If you are a faculty member or instructor at the Conviser Law Center, please click here.

Quick links to information on this page

Teaching Courses
Access Archived Courses
Teaching Tools
Tutoring and Academic Coaching Remotely
Academic Software
Galvin Library Resources
VPN (Secure access to the IIT network)
Access to Your Own Work PC Environment
Team Projects
Voice Services (Phone)
Private and Group Chat Rooms
Audio and Video Conferencing
Need Help?

The Office of Technology Services (OTS) and the Center for Learning Innovation (CLI) have assembled these technology resources to assist you in teaching, advising, and working remotely.

If you have any questions about accessing these resources, please email the OTS Support Desk, call 312.567.3375 (on campus x7DESK), or stop by the upper level of the Galvin Library.  For Support Desk hours, please click here.

Educational Work

Teaching Courses

The Center for Learning Innovation (CLI) offers many workshops and office hours to assist instructors with teaching online and using technology to help you with your teaching needs.  Please click Classes and Workshops to view the schedule and register for upcoming sessions.

Sample Workshops

• Getting Started - Never used Blackboard before?  No problem.  Learn how to set up your course site for the new semester.  This introductory course is perfect for new instructors and those unfamiliar with using Blackboard.

• Collaborate Ultra Workshop - Learn how to use Blackboard Collaborate Ultra to hold online, live sessions with a variety of interaction tools, as well as how to record sessions.  

• Watch a Recorded Collaborate Ultra Workshop

• Online Assignments, Tests, and Discussion Boards Workshop - Learn how online assignments, tests, and discussion boards can be administered through Blackboard to assess student progress and provide individual feedback. Offering assessments through Blackboard can help instructors save time and organize submissions in an environment students can easily navigate.

• Best Practices for Online Assessments - Rethink your final exam and pick up ideas and best practices for alternative assessments to replace your in-class exams.

Recording Class Sessions

Illinois Tech instructors are strongly encouraged to use Blackboard Collaborate Ultra for synchronous and asynchronous class meetings.  Learn more about Collaborate Ultra.

Some lectures are recorded by in-classroom technology, which are then saved in a video-management tool called Panopto.  You can find Panopto via a link entitled "Classroom Recordings" in your course menu. 

Where's my course recording?

The answer depends upon where your session was recorded. 

• Did you press “Start Recording” in Collaborate Ultra?  If so, the recording will be found in Collaborate Ultra.  Learn more about Collaborate Ultra.
• Was the session held in a classroom with recording equipment?  If so, the recording will be found in “Classroom Recordings” in your course menu.  Learn more about Lecture Capture.

Best Practices

• Please advise your students about where they can find the recordings of your course.

• Recordings post automatically, but they usually require some processing time before they are available for viewing. Please allow up to 24 hours for your video to appear.

• CLI invites you to share these Online Resources with your students to help them learn more about Blackboard, Collaborate Ultra, and best practices for online classes.

• For more information on how to use Collaborate Ultra, troubleshoot and share your screen, please click here. Best Practices

Remote Exams

For instructors who are holding remote exams and are concerned about maintaining academic integrity, CLI has several options, including:

• Assess the students’ learning through authentic assessments - novel, real-world situations.

• Use the Blackboard Test tool to randomize questions, create question pools, and/or set a timer.

• Use Safe Assign along with the Assignment tool to run the students’ submissions through a plagiarism checker.

Learn more about Remote Exams by clicking here.

Access Previous Course Recordings 

If you taught and recorded a course in a previous semester — and it is the same course you are currently teaching — you may request to post a recording of a past lecture on your current course site.  For assistance, please contact the OTS Support Desk at supportdesk@iit.edu and please include the name of your previous course. 

Teaching Tools (Grading, Rosters, Advising)

• Banner 9 Self-Service—Faculty Instructions for Entering Grades, Seeing Class Rosters, and View Advisee's Program Information
• Banner 9 Self Service—Adviser Instructions for Searching Advisees

Resources for Your Students - Tutoring and Academic Coaching (see also "Galvin Library Resources" below)

• Academic Resource Center (ARC)

• In line with the university's instructional mode, the ARC is going to be 'hybrid' for the fall semester.  There will be limited hours and tutors available at the ARC, which has been relocated to the lower level of the Galvin Library.
• Regular tutoring hours and SI Exam Review sessions can be accessed on the ARC's website. Links to the virtual rooms by subject area are available on this spreadsheet, which students can only access through their Hawk Google accounts.
• Students can make appointments with tutors through TutorTrac and use Collaborate Ultra or Google Meet to complete a tutoring session.
• Academic Coaches - Students who are enrolled in GLS 180, GLS 182, or are looking for general learning assistance through one-on-one sessions with academic coaches can either check the Google Calendar for coach availability or contact Andrew De Leonardis, Nisha Jagannathan, Nataliya Turchmanovych, or Sarah Coates to set up an appointment for one-on-one coaching.
• Writing Center - Tutors can assist in any stage of the writing process.  One-on-one tutoring is available, as is asynchronous sessions.  Students can schedule an appointment at tutortrac.iit.edu. 
• Virtual Math Tutoring Center - Although RE129 is currently closed, graduate-student teaching assistants are available to answer math questions online
• "Knack" - This on-demand virtual and in-person tutoring platform designed to help students schedule sessions with tutors, supplemental instructors, academic coaches, and teaching assistants is currently being evaluated.  The goal is for Knack to facilitate better availability of tutors, outside of ARC hours, so getting assistance is even easier for our students.  More information on this to follow.

