Search form

You are here

Faculty & Staff FAQs

Azure Dev Tools For Teaching

Azure Dev Tools for Teaching (formerly Microsoft Imagine)

If you are currently registered in a technology course, you are eligible to download software from the Education Hub Store. Technology courses start with CIS, CSC, CST, ELM, ELT, ERG, and EUT.

Students sign in to the Azure portal with their Azure Dev Tools for Teaching credentials (Microsoft Account), open the Education Hub Store, and access the available software downloads.

Go to the Azure Dev Tools for Teaching Login Page

Click on the blue “Sign In” button

To Create an account, next to No Account? click Create One!

Note: Please use your QCC M365 account provided for your previous Microsoft Imagine subscription access when creating a new Microsoft Account.

You can download developer products like Visual Studio, operating systems like Windows 10, Windows Server, and other products like Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visio and Microsoft Project. 

No. Azure Dev Tools for Teaching doesn’t include Microsoft Office. It provides tools to expand the study of software development and testing. 

These tools include such technologies as Platform SDK, SQL Server, Visual Studio .NET, and Windows Server.

NOTE: Students receive an QCC issued M365 Account, which includes Microsoft Office apps. 

Feel free to visit our Microsoft Products page for more information on Microsoft Office apps. 

 

Blackboard

Please view the How to Login to Blackboard student guide for detailed instructions. 

Vea por favor el documento adjuntado "Cómo iniciar sesión en Blackboard" para instrucciones detalladas.

This video explains what Blackboard is and how to logon, how to find your course(s) in Blackboard, what you can find on and how to individualize the Blackboard institution page, how to navigate a Blackboard course, what the Introduction to Blackboard and QCC Resources course is, and what you can find on QCC's Help Websitehttps://tinyurl.com/4422jnju

To sign into Blackboard with M365 Universal Login: 

  1. Use the drop-down menu next to "Sign in with third-party account" and select "Sign in with your Microsoft account."
  2. Follow the prompts to sign into your QCC Microsoft account. 

If you need to log into the Blackboard website directly

  1. Go to the Blackboard website
  2. Enter Username (TheQ username)
  3. Enter Password

Note: if you are already logged onto your Microsoft account, you won't need to enter your username and password. You'll just need to use the drop-down menu next to "Sign in with third-party account" and select "Sign in with your Microsoft account."

If you do not know your password

  1. Click on "Forgot Password?" (underneath the "Sign In" button) 
  2. A new window will pop open with two options, Username option & Email option
    1. Note: Username: same as theQ username| Email: QCC M365 Email Address
  3. Click Submit. 

An email will be sent to your student email address. This email will contain a link to reset your Blackboard password. Follow the instructions to reset your password. 
Navigate back to the Blackboard website, and enter your username and the new password that you just reset to log into Blackboard. 

If you need further assistance, please contact the IT Service Desk at 508.854.4427 or help [at] qcc.mass.edu.

Blackboard Learn doesn't keep a record of emails sent from the "QCC Email (send only)" tool. For this reason, we strongly recommend clicking on the checkbox next to "Return Receipt" at the bottom of that page before sending an email; if you do this, a copy will be sent to your email address. 

If you use the "Course Messages in Bb" option to communicate, you can click on that link and then look in the "Sent" folder to see the course messages you sent to someone else.  

To locate an email message you sent from your student email or QCC email (faculty), do the following:

  • Students: Login to your student email account and check messages in the "Sent Items" folder.
  • Faculty Members: Login to your QCC email account and check messages in the "Sent Items" folder.

 QCC's courses benefit when criteria established in the Quality Matters Rubric, 7th edition are used. QCC expects all online courses to meet this criteria

Please see this job aid for detailed instructions.

We are no longer using Smarthinking at QCC, we have transitioned to ThinkingStorm as our online tutoring tool.  You can use the attached job aid to do either of the following in your Blackboard course:

  • Enable the "ThinkingStorm Online Tutoring" tool in your Blackboard course shell
  • Create a link to the new "ThinkingStorm Online Tutoring" tool 

Also be sure to hide or delete the old Smarthinking link in your course to avoid confusion for the students.

For Students:

If your instructor has informed you that you need to download and install the Respondus LockDown Browser (and Monitor) to take a test, click here to access a student guide with the download link and instructions.

For additional details and information, you may download the Respondus Student Quick Guide by clicking here.

For Instructors:

If you are just getting started using Respondus LockDown Browser in Blackboard for testing, click here to access a student guide to assist you in the process.

For additional details and information, you may download the Repondus Instructor Quick Guide by clicking here.

Troubleshooting Tips:

Click here to review some common issues and troubleshooting tips.

