D2L Migration Frequently Asked Questions

1. What happens to the content I currently have in Blackboard?

2. Will all of my Bb course content and materials move to D2L?

3. Are publisher course cartridges compatible with D2L?

4. When will the Shippensburg D2L system be available?

5. Who do I contact for questions or more information?

6. Will we still have access to Bb?

7. When is the earliest we can access D2L?

8. Does D2L lack any tools that Bb DOES have? What about the building Blocks?

9. What are the key benefits of D2L?

10. When will official training be available?

11. Is there any data that will not migrate to D2L?

12. How will I log into D2L?

13. How do I Get Support?

14. Is there a mobile application for D2L?

 What happens to the content I currently have in Blackboard?

To ease the transition from Bb to D2L the content will be migrated by PASSHE and D2L to new D2L classroom spaces.

  Will all of my Bb course content and materials move to D2L?

All files, announcements, tests, instructor added content will move to the new LMS. However, wikis, blogs, archived Wimba sessions, and discussion board forums/threads will not migrate to the new system. In addition, student-generated content will not move. Student-submitted assignments, grades, discussion board threads/postings will not move to the new LMS. The student-generated content and wiki/blog/discussion board generated content will need to be saved by faculty who wish to keep the information. Instructions for accomplishing this task are available on the IDDS website at http://www.ship.edu.

 Are publisher course cartridges compatible with D2L?

Check with the publisher to determine if they provide a compatible course cartridge for the D2L LMS. Most of the major publishers do provide compatible course cartridges.

 When will the Shippensburg D2L system be available?

The Shippensburg D2L system will be rolled out to term 3 faculty first and subsequently to others by late March.  A final date will be announced as soon as it is finalized with the vendor and the PASSHE project team.

  Who do I contact for questions or more information?

Ship's Instructional Design and Development Services (IDDS) staff (Shelley Gross-Gray and Donna Panzo) will continue to be the primary support group for faculty LMS usage at Shippensburg.  Detailed questions about the Blackboard migration and the D2L implementation may be directed to Shelley Gross-Gray (sjgros@ship.edu).

Shelley Gross-Gray, D2L Migration Team Co-Chair
Deb Jacobs, D2L Migration Team Co-Chair
Rick Ruth, Vice President, Information Technology and Services
Chris Sax, Dean, Office of Extended Studies

 Will we still have access to Bb?

Blackboard will be accessible until early June. Preparation for permanently shutting down the Bb servers will begin early/mid-June. The PASSHE Bb license expires on June 30, 2010.

 When is the earliest we can access D2L?

D2L will be available as soon as the set up in the production server has been completed. Faculty can expect access to summer D2L courses after mid-March. If access is available earlier an email announcement will be sent to all faculty.

 Does D2L lack any tools that Bb DOES have? What about the building Blocks?

• Although D2L is a different system, it is capable of the same functionality as Blackboard. 
• Turnitin is compatible with D2L.
• Wimba and Learning Objects are currently in late beta testing of their products with D2L. Releases are planned for July.
  

 What are the key benefits of D2L?

• Exams:  When taking an exam in D2L, the student has a chart on the left side of their screen that shows exactly which questions have been answered and which have not.  Before submitting the exam, D2L notifies the student if any questions are left unanswered.
• Instructor View:  There is no Edit View or Control Panel in D2L.  As an instructor, you will automatically always be in "instructor view".  You also have the ability to switch roles and view the course as a student.
• Locker:  Locker is D2L's own content system.  The file size limit is currently unknown and will be determined by PASSHE.
• Gradebook:  The gradebook interface is more user-friendly.  Instead of having student names in a column on the left side that cause confusion when you scroll to the right and they leave the screen, there are multiple columns with student names throughout the gradebook.  This way, you will always be able to identify and/or enter grades for the correct student.
• Schedule: The schedule tool is a calendar integrated into the system that can help users stay on top of course work and upcoming deadlines.
• User Progress and Attendance: This allows instructors to view all interaction a student has had in a course.  You can view usage patterns in comparison to other students.
• Self Assessment: Can be used to provide practice exercises such as practice exams or activities.

 When will official training be available?

• Online self-paced training is available now check out the  Training Opportunities page.
• Official hands-on D2L training will begin once we have an environment accessible for faculty members.
  

 Is there any data that will not migrate to D2L?

Yes, Gradebook information will be lost. Discussion board postings will remain, but student names will not be associated with posts.

 How will I log into D2L?

Once a D2L environment is available, logging in will be done in the exact same manner as Blackboard, info.ship, and Webmail

 How do I Get Support?

The Ship D2L system administrator and Instructional Design and Development Services staff are available... In addition to the support from the system administrators there will be 24/7 support available through Perciptis (Phone: TBA)

 Is there a mobile application for D2L?

Yes, but it is currently only available for Blackberry devices. There has been no word regarding if/when the application will work on other mobile devices (iPhone, Droid devices, etc...). The application is free to downloa