Academic Software

• Software Availability
• The new Virtual Computer Lab (VCL) and How to Access It
• If you need software to be loaded into the VCL, please contact the OTS Support Desk for assistance.

Galvin Library Resources

• The circulation desk of the library has a limited number of laptops available on a first-come-first-served basis. Laptops may be checked out for up to four hours with an option to renew for up to another four hours. 
• With the Galvin Library Guide you can learn how to access their resources and services remotely.

State of Illinois Hotspot Map (Drive-up Internet Availability for Higher Ed)

Illinois Tech is a proud contributor to Illinois' initiative to support the education of Illinois residents.  This map of hotspots around the state provides instructions for each location.

Work Generally

Virtual Private Network (VPN) (Secure Access to the IIT network)

PLEASE NOTE: Every member of the Illinois Tech community who will be using university resources remotely, such as Banner SSB, VCL, and Cognos, for example, must use Illinois Tech's secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) to minimize the possibility of a security incident.

• Download the VPN Software
  The VPN is your gateway to accessing IIT's network and applications, such as Banner and myfile.iit.edu.
  
  To download the VPN installation package:

• Windows and Mac: Click here
• Android: Search Google Play for "Cisco AnyConnect"
• iOS: Search Apple App Store for "Cisco AnyConnect"
  
  
• Access the VPN
  You will need to go through VPN to access the following Illinois Tech applications:  AppWorx; CBORD; Cognos; Confluence/Jira; Ellucian Banner administration (INB) forms (DEV/TEST/PROD); Ellucian ISSM/SEVIS; EMS; MyRoom; portal lower environments (DEV/TEST); Odyssey; and share drives using myfile.iit.edu. 

Access to Your Own Work PC Environment

• Download the VPN (see above) and access it by using your IIT credentials.
• Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) — The remote desktop protocol allows you to access the documents on your office desktop and hard drive from any location as if you were working at your office computer. To access the RDP, first download the VPN (see above) and thereafter set up your remote desktop. By accessing the RDP through IIT's secure VPN, you are doing your part to be cybersecurity conscious and complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations.

Team Projects

• There are many tools available for collaboration through the Google Suite apps to which all members of the Illinois Tech community have access.

  • Google Drive - This app stores your documents and more, allowing you to invite other users to view, download, and/or collaborate on any of the files you designate.
  • Google Docs - If you want group input on a document, you can use Google Docs and determine who on your team will have different privileges, such as editing or viewing.
  • Google Sheets - This app allows users to create and format spreadsheets, charts, graphs, and pivot tables online. It is akin to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, but unlike Excel, with Google Sheets you can work on a spreadsheet, for example, simultaneously with other users. This app is compatible with Microsoft Excel file formats.
  • Google Slides - This is a presentation program that allows users to create and edit presentations online, collaborating with other users in real-time. You can imbed videos or animation, too. Users can access revision history to see prior versions of the same presentation, sorted by date and who made the change. The app is compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint file formats.
  • Google Forms - This is a survey administration app that features all of the collaboration and sharing features found in Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. You can collect information from users through a targeted survey, poll, or quiz that you can personalize to your audience using photos, logos, or one of the existing curated themes. Your audience's responses are then automatically collected and populated in real time into a Google Sheet that includes charts, saving you time and effort.

• Myfile.iit.edu is a file-sharing network service provided by the university for storing your files. You can access this service by connecting to the VPN and mapping the file share in Windows 10on your computing device.

Voice Services (Phone)

• Voice-over IP (VoIP) - The universit'sy telephone system is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).  To learn more about mobile applications and soft phone applications for VoIP, and/or access user and quick reference guides, please click here.
• Voicemail - To retrieve voicemails from your office extension, please see the Quick Reference Guide-Mitel Clearspan Communicator Voicemail, which all members of the Illinois Tech community are using.

Private and Group Chat Rooms

• Google Hangouts Chat - This app in the Google Suite allows you to ask questions, collaborate in group chats, create a virtual chat room for team projects, and more.

Audio and Video Conferencing

• Google Meet Instructions - This app provides high-quality audio and video conferencing for meetings of up to 250 participants with real-time captioning available through the app's speech-to-text functionality. Share the Google-Meet link and participants can join with just one click! You can include participants from other countries with international dial-in numbers and enjoy smooth integration with your Google Calendar, allowing for seamless scheduling and easy access to all your meetings' details. You can even record your meeting provided you receive its participants' prior consent. To learn more about how to record a meeting, please click here for instructions or watch a quick video tutorial.
• Zoom instructions - Zoom is a cloud-based video communications app that allows you to set up virtual video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen-sharing, and other collaborative opportunities. One of the advantages that Zoom offers is that instructors can schedule Zoom meetings in their Blackboard course sites.  For more information on Zoom and Blackboard, please click here.   

What If I Need Help?

• Please send an email to the OTS Support Desk, call 312.567.3375 (on campus x7DESK), or stop by the upper level of the Galvin Library.  If you would like Support Desk assistance in the Galvin Library, please observe room occupancy limitations and social distancing protocols.
• Click here for Support Desk hours.
• To learn more about how to leverage Collaborate Ultra for teaching your classes, Blackboard's online assignment, test, and discussion board tools, best practices for online assessments and/or getting started with Blackboard, the Center for Learning Innovation will be conducting online faculty workshops. For upcoming workshops, please sign up here.