To learn more about Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor for your Blackboard Tests, click here to learn more and get started.

For additional information, view the Respondus Quick Start Guide for Instructors by clicking here.

For troubleshooting tips, click here.

ReadSpeaker "Instantly create an audio version of courses, textbooks, assessments, research, training materials, personal documents and more, allowing learners to listen while following along with the highlighted text." You may find the resources below to be beneficial. 

Quick guides: 

Videos: 

 

Review the feature overview document to learn the major features and functionality of the new Blackboard Content Editor (Nov. 2020).

Blackboard Content Editor - Updated Nov. 2020

You can view the Blackboard Help site for additional information and a video about the tool.

You can also view and download a job aid by clicking here.

We have created a job aid with five quick tips to help you improve the accessibility of your course content, click here to download and view

For instructions and information on how to copy your existing course in Blackboard Learn, click here to view and download the job aid.

Should you require assistance, please contact an Instructional Designer in the Center for Academic Excellence.

Blackboard Ally is an integrated part of our learning management system (LMS) and helps build a more inclusive student experience by improving accessibility of content materials in Blackboard.
For more information, click the links below:

Faculty & Staff

 “Hypothesis is an easy to use pedagogical tool that enables students and teachers to have conversations in the margins of digital texts. Using social annotation gives you new ways to foster student success by building community, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of readings” (Hypothesis website). You and your students can use the Hypothesis tool in Blackboard to annotate and/or highlight the following: websites/web-based readings or .pdfs stored in Blackboard, your Google Drive, or your OneDrive.

For more information about how to use Hypothesis see these how-to guides:

This video contains step-by-step instructions on how to change your display name and add your pronouns in Blackboard: https://kaltura.qcc.edu/media/How+to+Edit+Your+Blackboard+Profile/1_yzagiswv.

Blackboard App

Yes, we recently upgraded Blackboard to allow for instructors to grade assignments using an iPad.  Blackboard is working to increase the grading capabilities and make this available for other mobile devices.

You can find more information on the Bb Grader app at iTunes.

No, the students see a slightly different view of their grades when they look at them on the mobile app. You may want to have them check their My Grades area from a regular computer if they are confused by what they see in the mobile app. The main difference is that the mobile app has a percentage field in front of each item even if you assign points, not percentages, for their grade.

For example, a student takes quiz 1 worth 20 points and gets only 5 points. When they view this in My Grades on the mobile app, the first column will show 25% and the second column will show Quiz 1 points: 5/20. If they look at this same item on a regular computer, they would see Quiz 1 Grade 5.00/20 and there wouldn't be a percentage listed.

Common Questions

Login instructions are provided in the attached document. For initial password assistance, contact the IT Service Desk.

 

 

Please view the How to Login to Blackboard student guide for detailed instructions. 

Vea por favor el documento adjuntado "Cómo iniciar sesión en Blackboard" para instrucciones detalladas.

This video explains what Blackboard is and how to logon, how to find your course(s) in Blackboard, what you can find on and how to individualize the Blackboard institution page, how to navigate a Blackboard course, what the Introduction to Blackboard and QCC Resources course is, and what you can find on QCC's Help Websitehttps://tinyurl.com/4422jnju

To sign into Blackboard with M365 Universal Login: 

  1. Use the drop-down menu next to "Sign in with third-party account" and select "Sign in with your Microsoft account."
  2. Follow the prompts to sign into your QCC Microsoft account. 

If you need to log into the Blackboard website directly

  1. Go to the Blackboard website
  2. Enter Username (TheQ username)
  3. Enter Password

Note: if you are already logged onto your Microsoft account, you won't need to enter your username and password. You'll just need to use the drop-down menu next to "Sign in with third-party account" and select "Sign in with your Microsoft account."

If you do not know your password

  1. Click on "Forgot Password?" (underneath the "Sign In" button) 
  2. A new window will pop open with two options, Username option & Email option
    1. Note: Username: same as theQ username| Email: QCC M365 Email Address
  3. Click Submit. 

An email will be sent to your student email address. This email will contain a link to reset your Blackboard password. Follow the instructions to reset your password. 
Navigate back to the Blackboard website, and enter your username and the new password that you just reset to log into Blackboard. 

If you need further assistance, please contact the IT Service Desk at 508.854.4427 or help [at] qcc.mass.edu.

