WITS
Ulwazi Update WITS ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING NEWS BITES
17 FEBR FEBRUAR UARY Y 2021 2021
Our new Learning Management System (LMS) is known as ‘ulwazi’, which means ‘knowledge’ in isiZulu.
Our Journey from Sakai to ulwazi
Canvas, known as ulwazi at Wits, is the University’s LMS to support online teaching and learning. It is a powerful cloud-based platform that is easy to use.
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WITS
Road to ulwazi Stage 1: Setting up ulwazi Stage 1 is complete, and ulwazi is now the official Wits LMS. Information for staff and students on how to access and use ulwazi is available on the new "Access ulwazi" page at https://www.wits.ac.za/ulwazi/
Every 2021 course listed on SIMS has a site on ulwazi. If you do not see your 2021 course site when you log in to ulwazi, email a request to ulwazihelp@wits.ac.za to link you to your 2021 course site.
SIMS has been fully integrated with ulwazi. Registered students' details are being drawn from SIMS into ulwazi course sites. Important notice: Students cannot be added manually. SIMS is being synced with ulwazi daily.
Stage 2: Migrating from Sakai to ulwazi If you submitted a request for your project site to be migrated by 1 February 2021, migration is complete. If you still want your project site to be migrated, contact Shane.Pachagadu@wits.ac.za.
Stage 3: Learning to use ulwazi The Centre for Learning,Teaching and Development (CLTD) is providing training on designing and building your course sites. From this week, new sessions on Big Blue Button are available. See training schedule
Learn ulwazi When you log in to ulwazi, you will see a self-directed course, "Discovering Canvas - 2021 - Lecturer Orientation".
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Stage 4: Preparing your course For live discussions: Both Big Blue Button (BBB) and Microsoft Teams are integrated into ulwazi. BBB is the default app for live sessions, and is called ‘Conferences’ in ulwazi.
You can use the following apps, which are integrated into ulwazi: • OneDrive • G Drive • Turnitin-CPF • SCORM • Gradescope • McGraw-Hill Connect • Pearson - Mastering Lab Connector
ulwazi tip: Create folders for your documents in Files, rather than uploading directly from your device to Modules. This will allow you to easily find and reuse your material across sites.
CLM has prepared a checklist to get your course ready for Block 1.
Information about ulwazi for students All students are being automatically enrolled in two ulwazi courses: • •
'Learning How to Use ulwazi'' (focused on learning Canvas) 'Helping You Learn Online' (focused on general skills for online learning)
An email has been sent out from the Registrar's office to all registered students, informing them how to access, log in to and use ulwazi. This email will be sent to newly registered students every week for the next four weeks.
Please refer students to the access ulwazi web page.
All 4 major mobile network providers will make ulwazi zero-rated. Wits will pay for data bundles that students can use to access selected urls via the Wits VPN.
New ulwazi logo:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Access
Migration
Integration and Data
Sakai-Related
Mobile App
Canvas
Access Do I (as a lecturer) have access to ulwazi yet? Yes, ulwazi went live on 27 January 2021! You can log in at https://ulwazi.wits.ac.za/. Your username is [your staff number]@wits.ac.za, and your password is the same password you use for your Wits email.
Migration from Sakai to ulwazi My course has already started in January so I will remain on Sakai for Block 1. Do I need to alert anyone? Yes, you need to let ICT know so that they can make sure that your course (and student access) remains active in Sakai for Block 1. Please email ulwazihelp@wits.ac.za.
What will be transferred in the migration from Sakai to ulwazi? All the course content is transferred, e.g. files, media, readings, lessons, announcements, quiz questions, assignment instructions, and discussion topics (only the topics - no discussion posts). Student interactions (such as chats, forum posts, assignment uploads, and grades) will not be migrated.
What about all the time and effort we put in last year, and in the preceding years in creating good course sites? Your 2020 course content from Sakai will be transferred "as is" to ulwazi so all your hard work will be copied across. You will need to do some formatting and updating because Sakai “Lessons” do not work exactly the same as ulwazi “Pages”.
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Will we be using ulwazi in block 1 or only from block 2? With the exception of courses that started in January 2021 or before 15 February 2021, all courses need to be on ulwazi for block 1.
Most Faculty of Health Sciences undergraduate courses and Commerce, Law and Management (CLM) Postgraduate School courses have already started. Does this mean that we will only migrate those courses to ulwazi, when the second teaching block starts? Yes, those courses will be migrated separately and the process for that migration will be communicated.
Can you opt to not migrate the old Sakai course and develop a new course in ulwazi? Yes, lecturers have the choice. You can choose to develop your course from scratch in ulwazi.
