCT Bb. Start early! We recommend:

☑	1. Request your Teaching Course	Primary instructors, REQUEST YOUR TEACHING COURSE for Summer or Fall 2012 in ARIESweb. (Your teaching assignment must be entered in ARIESweb first by your department scheduler.)
☑	2. Become familiar with RamCT Blackboard	Explore videos, training, how-to's, Bb Orientation Course. See Instructor Resources.
☑	3. Prepare your content	Start fresh – develop new content in your blank Teaching course. See Getting Started. Or Update your content in your Migrated course (see Guide for Migrated Courses), then perform a COURSE COPY to move prepared content into your blank Teaching Course.
☑	4. Teach in RamCT Blackboard!	Use RamCT Blackboard to teach in Summer and Fall 2012!

Blackboard Mobile Pilot

RamCT Blackboard has a mobile learn component that certain courses will test during the spring 2012 RamCT Blackboard pilot.

• The Mobile Learn App allows users to see and read course content, post to discussion boards or blogs.
• The Mobile App is NOT designed to create course content, upload course assignments, take online tests/assessments, chat, etc.

This free version of the Mobile Learn App is available to and can be used by:

• Sprint customers on their Android, Palm OS or Blackberry smart phones.
• iDevice users via wireless connection (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch).

Once we have tested the mobile component during the spring 2012 pilot, CSU will then decide whether to obtain a license to open up the mobile component to users who have Verizon, AT&T, etc. as their smart phone carrier.

Use the links below to download the Blackboard Mobile Learn App which will allow users to view content in their RamCT Blackboard pilot courses.

1. Once you have the app installed, search for and click on Colorado State University.
2. Enter your CSU eID name and password.

• iDevices - Wireless
  (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)
• Sprint Android
• Sprint Palm OS
• Sprint Blackberry

RamCT Blackboard Mobile Learn Documents

• Faculty and Mobile Learn
• Mobile Learn Feature Guide By Device
• Best Practices For A Mobile Friendly Course

For wireless iDevices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)

Go to the Apple App store.
Search for the Blackboard Mobile Learn app.
Download and install this app on your iDevice.
Launch the app and search for Colorado State University.
Log in with your CSU eID.

For Sprint Android users:

From the Android Market on your phone search for the Blackboard Mobile Learn app.
Download this app and install it on your Spring Android phone.
Launch the app and search for Colorado State University.
Log in with your CSU eID.

For Sprint Palm OS users:

Click on the Palm App catalog and search for the Blackboard Mobile Learn app.
Download and install the app.
Launch the app and search for Colorado State University.
Log in with your CSU eID.

For Sprint BlackBerry users:

Go to the site listed below to download and install the appropriate version of the Mobile Learn app

http://www.blackboard.com/resources/mobile/mobile_learn_splash/desktop/portal-nonsprint.html#blackberry

Launch the app and search for Colorado State University.
Log in with your CSU eID.

RamCT Blackboard Transition Timeline

CSU is upgrading to RamCT Blackboard in 2012. These two charts show the main milestones:

FALL 2011	SPRING 2012	SUMMER 2012	FALL 2012
RamCT is used for teaching.		RamCT Blackboard is used for teaching.
RamCT Blackboard system setup.	RamCT Blackboard is in PILOT. 50 courses	RamCT is retired - no longer used for teaching. RamCT available for content reference and finishing grade incompletes through May 2013
Summer 2011 RamCT sections are migrated.	Fall 2011 RamCT sections are migrated.	Spring 2012 RamCT sections are migrated.
	Instructors develop course content in RamCT Blackboard!
	Instructors participate in training for RamCT Blackboard.
	Everyone can sample RamCT Blackboard “Orientation Course” from the Student perspective.

RamCT Course Migration Schedule

All courses in the last 3 semesters in RamCT will be migrated for instructors to the new RamCT Blackboard system according to this schedule:

Summer 2011 sections	Migrated on November 4, 2011	Available January 2012
Fall 2011 sections	Migrated on January 1, 2012
Spring 2012 sections	Migrated on May 21, 2012	Available May 2012

Note: Prior sections can be migrated by special request; send email to: ramctsupport@colostate.edu.

Where To Develop Content in RamCT Blackboard

Content can be developed in RamCT Blackboard by instructors and course designers beginning in February 2012.

