News

Starting May 19th, the Hypothesis collaborative annotation tool will be added to Canvas.

Beginning in Summer 2025, there will be a slight change to the default configuration of Box links.

There have been a number of small changes to Kaltura in recent weeks, including the ability to download secondary video streams, enabling ad blocker detection on Video Quizzes, and the removal of YouTube entries.

Exciting updates to UDOIT are coming soon, making it easier to create accessible and inclusive Canvas courses!

Data Privacy Week is an annual expanded effort from Data Privacy Day -- taking place from January 27 - 31, 2025. The goal of Data Privacy Week is to spread awareness about online privacy among individuals and organizations. 

Turnitin has been notified by Educational Testing Services (ETS) that they will no longer be supporting their e-rater grammar service in 2025. As a result, Turnitin will be removing e-rater from all of its products as of December 31, 2024.  

The BaylorITS Research Technology team proudly announces the launch of a new area of the BaylorITS website dedicated to guiding researchers to technology resources essential to research, especially grant-funded research. Research Technology connects researchers to consultants, software, services, guides, and additional resources designed to empower R1-level research across the university.

On December 10, 2024, Baylor’s Kaltura video platform will transition our Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) services, which power captioning in videos, from a third-party vendor to Kaltura’s own services.

Baylor will update the default Cidilabs sidebar in Canvas to the new DesignPlus Sidebar. This change is part of our commitment to enhancing course design for instructors while fostering student engagement and accessibility.

Zoom AI Companion has been updated to add or improve functionality.

Bongo has introduced advanced AI features to enhance both student and teacher support, fostering efficiency and enabling feedback for a more impactful learning experience.

While Baylor’s technology systems are designed to be reliable, there’s always a chance that unexpected outages could disrupt your course plans. Being proactive and having backups ready will minimize the impact on your teaching and your students. 

Baylor faculty can now integrate Top Hat and other major publisher tools directly into Canvas for a seamless course material experience.

The Office of the Provost and the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Baylor University proudly present AI Week from October 14-16, 2024.

Certain Rich Content Editor (RCE) features are now available when commenting in SpeedGrader.

Enhance your Canvas courses with Lucid, a powerful visual tool for collaborative learning and creativity.

Canvas has released two new features utilizing generative AI: Smart Search and Discussion Summary.

PlayPosit is a new Canvas tool that allows you to add interactivity to existing videos.

Canvas has released a new Name Pronunciation feature, allowing users to add phonetic pronunciation to their profiles. This addition aims to foster better communication and inclusivity within the platform. 

Canvas has introduced a new feature in their Rich Content Editor (RCE) that allows users to find and replace text within the page.

The flagging system in Respondus Monitor now supports three sensitivity levels: Strict, Standard, and Relaxed. The relaxed setting might be preferred with open-book exams since students often turn away from the webcam to look at notes or books. Strict sensitivity might be appropriate for tests where students aren’t using outside resources like books, calculators, or scratch paper.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is no longer a distant prospect – it's our present reality. Instructure believes that this technology offers immense potential to revolutionize teaching and learning.

In the Canvas Gradebook, the Message Students Who feature is enhanced to allow instructors to message students who have submitted an assignment and exclude excused students.

On April 15, Zoom introduced its latest update, featuring a significant addition: multi-speaker view. This feature, part of the Zoom Workspace release, combines the best elements of gallery and speaker views to offer users an enhanced meeting experience.

A key goal for Respondus Monitor is to reduce false positive flags, which we accomplish in two ways: improving the quality of the videos, and improving their analysis.

LinkedIn Learning is now available within Canvas. Advantages of using the LinkedIn Learning integration are seamless access to LinkedIn Learning for students and gradable content within Canvas.

Introducing the new DesignPlus Sidebar by CidiLabs! This course design tool is a time-saving addition that helps course teachers and designers rapidly build and style eye-popping Canvas courses that make learning and engaging accessible for all students.

After consultation with the Faculty Senate, the Teaching and Learning with Technology Committee, and the Honor Council, the University has decided to allow the AI detection feature within Turnitin.com to expire at the end of December 2023.

Baylor University Information Technology Services invites all faculty and staff to explore the new Bing Chat Enterprise service, which is powered by Microsoft and most easily accessible using Microsoft’s Edge web browser.

Zoom AI Companion, your generative-AI digital assistant, delivers powerful, real-time capabilities to help users improve productivity and work together more effectively. Zoom customers can expect to see AI Companion throughout the Zoom platform, with features currently available for Zoom Meetings.

New Quizzes adds efficient design, robust reporting, and engaging, technology-enhanced item types to your assessment efforts. As Canvas moves toward New Quizzes becoming the native quizzing engine, we want to build awareness of the world-class quizzing features that New Quizzes provides.

Check out the new easy to navigate CampusPress menu that makes locating all your resources needs a breeze.

OLC is here to support you with resources to help with your online teaching and learning goals and objectives.  You already have a membership through Baylor - all you need to do is explore the possibilities.