Does ulwazi have Gradebook, even if the existing content will not be migrated? Yes, the Gradebook in ulwazi is very similar to Sakai (it is actually a little better).
What if my Sakai site is not automatically migrated? Sakai sites can be manually migrated. To request this: Log a ticket via ulwazihelp@wits.ac.za or Contact your faculty online learning designer.
I have a course that was run as one course in 2020, but in 2021, it is now split into two courses. Is there a way to request a new course site, in addition to the one that is being migrated? Contact your faculty online learning designer who will assist you.
I will be teaching a course in 2021 that a different lecturer taught in 2020. How do I ensure that I have access to the course site? ICT will do their best to link the courses to the lecturers. If a lecturer is not able to view their course. Email ulwazihelp@wits.ac.za
Will all lecturers who teach in the same course have access to the ulwazi course site? Yes. The automatic migration will include all lecturers for a course from Sakai to ulwazi. On ulwazi, a lecturer can grant access to other lecturers.
Integration and Data Will Gradescope, Turnitin and BigBlueButton be integrated into ulwazi? Yes, this has already been done.
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Sakai-Related Will students still have access to Sakai sites? Students will still have access to Sakai if your course started before 15 February 2021. But it is vitally important that you let ICT know that this course is active on Sakai so that they don't remove access in block 1.
Will we continue to have access to Sakai for the purpose of referencing our old courses if required? Lecturers will still have access to everything in Sakai for 2021. Thereafter the courses will be archived and Sakai will be "switched off".
In Sakai lessons, there is an option to export content via the IMS Common Cartridge (CC) format. If I export content from a lesson in Sakai using this CC format, can I then import that content into my course in ulwazi? Yes.
Mobile App How do I download the mobile app? Canvas has a mobile app for android and apple devices. You can download them from the respective app stores. Once installed, use ulwazi University of the Witwatersrand when you are asked “What is your school’s name?”. Use the same login details as on the site by using [staffNo]@wits.ac.za and Wits password.
Which mobile app should I download? Canvas has three mobile apps. There is one for the teacher, one for a student and one for a parent. Download the teacher app as the lecturer. (There are different features in each app with the appropriate focus.)
Canvas Support FAQs Can I link several of my course sites together if I want different cohorts of students in the same course? Yes, Canvas has a cross-link function that works with sections, similar to the parent-child site function in Sakai. Please email ulwazi Help or your Faculty Online Learning Designer to link your sites together. You will need to specify the course code for each course to be linked and which course is the "parent" course. This needs to be done by an administrator so SIMS integration remains intact.
https://www.instructure.com/canvas/support-faq https://community.canvaslms.com/ https://elmira.instructure.com/courses/49/pages/frequently-asked-questions
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ULWAZI BEGINNING-OF-COURSE CHECKLIST
This checklist was adapted from an original checklist by the Training Services Department at Instructure. It provides
ULWAZI BEGINNING-OF-COURSE CHECKLIST a starting point for ensuring your course is ready to go for student access at the start of a new term.
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How To Use: A rating is an Essential Practice and a rating indicates a Good Practice criterion. This checklist was adapted from an original checklist by the Training Services Department at Instructure. It Relevant Canvas help guides linked throughout theaccess text. at the start of a new term. provides a starting point for ensuring your course is are ready to go for student
ULWAZI BEGINNING-OF-COURSE CHECKLIST
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How To Use: A ★ rating is an Essential Practice and a ★★ rating indicates a Good Practice criterion. Relevant Practices in from ulwazi CanvasEssential help guides are linked throughout the This checklist was adapted antext. original checklist by the Training Services Department at Instructure. It provides a starting point for ensuring your course is ready to go for student access at the start of a new term. Practice Yes
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Essential Practices in Ulwazi ★ How To Use: A ★ rating is an Essential Practice and a ★★ rating indicates a Good Practice criterion. Relevant Yes ✔
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Clean Up Migrated Content From Wits-e (If Applicable) Canvas help guides are linked throughout the text. If migrating content from Wits-e or another course, you need to review individual items, check course Practice settings, organise content, and remove unneeded content before publishing your course. Review the Clean Up Modules, Migrated Content From Applicable) Files, Pages, Assignments, Discussions pages. Essential Practices inQuizzes, Ulwazi ★Wits-e (If and If migrating content from Wits-e or another course, you individual items, course Note: Removing items from a module does not delete theneed items.toIf review you need to delete an item check go to that page. settings, organise content, and remove unneeded content before publishing your course. Review the Practice Yes ✔ Files, Modules, Pages, Quizzes, Assignments, and Discussions pages. Course Note: Customise Removing items from Settings a module does not delete the items. If you need to delete an item go to that page. Up Migrated Content From Wits-e (If Applicable) ★CheckClean the many different options residing under Course Details in Course Settings. Selecting More If migrating content from Wits-e or another course, you need to review individual items, check course Customise Course Settings Options will open up a menu of extra turn on and off. before publishing your course. Review the settings, organise content, andfeatures remove to unneeded content Check the many different options residing under Course Details in Course Settings. Selecting More Files,forget Modules, Pages, Quizzes, Assignments, and Discussions pages. Note: Don't to select Update Course Details at the bottomonce Options willNote: openRemoving up a menu of extra features to turn on and off. you update the settings. items from a module does not delete the items. If you need to delete an item go to that page.