During this transition to RamCT Blackboard there are three places where content can be developed; however, all teaching is done from "Teaching Courses":

1. Migrated Course: Courses that were taught in RamCT in summer or fall 2011, or spring 2012 are migrated into RamCT Blackboard. Instructors, if you want to use content from summer/fall 2011 or spring 2012, use your migrated courses! Content and files convert well, however instructors need to verify and update content, and may want to add new tools. See Guide for Migrated Courses.
   • Migrated courses never have students; content must be copied into a Teaching course.
2. Development Course: Instructors, if you do not have a migrated course, and a Teaching course is not available (teaching assignment is not yet in ARIES), you can request a development course in ARIESweb. <LINK>
   • Development courses never have students; content must be copied into a Teaching course.
3. Teaching Course: Starting in March/April: Primary Instructors can request a Teaching course for summer or fall 2012. (Teaching assignment must be entered into ARIES by the department scheduler first.) In the Teaching course content can be developed from scratch, or copied in from a migrated or development course.
   • Teaching courses are populated with student enrollments, and are made available and unavailable (opened and closed) to students systematically before and after the semester.

Three Places to Develop Content

1. Use your Migrated Course if you have one!
2. Request a Development Course in ARIESweb if you don’t have a Migrated course and your teaching assignment is not yet in ARIES.
3. Once your teaching assignment is in ARIES, you can request your Teaching Course in ARIESweb, then create content from scratch or copy content in from a Migrated or Development course.

Guide for Migrated Courses

Migration Basics

• Content migrates well! (For the most part…)
• Migrated courses are ready for you according to the RamCT Course Migration Schedule.
• Migrated courses never have students. After updating content in a Migrated course, instructors will copy content into a RamCT Blackboard Teaching Course.
• Teaching courses can be requested by primary instructors in ARIESweb, see How-To.
• Because of the new functions and different steps in RamCT Blackboard, migrated content will be in different places and needs updating.

Resources for working with your migrated courses

READ THIS ONE – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
“Getting Started with a Course Moved from RamCT to RamCT Blackboard” - by Blackboard
An introduction to the tasks that Instructors and Designers should undertake after moving a course from RamCT (CE8) to RamCT Blackboard (Blackboard Learn).

“Understanding the Change” - Chart by Blackboard
Maps the terminology used in RamCT (CE8) to the terminology used in the new RamCT Blackboard (Blackboard Learn 9), and lists all major feature changes.

FAQs, Tips, and What’s New?
Many things changed from RamCT to RamCT Blackboard. See the most notable!

Instructor Resources
See Workshops & Handouts, How-To’s, Blackboard Videos, the Blackboard online instructor manual, and an Orientation course.

Steps to prepare content for teaching in RamCT Blackboard

1. Log in to work with Migrated Content
2. Verify content and fix broken links
3. Recreate grade book calculations
4. Update content to take advantage of the new functionalities
5. Perform normal semester updates
6. Test content with a true student test account
7. Copy content into a Teaching course for use with students.

Training and Resources

There are many ways to become familiar with RamCT Blackboard, find answers, and improve or expand your online teaching.

Everyone can explore the “RamCT Blackboard Orientation Course” as a student.  Become familiar with the new navigation and workflows of submitting assignments, taking exams, viewing grades, and more from the student perspective.

Blackboard.com Video clips and CSU How-To documents are available online.

Hands-on training for instructors, teaching assistants, and course designers will be scheduled throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall 2012.

Open computer lab sessions will be offered. RamCT Blackboard Coordinators and central RamCT staff will be available to assist instructors and course designers with migrated or new content development.

CSU’s The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) website offers Best Practices and Course Design Tips.

Challenges and Tips

Challenges of Moving to RamCT Blackboard

RamCT Blackboard is a big change. Over time, these changes will feel like improvements!

Be prepared for:

• New interface & new ways of doing things
• Grade Center setup
• Check links & tools with true student account.
• New software will have some bugs!
• Plan time to learn the new system – It’s really different!

Tips for Success

• Be flexible & patient, we are all learning.
• Keep a sense of humor.
• Prepare content in RamCT Blackboard EARLY!

Advice from CSU Agriculture instructor, Steve Newman:

• This is an opportunity to re-invent! There are more tools than before.
• Snoop – Look at other’s courses: your colleagues, Poudre School District, Blackboard Exemplary Courses
• Make sure you prepare your computer.
• Be fearless! Students can smell fear.
• Use what you already know. And experiment: try out the tools and learn what they do. You cannot break it!
• Be consistent.
• Consider building your file structure before you build your course.
• Watch videos and ask for help – don’t waste too much time trying to figure it out alone.
• Make sure you log in to your course as a student, and use multiple computers and different browsers for testing.