Bb SP8 and Snapshot Flat File Integration: Part 4

DISCLAIMER: Once again, in this blog I describe options that deeply impact the integration of Blackboard Learn with your SIS. Thus the following ad hoc disclaimer: In this series, I’m reporting on how we plan to use Snaphot Flat File Integration at SWBTS. In fact, this blog series has grown out of documentation that I’m creating for our use at SWBTS. The information here may or may not be helpful to you. Please look closely at Blackboard’s documentation and at your institution’s policies for integration before you deploy it. It also wouldn’t hurt to do some testing in a test server environment before you go live (I know – I’m stating the obvious). End of disclaimer.

In previous blogs, we looked at Data Sources and Terms – how they function and how to create them in the Blackboard Learn UI. Remember that Data Sources delimit the data on which you are performing operations. Terms bequeath duration (from August 20 to December 2, say) to a batch of courses. We saw that both need to be in place before you begin creating and using integrations. (Actually, terms are optional. You don’t have to use them if you don’t want. But why would you not want to? Trust us, they’re pretty cool.) Continue reading

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Bb SP8 and Snapshot Flat File Integration: Part 3

DISCLAIMER: In this blog I describe options that deeply impact the integration of Blackboard Learn with your SIS. Thus the following ad hoc disclaimer: In this series, I’m reporting on how we plan to use Snaphot Flat File Integration at SWBTS. This information may or may not be helpful to you. Please look closely at Blackboard’s documentation and at your institution’s policies for integration before you deploy it. It also wouldn’t hurt to do some testing in a test server environment before you go live (I know – I’m stating the obvious). End of disclaimer.

By the way, we invite any feedback on this. Let us know if this has helped or hindered in any way. Also, let us know if you found a better way to do any of this. We’re not proud. We’re all about finding the easiest way to integrate Blackboard Learn with our SIS!

Now let’s look at integrations. More specifically, let’s look at Snapshot Flat File integrations. This is the type of integration we will be deploying at SWBTS when we upgrade our production server to SP8 in August, 2012 – so it’s the type of integration with which we have become most familiar. (There are four other integration types. For example, one is designed to work closely with IMS-compliant systems.)

Do you remember how we described integrations in part 1 of this series? We depicted them as Blackboard objects possessing properties that you the Blackboard administrator can set. Basically, you are telling Blackboard Learn what to do with SIS data once it gets it. Integrations are the UI version of the command lines you developed for the Snapshot Tool. Only more powerful and (once you’ve mastered the learning curve) easier to set up. Continue reading

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Bb SP8 and Snapshot Flat File Integration: Part 2

In Part 2 of our series, we look at Data Source Keys and Terms. We’re not covering everything – just some basics to help you get started.

Data Source Keys

Before you generate user accounts, create courses, or enroll students, you need to have data source keys in place. Data source keys flag data as belonging to a particular term. Thus they allow you to perform operations on a subset of data (i.e., fall 2012 enrollments) without worrying that the operations will be performed on the entire set (all enrollments in Blackboard). Continue reading

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Bb SP8 and Snapshot Flat File Integration: Part 1

At SWBTS, we started looking at the SP 8 version of the new Blackboard integration environment. Our motivation (primarily) is the deprecation of the Snapshot Tool. While the tool will be available for a while (Blackboard has not set a date for when they will remove support), development has been curtailed as of SP 6. That means, if you want to take advantage of any new integration features, say goodbye to the Snapshot Tool.

There’s a hefty learning curve, of course. And full documentation as of this writing has not been released (although Blackboard is working on this). So prepare for testing of the experimental trial-and-error sort.

So far we like what we see. Continue reading

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Tarzan of the Apes: 100 Years Old (but Still Growing Up)

Tarzan of the Apes book coverI’m celebrating this novel’s centennial by reading it for the very first time. And I’m almost embarrassed. Let’s face it, most folks know that Burroughs did as much on-site research for this book as he did for Princess of Mars. Besides that, he writes like someone who never grew up, like a boy dreaming big dreams. You know, the kind that feel graspable at the time but have no place in adult reality.

The first Tarzan book is now a hundred years old so I should be graceful. But Kipling was right – Tarzan of the Apes is not a good book. I read the following and tried very hard not to laugh: “But now they had come to their destination, and Tarzan of the Apes with Jane in his strong arms, swung lightly to the the turf in the arena where the great apes held their councils and danced the wild orgy of the Dum-Dum.” Some entertainment here but mostly pubescent dribble. Continue reading

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