Correct Java version for eClass Blackboard Vista on Windows

For best performance of eClass Blackboard Vista on Windows XP, Vista, or 7, users should avoid using versions 1.6.0_27 or 1.6.0_29. The best choice is to upgrade to the latest version, version 6 update 30 (1.6.0_30), as this has resolved the issues with the chat forum and quizzes that had been identified with version 29 (see the following support post for more information).

To get the latest version of Java, visit www.java.com and click on the ‘Free Java Download’ button.

If you have other system requirements that prevent you from moving to the latest version, the previous stable recommended version is 1.6.0_26.

If you have any questions, please contact us at ctl_at_ualberta.ca.

CTL Technology Services

Decommissioning Timelines for eClass Powered by Blackboard Vista

As we are in the final stages of our LMS transition, Spring 2012 is the last term that credit courses will be offered on eClass powered by Blackboard Vista. We encourage all instructors to run their courses on eClass powered by Moodle if at all possible. Instructors who require the ability to run Summer 2012 courses on eClass Vista can submit their requests to vpit@ualberta.ca.

The last date for instructors to access the eClass Vista system will be August 31, 2012. All static content (content pages, files) from eClass Vista will be backed up and available for migration to eClass Moodle via the course creation system. However, user-generated content (discussion posts, assignment submissions etc.) in eClass Vista will NOT be archived.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ctl_at_ualberta.ca.

eClass Live (Elluminate) Problems with Mac OS X 10.7.x

Instructors who are using eClass Live may experience problems if they are using any version of Mac OS X Lion (10.7.x). This operating system is not compatible with our version of Elluminate.

OS X Lion will work for basic Elluminate session attendance but will not function with either screen/application sharing or with video display. Students using Mac OS X Lion should still be able to access normal sessions without any problems so long as they do not attempt to turn on either video mode or application sharing.

For Instructors who require these features to conduct their Elluminate sessions, the only workaround available is to access from a different machine - either a PC or a Mac not yet upgraded to Lion.

We are working on a system wide update of Elluminate so we can apply a compatibility fix for OS X Lion.

Our apologies for any inconvenience this issue may cause. If you have any questions, please email us at ctl_at_ualberta.ca or phone us at 780-492-9372.

CTL Tech Services

Emergency ePortfolio (Mahara) Outage Today (January 24, 2012) at 5PM

The eClass ePortfolio system (Mahara) will be unavailable at 5:00pm today, January 24th, 2012, for an emergency system update. The update should take approximately an hour to complete and will not affect regular eClass users.

Please postpone any teaching activities already scheduled for this time slot. All users should also ensure that they complete and save any work they might be doing on the system before 5PM today - any unsaved work may be lost.

We apologize for any inconvenience this required outage may cause - if you have any questions, please contact us at ctl_at_ualberta.ca or by phone at 780-492-9372.

RESOLVED: eClass Vista Problems with Java 6 Update 29

Java version 6 Update 30 has resolved the problems with the Blackboard Vista chatroom. For more information, see this support article. This support article is retained for reference only.

Unless necessary, all users of Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 should refrain from updating to the latest version of Java at this time.

Blackboard is aware of this issue and is working on a fix which we will deploy as soon as it is available. This issue will not affect users who only have classes on eClass Powered by Moodle.

If you have already updated your java and are experiencing issues using eClass Powered by Vista, you may need to roll back your java to the previous stable version, 1.6.0_26. Instructions for how to do this are available in this knowledgebase article: https://support.elearning.ualberta.ca/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=31&nav=0,10.

If you are still experiencing any issues, please contact us at 780-492-9372 or by email at ctl@ualberta.ca.

CTL Technology Services