  • For new faculty/staff the first part of your email address is your username.
  1. On your device, go into your Wi-Fi Settings and select QCC Guest
  2. Open browser page and go to qccwifi.campus.qcc.edu
  3. A page will load for registering to the Guest Wi-Fi
    1.  fill out all the required information
  4. Select the gray checkmark to acknowledge the Terms & Services Agreement
  5. Select submit and once successfully submitted, wait at least a minute and the page will redirect to www.qcc.edu

**Once completed, your device(s) will be registered on the Wi-Fi for 180 Days***

If needing further assistance, you can call the QCC IT Service Desk at 508.854.4427 or email help [at] qcc.mass.edu and someone will be able to assist you.

Password reset is now enabled from the Microsoft link in the login window.  This will be enabled on 3/22/23. The requirement is for you to set up account recovery information for your M365 account to enable you to reset your password when needed. This is the same account you use to access office.com, log in to computers, access your email, The Q, etc.

Here is a detailed procedure on setting this up: microsoft_self_service_password_reset.pdf

Microsoft Authentication

This documentation pertains to Consultants that work for QCC. Vew the VPN Access instructions. If you encounter any issues with this, please contact the IT Service desk at 508.854.4427, press 2 then 4. We are open Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm.

Microsoft Office

This documentation pertains to Consultants that work for QCC. Vew the VPN Access instructions. If you encounter any issues with this, please contact the IT Service desk at 508.854.4427, press 2 then 4. We are open Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm.

Office 365

Office 365 is a subscription based version of the Microsoft Office suite. It includes the latest full versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher*, and Access* as well as cloud services and 1TB of OneDrive storage.

*Microsoft Publisher and Access for PC only.

For more information on how to install Office 365,  see the link below 

Student Documentation on how to access and install Office365 when online or on campus.

Students

For the web-based version of Office 365, follow these steps:

  • Go to https://www.office.com/ and Sign in. Be sure to use your QCC Student Email address as the username and password 
  • Once you login, you will be prompted for Multifactor Authentication (MFA). 
  • On the Welcome to Microsoft 365 page, you will then see an "Install Office" button in the top right corner

​For further information on how to install\access Office 365 on your personal devices. see the student job aid below. You'll be able to use Office 365 on up to FIVE devices/computers at a time. 

If you need further assistance with installing Office 365 on your personal device, you can call 508-854-4427, dial 1 & then 1 for BlackBelt Technical Support 24x7. 

Faculty and Staff

Faculty & Staff can obtain Office 365 directly through the Microsoft website. You'll be able to use Office 365 on up to FIVE devices/computers at a time. 

Follow these steps:

  • Go to https://www.office.com/ and Sign in with your QCC Email address & password.  Follow the instructions on the website.
  • If you would like to install the Office 365 apps on your computer, log into your web-based Office 365 account
  • Then you will then see an "Install Office" button in the top right corner, click the button and follow the instructions on the website.

 If you require assistance, these are your options:

  • If your password doesn’t work at the Microsoft site, reset it using your recovery information.
  • If you have trouble loading onto your personal computer (not QCC owned), you can call 508.854.4427, select 2 then 1 for BlackBelt Technical support 24x7.

Student Job Aid on how to Access and/or Install Office 365 when online or on-campus.

 

Password reset is now enabled from the Microsoft link in the login window.  This will be enabled on 3/22/23. The requirement is for you to set up account recovery information for your M365 account to enable you to reset your password when needed. This is the same account you use to access office.com, log in to computers, access your email, The Q, etc.

Here is a detailed procedure on setting this up: microsoft_self_service_password_reset.pdf

Open Educational Resources

The generally accepted definition of open educational resources is this one, from OERCommons:

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are freely available online for everyone to use, whether you are an instructor, student or self-learner. Examples of OER include: full courses, course modules, syllabi, lectures, homework assignments, quizzes, lab and classroom activities, pedagogical materials, games, simulations, and many more resources contained in digital media collections from around the world.

  1. The Open Professionals Education Network sponsors a search engine that can help you locate OER materials from various web sources and includes tips for using the different websites. It allows searches for videos, images and music, too.
  2. At the OER Commons website, you can browse to locate materials, or, if you prefer, use their topics list.
  3. The Community College Consortium for open educational resources lists open textbooks by discipline.
  4. The Open Course Library "is a collection of shareable course materials, including syllabi, course activities, readings, and assessments... Unless otherwise noted, all materials are shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY) license.OCL courses and materials have undergone testing for accessibility and have been designed using the industry-standard Quality Matters (QM) rubric for assessing the quality of online courses."
  5. Lumen Learning offers courses in Mathematics, Science, Technology, General Education, Developmental Education, Business and Education.
  6. Openstaxcollege.org, an initiative of Rice University, is a nonprofit organization "committed to improving student access to quality learning materials." Their peer-reviewed free online and low-cost print textbooks include supporting materials.
  7. Saylor Academy is a large, free and open course initiative on the web funded by the Constitution Foundation. It offers more than 300 free college-level, credit courses for transfer to accredited public and private partner institutions. Many of their online materials are creative commons licensed.

