Here is the E-Learning Unit Newsletter for February 2016. We hope you find this month’s articles useful.

QMplus Update – What’s happening in March

On Tuesday, 22nd March 2016, we will be making some exciting updates to QMplus. These updates will fix some outstanding issues as well as release new functionality to QMplus. Here are some of the items that are being planned for this release:

• Grades Plus: We plan to release a limited pilot version of our new ‘Grades Plus’ functionality – this feature allows students to be able to see their progress compared with the rest of their cohort via graphs and histograms. This feature will be currently piloted by SBCS, Maths and Blizzard.
• Anonymous Assignment Submission Downloads: Staff who use the ‘blind marking’ feature in QMplus will be able to download the students submissions and include student ID’s and usernames. This will allow staff to be able to retain anonymity, but be able to locate a specific students submission  in exceptional circumstances.
• Turnitin Version 2: This feature is still being tested. Based on results of testing, we will then be able to determine whether or not this plugin will be included in the March release.

Featured tool: Ask the audience with Mentimeter

At this year’s Teaching and Learning Conference we were debating the motion “The main function of university teaching is to ensure students get a better job”. The Educational Development team from the CAPD made use of a system called Mentimeter, to gather audience votes before and after the debate. As is often the way when people see something at an event, we’ve had a number of queries about the technology, how it works and how people might use it themselves. Read our Ask the audience with Mentimeter article to find out more about this tool and also to find out the results of the debate.

Changes to QMplus Media

There will shortly be changes to QMplus Media,  The underlying software, MediaCore, has been acquired by a company called Workday who have decided to discontinue the product. We would like to assure our users that we are working towards finding a replacement for the current service as soon as possible (well before August 2016). We will also ensure that existing media content will be migrated into the new service, including replacing any links for currently distributed content, such as embedded links within QMplus. Read more

Q-Review issues

On Tuesday the 23^rd of February 2016, fixes were applied to Q-Review to resolve the following issues:

1. Personal capture (PCAP) issue – where captures made with PCAP or uploaded videos were resulting in audio-only captures.
2. Editing issue – problem where edits were failing to process on 2+ hours captures.

Staff development opportunities

We have a number of scheduled sessions running in March:

• Essential Video Skills – 01 March 2016 10.00am
• Getting Started with QMplus – 10 March 2016 10.30am
• Introduction to Video Editing – 21 March 2016 14.00pm

Please see our online course booking system for further details and to book yourself a place. 

For staff with quick questions, we’re running  drop-in sessions every Tuesday and Thursday 13:00-14:00 in the E-Learning Studio on the Mile End campus. Due to low uptake, we are currently not running drop-ins at Whitechapel.

Our ‘Book a Learning Technologist’ service allows you to book time with a member of the E-Learning Unit to discuss any e-learning ideas that you might have. Sessions are now available for March and you can book them via QMplus.

Top Helpdesk questions this month 

• Dashboard on my landing page keeps spinning
• I am unable to access Q-Review

Above are just two of the common questions our support team have been getting this month.  Read our post to find out the most common e-learning questions and their solutions.

QMUL hosting MUGGL and M25 meetings

On Wednesday March 16th, QMUL will be hosting both the MUGGL (Moodle User Group Greater London) and M25 (M25 Learning Technologists Group) meetings. The MUGGL meeting will take place in the morning and has training and support and usability as its themes. This meeting is attended by representatives of institutions in the London area who are using Moodle (QMplus is Moodle). The M25 meeting in the afternoon will be focussed on issues around digital literacy. The M25 group is generally attended by people in Learning Technologist type roles and provides an opportunity to meet others in the London area.

If you are interested in attending either of these events, please get in touch with the E-Learning Unit on elearning@qmul.ac.uk.