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Minerva's changing: Really changing ...

'Blackboard' - the software that runs 'Minerva' - will change from July: we'll be using a new version (number 9). The changes make it easier to find the features that allow you to use 'Minerva' as a teaching and learning tool. 'Minerva' will look and act differently though and you may well find you need help, or training. For instance, menu buttons will now have additional controls on them and it's good to recognise what these do. (These controls look like the buttons on the right).

As for the training ... we'll have new 'Mark's help' pages, workshops and videos - if you need assistance we'll have the backup for you. Here's a bit more on the impending change.

Internet Explorer 6 + Minerva = not good

To be fair, most of the time it does work, but you'll hit the rocks with it. If you're still using Internet Explorer 6 (to find out, use the menu 'Help/About') do upgrade it to IE8.

Office 2007 / Windows 2007, anyone?

If you're looking for help with either of these, use the following series of resources into which you can dip. Find them by logging into Minerva and looking for a course 'Staff IT Training'. Here's a direct link (login required). Highlights include just a couple of quick videos that explaing some of the useful bits of Windows 7 - and and an interactive 'Features comparison' for Office 2003 / 2007 ...

Apple laptops: using the trackpad

If you find the trackpad's 'Click' is rather heavy handed to use, set a preference for a tap to take its place, here's how:

Select the Apple menu at top left and then 'System preferences'.
Choose 'Trackpad'
Put a tick against the option to use a tap to select items ...

Now, to select something, hover the mouse over it and tap the trackpad - you no longer have to click it.

Meanwhile ... module evaluation surveys

In 2009-10 academic year, all SITS module on Minerva were provided with a ready made module evaluation survey for you to deploy. Here's a Mark's Help page which explains how to retrieve the survey results (Video courtesy of Graham Morgan ...)

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