[myplace-announce] Myplace Update

[learning-technologies]

Dear Colleagues,

There are several updates relating to Myplace - please see below.

Myplace Unavailability Tuesday 17 June and Wednesday 20 August 2014
This is a reminder that Myplace will be unavailable on the morning of Tuesday 17 June 2014 for creation of new 2014-2015 classes – please see original message with more details below.  All registry-based classes will have a new version created for the next academic year, based on this year’s content.  Class pages which are not ‘year’ specific will appear on the new 2014-2015 tab when available, but if you are running a non-registry class now that is due to finish before the session change in August, then please get in touch via the IT helpdesk<http://www.strath.ac.uk/ithelpdesk/> so that we can continue to keep your class page available on the 2013-2014 tab.

Myplace will also be unavailable on Wednesday 20th August 2014 for the ‘session change’ i.e. making the 2013-2014 server an archive and making 2014-2015 the live server.

Note that information about all planned unavailability<http://support.myplace.strath.ac.uk/display/MS/*General*+Planned+Myplace+Downtime>  is always available on our support site<http://support.myplace.strath.ac.uk/display/MS/*General*+Planned+Myplace+Downtime> linked from the top ‘About’ menu on Myplace, and takes into account dates such as exams/resits and the beginning and end of term which varies by department/school.

Key Change to Use of Turnitin
For 2014-2015, there will be a key change to the use of the Turnitin plagiarism checking service to which the University subscribes.  This is based on user feedback that separate assignment types would be better consolidated into one, the potential to improve our provision (making all functionality available in one place) and the work of the University’s Assessment and Feedback Working Group.   Turnitin will now be available as part of the online assignment rather than as a completely separate assignment activity, meaning that Turnitin can be used alongside all Moodle features such as group assignments, return of files as feedback and blind marking.  Staff can still use Turnitin’s GradeMark tool if preferred.  Classes which currently use the Turnitin assignment will be copied over for 2014-2015 with a 'marker' on the page to indicate where a new online assignment should be created to replace the separate Turnitin assignment.

Use of Turnitin as part of the online assignment was piloted successfully within the University’s Business School throughout 2013-2014 – you can read more about this on the Myplace Staff User Group forum on current developments<http://classes.myplace.strath.ac.uk/mod/forum/view.php?id=606915>.

Myplace Training
As with previous years, we will run workshops <https://bookings.strath.ac.uk/courseDetails.asp?course=M14W> over the summer period (June-September) to present a summary of new features and allow staff to work on their own classes with support staff on hand.  Other related training courses will continue to run as normal; Getting Started With Myplace and TALON (Teaching and Learning Online).  All Myplace Training<https://bookings.strath.ac.uk/searchResults.asp?provider=Learning%20Technology%20Enhancement%20Team> can be booked online now.

Myplace Staff User Group
Please use the Myplace Staff User Group<http://classes.myplace.strath.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=19312> to engage in discussion about Myplace development at any point throughout the academic year.  There are topics in the discussion forum on current developments<http://classes.myplace.strath.ac.uk/mod/forum/view.php?id=606915> relating to Turnitin and blind marking should you wish to contribute now.

Myplace User Questionnaire

The Myplace User Feedback Questionnaire 2013-2014<https://strath.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eeUwlwp075i5fg1> is open until Monday 16 June.  Please respond to help inform and prioritise future developments for Myplace and its support at the University.



Please contact the IT helpdesk<http://www.strath.ac.uk/ithelpdesk/> if you have queries about any of the items above or any other aspect of Myplace.

Best Wishes

Caroline Breslin


Caroline Breslin
Learning Enhancement Manager
(Faculty of Engineering Contact)

From: learning-technologies
Sent: 28 March 2014 16:52
To: 'myplace-announce at lists.strath.ac.uk'; 'aca-res-staff at lists.strath.ac.uk'
Subject: Myplace unavailable on morning of Tuesday 17 June 2014 for creation of new 2014-15 classes

Dear Colleagues,

Myplace unavailable on morning of Tuesday 17 June 2014 for creation of new 2014-15 classes

Please note that Myplace classes for next academic year 2014-2015 will be created and made available in June 2014.  New versions of Myplace classes are created annually and the timing is based on your feedback that these classes should be available to work on over the summer months.

To allow this to happen, Myplace will be unavailable from 7am – 12 noon on Tuesday 17 June 2014 to enable content to be copied from class pages.  The new tab with 2014-2015 classes will be available for use by the end of that week, with content copied from the 2013-2014 class pages and a number of upgrades and new features for 2014-2015 class pages including the following:


·        Newer version of Moodle (version 2.6)

·        Provision for reading lists, scanned items and exam papers to be shown on class pages which have enrolments for more than one class code

·        New features in ‘My Notices’ based on staff feedback, allowing deletion of notices and targeting of class groupings as well as groups of students

Students will be notified of this service disruption and reminders issued to staff 4 weeks and 1 week in advance.  There will be a further maintenance slot in August 2014 to enable the session change to 2014-2015 before the new academic year begins – details of this will be announced in due course.

Note that information about planned downtime is always available on our support site<http://support.myplace.strath.ac.uk/display/MS/*General*+Planned+Myplace+Downtime> linked from the top ‘About’ menu on Myplace.  Please contact the IT helpdesk<http://www.strath.ac.uk/ithelpdesk/> if you have any queries about this or any other aspect of Myplace.

Best Wishes

Caroline Breslin

Caroline Breslin
Learning Enhancement Manager
(Faculty of Engineering Contact)


[THE LOGO 2013]
The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, Number SC015263

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