Kaltura Media Gallery Playlists can now be embedded into Canvas pages using the Kaltura button in the Rich Content Editor.

Unlock the future of classroom interaction: Microsoft Forms' groundbreaking “Present” feature, redefining engagement and transforming the way you connect with your students.

Respondus Monitor now supports screen recording! Instructors can now enable the Screen Recording option on a per exam basis from the LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor Dashboard within Canvas.

The Canvas 24/7 support number for faculty is changing. Previously, students called one toll-free phone number while faculty could call a separate toll-free phone number. The new phone number for all users is now [REDACTED].

As you use Canvas, you may notice our new contextual help pop ups, and the new Support button in the bottom right of each page. These will link you to how-tos and articles that will help you navigate Canvas.

Since the beginning of 2023, Instructure has delivered new and exciting features that improve the teaching and learning experience in Canvas. Learn how these updates save educators time, provide more robust analytics capabilities, improve accessibility, and more.

Learning Systems will be making updates to Kaltura over the summer.  Find out what we are doing.

Respondus has introduced a new screen recording feature in a recent update to their Respondus Monitor product.

As part of a move to the new LTI 1.3 standard, several publisher tools in use at Baylor will be changing. 

In concert with Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Baylor LATS and OALA are hosting a Canvas Content Fix-a-thon to highlight the need for more inclusive digital content and improve accessibility with at Baylor’s new UDOIT accessibility checker.

Zoom is introducing a new streamlined flow for joining meetings.

Canvas has recently introduced a new feature that allows instructors to submit assignments on behalf of their students. This feature can be useful in situations where students have technical difficulties, accessibility issues, or other special circumstances that prevent them from submitting their work online.

Turnitin has announced the launch of its AI writing detection capabilities. This feature will help instructors identify when AI writing tools such as ChatGPT may have been used to write any part of the content submitted in a student’s assignment.

If you are a user of Respondus LockDown Browser or Respondus Monitor, you will want to take note of these new support resources.

Baylor University is proud to announce that it has partnered with Cidi Labs to offer UDOIT Advantage to our faculty. UDOIT Advantage is a powerful tool that helps instructors create accessible and inclusive online courses in Canvas.

The University Libraries and the Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) invite the Baylor community to participate in the 2023 Educational Technology Showcase. Our theme this year is Re: Connected - The Future of University Culture and Technology.

Students who use Microsoft products may encounter challenges or difficulties with accessibility features, compatibility with assistive technology, or compliance with accessibility standards. To help students overcome these challenges, Microsoft offers a free service called Disability Answer Desk.

Instructure is excited to release the latest updates and features for the Rich Content Editor (RCE) in Canvas. To find out more about the RCE feature and updates, click on this article. 

Watch how Instructure's 2022 product updates for Canvas deliver a better student experience, more efficient educator tools, greater accessibility, tighter product integration, more accessible analytics, and more.  Also learn about the 2023 product roadmap.

In a blog post and short video, Turnitin's team shows you around their AI Innovation Lab and walks you through their upcoming AI writing detection capability to give you a glimpse of what their technology can do. 

On Tuesday, November 15, Duo is getting a new look and some new functionality. The new look is streamlined and provides a simplified user experience. As part of the update, we are adding Verified Duo Push when accessing Baylor's Microsoft 365, Ignite, and BearWeb services. With Verified Duo Push, after you Accept a push notification from these systems, you will receive a 6-digit code that must then be entered to verify that the person requesting access is actually logging into the system. To learn more about these changes, visit baylor.edu/helpdesk/duo

The Smart Recording feature allows you to organize your cloud recording into sections called smart chapters, get the key takeaways in a quick and digestible format through recording highlights, and identify action items to take after the meeting or webinar with next steps.

The HelpDesk+ online experience made the move to Baylor’s new Drupal environment. HelpDesk+ looks the same with a few small user interface differences, enhanced accessibility, and a better experience for mobile users. We hope that you enjoy this refreshed HelpDesk+ experience.

LATS has recently updated the Zoom/Canvas Integration as well as added a new integration for Microsoft OneDrive.

The "Show Your Work" feature allows students to upload hi-resolution images of worksheets they've prepared during their exam. If this setting is enabled by the instructor, the student will be given the opportunity to upload photos of their work immediately after they submit their exam.

WordPress 6.0.2 is now available on both of Baylor's CampusPress networks. This upgrade contains several key advancements aimed at making your WordPress content-creating and site-building experience more feature-rich and intuitive.

Turnitin Draft Coach is an add-on to Microsoft Word Online that allows students to perform grammar review, citation checks, and a preliminary originality review.

Courses in Canvas will now have course dates configured rather than section dates to help determine when students have participation access to courses.

Several recent changes have been made to Baylor’s WordPress networks including a new default theme, an updated editor, and many new plugins.

