Category: Communication and Collaboration

Student Tech Resources – Winter 2022

Posted on by Katrina Frank

We’re Here to Support You…

We understand that times are uncertain in terms of health and there are challenges with attending courses due to COVID. To support you, we will continue to provide technical support through transparency, documentation, and communication.

Listed below are essential technical resources to help you succeed in your academics. If you have additional questions, we’re here for you!

Sincerely,
Information Services

Student Tools

Visit the Student Tools page for specifically tailored student announcements, popular student resources, and methods of support. Also note that general IS announcements such as system maintenance can be visible on the home page.

Communication and Collaboration

  • Webmail – How to access your “Kzoo” email messages, calendar, and contact information.
  • Microsoft Teams – A virtual space where you can chat, meet, audio/video call, and collaborate with others from a distance. Watch the Microsoft Teams tour video if you’re new to Teams.
  • File Sharing – Visit our file sharing page to see all of ways you can share files with your peers, professors, and employers.
  • Video Streaming – Microsoft Stream is a secure platform where the K College community can upload, view, and share videos within the College. Visit the video streaming page to learn more.

Learning Technology

  • Moodle – where most of your instructors will post course materials and grades throughout the quarter. View the Moodle Quick Guide for Students for more information on enrolling in your classes, submitting assignments and more.
  • Virtual Labs – We have converted the DEW 207 lab back into a virtual lab for Kalamazoo College students, faculty, and staff. This lab has Windows computers running SPSS, Atlas.TI, Stata, R Studio, MATLAB, Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS, Office 365, and other apps.

Personal Computing

  • Office 365 – Your free access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Stream.
  • Hornet HQ – The place to plan your degree, register for classes, update your emergency contacts, find info on financial aid, billing, time cards and more.
  • File Storage – All Kalamazoo College students have access to OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage. OneDrive keeps your files safe, allows you to access files from any device, and also offers offline access.

Accounts and Passwords

  • Expired Passwords – Did your password expire? If so, no problem! Visit the change password page. If your password meets the security requirements, you will receive a message stating “Your password has been changed. Finally, click OK to sign in with your new password.
  • Forgot your Password – If you have forgotten your password and you need IS to reset it, complete the secure Password Reset Request Form. If we are able to verify your identity against our records, your password will be reset within two business days.

    Visit our passwords section for more information on processes and procedures.

Student Tech Support

The Information Services Website

The IS website it equipped with tons of documentation to help troubleshoot an issue or learn about further services.

  • Search Tip : Use the IS Search on the right sidebar (or near the bottom of the page if on a mobile device) to find the information you need faster!
In-Person Support

Are you still not finding how to solve your issue on the website? Our Help Desk team and Student Computer Consultants are available to you during the following times:

Help Desk

  • Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Note that you also email the Help Desk at HelpDesk@kzoo.edu for support.

Student Computer Consultants

  • Library – Mondays: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Tuesday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Hicks 24 Hour Lab – Fridays: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Email Support

Are you still not finding how to solve your issue on the website? Email the Help Desk or our Student Computer Consultants!

  • Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m EST. Email the Help Desk at HelpDesk@kzoo.edu
  • After hours – Students can email StuTech@kzoo.edu
  • Email Tips : Provide a precise and concise subject line of what you would like solved. Add the steps that you took leading up to the issue and add a screenshot of the issue you’re experiencing.
Moodle Support

Are you having issues with Moodle? If so, please inform your professor and they will help direct you from there. You can also view the Moodle Quick Guide for Students for more instruction on submitting assignments, notifications, and more!

Library Support

Your Librarians are here for you! Connect with us on the Library website!

