On September 30, our extended licenses with Kaltura and Echo 360 concluded.  This means that we no longer have access to either Kaltura or Echo 360.

As previously announced, the Video at Wentworth working group – part of the LIT Advisory Committee – selected a new enterprise video platform called Panopto.  LIT worked closely with the team at Panopto to migrate all Kaltura and Echo360 content to our new system.

If you need help re-linking the videos in your course from either Kaltura or Echo using the new Panopto platform, please do not hesitate to contact us at lit@wit.edu.

We are here to assist you and ensure a smooth transition to our new platform. Learn more about the new LIT Panopto support site!

Wentworth is committed to continuous progress towards digital accessibility.  This fall begins the implementation of Ally, a tool in Bb Learn that scans content, provides feedback on how accessible the content is, gives tips on how to make improvements, and allows users to download more accessible versions of the content. A pilot with test courses begins this fall, partnering with the Accessible Digital Content Committee, LIT Advisory, Facilities and Equipment, and Wentworth Student Government to pilot Ally with test courses. Rollout continues in the Spring with live courses. The goal is continuous progress and to support that fall activities include:

• September/October: Ally Overview and Institutional Reporting training for the Digital Accessibility Committee
• Training workshop and materials for pilot participants – October
• October: Workshop for academic coordinators on how to make word documents accessible
• October-December: Experiment with Ally on test courses and live courses on request
• Fall: Launch website wit.edu/accessibility
• Spring: extend use, demonstrations by pilot participants, turn on for all courses, provide training to community on how to make electronic content accessible
• Ongoing: Education, communication, demonstrations, workshops … progress not perfection!

Interested in participating in this important work? Join in and get involved!

The time is right to launch a Task Force to re-assess important features and uses of a learning management system (LMS) at Wentworth and choose the best system to meet our needs in the future. This is based on campus feedback and the Bettering Learner Engagement Study. Data showed both mixed satisfaction with Blackboard Learn (our current LMS), positive impacts on student learning with targeted usage of the LMS when aligned with pedagogical practices, and students’ desire for instructors to use the LMS in their courses.

The goal of the LMS Task Force is to explore and document uses, needs, and requirements of Wentworth’s LMS, assess solutions to meet those needs, and decide the future LMS. The Task Force will also explore and recommend course template and use of the LMS to foster student success. Ideally, the LMS choice would be made by end of Spring 2019 term, or early Fall 2019 if additional time is needed. After the decision, implementation planning begins.

The LMS Taskforce includes members of the LIT Advisory Committee, the Facilities and Equipment Senate Sub-Committee, and Wentworth Student Government.

Your voice is critical so please participate as we collect feedback on important LMS features, uses, and requirements:

• October: student poll questions in Bb and open forums (face to face and virtual)
• October/November: a faculty survey during your department meeting
• December/January: faculty open forum
• November: academic leadership discussion at Dean/Chair meeting
• November: staff open forums

Please feel free to reach out to LMS Taskforce colleagues with questions, concerns, and input. This work is very much a shared governance, open and transparent process.

For more insight into Bb use from the student perspective, read the Blackboard Student Experience at Wentworth.

For insight into how faculty implement Bb tools in their courses to support classroom delivery and student learning, read the analyzing data from Blackboard blog.

LIT is pleased to announce the launch of the new Panopto support site!

Panopto is the institution’s new enterprise video platform, replacing Echo360 and Kaltura.

We created this support site to better serve our users by providing links to Wentworth created step by step user guides, Panopto created support videos and links to ongoing webinars and training sessions offered by Panopto and LIT.

We plan to expand this site by creating ongoing Faculty Spotlight segments featuring Wentworth faculty and staff who use Panopto in exciting and innovative ways.

Meantime, we invite you to visit the site and take advantage of the growing list of resources found on the page including how to get started using this exciting tool.

For more information about Panopto, please reach out to the LIT team via email at lit@wit.edu and schedule an individual training consultation. Please also check our events page for webinars and training sessions.

The LIT Panopto support site can be found at this URL: https://wit.edu/lit/panopto