Welcome back! This week I have put together three quick guides to help streamline your Blackboard environment, protect assessment integrity, and make video assignments far easier to manage. Here is what we are covering in this edition:
GoReact vs. YuJa: Choosing the Right Video Tool
Deciding between YuJa and GoReact comes down to your core learning objective: use YuJa for hosting and lectures, or GoReact for performance coaching and time-stamped feedback.
| Feature / Goal | YuJa Lumina | GoReact |
| Primary Focus | Video hosting, screen recording, and interactive quizzes. | Practice, skill assessment, and time-stamped coaching. |
| Best Used For | Lecture recordings, student video essays, and comprehension checks. | Speeches, clinical demos, language practice, and peer reviews. |
| Feedback Style | Standard Blackboard text feedback or basic video comments. | Text, audio, or video comments pinned to specific video frames. |
| Blackboard Setup | Embed via the Content Editor in standard Blackboard Assignments. | Create directly via the Content Market with automatic grade sync. |
Quick Takeaway: Use YuJa as your secure “internal YouTube” when you need students to consume content or submit long-form presentations. Choose GoReact when you need to give precise critique at exact seconds in a performance (e.g., “Notice your eye contact at 01:24”).
For more information, see our Knowledge Base article GoReact v. YuJa.
When Should You Use Respondus LockDown Browser?
Turning on Respondus LockDown Browser (LDB) in your assessment settings locks down a student’s computer environment (blocking printing, screen captures, and external web browsing). However, LDB is designed for proctored environments and does not deter academic misconduct on unproctored home tests.
When to Enable LDB:
- In-Person Testing Centers: When students in NET, HYB, or VCM courses test at any of our five COD Testing Centers (LDB is pre-installed on all center devices).
- On-Campus Classroom Testing: When you are proctoring an in-person class in a campus computer lab. (Please contact servicedesk@cod.edu beforehand to ensure your lab space is ready).
- Virtually Proctored Exams: When teaching a VCM course where you are actively proctoring students live via video.
When NOT to Enable LDB:
- Any non-proctored take-home assessment or assignment.
- Any time students test on personal devices off-campus without live virtual proctoring or an approved Virtual Testing Center exception.
Important Reminders:
- COD tech support is not available for students installing LDB on personal devices—students testing at home should use Respondus Student Help.
- LDB settings do not automatically carry over when copying test content. Always review your assessment settings in new course shells.
For more information, check out the Testing Services SharePoint site.
Taming your Notifications: Focus on What Matters
If you or your students feel like Blackboard Ultra is constantly blowing up your inbox, you are not alone! “Alert fatigue” can cause students to miss critical announcements and due dates.
A few quick adjustments on Day 1 can turn the Activity Stream into a focused command center:
Recommended Instructor Settings:
- Click your Name on the left base navigation menu to open your profile page.
- Under Global Notification Settings on the right, select Email notification settings.
- Set your email frequency to “Email me right away” for urgent items (like Messages or Announcements), or switch to “Send me a daily digest” for lower-priority events.
- Uncheck items you already monitor directly in the Gradebook (such as New Submissions) to keep your inbox clean.
Help Your Students Stay on Track (Syllabus Blurb):
Feel free to drop this ready-to-use snippet directly into your syllabus, Start Here module, or first-week announcement:
Tech Tip: Setting Up Your Blackboard Notifications
To ensure you never miss an important announcement or deadline, please take 2 minutes to check your Blackboard settings:
- Log into Blackboard and click your Name on the left menu to open your profile.
- Under Global Notification Settings, click Email notification settings.
- Choose “Email me right away” for Important Announcements and Due Date Reminders.
- (Optional) Download the Blackboard Mobile App and enable Push Notifications for instant alerts on your phone.
For more information, check out Setting up Notifications
Need Assistance?
Whether you want to set up a GoReact assignment, test your Respondus settings, or fine-tune your course notifications, the Learning Technologies team is here to help!
Reach out to us anytime:
- Call: (630) 942-2490
- Email: learningtech@cod.edu
- Drop In: SRC 3401
Have a fantastic rest of your week!
Tim