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forget to select Update Course Details at the bottom once you update the settings. ⃣ ⭐Tip: Don’t Simplify Course Navigation
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Customise Course Settings ★For anCourse Simplify Navigation optimum course experience, hide unnecessary (or unused) course navigation links.
Check the many different options residing under Course Details in Course Settings. Selecting More For an optimum course experience, hide unnecessary (or unused) course navigation links. Options will open up a menu of extra features to turn on and off. Tip: Don’t forget to select Update Course Details at the bottom once you update the settings. Choose Home Page Choose thethe Home Page The Home isfirst the impression firstNavigation impression a course. Select Home Page option best The Home PagePage is the of a of course. Select the the Home Page option thatthat best fits fits thethe Simplify Course ★ of your needsneeds course. You can also make use of a template. of your course. You can also make use of a template. For an optimum course experience, hide unnecessary (or unused) course navigation links.
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Tip: Include visuals to engage your students and incorporate important information about your course. Note: Include visuals to engage your students and incorporate important information about your course.
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Choose the PageLink ★Verify Participants ininHome the People ⭐Verify Participants the People The Home Page is the first Link impression of a course. Select the Home Page option that best fits the
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Course Hyperlinks ⭐Validate Verify Participants Course Hyperlinks in the People Link ★Validate Select Validate Links in your Course Settings to ensure there are no broken links.
Select People to verify your course enrolments (teacher, student, TA, etc.) for accuracy. Also check Selectneeds Peopleoftoyour verify your course enrolments (teacher, TA, etc.) for accuracy. Also check course. You can also make use of astudent, template. your course sections (if applicable). Tip: Include visuals to engage your students and incorporate important information about your course. your course sections (if applicable).
People your course enrolments TA, etc.) for accuracy. Also check SelectSelect Validate Linksto in verify your Course Settings to ensure(teacher, there are student, no broken links your course sections (if applicable).
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Publish Course and Content
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Select Validate Links in your Course Settings to ensure there are no broken links. Check visibility of individual items and modules as a whole. Don’t forget to publish your course. Review Course Student View You can in unpublish you don’t want students to see. Publish Courseany anditems Content ★Tip: Review your course content from Student View to experience your course from a student Check visibility of individual items and modules as a whole. Don’t forget to publish your course. perspective. Note: Some third party tools may not have student view functionality.
visibility of individual items and modules as a whole. Don’t forget to publish your course. ⃣ ⭐Check Validate Course Hyperlinks Publish Courseany anditems Content Tip: ★ You can unpublish you don’t want students to see.
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Tip: You can unpublish any items you don’t want students to see. Tip: Student View adds a test student to Grades. After participating in Student View, enter your Gradebook as a teacherReview to view any Test in Student entries. Course Student View
Review Course in Student View ★Review your course content from Student View to experience your course from a student perspective. Review your course content from Student View to experience your course from a student Note:tools Some third mayview not functionality. have student view functionality. Note:perspective. Some third party may notparty havetools student
Tip: Student View aadds test student to Grades. participating in Student Gradebook Tip: Student View adds test astudent to Grades. After After participating in Student View,View, enterenter your your Gradebook as a as a teacher to view any Test Student entries. This workteacher is licensed underany a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License 1 to view Test Student entries.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
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Good Practices in ulwazi
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Practice
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Manage Your Account Notifications To ensure you receive communication from ulwazi, set up your Notification Preferences and contact method in ulwazi.
Tip: Remember to also show your students how to set their notification preferences. ULWAZI BEGINNING-OF-COURSE CHECKLIST
⃣ ⭐⭐ Select was Favourite Courses This checklist adapted from an original checklist by the Training Services Department at Instructure. It
providesCustomise a starting which point for ensuring course is ready toDashboard go for student access at the start ofbased a newonterm. course cardsyour are displayed on your by “Favouriting” courses preference, current semester, etc. How To Use: A ★ rating is an Essential Practice and a ★★ rating indicates a Good Practice criterion. Relevant Tip: Once courses are displayed, you can also give a course a “Nickname” visible only to you. Canvas help guides are linked throughout the text.
