Ben,
I think you highlight a VERY important fact for anyone newly setting up
their user base in Bb. It is essential to think ahead to managing large
numbers of users. Here at UWIC we have pulled student data directly from the
student record system. So they end up with the same username and password as
they use to access the network. This has helped tremendously to reduce
support calls, we only seem to get those who for some reason have a
different password in the database to that used in reality (data
integrity!). For staff we have currently created accounts as required, but
have again kept the same username as they currently use on the network. Not
having access to their password we set this randomly and then the user
changes the password. One gripe is that the ability to change a password is
set for the whole user base and cannot be changed for user types. We would
for example have liked to allow staff to change passwords but lockdown this
for students. That said we have had little problems to date.
For the new academic year we will be looking to create accounts for all
staff, and having used the network id we will be sure not to create
duplicates (that's the theory). As with most data in universities I expect
some errors, but it will be a matter of mopping up a few, rather than having
lots of duplicate accounts.
So if anyone hasn't yet set up their server, investigate where you can pull
data from for creating accounts and lockdown the process. I advise anyone to
turn off the ability for users to create their own accounts, it is a recipe
for disaster. Also have one or two members of staff responsible for managing
the account creation process, too man cooks spoil the eBroth so to speak.
Cheers Carol
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ben hyde [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 28 March 2002 11:46
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [BLACKBOARD-USERGROUP] primary institution role
>
>
> Hi Kate
>
> You make this sound so straight forward. If only...
>
> The problem is I do not know who all the users are - as staff
> have been added
> an various ways - and may not necessarily even be on our
> staff records system
> - let alone using the same username. And there isn't an easy
> way for me to
> extract all instructors and teaching assistants from the
> system. Even with
> level 3 (learning System ;) - there isn't a built in way to
> extract data about
> users or courses from the Bb system. I guess this is
> therefore going to be an
> on-going frustration for us? I think it may require a total
> rethink of our
> procedures - so we link the Bb users with staff records. Now
> just need to
> make sure our staff record system is reliable. And then work
> out how to
> manage the transition... and try and make sure staff don't end up with
> duplicate accounts. I guess the only real problem will be
> that during this
> process any personal information that the user has entered that is not
> contained in our records will be removed?
>
> If anyone works out another way of doing this - set the PIR
> of all instructors
> and teaching assistants on the system to staff (sounds even
> easier now :( -
> then please let me know.
>
> cheers,
> ben
>
>
> Kate Boardman wrote:
>
> > Batch create accounts with role set. No way of updating
> existing users if
> > you have upgraded them with the system. Take 'em out and
> recreate as batch
> > with roles included.
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Kate Boardman
> > Learning Technologies Team
> > IT Service
> > University of Durham
> > South Road
> > Durham DH1 3LE
> >
> > Tel.: 0191 374 1502
> > Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > Web: http://www.dur.ac.uk/k.l.boardman
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: A list to promote discussion amongst MLE Blackboard/Courseinfo
> > users in UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of ben
> > hyde
> > Sent: 27 March 2002 15:40 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: primary institution role
> >
> > Just got my hands on our new version (L3/LS) of Bb up and
> running and I
> > am busily tinkering with the customisable features.
> >
> > However, for them to work effectively, you need to set the
> users primary
> > institution role. Hence my gripe - when you create a new
> instructor (say
> > when you create their course site) you cannot designate
> their role and
> > it is set as student!! Anyone know a way round this?
> >
> > ben
>
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