Additional Resources Worth Mentioning

Wi-Fi Issues

  1. Visit the Wi-Fi troubleshooting page to assist you in resolving your issue. Please attempt all troubleshooting tips that apply to your circumstance before completing a report.
  2. Due to the complexities of Wi-Fi-related problems, specific details are needed to help resolve Wi-Fi related issues. You must provide the following in order to submit a Wi-Fi Outage Report.
List of Required Information to Complete the Wi-Fi Outage Report Form
  • Name
  • The wireless network you were attempting to connect to
  • Screenshot of the error you encountered or the exact error message as displayed on your device
    • Note: A full screenshot of the error you are encountering is the most reliable way we can assist in resolving your issue
  • Date of occurrence
  • Time of occurrence
  • Location of occurrence
  • If this issue has happened elsewhere on campus. If so, the location(s) it has occurred
  • If the device was able to connect successfully in any other locations on campus. If so, the location(s) it has been successful
  • Type of device experiencing the issue –
    • Note: If you are using a device running on Android 10 or iOS 14 you will need to disable MAC randomization on your device first. See the Wi-Fi Troubleshooting section for instructions.
  • MAC Address – If you are unsure where to locate your MAC Address please see, How to Find Any Device’s IP Address, MAC Address, and Other Network Connection Details article by How-to-Geek.
  • If there were any other apps running on the device while the issue was experienced. If so, which apps

Feedback

Do you feel like we missed something in this quarter’s tech resources kit? If so, please let us know by contacting the Web Services Specialist, Katrina Frank at Katrina.Frank@kzoo.edu.

New Tool Available – Microsoft Bookings

Posted on by Katrina Frank

Hello K College Faculty and Staff,

We would like to share a new tool available to you! Microsoft Bookings may be useful to individuals or departments that offer appointments for services.

Microsoft Bookings logo.

Want to Learn More About Microsoft Bookings?

Microsoft Bookings Support

We are still refining the best ways to support you and welcome your feedback during the process! If you would like to receive additional support for Bookings, please contact the Help Desk at HelpDesk@kzoo.edu with questions.

Wi-Fi Troubleshooting and Reporting

Posted on by Katrina Frank

K Students, Faculty, and Staff,

The I.S. Team would like to introduce two new resources to help with Wi-Fi:

1. Wi-Fi Troubleshooting

We have provided new information on Wi-Fi troubleshooting that may assist you in resolving your issue. Please attempt all troubleshooting tips that apply to your circumstance before completing a report.

2. Wi-Fi Outage Report Form

Due to the complexities of Wi-Fi-related problems, specific details are needed to help resolve Wi-Fi related issues. You must provide the following in order to submit a Wi-Fi Outage Report.

List of Helpful Information to Complete the Wi-Fi Outage Report Form
  • Name
  • The wireless network you were attempting to connect to
  • Screenshot of the error you encountered or the exact error message as displayed on your device
    • Note: A full screenshot of the error you are encountering is the most reliable way we can assist in resolving your issue
  • Date of occurrence
  • Time of occurrence
  • Location of occurrence
  • If this issue has happened elsewhere on campus. If so, the location(s) it has occurred
  • If the device was able to connect successfully in any other locations on campus. If so, the location(s) it has been successful
  • Type of device experiencing the issue –
    • Note: If you are using a device running on Android 10 or iOS 14 you will need to disable MAC randomization on your device first. See the Wi-Fi Troubleshooting section for instructions.
  • MAC Address – If you are unsure where to locate your MAC Address please see, How to Find Any Device’s IP Address, MAC Address, and Other Network Connection Details article by How-to-Geek.
  • If there were any other apps running on the device while the issue was experienced. If so, which apps

We understand that Wi-Fi outages and slow speeds can negatively impact your academics, work, and home life. Thank you for your patience and collaboration while we solve these Wi-Fi related issues.

Flipgrid Integration is Now Enabled on Microsoft Teams

Posted on by Josh Moon

Information Services has enabled Flipgrid integration for Microsoft Teams as a test of compatible third-party applications and to meet the needs of instructors who are already using this tool in their courses. At the moment our ability to support new adopters of Flipgrid is limited, but we hope this is beneficial to experienced instructors.

Using Flipgrid

Flipgrid can now be added as a Teams tab, and students can “Join with Microsoft” to use their Kalamazoo College login without registering separately for Flipgrid. Be aware that this automatically places users onto the recipient list for Flipgrid promotional emails, but these emails provide an option to “unsubscribe.” For information about getting started, please view Flipgrid’s Teams Integration Help Center Page.

