Update on QMplus Performance

You will be aware that we experienced problems with QMplus during the first few weeks of term.  We apologise for the disruption this has caused staff and students, and would like to thank IT Services who have worked tirelessly with our hosting company, CoSector, to find a solution. We are pleased to report that QMplus now appears to be stable, although it will continue to be closely monitored until we are satisfied the root cause has been fully resolved.

We are keenly aware of how fundamental QMplus is to teaching and learning at QM and we are reviewing our options to ensure its future stability. If you have any questions about the recent problems or what you should tell your students, please contact us on elearning@qmul.ac.uk.

Engaging with students using Q-Review

Steven Buckingham is a senior lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at QMUL. He strongly believes that using technology in teaching can make us work better and enhance student learning experience. Watch this short video to find out how you can make your lectures on Q-Review highly interactive without much technical expertise. As a result, you can significantly increase your interaction with students, getting a better idea of how effective your teaching is and how well the students are benefiting from it.

Don’t be spooked by QMplus Assessment Information

Currently there are various ways to highlight assessments and assessment information in QMplus. Two popular tools that are currently available are the Assessment Information Block and the Assessment Information Tab. We are planning to move away from the Assessment Information Tab in favour of the Block and at our last Learning Technologist Group meeting we discussed several features and benefits of the Block. Our in-house developers will also continue to develop the Assessment Information block based on users requests. Please take a look at our webpage for more information – Assessment Information Block Versus Tab.

Changes to video assignments

We have an increasing number of staff using video assignments to assess their students. During the QMplus upgrade over the summer, we changed the way this works. If you used video assignments in the past, you need to be aware of how things have changed. If you’ve never tried a video assignment, maybe you’d like to find out how easy it is?

Previously, if you wanted students to submit a video assignment, you had to add a special video assignment activity in your QMplus area. We have now removed this dedicated video assignment activity and videos can be submitted through a standard QMplus assignment activity.

Videos aren’t submitted by uploading a video file for the assignment. Students still have to upload their videos to QMplus Media first, but now they just click the QMplus Media icon when they are submitting their assignment, and choose the video they want to submit. When marking a video assignment, you now have access to the full range of tools provided by QMplus and students find their grades and feedback in Gradesplus.

You can read more about this in our Changes to video assignments article which includes links to more detailed guides for staff and students.

Staff development opportunities in November

Workshops

• Wednesday 13th November 2-4pm – Getting Started with QMplus – a practical 2 hour session aimed at those new to our online learning enviornment or anyone who’d like a refresher.

Spaces on our workshops are limited, go to our course booking system to book yourself a place. Workshops take place in the E-Learning Studio, room 0.09 of the Scape East building.

Drop-in Sessions and Book a Learning Technologist

Drop-in sessions run every Tuesday and Thursday from 1-2 pm in the E-Learning Studio on the Mile End campus for any member of staff who needs help with the use of technology in their teaching. There’s no need to book, just turn up on the day and a member of the team will be available to help.

If you’d like to discuss something in more detail, appointments are available through our Book a Learning Technologist service. Book a one hour appointment with a member of the team to discuss your use of technology in more detail.