Weekly Feed—July 22, 2024
- Respondus Monitor Update
- VoiceThread Update
- How to Avoid and Report Phishing Scams
- Technology Support
- Technology Workshop, Week of July 22
- Respondus Monitor Update
Respondus Monitor, a companion product for the Respondus LockDown Browser (RLDB), records students during online, non-proctored quizzes in D2L. When the Respondus Monitor feature is enabled for a quiz, students are required to use the LockDown Browser with a webcam and a microphone. After the quiz is complete, the instructor can review details of the assessment, including the recorded videos.
Updates include . . .
- Faster proctoring results: Average time for Respondus Monitor proctoring results to become available to instructors is now less than 10 minutes. (This is a reduction of ~4 hours.)
- Improved video functionality: Higher resolution video, few video interruptions, and tighter sync of video and data.
- More precise flagging with better student prompting to remedy screen tilt and bad lighting issues.
- NEW: Respondus Monitor now supports three sensitivity levels, configurable by the instructor.
Respondus continues to develop Respondus Vision to reduce false positives, keep bandwidth requirements low, ensure algorithm fairness, and provide a foundation for continued improvement.
Questions? UITS is here for you! Please contact the KSU Service Desk.
VoiceThread Update
VoiceThread, a web-based application that allows instructors to put collections of images, videos, documents, and presentations at the center of an asynchronous course discussion, has moved to the new VoiceThread experience. While the core user experience remains unchanged, the new VoiceThread experience brings many new features.
Updates include . . .
- Bulk comment management options
- Audio description of slides
- One conversation view
- Zooming and panning while commenting
- Comment and slide navigation buttons have moved to the left side of the page
- Full accessibility, so VoiceThread Universal is no longer necessary
- Jump navigation while commenting
- And more—find the full list of changes and new features on VoiceThread’s website
Access to VoiceThread through D2L will remain the same.
Please contact the KSU Service Desk if you have questions. UITS is here for you!
How to Avoid and Report Phishing Scams
Email is the official method of communication at KSU; all announcements and business-related correspondence are shared by official KSU email accounts.
The bad news: Phishing seems to be cybercriminals' official method of scamming people.
The good news: Reporting suspicious emails is simple and easy! Click the Phish Alert button in your KSU email application and confirm your submission in the pop-up panel on the right-hand side of the screen.
Follow these tips as you assess each email:
- Look for [EXTERNAL] in the email subject line. This indicates that the email may come from a non-KSU sender. Does the email address end in "@kennesaw.edu"? If not, the email may be a phishing attempt.
- Don’t automatically trust an email sender's display name. Even if the name displayed matches the name of a person you know, check the email address to confirm the sender. Any email claiming to be an employee of the university that does not originate from email ending in “@kennesaw.edu” should arouse your suspicion, especially if it claims to be from a person in a leadership position.
- Check (but don't click) the links to web sites. Hover your cursor over links in the message and note the address. Does the address make sense and match the rest of the content of the email? For example, links to most KSU or USG sites will include kennesaw.edu or usg.edu. The same is typically true of other companies.
- Check for errors. Attackers are often less careful about spelling or grammar than legitimate senders.
- Be cautious about attachments. Do not click on attachments that are unexpected or from unknown senders.
- Beware of urgency. Remember that scammers might try to make it sound as if there is an emergency (e.g., someone needs money right away, your account has been compromised, or someone is in trouble). If the sender is trying to influence you to act quickly, it may be wise to slow down instead.
- Take time to think it through. Phishers can use company logos, professional photos, and even spoofed email addresses to make their attempts look more legitimate. Take extra caution in reviewing an email that you did not expect to receive and asks you to take action.
Report Phishing at KSU
If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of an email, report it to UITS! Forward suspicious emails to abuse@kennesaw.edu, or click the "Phish Alert Report" button in Outlook.
The Phish Alert Report button can look slightly different based on whether you're using Outlook on the Web, the Outlook app on your computer, or Outlook for mobile devices.
For more information, including examples of real phishing attempts at KSU, check out the KSU Phish Market.
Technology Support
Do you or your students need help using technology at KSU? UITS is here for you!
Contact the KSU Service Desk for Support
Visit us online:
service.kennesaw.edu/technology
Email:
service@kennesaw.edu (Students should email studenthelpdesk@kennesaw.edu)
Call:
470-578-6999 (Students should call 470-578-3555)
Visit in Person:
Kennesaw: Sturgis Library, Suite 4500 (New location!)
Marietta: Academic Building, Lower Level
Summer walk-up counter hours:
Monday–Thursday: 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday and holidays: closed
Find Answers to Common Questions
For quick answers to frequently asked questions, please consult the Knowledge Base.
Sign Up for Technology Training
Technology Workshops
UITS offers live virtual workshops throughout the year! Join us so you can master technology and be even more effective—and efficient—at work! Browse our selection of technology workshops.
One-on-One Technology Training
Would you benefit from a one-on-one training session to address specific questions or cover a portion of an application? Follow these instructions to sign up for one-on-one training on any of the following:
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- OneDrive
- Teams
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- D2L Brightspace
- SmartBoard
- MediaSpace
- DocuSign
Group Technology Training
Want customized technology training for your class, department, or other group? UITS is happy to help! We offer group training by request on any of the applications listed above. Presentations can be modified to fit within the time constraints of one or multiple meetings.
Technology Workshop, Week of July 22
AI with Adobe
Journey to the realm of creativity with Adobe's Generative AI tools. From text-to-image in Adobe Express to generative fill in Adobe Firefly, this workshop will guide participants through the possibilities of digital design with AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Tuesday, Jul. 23, 10–11 a.m. via Teams
Register to join this workshop
Check out our complete selection of Summer 2024 workshops.
UITS also offers one-on-one and group technology training. See you there!