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. This short video introduction explains Creative Commons.

CAST has launched a new website, entitled On Campus: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education. This site contains information on accessibility and universal design when used with open educational materials.

More resources are listed at the Open Professionals Education Network (OPEN).

Other

Review information to help you get started with Pearson MyLab & Mastering, click here to download.

To review the Pearson MyLab Instructor Quick Start Guide, click here to download.

When sharing resources via email, online, or in a Blackboard course you want to ensure they are as widely accessible as possible.


One of the first and easiest things to do is to start with an accessible template.  Microsoft has free accessible Office Templates to download and use. It's always easier to begin with an accessible template than it is to go back and try to fix/edit an existing presentation to make it more accessible - easy is good!

Microsoft applications also have built-in accessibility checkers with information on how to fix and improve your files. They have lots of great tutorials and information on their website, check it out!

Do you send out infographics or flyers to students, faculty, & staff to advertise events or share information?  California State University Northbridge has great information to help you make these more accessible.

For a consolidated overview of making digital assets more accessible, view Butler University's LibGuide.

Still have questions?  

  • For faculty working with students requiring accommodations, contact the Student Accessibility Services Office.
  • For those who want to know more, cae [at] qcc.mass.edu (contact the CAE) and schedule a 1-1 appointment with your friendly Instructional Designer.

When sharing resources via email, online, or in a Blackboard course, you want to ensure they are as widely accessible as possible.

One of the first and easiest things to do is to start with an accessible template.  Microsoft has free accessible Office Templates to download and use. It's always easier to begin with an accessible template than it is to go back and try to fix/edit an existing presentation to make it more accessible - easy is good!

Microsoft applications also have built-in accessibility checkers with information on how to fix and improve your files. They have lots of great tutorials and information on their website; check it out!

Do you send out infographics or flyers to students, faculty, & staff to advertise events or share information?  California State University Northbridge has great information to help you make these more accessible.

For a consolidated overview of making digital assets more accessible, view Butler University's LibGuide.

Still have questions?  

  • For faculty working with students requiring accommodations, contact the Student Accessibility Services Office.
  • For those who want to know more, cae [at] qcc.mass.edu (contact the CAE) and schedule a 1-1 appointment with your friendly Instructional Designer.

Respondus Lockdown Browser

To see the current system requirements for Lockdown Browser, visit the Respondus System Requirements page.

Respondus LockDown Browser® is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within a learning management system (Blackboard). LockDown Browser's name says it all: it "locks down" the browser on a computer or tablet. Students are unable to copy, print, access other applications, or visit other websites during an online exam.

Starfish

The Q

Login to The Q. Select the Welcome Tab then select Grade and Attendance Reporting (from the left). Click on the Grade Entry link. Click on the View Course List link at the right. Follow the on screen instructions.

Login to The Q. Select the My Academics Tab, then select either Initial Attendance or 60% Attendance from the menu on the left. Follow the on screen instructions.

  • For new faculty/staff the first part of your email address is your username.

Turning Technologies

Email Support: support [at] turningtechnologies.com
Email Training: training [at] turningtechnologies.com
Call Toll-Free (within the U.S.): 866.746.3015

Turning Point 5 allows you deliver interactive lectures using polling devices.

To get started with TurningPoint you should visit the Training and Tutorials website

Turnitin

Turnitin is a web-based product that helps check the originality of a student's work. Turnitin is available to all faculty through Blackboard by adding a Turnitin LTI in your course.  Students will be able to access the Turnitin assignment submission tool through their Blackboard course if the faculty member has chosen to use this product.

Information about the company

Turnitin is the global leader in evaluating and improving student learning. The company’s cloud-based service for originality checking, online grading and peer review saves instructors time and provides rich feedback to students.

We have linked Blackboard and Turnitin, so all you will need to do is add a Turnitin LTI assignment.  You will not need to create a course and upload your class list because that information comes from Blackboard once you have created an assignment.

  • Information for faculty can be found on the Turnitin Instructor Training site.
  • The Office of Distance Education and Center for Academic Excellence offers workshops on a variety of topics. Faculty also can find tutorials about Turnitin in the Educator Instructional Resources Bb course. 

If you are having trouble in Blackboard creating or accessing a Turnitin LTI assignment, please

Zoom

View the job aid to assist you in adding a link to Zoom in your Blackboard course and adjusting your settings.

randomness