• Sakai Scheduled Maintenance: Sat., Aug. 19, 6:00am-6:30am

    On Saturday, Auguest 19, 2017, Sakai will be out of service from 6:00am to 6:30am (US Pacific Time) for maintenance. Please plan accordingly. If you have any questions, contact sakai@plu.edu.

    Check https://www.plu.edu/status/ for periodic updates.

    Phasing Out Adobe Flash Content from Sakai - Sat., Aug. 19

    On Saturday, August 19, the Movie and Flash buttons depicted in the figure below will be removed from the Sakai rich-text editor (CKEditor). These two features embed content that relies on Adobe Flash, a decaying web technology with many security vulnerabilities, severe enough for Chrome and Firefox to have proceeded to block Flash content by default. (More details regarding why and how to avoid using Adobe Flash are available in the article, Embedding YouTube & Audio Players in Sakai.

    Movie and Flash buttons

    Click on the image above to enlarge.

    With the removal of the Movie and Flash buttons, content previously created with these features will still be preserved. Nevertheless, we recommend that instructors who use Flash content to begin to find alternatives, such as the CKEditor features for embedding YouTube and audio players which do not rely on Flash. Also in some rare cases where YouTube hosted videos is not ideal, instructors might use the new Video Player button depicted below. This feature will be added to the CKEditor on August 19.

    Video Player button

    Click on the image above to enlarge.

    If you have questions or would like to schedule a consultation regarding how to migrate away from content dependent on Flash, email the Sakai Support Team at sakai@plu.edu.

    Reusing & Refreshing Course Content

    Watch the following video for how instructors can copy course content from one site to another.

    Note that once course content is copied from one course site to another, it is important to systematically review the entire course and revise the copied content in order to update dates, hyperlinks, assignment instructions, etc. Content needing revision might include content within Lessons and other Sakai tools, the syllabus, and other documents. For more details refer to the document, Strategies for Reusing and Refreshing Course Content in Sakai.

    How to Use the Gradebook Tool

    Watch the video below for a tutorial on how instructors can use the Gradebook tool effectively. More information is available in the Gradebook help documents, How do I set up my Gradebook?, How do I calculate course grades?, and for students How do I view my Gradebook grades?

    Multi-Factor Authentication

    In order to better protect both your personal and institutional data, Information & Technology Services is implementing an additional security feature called multi-factor authentication for many of its web-based services for accounts that may have access to sensitive information. If your account has been designated to be required to sign up for this service, you will receive an email in your PLU Gmail account letting you know how to proceed with setting up this new security feature. For more information on this service and how it is beneficial for your account, please visit our Multi-Factor Authentication Enrollment webpage.

    multi-factor authentication infographic

    Click on image above to enlarge.

    New Turnitin User Interface

    The Turnitin service, used via the Sakai Assignments tool to check for originality and plagiarism in student papers, has recently shifted to a new user interface called Feedback Studio. Feedback Studio combines Turnitin Originality Reports and Grademark Tools into a single toolbar. If you use Turnitin in your courses, check out the blog posting “Transition to Turnitin Feedback Studio on June 3, 2017” for an overview of what to expect with this update and how you can prepare for using the new interface. Questions? Contact sakai@plu.edu.