Share Your Technology Needs

Flipgrid is a third-party application but is owned by Microsoft. Information Services agreed to open the availability of this tool after a review and vetting. In anticipation of Fall 2021, we will be studying this third-party integration through the rest of the academic year. We remind everyone that you are welcome to share with us your technology needs and interests by originating a request at our Help Desk. Please review the Information Technology Acquisition policy if you have any questions.

Class Teams from Quarter to Quarter

Posted on by Josh Moon
Joshua Moon, Educational Technology Specialist

Quarter to Quarter – Carrying Over Work on Teams

In addition to Moodle and other resources, many instructors have adopted Teams to organize their online classes.  Teams is designed to put de-centralized control in the hands of owners and users. While offering support and training, this as been the spirit that Information Services has maintained for using Teams. Now that we’ve completed two quarters using this platform, we wanted to share some thoughts about carrying over work on Teams from quarter to quarter.

My List of Teams

As we transition between quarters, faculty should consider how best to manage their growing list of Class Teams. This would include whether to maintain, hide, or delete a particular Team.  Faculty are also encouraged to practice naming conventions that clarify the term of each site to avoid ambiguity.  The convention in Moodle is Department/Course Number/Term (i.e. PSYC 101-02 FA20).

To Hide, Delete, or Do Nothing

It is helpful to know what these options mean in Teams. 

  • If you do nothing with your Team, it will remain visible and available to members in the main “Your Teams” section of the Teams menu. 
  • Individual users, including students/members, can choose to hide any of their teams regardless of their permissions.  This moves the Team to the “Hidden Teams” section at the bottom of the Teams menu but does not restrict access or hide content.
  • Deleting a Team eliminates the Team within the app, the associated Office 365 Group, and the SharePoint site that serves as the backbone to host files and other features.  In other words, deleting a Team gets rid of everything.

Leaving a Team

One difference between a Class Team and other formats (PLC, Staff, etc.) is that it is more difficult for members (students) to leave a Class Team. Currently, members can only leave Class Teams via the app on an Android device. The option will not appear for a Team on the web interface or the desktop application.  This is a current Microsoft coding quirk.

Duplicating a Team

If you are re-using a Team’s Channel and Tab format as the template for your next course, you can duplicate that material into a new Team.  Remember, any user at the College can create a Team by clicking “Join or create a Team” in the Teams menu.  Once you have selected which type of Team you wish to create, “Create a team using an existing team as a template” will appear as an option at the bottom of the “Create your team” window.  You will have choices whether to duplicate the Tabs, Settings, associated Apps, and Membership.  “Members” will be unchecked by default to welcome a new course roster.  You’ll need to rename your new Team as well.

Note: This procedure will not import the Files from you previous Team! While it’s intuitive to drag your course files and readings into the “Files” section of your Team, Microsoft’s intention is for your readings and other course files to be deposited in the “Content Library” section of your Class Notebook. While this requires spending time getting comfortable with Microsoft OneNote, it might be a beneficial step if you are planning on using Teams in your class extensively. Visit the the page on Using the OneNote Class Notebook to get started. Class Notebooks can be imported from one Team to a new one, taking with them the Content Library and other material.

If you already have your documents for the course in a Files tab, you can copy those files to a new Team. Access the Files Tab in a Channel, select the Files you wish to copy, and click “Copy.” This will open a navigation window where you can find the Team where you want to copy the files. Currently, whole folders cannot be copied at once. You can, however, create folders in the destination Team first to receive copied files.

Some thoughts on Managing Your Teams

Hiding inactive or older Teams can be a useful technique for maintaining archival access to course content and conversations while keeping the “Your Teams” menu efficient and organized.  If you’ve ever wished you could easily return to contact or communicate with members of a previous class, this could be one solution. We do not recommend emptying, re-populating, and reusing previous Teams as a best practice.

As a reminder, we have created a Teams-specific feedback form (login required) to field your questions and respond to challenges.  As the College’s use of Teams evolves, we’re interested to hear from you so that we can better support and organize this platform at Kalamazoo.  Don’t hesitate to talk to us about Teams!

