LearnUCS Summer Upgrade

LearnUCS is scheduled to be upgraded on Saturday 19th July to the latest stable Blackboard release (9.1.201404.160205). This will involve the service being unavailable on the Friday 18th from 17.00, being upgraded on the Saturday, tested by the Elevate Team on Sunday 20th, and available by 8.00am on Monday 21st (if not earlier).

We have already worked with Blackboard to complete a successful upgrade on our test environment which has passed our Phase 1 Test Plan. This is great news, and means we are very confident to be able to deliver the upgrade on the live LearnUCS platform within the timeline above.

The latest version will provide some enhanced functionality around common tasks, often requested by Staff and Students. These include:

• Student Preview - An actual student account created on the fly when required
• Anonymous and Delegated Grading
• Deeper SafeAssign Integration

The Elevate Team will be holding two open day sessions where interested parties can come along to find out more about the upgrade and to use those new features in a control environment.  These two dates will be publicised here and on MyUCS in the near future.

A more detailed timeline is available below:

June

Technical: Elevate

• Test Integrations on Test Environment
• Identify common tasks and document how to do this in the new version
• Building Block Management (see risk log) - what about SafeAssign submissions, course merge functionality
• Agree new course template with Academic Services

Project Management

• Communication
• announcement on MyUCS - what are we doing, why are we doing it, why should you benefit, and how to stay informed?
• Communicate with SU - Union Council
• Bi weekly update on Blog, plus ongoing news
• Email briefing to HoS, HoD, HE Coordinators (LN), team leaders
• Presentation to UCS Exec

User testing

• Identify the power groups (staff & system / course admins) and the tasks they need to complete. what did they do? how did they find it? did it meet their needs? do they like it?
• Staff & Student Support
• Design work packages for FAQs and Videos - what scenarios do we need to cover? 

July

Technical: Elevate

• Test SSO from MyUCS to ucstest environment
• Upgrade Production Environment to April 2014 Release (9.1.201404.160205)
• course design applied to Template
• Roll out 14/15 modules

Project Management

• Communication
• Bi weekly update on Blog, plus ongoing news (include myUCS announcement)
• Email briefing to HoS, HoD, HE Coordinators (LN), team leaders
• School & LN roadshow
• Staff & Student Support
• create FAQs and Videos

We will update this blog with more details when they are released, including user scenario videos of the new features.  

Contact elevate@ucs.ac.uk if you would like to discuss this upgrade or if you require any support with LearnUCS.