The Learning Design team, in collaboration with faculty from across campus, is excited to launch a six week program for faculty interested in learning the theory and practice of designing and teaching high quality online and hybrid courses.

Instructure is offering a self-paced training course for faculty to help you learn the fundamentals of using Canvas.

Instructure loves connecting 1:1 online to help you get ready to go back to school this fall. Schedule a Panda Pro session today for answers to any of your questions about Canvas by Instructure.

With Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Institutional Membership, all faculty at Baylor have access to and full use of the many great benefits of the membership.

Flipgrid is a video discussion tool from Microsoft that opens up the classroom to make teaching and learning more personal, fun, and engaging. Enable Flipgrid in your course with Flipgrid’s Canvas integration.

On July 21, Zoom will host its inaugural Global Education Summit, a virtual experience focusing on the future of education with an international audience of education leaders, administrators, instructors, and IT professionals.

Zoom Whiteboard is a new visual collaboration solution built right into the Zoom platform that gives educators a virtual whiteboard to share ideas and allow students to work together to solve problems.

Instructors are now able to search for ProQuest documents from within Canvas, select them, and embed them directly for viewing within Canvas courses and assignments.

Instructure is making changes to Canvas on April 16, 2022. Although minor, there are a few important updates to note for teachers and students.

Avatars enable you to replace your appearance with a 3D virtual avatar that mirrors your head movements and facial expressions.

Access to Webex and BigBlueButton within Canvas will end at the end of the spring term. Microsoft Teams and Zoom will serve as Baylor's videoconferencing solutions moving forward.

Instructure has extended the migration deadline for using Classic Quizzes in Canvas until June 30, 2024.

The February 2022 release of Bongo Learn includes user interface updates for Individual and Group Assignments making it easier for students to record video feedback assignments.

Zoom provides numerous security options available to meeting hosts to help secure the Zoom environment.

Download KMS Go - take your videos with you! Kaltura has expanded support for offline viewing in the KMS Go app for iOS and Android.

Turnitin is thrilled to announce that template exclusion within Turnitin Feedback Studio is now available for turnitin.com and Canvas users!

The Zoom Learning Center is a free platform that educates and empowers Zoom users to confidently use Zoom through a series of short, on-demand online courses and videos.

Instructure is making several minor changes to Canvas on January 15 before the start of the spring semester. Although minor, there are several important updates to note for teachers and students.

Two powerful Teams functions - Meetings and Classes - will be integrated into Canvas in December, providing new ways to connect with course participants.

A change to the Quizzes function in Canvas is scheduled to take place by July 2022, with "New Quizzes" taking its place for all instructors by this summer.

The Support menu on the Canvas website has been enhanced to provide easy access to the most critical support and training resources for Canvas and related products.

Baylor Information Technology Services launched a new website today, built on the university's new Drupal framework. The new online experience, available at its.web.baylor.edu, highlights the people and collaborative partnerships that drive technologies to empower the university in its mission.

A new System Status hub provides real-time updates about errors, outages, or upcoming maintenance for most academic and administrative systems at Baylor.

Microsoft Immersive Reader is now available on Canvas assignment pages.

Beginning November 1, 2021, users will be required to update their Zoom software to ensure it is no more than nine months behind the current version, at any given time.

A new Online Attendance dashboard has been added to courses that have New Analytics enabled.

The Mentimeter app for Zoom is designed to make your online meetings, conferences, training sessions, and lessons even more interactive and engaging.

The New Quizzes engine will be available this fall, and will be the only option available by July 2022

A new feature is now available in Baylor's Zoom account: automatic live transcription!

On August 2, Instructure will release the redesigned Canvas Discussions which boasts an improved user interface and has integrated many years of feedback from faculty.

Webex recently unveiled their new brand logos. You'll see the new logo on downloads from baylor.webex.com and also see the new logo on the Webex meeting site web page. The new logos are also on the app updates of the Webex Meetings mobile apps.

The Canvas Help Menu now displays an indicator when Canvas Release Notes have been published for a user’s role. Notes display a summary of new features available to the user and provides a link where the user can view more details.

Embedding Kaltura Media is now available directly from the RCE toolbar in Canvas. Kaltura now also supports playlists in Media Gallery.

A new “Instructor Live Proctoring” option uses LockDown Browser to deter cheating on the computer itself, while the instructor monitors students via video conferencing.

Beginning May 17, all logins to Zoom accounts associated with Baylor email addresses will require DUO authentication.

Videos detailing newly released Canvas features are an easy way to view and learn about the latest changes to Canvas software.

Faculty and staff may now check out Mentimeter pro licenses through HelpDesk+ thanks to an agreement through the University Libraries. Pro licenses expand the capabilities of a free Mentimeter account to include more robust features such as the ability to export and analyze poll results.

Members of the Learning Spaces group of Library and Academic Technology Services (LATS) team began a series of upgrades to classrooms located across the Baylor campus. These are new features and upgrades to the recording process essential for capturing in-classroom lectures and presentations.