Discontinuing Video Hosting on Moodle for Winter 2021

Posted on by Josh Moon

Information Services is discontinuing support for video files hosted directly on Moodle beginning in winter 2021. This applies only to video files that have been uploaded or drag-and-dropped directly into Moodle.  It will still be possible to link or embed videos from other services such as Microsoft Stream and YouTube. 

In response to the increase in online learning, we are taking this action at this time with the following considerations in mind:

  • Video on a streaming platform (Microsoft Stream, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) is preferable and more accessible for students.
  • Microsoft Stream is now able to host streaming video content for courses at the College without using another outside service.  If you have questions about how to use Stream and manage its permissions, please refer to the Video streaming page on the Information Services website.
  • Hosting video files directly on Moodle has caused intermittent errors, disrupting service for Moodle users.

Our staff will be contacting faculty members who might need additional support hosting video files for the winter courses.  You are welcome to contact us as well.  Please send your questions to Josh Moon, Educational Technology Specialist, at Josh.Moon@kzoo.edu

Faculty now have access to Moodle sites for Winter 2021

Posted on by Josh Moon
Joshua Moon, Educational Technology Specialist

This week, Information Services created Moodle course sites for winter 2021.  These should be available to instructors immediately.  They will be visible to students at the discretion of the instructor as we get closer to the start of the quarter in January.

We have a new form if you would like course content imported from one Moodle site to another, require adjustments to your course, or would like an additional Moodle site created.  You can access this Moodle Requests for Imports and Course Creation page from the Site Home and the Dashboard on Moodle.  It replaces the previous “Course Request” form.

We hope this continues to help instructors and students have a successful quarter.  Please contact me with any questions.

Best,
Josh Moon
Educational Technology Specialist

Five Ways to Send Files at K that are Better than Email!

Posted on by Josh Moon

While email attachments are quick and familiar, sending files to each other can fill up our Sent Items folders as well as the email storage of our recipients. Information Services is in the midst of a long-term project to eventually migrate our email server to a “cloud” based Office 365 system.  When this happens – likely by the end of this academic year – email quotas will substantially increase.

In the meantime, we have suggestions on how to get files to recipients without using email attachments and filling up your storage quota.

1. OneDrive

OneDrive offers users at Kalamazoo College a robust 1 TB (1000 GBs) of storage. This makes it a great solution for sharing large media files and entire folders. There are many Sharing and Permissions options, but Microsoft’s Share files and folders with Microsoft 365 Business video (2 minutes) explains it efficiently!

2. FileDrop.kzoo.edu

To get started, simply login with your K Net credentials and follow the instructions outlined on the Kalamazoo College secure FileDrop service website. Because all files are securely encrypted, FileDrop is a good choice for transferring files that have sensitive or personally identifiable information with external parties. Storage on FileDrop is not permanent; files are meant to be “picked up” by the recipient within 14 days and are not backed up.

3. Teams Files

Every Teams Channel has a “Files” tab to store documents.  There are multiple ways to add files to that tab.  The simplest method is to click into the Files tab and drag-and-drop a file from your computer into that window.  It will automatically upload the file to the Channel.  Microsoft has further documentation about Sharing Files in Teams.

4. Moodle

If you’re an instructor sharing files with students for a class, Moodle is one of the most familiar, basic resources.  Posting text-based documents like PDFs, Docs, and others is a common use for Moodle. You can also create Folders for more organization. Our Moodle 101 discusses how to Upload and Organize Files.

5. SharePoint Document Libraries

SharePoint Team Sites provide file sharing and group documentation libraries for a range of standing committees and teams on campus. As the fifth option on the list, it isn’t optimized for user self-support in the way manner as some of the other options. Visit Microsoft’s Online SharePoint Quickstart or make a request directly to the Help Desk at HelpDesk@kzoo.edu to get started.

Would you like even more information and updates on new resources for sharing files? Visit the Information Services File Sharing Page for the latest information.

If you have questions on any of these resources, please contact the Help Desk at HelpDesk@kzoo.edu