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Manage Files UploadPractices and review your course folders and files. Manage the visibility of resources by Publishing, Essential in Ulwazi ★ Unpublishing or Restricting Access to folders and files
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Practice
Set Up Grades (If Applicable)
Up Migrated Content Fromto Wits-e (If Applicable) ★ VerifyClean the Gradebook is arranged according your grading policy and your syllabus.
If migrating content from Wits-e or another course, you need to review individual items, check course settings, organise content, and remove unneeded content before publishing your course. Review the You can change your Total column to display as Points, if needed. Files, Modules, Pages, Quizzes, Assignments, and Discussions pages. Tip: You can move the “Total” column from the far right position to the far left position next to the student list.
Note: items a moduleordoes not delete the items. If you need to delete an item go to that page. Tip: You canRemoving set course Latefrom Submission Missing Submission policies.
Course ⃣ ⭐⭐ ★ Set UpCustomise Assignment Groups Settings (If Applicable) Check the many different options residing under Course Details in Course Settings. Selecting More
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If youOptions use weighted grading categories for your finalto grade will open up a menu of extra features turn calculations, on and off. you will want to add Tip: Don’tGroups forget totoselect Update CourseIndex Details at the bottom once you update the settings. Assignment the Assignments Page and assign weights to each Group.
Simplify Course Navigation Course Settings ★ Adjust
optimum course experience, hide unnecessary (or unused) navigation links. Visit For the an course Settings to check your Course Details, Sections, Apps andcourse Feature Options. Feature options allow you to choose when you want to enable new feature releases.
Choose the Home Page ★ Tip: Log a call with IT to cross-list your courses under the “Sections” tab (if needed).
The Home Page is the first impression of a course. Select the Home Page option that best fits the
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needs of 3rd yourparty course. You(apps) can also make use of a template. Tip: Integrating LTI Tools allows students to work with these applications without leaving ulwazi Tip: Include visuals to engage your students and incorporate important information about your course.
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Authenticate Third Party Tools Verify Participants in the People Link Third partyPeople tools, such as Google Apps or Office 365,(teacher, must associate Witsfor address Select to verify your course enrolments student,with TA,aetc.) accuracy. Also check your course sections (ifLogin, applicable). (staffnumber@wits.ac.za). authenticate, and test these tools before assigning activities with these integrations.
Validate Course Hyperlinks
Select Validate Links in your Course Settings to ensure there are no broken links. Verify Calendar Publish Course Content the Calendar tooland to verify Assignment due dates and Events scheduled for your course. ★ Check Check visibility of individual items and modules as a whole. Don’t forget to publish your course. Note: The Calendar displays graded/published Assignments, Quizzes, Discussions and Events with due dates. Tip: You can unpublish any items you don’t want students to see.
Course in Student View ⃣ ⭐⭐ ★ Set Review a Profileyour Pic course content from Student View to experience your course from a student Review
Set perspective. a profile picture thatSome represents yourself ulwazi. will be ablefunctionality. to see the image displayed Note: third party toolsinmay notStudents have student view Tip: Student View adds a test student to Grades. After participating in Student View, enter your Gradebook as a in the Inbox, Announcements, Discussions, and the People tab. teacher to view any Test Student entries.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
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Support
ulwazi Help Desk
Please contact for all technical queries ulwazihelp@wits.ac.za
Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) Instructional Designers ID support: IDSupport.cltd@wits.ac.za
Faculty Online Learning Designers
For assistance in designing your online/blended course Humanities Renee Koch: renee.koch@wits.ac.za
CLM Greig Krull: greig.krull@wits.ac.za Fiona Macalister: fiona.macalister@wits.ac.za Myrtle Adams-Gardner: myrtle.adams-gardner@wits.ac.za
Health Sciences Paula Barnard-Ashton: paula.barnard-ashton@wits.ac.za Mark Allen: mark.allen@wits.ac.za
Science Phiwe Dlamini: phiwokuhle.dlamini@wits.ac.za
Engineering Nozuko Makhuvha: nozuko.makhuvha@wits.ac.za
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ulwazi Faculty Administrators
Please contact if you need to create a new ulwazi site. Humanities Renee Koch: renee.koch@wits.ac.za
CLM Fiona Macalister: fiona.macalister@wits.ac.za
Health Sciences Ann George: ann.george@wits.ac.za
Science Phiwe Dlamini: phiwokuhle.dlamini@wits.ac.za
Engineering Nozuko Makhuvha: nozuko.makhuvha@wits.ac.za